Utility Cycling - 2 days until Mundo Madness-

Hello Peeps,

So I'm only two days away from getting my Mundo from the LBS, aside from the 4 inches of snow and the forecast of two days of ice rain to pursue it, I'm super excited! For some people going car free for 12 months would be totally easy, I see many of you here discussing your 40 mile rides and to be honest that would be impossible for me. I think my first rides will be about 5 mile trips and I hope to be able to do 10-15 miles with no issue by May when the local farmers market opens for business. I will have my little guy in tow and now I'm in the process of convincing my husband that he needs a cargo bike too!

There isn't really any point to this post lol, I just wanted to vent my excitement about the fact that it's ONLY TWO DAYS till I get my Mundo:) Hope you guys don't mind me taking up valuable internet space and all that!

I have a blog that I'm tracking my car less year on and if you want to read more the link is below. :) cheers!

Congratulations on your Yuba. I have had mine for a year and a half and it has gotten a lot of use. I rode mine home 35 miles or so from the shop I got it at on a blazing hot day. A little bit of snow shouldn't stop you from getting it if your distance isn't too bad and your heart is set on getting it home. How are you getting it fitted out?

Congratulations on your Yuba. I have had mine for a year and a half and it has gotten a lot of use. I rode mine home 35 miles or so from the shop I got it at on a blazing hot day. A little bit of snow shouldn't stop you from getting it if your distance isn't too bad and your heart is set on getting it home. How are you getting it fitted out?


Hey- well the snow is'nt so awful but the ice is so thick that you don't even crunch through to the snow and from what Ive heard from other local cyclists its not worth it unless you have snow tires and even then its dangerous. I think rather than risk injuring myself before Ive even started Im going to just have my husband pick it up on his own then he may be able to fit it inside the rig. Its approx 5 miles to the bike shop...seems so far today. Most of the stores are closed and the schools are all shut down. It took my husband literally 15 mins to get out the driveway last night haha and he ended up digging it out and then had two people pushing before he made it in the SUV!


I'm getting two of the go-getter bags, the side step flare things, a double kickstand and a peanut seat for my boy. Later i want a bakers basket and the e kit would be awesome!

The peanut seat and kickstand are on back order so I bought a cheap used trailer so I can get out still.

What do you have on your bike? I love the Mundo, its just an all round nice looking bike. Mines orange, yours?

Congrats on the new bike!

I'm jealous, and given that I have two bike trailers (one converted kid trailer and a BAW 64A), that says a lot!

As far as not having a seat for your boy, I'm not sure how old he is but it may be doable without a peanut seat. I have done 15 mile trips with my then 3 year old (now 4) in a rear flat basket (4" tall sides). He hung onto the seat rails, I put a wide belt around him and the seat post for little back support, and told him to hang on with two hands at all times. No problems.

Congrats on the new bike!

I'm jealous, and given that I have two bike trailers (one converted kid trailer and a BAW 64A), that says a lot!

As far as not having a seat for your boy, I'm not sure how old he is but it may be doable without a peanut seat. I have done 15 mile trips with my then 3 year old (now 4) in a rear flat basket (4" tall sides). He hung onto the seat rails, I put a wide belt around him and the seat post for little back support, and told him to hang on with two hands at all times. No problems.

I would totally do that if Jack was a bit older, but he's only 20 months. I think I like the idea of seat so he can fall asleep too...I just bought a used trailer for $35 so Im going to use that until I can get the seat, i like the idea of having both anyway so i can take the dog too lol

I would totally do that if Jack was a bit older, but he's only 20 months. I think I like the idea of seat so he can fall asleep too...I just bought a used trailer for $35 so Im going to use that until I can get the seat, i like the idea of having both anyway so i can take the dog too lol

Here are some more ideas:

At 20 months you could probably strap a milk crate down securely and sit him in that. Particularly if you had one of the longer milk crates. It goes without saying (though I'm saying it anyways) that a helmet is a must.

A booster seat attached to the side platform would probably be fun for him. If I could safely rig it (secure the seat, figure out a way to strap him in, and keep him out of the spokes), I might try that as well. I'm probably a little more adventurous than most, though.

Strap a Rubbermaid bin onto the side loader. Put a pillow or two inside and have him sit in that (I use lawn/outdoor furniture cushions). There'd probably be enough room that he could lay down and nap. If you had a bar-mounted mirror you could aim it low enough to be able to watch him to make sure he doesn't stand up. If you didn't have room for both Jack and the dog in the bin, you could put a bin on the other side for the dog. My 4 yo prefers to sit in a bin over a booster seat when he rides on the trailer.

I have a wagon with two seats. I have strapped that cross wise to the front of my BAW trailer. That was when I hauled a washer, dryer and various other assorted scrap metal. I had about 350 pounds on the trailer that day for the 7 mile trip to the scrap yard. You could probably attach a wagon to a side loader and sit him in that. Depending on the size of your dog, you may have enough room for the dog in the wagon as well.

PS- I highly recommend the Burley hitch and round or square bar connector for most bike trailers.

There isn't really any point to this post lol, I just wanted to vent my excitement about the fact that it's ONLY TWO DAYS till I get my Mundo:) Hope you guys don't mind me taking up valuable internet space and all that!

Congrats!...:thumb:

You need no more reason to post than to share your pent up new cargo bike stoke...;) What colour are you getting?

Make sure you post some photos when your rig touches down.

234526

This is my mundo, it has pannier bags and the side steps in the mail. I feel so very lucky to have it. My husband has worked his butt off to get this for me:)
Now its time to get out and get some dirt on it!

Looks good!

I have a couple Go Getters, the Stand Alone, a Peanut Shell, a Softspot, the tandem bars, and the Deflopilator.

Looks good!

I have a couple Go Getters, the Stand Alone, a Peanut Shell, a Softspot, the tandem bars, and the Deflopilator.

oh i have the stand alone on order too and the peanut. Came with the deflopilator:) what a name haha


what do you think of your peanut seat? I wish i could get mine now but they are out til end of feb.

oh i have the stand alone on order too and the peanut. Came with the deflopilator:) what a name haha


what do you think of your peanut seat? I wish i could get mine now but they are out til end of feb.

The peanut shell has worked great for my family. My son rides behind me on the soft spot cushion and holds on to the stoker bars and my daughter is in the peanut shell behind him. That is when I have the bike set up for both children.

I have seen pictures with the peanut shell being used directly behind the rider with the go getters still on the bike, but I can't see how you can leave them on with the peanut shell further back on the deck. Consequently, I find myself taking them and/or the peanut shell off once or twice a week about 9 months out of the year (the timeframe that the kids are on the back for the longer rides in which the peanut shell is the most valuable) to maximize the versatility of the yuba. With practice, you can get the peanut shell on or off in about 10 minutes, but it is still kind of a pain.

The peanut shell has worked great for my family. My son rides behind me on the soft spot cushion and holds on to the stoker bars and my daughter is in the peanut shell behind him. That is when I have the bike set up for both children.

I have seen pictures with the peanut shell being used directly behind the rider with the go getters still on the bike, but I can't see how you can leave them on with the peanut shell further back on the deck. Consequently, I find myself taking them and/or the peanut shell off once or twice a week about 9 months out of the year (the timeframe that the kids are on the back for the longer rides in which the peanut shell is the most valuable) to maximize the versatility of the yuba. With practice, you can get the peanut shell on or off in about 10 minutes, but it is still kind of a pain.


hmm this creates some issues for me, i have the two bags and wanted to place a seat further back on the bike so I can swing my leg over rather than try to hop over the bar- im short:) do you know of any other seats i can use?

Here are some more ideas:

At 20 months you could probably strap a milk crate down securely and sit him in that. Particularly if you had one of the longer milk crates. It goes without saying (though I'm saying it anyways) that a helmet is a must.

A booster seat attached to the side platform would probably be fun for him. If I could safely rig it (secure the seat, figure out a way to strap him in, and keep him out of the spokes), I might try that as well. I'm probably a little more adventurous than most, though.

Strap a Rubbermaid bin onto the side loader. Put a pillow or two inside and have him sit in that (I use lawn/outdoor furniture cushions). There'd probably be enough room that he could lay down and nap. If you had a bar-mounted mirror you could aim it low enough to be able to watch him to make sure he doesn't stand up. If you didn't have room for both Jack and the dog in the bin, you could put a bin on the other side for the dog. My 4 yo prefers to sit in a bin over a booster seat when he rides on the trailer.

I have a wagon with two seats. I have strapped that cross wise to the front of my BAW trailer. That was when I hauled a washer, dryer and various other assorted scrap metal. I had about 350 pounds on the trailer that day for the 7 mile trip to the scrap yard. You could probably attach a wagon to a side loader and sit him in that. Depending on the size of your dog, you may have enough room for the dog in the wagon as well.

PS- I highly recommend the Burley hitch and round or square bar connector for most bike trailers.

Thank you for your great ideas- im wondering if I couldnt just use any rear bike seat on the mundo and scrunch the panniers up a bit...and just deal with it?

Thank you for your great ideas- im wondering if I couldnt just use any rear bike seat on the mundo and scrunch the panniers up a bit...and just deal with it?

I'm not sure why you need a bike seat at all. I've taken my kids on numerous rides for up to ~20 miles in beverage crates, milk crates, and Rubbermaid bins. As long as they wear a helmet and stay seated, it's just as safe and perhaps more comfortable and more fun than a bike seat.

This is a great example of the advertising messages continually urging us to use more, more, more. There's a product that you think you need to buy in order to enjoy the new product you just bought.

For our little guy, we use a Bobike Mini. It's a front seat that mounts to the stem and sits behind the handlebar. Despite having longtail bikes, we've found it's nice to keep him up front. Installing brackets on each of our bikes makes it easy to swap around. Once he grows out of it, he'll probably be old enough to ride on the back deck without a seat.

Our first choice would have been a Yepp Mini, but it wasn't compatible with threadless headsets. Looks like your Mundo has a threaded (quill) stem, so it's a good option for you. The Yepp is especially nice since it lets you strap the kid in with their helment on. (The Bobike's strap goes over the head, so you need to strap in, then put the helmet on.)

Totally agree with hopperja for not needing a dedicated seat, but only they're a bit older. When they're still small enough to fit in a front seat, I think having them attached to the bike is probably better than not in an accident. (The handlebars serve as a little bit of a cage in case your bike skids on its side in a crash... theoretically; happily, I haven't had first-hand experience.)

I'm not sure why you need a bike seat at all. I've taken my kids on numerous rides for up to ~20 miles in beverage crates, milk crates, and Rubbermaid bins. As long as they wear a helmet and stay seated, it's just as safe and perhaps more comfortable and more fun than a bike seat.

This is a great example of the advertising messages continually urging us to use more, more, more. There's a product that you think you need to buy in order to enjoy the new product you just bought.

My son is 20 months old, if he's behind me I cant be sure he is sitting down. I'm no sheep just would prefer to be able to relax when I ride.

For our little guy, we use a Bobike Mini. It's a front seat that mounts to the stem and sits behind the handlebar. Despite having longtail bikes, we've found it's nice to keep him up front. Installing brackets on each of our bikes makes it easy to swap around. Once he grows out of it, he'll probably be old enough to ride on the back deck without a seat.

Our first choice would have been a Yepp Mini, but it wasn't compatible with threadless headsets. Looks like your Mundo has a threaded (quill) stem, so it's a good option for you. The Yepp is especially nice since it lets you strap the kid in with their helment on. (The Bobike's strap goes over the head, so you need to strap in, then put the helmet on.)

Totally agree with hopperja for not needing a dedicated seat, but only they're a bit older. When they're still small enough to fit in a front seat, I think having them attached to the bike is probably better than not in an accident. (The handlebars serve as a little bit of a cage in case your bike skids on its side in a crash... theoretically; happily, I haven't had first-hand experience.)

This is what I did in the end...235190 it has a 5 point seat belt. not any good for much longer than maybe 6 months because his legs are cramped and structurally it hasn't got the most strength if I chop out any more. I also want a head rest so he can sleep while I ride.

235194 I don't think its very comfortable but I did shove a little lumbar support in there from his car seat. I'm still going to order a real seat for him so he can be more comfy and have head protection and leg straps. His arm position is a little awkward, but he loves it anyway.