Living Car Free - Unusual German cargo bike

Greetings folks!

I usually post on the C & V Forum but came across these images of a great looking bike.

I've just posted this elsewhere and thought this might be enjoyed on this forum too.

This may have been an actual German Postal Service delivery bike. These photos and others were published on several international news websites when this rider and bike were seen in rural areas of the Brandenburg state during the week prior to Christmas, 2007.

Notice the drop-down front stand - with wheels mounted on the ends! I think this is a brilliant idea for a heavy (and heavily loaded) bike, great when one might want to move it around slightly while parking and very effective for holding it upright even with a large load. When not extended, the wheels are held in the upward position by a strong coiled spring attached to the right leg of the front rack.

Like Porteur or British delivery bikes from many decades ago, the front wheel is smaller than the rear to allow larger loads to be hauled up front and to lower the center of gravity of the front wheel.

Low step-through frame design... dynamo lighting... full mudguards... chainguard... and of course even a rear rack which is well integrated into the frame geometry.

If anyone is familiar with these bikes, I would Love to know if they are commercially available, and who manufactures them.

Cheers!
Ol' Car-free Bob

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/03Wq4BS9w56Av/610x.jpg

http://regulus2.azstarnet.com/galleries/photos/13733.jpg

It is a very common German post bike. Sometimes the post offices sell them (or auction them). Maybe you can also find one on eBay, but they're not regularly sold.

Santa goes green!

Santa goes green!

:thumb: and so does UPS! (http://bikeportland.org/2008/11/14/ups-gears-up-for-holidays-with-bike-delivery/) better than business as usual in my book.

Aaron:)

Shouldn't this be posted in the Living Sleigh Free section??

Shouldn't this be posted in the Living Sleigh Free section??

:roflmao2:

The Santa bike does resemble a Bakfiets a little... and these are available I think.

http://www.bakfiets.nl/images_cargopickup/pickup_1.jpg

I also noticed this on someone's website. Appears to be a classic old British or Dutch bike.

I would think that a smaller front wheel (and thus a lowered weight load) would be a great advantage compared to this... although I really do love the way this bike looks, too. :)

IMO America will be treated to more "work bikes" instead of the common Recreational or Racing
style bikes in time.

In fact, the more "work bikes " that are posted here and on other site the sooner the necessary
paradigm shift about the practicality of bikes for utility transport will happen.

Keep'em coming! :thumb:

The bikes were manufactured by the German company Biria beginning in 1995, and they were not available on the market.

However, the manufacturer got into economic trouble, was partly bought by a US private equity company that soon shut down the production. It's actually an interesting story, as the Biria workers collectively took over the factory. They squatted the building and, together with an anarchist union, launched the Strike Bike campaign, where they were taking prepaid orders for a yet-to-be-built bike. With that money they purchased the raw materials and built the bike. They're still around and now producing a larger range of bikes. See www.strike-bike.de (German only, sorry) or here (http://www.copenhagenize.com/2008/11/solidarity-strike-bike.html).

I'm not sure where the Deutsche Post now is getting their bikes from, but I suppose the Biria bikes are built in a way that they will last very loong.

Thanks! That's great information. I'm not surprised those bikes were only made for commercial and not private consumer use. These bikes must have been quite heavy. Personally, I'm finding bike weight of little concern, and especially on a bike which will be destined for hauling some rather heavy loads... I simply ride bikes with multiple gears to ease the burden, and I don't "race" when bringing home my groceries, anyway. :thumb:

With every manufacturer excessively concerned about producing trendy 15 pound carbon fiber racing style bikes to match the budget of every Go-Fast dreamer's fantasy about being the local Lance Armstrong, :rolleyes: I am definitely in the minority among US road bike riders... and happy to remain there. :D

Germans make the best everything.........cars, tools, bikes (Issac), watches , guns, machines, optics, etc.
The Italians are great designers, although they should give their mechanical designs to the Germans to put together. Best of Both :)

Thats not to say we don't (USA) they just had more time to get it right.

Thanks! That's great information. I'm not surprised those bikes were only made for commercial and not private consumer use. These bikes must have been quite heavy. Personally, I'm finding bike weight of little concern, and especially on a bike which will be destined for hauling some rather heavy loads... I simply ride bikes with multiple gears to ease the burden, and I don't "race" when bringing home my groceries, anyway. :thumb:

With every manufacturer excessively concerned about producing trendy 15 pound carbon fiber racing style bikes to match the budget of every Go-Fast dreamer's fantasy about being the local Lance Armstrong, :rolleyes: I am definitely in the minority among US road bike riders... and happy to remain there. :D

Me two...have we reached majority status yet?:roflmao2: When I raced and I do mean raced not just riding around the "hood" looking like a racer I was concerned with the weight of my bikes. Now...I could care less. Another thing I don't have on my bikes is any type of computer. If I need to know how far I have ridden I will track it on google/maps:p

Aaron:)

First of all, Cool. I like the goofiness of it. Them crazy Germans. Gotta love 'em.

That is typical of a lot of bikes I see in Germany - HEAVY and over-designed.

Look at all that tubing. Most of it is unnecessary except for an asthetic that appeals mostly to the German eye.

I am sure that there are some practical aspects of the design and that the creativity blended with a bit more sensibility would make for an especially nice machine.

First of all, Cool. I like the goofiness of it. Them crazy Germans. Gotta love 'em.

That is typical of a lot of bikes I see in Germany - HEAVY and over-designed.

Look at all that tubing. Most of it is unnecessary except for an asthetic that appeals mostly to the German eye.

I am sure that there are some practical aspects of the design and that the creativity blended with a bit more sensibility would make for an especially nice machine.

I must be looking at it wrong. The only excess frame tubing that I'm seeing is the extra tube between the seat stay and the chain stay.

It appears that most of the extra tubing is for the two racks and the kickstand. They look very strong and well integrated with the frame. I wonder if that integration gives the bike more stiffness and stability when there's a heavy load? Maybe some of the cargo weight is distributed low under the seat, where it would help to stabilize the whole thing.

Like you imply, all that tubing makes the bike look nice--in an over-the-top way.

check out henry's site (http://www.workcycles.com/workbike/bicycles/monark-work-bikes/monark-vario-kombi-transport-bicycle.html)


http://www.workcycles.com/workcycles-bakfietsen-images/monark-images/varioKombi-bier420.jpg