Utility Cycling - World Record Madsen Madness (well not really)

I rocked the Madsen on my 33+ mile r/t commute. West Haven to Bridgeport to West Haven. Picked up my four year old for the last 7 or 8 miles.

I made it to work in 1H20, which is 15 minutes under the google maps bike estimate, and only 20 minutes longer than my usual road bike time.

All this after a hard late night 14 miler last night on my cargofied Fuji (was late to a church meeting and had to push it), and 20 miles on the Madsen the day before-- loaded with BOTH kids!

It was one heck of a day, but I don't think I'll really ever try that again. 33 miles is just too huge undertaking on a big cargo bike when you've got time constraints.

video from this summer:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/westhavenmusician/Bike/th_20010_07_18Madsen009.jpg (http://s206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/westhavenmusician/Bike/?action=view&current=20010_07_18Madsen009.mp4)

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/westhavenmusician/Bike/20010_07_18Madsen004.jpg

Awesome. I need a cargo bike.

That's some good miles on your Madsen. When I bought my Yuba, I rode it home the 40 miles or so from the shop since I had no other easy way to get it home. I had friends coming over that afternoon, so I needed to hurry home to get some food/drink prepped. I pushed it pretty hard, but once you get moving, there really is not that much more effort required to keep up a respectable speed. I wasn't loaded down with anything either though.

That's some good miles on your Madsen. When I bought my Yuba, I rode it home the 40 miles or so from the shop since I had no other easy way to get it home. I had friends coming over that afternoon, so I needed to hurry home to get some food/drink prepped. I pushed it pretty hard, but once you get moving, there really is not that much more effort required to keep up a respectable speed. I wasn't loaded down with anything either though.

On Sunday, I was on the third leg of our epic church-party-home ride with both kids when two women called to my kids from behing "we're gonna pass you!" I ramped it up to 21-22 and raced them good natured-ly on their Cannondale Synapses. They'd probably only been going about 14-15....

I have this thing about getting passed. Maybe I'll grow out of it.

Part of these routes includes a hill that's high enough to have been home to a NIKE missile radar installation intended to protect the Groton Sub Base. I agree that it's easy to keep a big cargo bike going, but hitting that hill with 90 or 95 lbs of kid is another thing!

Awesome. I need a cargo bike.

I loved seeing so many bikes in NOLA last October. Louisiana is an ideal place to own a cargo bike. 'Cept maybe in the summer, but there's always a cold Abita to cure what ails ya.