Utility Cycling - finding a cycle truck

this is my first post in this forum, but i got a good one. do they still make the cycle trucks like they made back in the day offered by makers like schwinn? the ones with the 20" front wheel and 26" rear and huge front cargo basket or ?. they were two wheelers, although i do like the two front wheel trike utility trikes too.

i need a good grocery getter like a cycle truck or trike. would simply getting a cheap walmart trailer be better? i usually ride single speed cruisers for fun and to comute. handling a trailer with only coaster brakes? add rear baskets and front baskets to an existing cruiser? where to find good utility baskets and such? thanks for any help.

Yeah they do! Worksman makes em, and they're just as burly as Schwinn's. (They're made similarly to the fillet brazed Varsities.)
http://worksmancycles.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/indbikes.html
Scroll down to the Low Gravity Bike. I was thinking of getting one for a while but was discouraged by a few coworkers reviews. Coming only in a coaster brake and 3speed they're a little limited if you live in a hilly area. They're definitely a bargain.
I can't really suggest a "wal-mart" trailor, but there are a bunch of DIY's that seem good here.
And you can't ever go wrong with adding baskets to the cruisers you've got now. I got the small Wald front basket on my daily commuter and am LOVING it.
My $.02
-Dylan

Schwinn called these "Cycle Trucks". Most other makers called them "Low Gravity" bikes, including Worksman. Some of the Low Gravity bikes just have a big frame out front, intended to hold a wicker basket.

The Schwinn versions show up on Ebay, but they are collector items and priced accordingly. Some of the offbrands show up on occasion, but not very often. The Worksman models seem very scarce in the used market. If you actually have a use for it, the new price isn't that bad, though.

Emory makes a model with large basket attached to the frame, but without the smaller front wheel:
http://www.aerofast.com/aerofast/industrial_bikes/2456mu.html

Pashley makes a couple of models, but they will be pricy to round up in the US. And I think there are other European makers of similar bikes.
http://www.pashley.co.uk/products/delibike.html
http://www.pashley.co.uk/products/courier.html
http://www.pashley.co.uk/products/mailstar.html
http://www.pashley.co.uk/products/pronto.html

http://www.workcycles.com/workbike/bicycles/monark-work-bikes/monark-truck-bakers-bike.html

To answer a couple of other points in your questions- probably the most practical & cheapest solution for hauling groceries is a trailer, though I haven't tried it myself.

I do have one of the Worksman Front Loaders- see the website at www.worksmancycles.com (http://www.worksmancycles.com), under the "Industrial" and "Tricycle" categories. These things do show up on Craigslist and Ebay, and do so a fair bit more often than the Low Gravity Bikes. When they show up, they usually go pretty cheap- $100-$200 or so, mainly due to people not being willing to ship them. They are slow, typically 8-10 miles per hour, and pretty much force you to "take the lane" whether you want to or not. I've got a post about mine in the Utility forum, called "The Thing".

Heavy duty baskets for regular bicycles are available from Wald. Check on the internet or at your local bike store. They are big, bulky, not that popular, and so most bike stores don't stock them. But they are available. Wald makes different sizes, and the smaller sizes are more likely to be available. Consider how you're going to keep the bike upright while loading it full of groceries.

With cargo bikes in general, a coaster brake is fine, unless you live where it's hilly, in which case you need good gears and good brakes.

With cargo bikes in general, a coaster brake is fine, unless you live where it's hilly, in which case you need good gears and good brakes.

Anybody know if using both a coaster and a rim brake on the same wheel would work? Just wondering if it would put too big a strain on the wheel or..?

badmother... yes you can use a coaster brake and rim brake (sidepulls, cantilever, etc) on the same wheel. i have one bike like that and it works great.

sheldon had a igh 9speed set up that way.
most bikes with coaster brakes don't also come with canti studs.

If you have working rim brakes, there would be no point whatever to having a coaster brake. But there's no reason you couldn't have both. Assuming your rim can handle rim brakes, that is.

If you have working rim brakes, there would be no point whatever to having a coaster brake. But there's no reason you couldn't have both. Assuming your rim can handle rim brakes, that is.
...And I can tell you (having purchased a Worksman new just a year or so ago) that the regular steel rolled rims that Worksman uses will not work at all with rim brakes. The edges are literally rolled; they are rounded off.

Plus the frame and fork had no posts for any sort of canti-brakes, and though there were fender holes in the fork crown and seatstay bridge.... I dunno if they were close enough to the rim for regular rim brakes to reach. The wheel/bridge distance looked pretty far to me.

The aluminum rim option might allow rim brakes, at least as far as the rims themselves are concerned. You'd really want to ask before ordering.
~

I'm not sure what bike badmother was referring to. But that is correct about the steel rims on Worksman bikes. They also offer alloy, and I don't know if that's the case with them. But Worksman offers disk brakes as an upgrade on the braking rather than rim brakes, and I assume that's the reason why.

If you have working rim brakes, there would be no point whatever to having a coaster brake. But there's no reason you couldn't have both. Assuming your rim can handle rim brakes, that is.

Coaster brakes are handy for managing speed when your hands are busy with utilitarian tasks like throwing newspapers.

Also coaster brake works much better in the rain than rim brakes, especially with steel rims.

Rim brakes are nice when dry and you want to stop right now.

...And I can tell you (having purchased a Worksman new just a year or so ago)

Can I ask you which one and how you like it? I'm still half contemplating one.

I've got a Worksman industrial cruiser that's about a year old now. Also a Worksman front loader tricycle that's 1970-1985 vintage. I like 'em both. They're not $5,000 bikes, but overall, I've been pleased. I've never used one of their Low-Gravity bikes. I do have an Arpan built-in-India Low Gravity bikes, which is based on the Raleigh designs.

Can I ask you which one and how you like it? I'm still half contemplating one.
I bought it specifically for the purpose of motorizing. I stand 6'2" and I realized after I received it that the 20" frame (which is the largest they make) turned out to be WAY too small for me. I ended up cutting the head tube and bottom bracket out of the Worksman frame and building the rest of a new frame myself.

I ordered the bike with fenders, a 3-speed rear and the front basket. The main parts I used other than the head tube and BB are the wheels, which have held up perfect so far. As it is I don't really pedal it very much at all.

As far as a regular bike frame, judging from the Worksman I figure I'd need about a 24" or so. If I build another, I think I'd want something like a Townie frame (with the bottom bracket set forward of the seat tube) but preferably made of steel so I could easily lengthen the back end and weld on some racks.
And if I was really going to pedal it I think I'd get the 7-speed hub too.
~

I have a Worksman Low Gravity bicycle, unknown age (20-40 years) old... it is pretty cool, but I'm not really thrilled with it. It's very heavy; indeed, I can't see any need for it to be as heavy as it is. If anyone wants it, in the NYC area, send me a PM.

I'm not sure what bike badmother was referring to.

Not thinking of any specifik bike, I am more into building than buying - like this one , I`we been thinking of adding rimbrakes to the IGH rearwheel. http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=7704036#post7704036

Was thinking of a way to get better brakes on a loaded bike if disk brakes is not an option. I guess holes for rimbrakes could be drilled or mounts for V brakes could be welded on if wanted.

But the first question is if the wheel could take it since there would be two strong forces workong on the wheel.

As far as a regular bike frame, judging from the Worksman I figure I'd need about a 24" or so. If I build another, I think I'd want something like a Townie frame (with the bottom bracket set forward of the seat tube) but preferably made of steel so I could easily lengthen the back end and weld on some racks.
And if I was really going to pedal it I think I'd get the 7-speed hub too.
~

Just thinking- to get the townie effect but easy build, could you use a banana seat to be able to sit behind the BB? Then to add a rack, could you make or buy a longtail (extra) extension?

Is a banana seat just cool or is it possible to sit on it for some time?

Could a bent back BMX stem do the same trick (allow for a broader seat than the banana solution) or do you need a purpouse built frame to get the townie effect? If you could do something like this I guess you could use a smaller frame than 64". Just thinking loud.:D

Was thinking of a way to get better brakes on a loaded bike if disk brakes is not an option. I guess holes for rimbrakes could be drilled or mounts for V brakes could be welded on if wanted..

I've seen Worksman bikes with drum brakes, I believe they are an option if you are buying from them. No frame/fork mounts needed.

I've seen Worksman bikes with drum brakes, I believe they are an option if you are buying from them. No frame/fork mounts needed.
I forgot to list it, but I have the front drum brake option on mine. It works,,,,, ehhh,,,,, marginally functionally. It is nowhere near as good as a decent set of disks or rim brakes.

When I got it, the pads were very slick and it had a hopelessly-small screw clamp to hold the cable in the brake arm. Now that I have used it somewhat and the pads have broken in, it stops a bit better--but still not what I would call "good", or even consider to be safe for a bicycle that I would want to tangle with car traffic on.

And last I looked I didn't see that Worksman offered disk brakes on anything they sell. At least, not on the bicycles....... Maybe the cargo trikes?
~

Drums won't stop you as fast as rim brakes, but they don't fade when the rims get wet or overheat on long downhills, both of which are important on a cargo bike. Disk brakes would be better, of course, if you've got the frame/fork mounts and hubs for them.

"And last I looked I didn't see that Worksman offered disk brakes on anything they sell."

No, I think my mind must be going bad. I was thinking they offered disks brakes and not drum brakes, and went and checked just now and it's all drum brakes. And, looking at the parts lists, they're all drum brakes.

Here you go:
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-SCHWINN-CYCLE-TRUCK-CYCLETRUCK-BIKE-BICYCLE-49_W0QQitemZ400009142576QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item400009142576&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

Bet it sells for $800 or more.

Here's one a bit closer to you:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/bik/923372857.html

"This item sold for US $1,052.52. "

That was the one on Ebay.

I recently came across a Raleigh delibike, old school. It's in rough shape but you can ride it perfectly. I'm in the Toronto area, if anybody wants it let me know and I can email you pictures. Ben.

There was just one advertised in the Denver Craigslist, a bit pricey, but a neat old bike.

Pretty much obsolete. A Xtracycle will carry almost all the stuff you plan to haul more efficiently and it won't be as heavy. A Cycletruck would more suited to a wherehouse than for around town transportation.

I would have to disagree. I don't know if you have ridden a cycletruck/delibike however I have tried both and would say they both have their pros and cons.

One thing that you can't ignore is that an Xtracycle is definitely capable of carrying heavier loads, but I would say the rest is up to individual judgment.

In my personal opinion there is something to be said for having the ability to see your load, not to mention how easy it is to just dump your stuff in the giant basket up front. I also found the longer wheel base of the Xtracycle clumsy to maneuver. Not to mention in I also think the 'shortjohn' looks better..

Anyway that's my 2 cents.