Utility Cycling - Any Bakfiets riders here?

Hi!
I am new to the forum. We live in Hampshire, England.
Am quite new to the cycling community, but have a Bakfiets Cargobike Long arriving tomorrow - and am SO excited! We have two sons, both under 1, and we want to use it for all jouneys under 10 miles if possible. Luckily where we live is quite flat and I think we shall be delighted with it.
Any one else have one of these and love it?

Hello, yes I have a bakfiets style cargo bike and love it!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3050/2559524271_304c05e2ea.jpg?v=0
*Photo makes it look small. In real life it's enormous.*

It's actually a cheaper chinese made bike imported to Australia by Tim from cargocycles.com.au. These are simply brilliant bikes. They are however definitely designed for use in the flatter parts of the world but you said your part's flat so you shouldn't have any problems. Also I believe your bike will be equipped with Shimano internal gears which I would prefer over the Sturmey Archer hub that my bike has. Yours will be much easy to gear down if needed. I'm currently looking into various options to make things a bit easier - where I live even the bike paths are hilly.


Anyway, hope you enjoy your new incredibly heavy and beautiful bike! And don't forget to post some photos if possible.

Any one else have one of these and love it?
No, but there is a shop not 2 miles from my house that sells them. They are all over my neighborhood and our central city. The shop can't keep them in stock.

One of these days...

Thanks for the posts. Love the photo too.
I can't wait to have the freedom to get around without relying on a car, and it will be good for my little boys, being out in the fresh air, experiencing the seasons as they come and go from the comfort of their little Bakfiets. Good exercise for me too, hope it will inspire a more healthier family life.
Only a few more hours until it arrives later on today.

One of these days...

That's exactly how I felt looking at all the amazing bikes on the internet and dreaming of them even being available here, let alone at a price I could afford. I'm so grateful someone was thinking along the same lines and actually got it done. Thanks Tim!!!

So that's that crossed off the list. Now for the Big Dummy :D

Here's a Portland bakfiets (and cargo):

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3156/2634332007_875b9f8037.jpg

That is a really delightful photo Donna :D:thumb:

That looks like a motorcycle wheel on front.

I love those canvass panniers:thumb:
Roy

That looks like a motorcycle wheel on front.
Because of the generator hub?

Here's a Portland bakfiets (and cargo):

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3156/2634332007_875b9f8037.jpg

They look very cool. I'm curious what it feels like to ride empty and loaded. I've never been near anything even close to these bad boys.....:thumb:

They look very cool. I'm curious what it feels like to ride empty and loaded. I've never been near anything even close to these bad boys.....:thumb:

Having only ever ridden mountain or hybrid bikes, even the seating position is revolutionary for me. You really do sit upright with your back straight and no weight on your hands. This is an incredibly relaxed way to ride.

Admittedly the most I have carried so far is a heavy load of shopping (which can be a bit unnerving when you push off as it shifts around a bit but I think that's more hearing and seeing it than it feeling unbalanced) but to be honest I've not noticed much difference between riding empty and loaded. Did take a few rides to get used to - the front wheel whips around at the slightest touch of the handlebars. DON'T LOOK AT IT!!
It accelerates fast down hills and very slowly on flats or inclines. But overall the ride is incredibly comfortable given the fat tyres and the fact you're sitting between them rather than above them. I find myself deliberately running over cracks and bumps I normally avoid just for the thrill of not being able to feel them! It truly glides.

Pros: large open cargo space - just drop your stuff in and go, very comfortable ride, deceptively easy to push (walk) - no different to any other bike.

Cons: can't lift the front of the bike up and over curbs. I find myself taking the long, slow way around which suits the bike anyway. It's long, slow, relaxed and comfy.

More specifically for my bike I really don't like the Sturmey Archer hub. Particularly the shifter. It's really not designed for bikes with 26" wheels, let alone cargo bikes. But it seems the Chinese don't care much about torque ratings and the like. I'm seriously considering adding either a Nexus or NuVinci hub. That will fix both the gearing and the slightly scary effect of your feet coming off the pedals at speed when the hub decides to miss a shift and suddenly hits 1st :eek:
Note that I think the SA hub would probably be fine for most people carrying kids and shopping on flat ground (which is what the bike's designed for) but I'm wanting to carry heavier loads up the gentler hills in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and it's just not cut out for that.

Thanks for your posts guys!
Well..... my Bakfiets Cargobike Long........ has arrived!!!!!!!!!
We have had it since yesterday afternoon and I'M IN LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I get a momentlater on today or tomorrow I shall post some pics. She rides beautifully, is so comfortable, and my two little boys (10 months old and 23 months old) love her too, smiles a mile wide. Yesterday afternoon we rode for about an hour and half where we live and we got so many smiles and waves form other people out.

I am so happy that this bike is going to have such a positive impact on our families life.

I live in Southampton, and I saw a Bakfiets in Shirley (doing a U-turn on the high street! Big!) a few weeks ago. I'm very excited to see more of them! I think a cargo bike is in my future somewhere, but whether that's a Bakfiets or a LongJohn or a BigDummy, I'm not sure.

We live near Portsmouth! So not far from Southampton at all. We adore the Bakfiets we have, in fact, we have only just got in from cycling this morning, the boys were lovely and dry and warm under the rain tent. It is the best!!!

I love the idea, but I don't think that they'd be very practical here. Too many hills! Even if one stayed on "the flats" by the rivers--and, arguably, most of where one would have to go are there---getting across the bridges would be difficult, although not impossible.

I'm intrigued by the idea of a Bakfiets with a Rohloff hub. It seems like that would make it much more practical to use for me in Seattle. It also makes it like a $5000 purchase though.

Bakfiets + electric assist would be the winner.
I've seen one with a stoke monkey.

This (http://newamsterdamproject.com/) was just featured on CNN.

The link also has a clip from CBS.

http://newamsterdamproject.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/wppa/18.jpg
New Amsterdam Project

Bakfiets + electric assist would be the winner.
I've seen one with a stoke monkey.

If you go over to www.clevercycles.com, you will see that Todd F., inventor of the Stokemonkey says that his stoking of the Bak was a one-off thing and that he does not recommend the SM or any other electric assist currently on the market for a Bak.

I'm hauling my two little boys around in my Bakfiets so I am very happy not to race about and just go with the flow, I wouldn't want an electric motor, it could affect my braking distances if I were going faster so that's a no-no!
Gosh, I have only had the Bakfiets ( we have called her Dutchey) a couple of days and I love her SO much, my sons adore riding around, and it feels so free and natural to be just out in the fresh air. Life changing stuff.

This article might be of interest:

http://www.bicyclefixation.com/bakfiets1.html

This (http://newamsterdamproject.com/) was just featured on CNN.

The link also has a clip from CBS.

http://newamsterdamproject.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/wppa/18.jpg
New Amsterdam Project

Hey! - that is just soooooooooo terrific :thumb:
Tricycles are cool. :love:

The thought of pedalling one of those up the 500 feet of elevation between the grocery store and my house made my eyes pop out and land on the keyboard.