Utility Cycling - Larryvsharry Bullit Vs Surly Big Dummy

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I need a cargo bike, budget around 2500 euros.
I can buy a Bullitt from Larryvsharry
http://www.larryvsharry.com/english/Bluebird.html
with a Bullit box
http://www.larryvsharry.com/english/Bluebird.html
http://www.larryvsharry.com/bike/bluebirdstraight.jpg
or a Complety Big Dummy from Surly
http://www.surlybikes.com/bd_comp.html
http://www.surlybikes.com/images/bd_comp.jpg
I live in a big city with lots of traffic and I would like to know your opinios
I think it depends on what your regular load is going to be.
The longtails are great for medium sized loads, groceries, sacks of dog food and the like, but become more and more hard to handle as the load weight increases.
The front loaders are more suited to carrying heavy loads, say a child, but don't handle through traffic as well as a longtail.
Of the two, personally, I prefer the components on the Bullitt.
ulugeyik
03-23-09, 05:21 AM
"I live in a big city with lots of traffic and I would like to know your opinios"
This is the key for your decision. I also went through this type of a decision and I got a "Yuba Mundo" (http://yubaride.com/) instead of a box-bike. The long-tails with self-installed xtra-cycle conversion kits or the ones that are shipped pre-built like big dummy, or yuba mundo or kona ute etc tend to be easier to navigate in city traffic and such. atleast to my understanding, I did not ride a box-bike
jdmitch
03-23-09, 11:51 AM
I have to say, that bullit is pretty sweet looking. Thanks for the headsup (sorry I can't give you much feedback)
coldbike
03-24-09, 12:00 PM
Depends on what you are carrying. If your loads include long items like ladders and such, you will want the big dummy. If you are carrying heavy boxes, or children, you might want the bullit.
Elkhound
03-24-09, 01:14 PM
You also might want to consider the Kona Ute, the Rans Hammertruck, or the Madsen for bikes with the load behind.
For front-loaders, take at look also at Bilenkey, Metrofiest, and the CAT Long Haul.
simonsayeth
03-24-09, 01:36 PM
I've never seen a front-loader but my first impression is that that's a lot of bike to precede you into an intersection before you can see whats around the corner. It also seems that hitting small bumps and curbs might be problematic as the riders ability to hop the front end is diminished and I don't see any shock absorbing suspension.
jdmitch
03-24-09, 02:24 PM
You also might want to consider the Kona Ute, the Rans Hammertruck, or the Madsen for bikes with the load behind.
For front-loaders, take at look also at Bilenkey, Metrofiest, and the CAT Long Haul.
mmmm... Hammer Truck (http://www.ransbikes.com/Hammertruck09.htm)...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2332/2472116329_4dbca2cf66.jpg
The thing I like about my Big Dummy is that it rides like a normal bike. In fact I'll often grab it for non-cargo rides because it's just plain fun to ride. All of my cargo hauling is around downtown where I live.
I've also used my Big Dummy for touring and for mountain biking - it's very versatile.
I've never tried a cargo bike like the blue one you pictured so I can't offer any comparisons.
Elkhound
03-24-09, 06:58 PM
The thing I like about my Big Dummy is that it rides like a normal bike. In fact I'll often grab it for non-cargo rides because it's just plain fun to ride. All of my cargo hauling is around downtown where I live.
I've also used my Big Dummy for touring and for mountain biking - it's very versatile.
Very true; I saw a film clip of someone using a BD for Cyclocross, although that is not something I'd care to try.