Utility Cycling - What is this piece on CETMA cargo bike?

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HandsomeRyan
12-30-09, 03:16 AM
As I was lusting over some cargo bike porn this morning I browsed through the photo gallery of the CETMA cargo bike. There is a black [plastic?] piece welded to some of the frames just behind the forks on the downtube that I can not identify. Below are the best pics of it I could find. Does anyone know what this does? My best guess was it prevents the fork from swinging all the way around and causing the steering linkage to bash into something? Just a wild stab in the dark as I can't think of what else it could be. I didn't want to bother the proprietor of CETMA with my question since I can't afford to buy the bike regardless of what that little black thing does. It is on some of the bikes but quite obviously not on others so whatever it does must not be vital to the overall function of the bike.

http://cetmacargo.com/CETMA%20Cargo%20Gallery/images/bb51.jpg

http://cetmacargo.com/CETMA%20Cargo%20Gallery/images/09_cargo_148.jpg

http://cetmacargo.com/CETMA%20Cargo%20Gallery/images/bl7.jpg

http://cetmacargo.com/CETMA%20Cargo%20Gallery/images/d_in_calgary__canada.jpg

wahoonc
12-30-09, 04:04 AM
Looks like a fork stop to keep the front wheel from flopping over at too sharp an angle.

Email Lance and ask.

Aaron:)
bfree
12-30-09, 06:16 AM
I suspect that if it weren't present the wheel would be able to rotate too much, and hit the steering linkage.

John Lesar
12-30-09, 07:08 AM
I took that piece off of my CETMA (on the early versions it's bolt-on) to see what would happen. On an extreme right turn the front wheel would bind to the point of not being able to straighten it as the drag link attachment point went past center. It's a good feature to have the stop.
Stray8
12-30-09, 10:07 AM
Yeah, it looks positioned to prevent fork lock.


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coldbike
12-30-09, 09:32 PM
As others have mentioned, it is a steering limit so you don't accidentally turn the front wheel sideways. There is an equivalent stop on most of the long john style of cargo bikes since they usually turn the fork more than the handlebar when steered. This makes the steering seem more natural with the fork far in the front but it requires a stop to prevent the front wheel from hitting the steering arm or turning sideways.
BTW, that's me with the three girls in the bin.
HandsomeRyan
12-31-09, 07:43 AM
BTW, that's me with the three girls in the bin.

Nice bike. I was going to tease you about only giving helmets to 2/3 of the kids but since it's hard to detect sarcasm online I thought better of it.

I lust after one of these cargo bikes but I'm afraid my 900sqft apartment is already overflowing with 4 single bikes and a tandem and Mrs. HandsomeRyan won't allow me to get another.