Utility Cycling - Which is the better cargo bike: Bakfiet or Xtracycle

I just wrote up a comparison of both here: http://austinbikeblog.org/?p=1108.

In the end, I think the Xtracycle is the best choice in most instances. What do you think?

Good analysis....I'm not in the market for either ....but I think if I had small kids, the upfront in the box of the baksfiet would be a very heavy decision influence. All in all I'm way more comfortable with small science experiments......er... children up where I can see them.

Good analysis....I'm not in the market for either ....but I think if I had small kids, the upfront in the box of the baksfiet would be a very heavy decision influence. All in all I'm way more comfortable with small science experiments......er... children up where I can see them.

Yeah, for transporting kids, the bakfiet is out of the box better. I built the setup (http://austinbikeblog.org/?p=736) below for my kids to ride the Xtracycle, but it did require my own ingenuity to make it happen.

http://austinbikeblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/kidsonxtracycle1.jpg

It seems to me that the bakfiets style would be better suited to try to haul a full load of groceries (IE, a supermarket-basket full), but I haven't tried either to compare.

I just wrote up a comparison of both here: http://austinbikeblog.org/?p=1108.

In the end, I think the Xtracycle is the best choice in most instances. What do you think?

I think you wrote a very informative article in your blog.


I have a question about the passenger seating in the bakfiet. You write:"With a large seating space, fold down seat, seat belt, and optional rain cover, the Bakfiet is out of the box ready to carry one adult or 2 kids comfortably and securely."

Is the same fold down seat/seat belt arrangement suitable for both a child and an adult? And is it an extra cost option on top of the $3000+ base price? The few bakfiets I saw in use for passengers in The Netherland only were used for older children capable of standing in the seatfree "cargo tub". Carrying passengers in a cargo area without an actual seat suitable for the size of the passenger, especially a child, may not be suitable for those who are concerned with the legality, let alone safety of their cycling equipment.

EDIT: OMG! I saw the seating arrangement for the bakfiet in question on the "Change is Beautiful" ads with Carl Weathers. Do you believe an adult could actually sit for over 10 minutes on that tiny wooden shelf with his/her legs scroonched up to fit? If you give friends a ride in that butt beater they wouldn't be friends for long.

It seems to me that the bakfiets style would be better suited to try to haul a full load of groceries (IE, a supermarket-basket full), but I haven't tried either to compare.

I haven't got an xtracycle (yet) but that's one reason why I like the bak - being able to just dump the shopping in the boot and ride. But I'm glad I only bought a cheap chinese bak as I wasn't replacing a car, just lots of walks to the (local) shops. Now I can do a weeks worth of shopping in one go just like anyone who owns a car. I'm getting an xtra because I want to be able to go further afield and up some serious hills. They both have advantages and being able to source a cheaper bak means I can have the best of both worlds :) But the Sturmey Archer hub :mad: is heading for the tip.

A Bakfiet WITH an Xtracycle attachment!!:thumb:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cleverchimp/1405040629/

I just wrote up a comparison of both here: http://austinbikeblog.org/?p=1108.

In the end, I think the Xtracycle is the best choice in most instances. What do you think?

Xtra will always be a cobbed together cycle where a Bakfiet is designed to be what it is. No one
can dispute that.

Which it better? The one engineered to be what it is not cobbed together.

The one you can afford without taking out a second mortgage.

My 2c.

Xtra will always be a cobbed together cycle where a Bakfiet is designed to be what it is. No one
can dispute that.

Which it better? The one engineered to be what it is not cobbed together.

I don't think the Surly Big Dummy or Radish are cobbled together. They are unified frames designed to be cargo bikes from the outset. The Free Radical kit is designed to carry 200 lbs of cargo. Carrying cargo and people is the Xtracycle's purpose.

These are two different ways of addressing a need. They have strengths and weaknesses, but both are designed to carry cargo as their primary function.

I think you wrote a very informative article in your blog.


I have a question about the passenger seating in the bakfiet. You write:"With a large seating space, fold down seat, seat belt, and optional rain cover, the Bakfiet is out of the box ready to carry one adult or 2 kids comfortably and securely."

Is the same fold down seat/seat belt arrangement suitable for both a child and an adult?


I think the bakfiet is out of the box better suited for carrying people. The Xtracycle requires additional accessories or the ingenuity of the owner to make it easy for people to ride it. I gave my wife a ride in a bakfiet, and she was just fine. Now, for longer rides, I think the Xtracycle with adaptation is probably going to be more comfortable, but for basic around town transportation, the bakfiet would be fine.

I don't think the Surly Big Dummy or Radish are cobbled together. They are unified frames designed to be cargo bikes from the outset.
The Radish is not a unified bike frame, therefore it is cobbled together.

The Radish is not a unified bike frame, therefore it is cobbled together.

Pffst - whatever.

Xtras have carried massive amounts of cargo, off road, arround the world, all at the same time, with a very low failure rate.
I am not saying it is better, but don't dis it just because it is two pieces.
I love the Bak, but I can't afford it, however I can afford the Xtra, and I can find free or cheap mtn bikes everywhere. That made my desision.

Xtra will always be a cobbed together cycle where a Bakfiet is designed to be what it is. No one
can dispute that.

Which it better? The one engineered to be what it is not cobbed together.

Under the heading of 'Xtracycle' we should also file the Surly Big Dummy, and perhaps also the Rans Hammertruck, neither of which are 'cobbled together.'

I have a question about the passenger seating in the bakfiet. You write:"With a large seating space, fold down seat, seat belt, and optional rain cover, the Bakfiet is out of the box ready to carry one adult or 2 kids comfortably and securely."

Is the same fold down seat/seat belt arrangement suitable for both a child and an adult? And is it an extra cost option on top of the $3000+ base price? The few bakfiets I saw in use for passengers in The Netherland only were used for older children capable of standing in the seatfree "cargo tub". Carrying passengers in a cargo area without an actual seat suitable for the size of the passenger, especially a child, may not be suitable for those who are concerned with the legality, let alone safety of their cycling equipment.

This might be helpful. (http://www.bakfiets-en-meer.nl/bakfiets-cargobike-tips-tricks-faq/)

And this. (http://clevercycles.com/?p=195)

I had to look up the Radish to see what it was. As best I can tell, it's purpose-designed for the application, which moves it out of the "cobbled together" category.

This might be helpful. (http://www.bakfiets-en-meer.nl/bakfiets-cargobike-tips-tricks-faq/)

And this. (http://clevercycles.com/?p=195)

Thanks for the references. Lots of good info about and from the American Bakfiets builder in NL.

Grandma is quite a trooper, but I am not impressed with the passenger capability of the bakfiets for more than one toddler and that apparently takes some customizing of the cargo box. For adults - maybe OK for short rides for someone as game and adventurous as Grandma, but few others who are too old, disabled or frail to ride their own bike. Just the pictures of her sitting like that in a small plywood box made me uncomfortable, I wonder if her legs and/or rear end paid for her enthusiasm after the ride.

IMO, the answer to the question is: It all depends!

A Bak is great if you have $3000+ laying around and live in an area where there are few hills. When we were looking for a grocery getter/kid transport, the Xtracycle won out because our immediate area is very hilly. Most people don't ride around here on a regular 21+ geared bike- I can't imagine trying to work these hills with a loaded (or unloaded!) Bak.

We went with the Xtracycle and have been very happy.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2314/2908924766_a1f2cde3a3.jpg

The donor bike is a seven speed K2 cruiser style- which is extremely comfortable to ride. We added e-assist because it makes tackling the hills with 100+ lbs of cargo/kids a pleasure instead of torture. I rigged up a new snapdeck and seats to allow my little passengers to travel in more comfort...and the whole shebang cost less than $1000 (new bike, Xtracycle kit, e-assist).

I love my X- but if I lived where it was completely (or mostly) flat, I probably would have looked more closely at the Bak. And if my kids were younger, the security of the Bak's cargo box probably would have been more important. My small ones are 3.5yrs and 6yrs, so they really enjoy riding on the X. We got a lot of requests for taking the X instead of the car when going to the market/park/school/library. :thumb:

I'm not sure that comparing the X and the Bak is really comparing apples to apples, as there are so many variables/mods for the X and the type of donor bike a Free Radical kit is attached to. Plus I've ridden a Bak and it rode *very* differently than my X. It's like the difference between a minivan (Bak) and sporty stationwagon like (X).

Anyways, just my experience!

Pffst - whatever.

Xtras have carried massive amounts of cargo, off road, arround the world, all at the same time, with a very low failure rate.
I am not saying it is better, but don't dis it just because it is two pieces.
I love the Bak, but I can't afford it, however I can afford the Xtra, and I can find free or cheap mtn bikes everywhere. That made my desision.
Good for you. I've had mine since 2002, poseur.

If your comprehension was better, you'd understand that my statement DOES NOT suggest the Xtracycle is incapable of carrying heavy loads, nor does it suggest that I think the X is inferior to a bakfiets. Those are your asinine assumptions.

IMO, the answer to the question is: It all depends!

We went with the Xtracycle and have been very happy.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2314/2908924766_a1f2cde3a3.jpg



Yes, it does very much depend on your application and location as to which bike and equipment
will serve your needs best. This poster reasoned out the need then made the best choice for
that need.

The reasoning part it what causes many to make a mistake the first time out.

naw, everybody knows apples are way better than oranges for most purposes!

naw, everybody knows apples are way better than oranges for most purposes!
Quite true; except for the times when avocados imported from New Guinea could be used instead!

BTW, your Grandma is something else. You are lucky to have her still so spry and adventurous, enjoy her company and example, and make sure your kids do too.

naw, everybody knows apples are way better than oranges for most purposes!

No way. Oranges are much better than apples. Everybody knows that.

Yes, there is some usage overlap between the Xtracycle and the Bakfiets Cargobike but they're really different animals (or fruits for that matter). The Bakfiets was designed as and is mostly used as mom and dad's (but mostly mom's) daily transport around a Dutch city with babies and little kids. Its built to:

survive for years outdoors year-round in a wet climate with minimal maintenance


stand like a house while kids climb in and out of the box


accommodate and keep warm/dry most conceivable combinations of babies and kids that occur in real families (yes, it comes equipped standard with a bench to carry 2 kids)


enable parents to keep an eye on and talk with the kids in the box


be ridden in street/work/dress clothes without getting dirty


The Xtracycle and the many recent variants on the theme are great in their own right. They're:

generally cheaper


handle and brake better in hilly terrain


can make use of an otherwise useless mountain bike


readily adaptable, modified and mcgyverd to suit a tinkerer's needs


more conducive to sporty, recreational cycling


Either bike is a fish out of water in the other's element.

-Henry

I just wrote up a comparison of both here: http://austinbikeblog.org/?p=1108.

In the end, I think the Xtracycle is the best choice in most instances. What do you think?
Well I haven't tried either one really.
But......what I think?
The bakfiet is better, because the cargo space it presents is one big, open box.
You can quickly dump anything in there you want and ride off.
No planning on how to attach this-or-that, or tying anything down usually.
That's faster-to-use, easier-to-use, and so is better than the xtracycle.

Plus, with the Bakfiets you can see the items you are carrying, so if they begin to fall out, you are likely to see that. On an xtracycle they are behind you, and if something falls off, you may not find out until much later. :\

One thing I find mysterious about the Bakfiets is the use of wood for the box.
Wood constitutes unnecessary aerodynamic drag, and suffers weathering as it rots and splits.
You can say it looks nice I guess, but functionally it is not as good--or else they'd have made the bicycle FRAME out of wood too, and they didn't do that, did they? ;)

I could see if you were regularly shuttling kids in there and you wanted them to have the wind protection--but I would prefer something care-free made from stainless-steel mesh.

"Yea but the xtracycle has bags!!!",,,,,,,
Bags are fine four touring when you can plan what you carry, and mostly what you're carrying is soft items like clothes.
For hauling general odd stuff around town, a basket is way way way preferable. Throw your junk in and roll.
~

One thing I find mysterious about the Bakfiets is the use of wood for the box.
Wood constitutes unnecessary aerodynamic drag, and suffers weathering as it rots and splits.
You can say it looks nice I guess, but functionally it is not as good--or else they'd have made the bicycle FRAME out of wood too, and they didn't do that, did they? ;)

I could see if you were regularly shuttling kids in there and you wanted them to have the wind protection--but I would prefer something care-free made from stainless-steel mesh.
~

HPM's (www.catoregon.org/hpm (http://www.catoregon.org/hpm)) version of the bak has three options:

A platform rack:
http://catoregon.qwestoffice.net/images/hpmlonghaulmed.jpg

A lockable fiberglass container:
http://catoregon.qwestoffice.net/images/hpmlonghaulbig.jpg

Or a wooden box:
http://catoregon.qwestoffice.net/images/hpmlonghaulkid1small.jpg

HPM's (www.catoregon.org/hpm (http://www.catoregon.org/hpm)) version of the bak has three options:

A platform rack:
http://catoregon.qwestoffice.net/images/hpmlonghaulmed.jpg

A lockable fiberglass container:
http://catoregon.qwestoffice.net/images/hpmlonghaulbig.jpg

Or a wooden box:
http://catoregon.qwestoffice.net/images/hpmlonghaulkid1small.jpg
Heh,,, they won't even give a price for the fiberglass version!
~

Heh,,, they won't even give a price for the fiberglass version!
~

From what I understand, there are several different sizes/shapes of fiberglass containers, so the price will vary with which option you choose.

Very few dutch manufacturers now use hardwood on bakfiets boxes - I think the material is laminated marine plywood - similar to stuff used in making moulds for concrete. On a Bakfiets, aerodynamics don´t really come to play - you won´t be reaching the kinds of speeds where the drag becomes noticable. Bakfiets are on the portly side - you really got to have legs for them if you live in relatively hilly area. Having said that, the weight transforms into stability when loaded and this is where Bakfiets awesome handling characteristics become evident - fully loaded, they ride very much like normal bikes, like "heavy clouds" as someone described the feeling. As Henry there pointed out, these bikes are not meant to be carried up and down stairs for storage, but to sit outside in all kinds of weather - most respectable Dutch and German manufacturers bikes have galvanized frames and stainless steel hardware, plus extra sturdy wheels with motorcycle like massive spokes.

I mostly agree with the assessment....I have both an Xtracycle and a Bilenky cargo bike (not quite the same as a Bakfiet, but pretty close). There are some loads the Xtra excels at and some my front-loader excels at....I'm lucky to have both (but hey, i'm car free and owning both are STILL cheaper than 1 crappy car).

For the most part, I think the Xtra will serve the general public the best for the points stated (weight, cost, availability)...but there definitely is a place for Bak's and other front loaders.

What xcapekey said. I love my Big Dummy, but sometimes I run into a load for which a Bak or something similar might be better. Not often enough (yet) that I want to get one. (If I did get a front-loader it would be either the HPM or a Bilenky; it is just too hilly here for a Bak's limited gearing.)