harshbarj

I am looking for a utility bike (bakfiets) and just wonder the best places to look.

Cheapest I have found is at https://fahrrad-ass.de/
They want €679,99 + around $300 shipping.

Only place in the states I have found that sells them wants $3000+150 shipping.

Arcanum

Not exactly the same, but have you looked at Madsen?
https://www.madsencycles.com/

harshbarj

Thanks for the suggestion, but that works out to be more than the one from the site I gave. It is also not nearly as classy. I want to stay with a design like this

Gareth

Stay away from these cheap cargo/bakfiets style bicycles.

The frames are made from mild steel which crack, fail and break: there has already been one fatality here in the UK.

They have a cheap, and unreliabel chinese 3 speed hub gear which is no where near geared correctly for load hauling, and the nearly all of the components are low grade low quality made. The bicycle comes completely disassembled: you have to install the parts including headstock and crank bearings, route the cables etc. This is how the exporter is getting around the Euro/UK bicycle safety regulations and CE marking: down load the instruction/assembly book and take a look for yourself.


Go ahead save money ..... buy cheaply and pay extremely dearly. Cetma and I might seem initially expensive for our cargo bikes, but our products work out at about $2.50-$3 per week over a 10 year period, and you will have a saleable and sought after second hand Cargo Cycle with a retained value, and not a pile of worthless scrap metal after 12 months or less.

squirtdad

check out worksman https://worksmancycles.com/shopsite_s...frontload.html also it might help to know how you want to use the bike........ hauling kids, delivery etc

harshbarj

I would say over 90% of it's use would be for hauling groceries (between 5-8 bags or around 20-30 kg). The rest would be hauling mainly light weight items (under 50kg total, mainly stuff like computer and server towers).

Arcanum

50kg (110 lbs) plus rider is a pretty substantial load for a bike. It's nothing really severe, and there are plenty of bikes that will carry that, but it's enough that load capacity becomes a concern. That's doubly true if you're a "Clydesdale" (a larger/heavier than average rider).

squirtdad

You might be better off with a trailer.....gives you the option to haul or not ot haul. Look at the posts in utily trips done today for some visual ideas Also if you aren't hauling kids etc the a trike might be another option, depending on what other trips you are going to do with the bike...... https://worksmancycles.com/shopsite_s...ml/movers.html

coldfeet

I don't know how much they are, it would depend on the spec, but ask these guys.

https://www.joe-bike.com/cargo-bikes/carrier-pigeon/


I believe they get the base frames from China, but do some reinforcing of their own. I have seen some of last years at a local store, and they seemed quite sturdy.

harshbarj

That is almost the exact one I am looking at as an alternative to to one I posted above. I have talked to people that have the exact one I am now looking at (direct from china) and they haul more than I ever will and have not had problems. Most of my bicycles are china made and I have no complaints.

shortboardmike

I have both the two-wheeled bakfiets style and a dutch-style trike like the one pictured by harshbarj. I purchased both new from a fellow who brought them back from China, but never assembled them. He was using one of the trikes to haul his kids, with no complaints other than the tire tread being too aggressive. I've never assembled them because of our geographical situation. I recently moved and have set up a work station to begin assembly (new neighborhood is more bicycle friendly) but have had second thoughts due to the concerns mentioned above. I'll be hauling precious cargo (I've got four kids) and going up to ten miles from base (one way). I've been seriously contemplating forking up the dough for a single, higher end two-wheeled front loader. Any thoughts on how to approach selling these bikes while retaining my integrity?

PomPilot

I know that Portland, Oregon is a ways off from you. But Joel at Splendid Cycles is a nice person to talk to. And I wouldn't be surprised if he could give you some ideas about acquiring your dream bikefiets.

Timothias

Honestly the only way your going to get the bakfiet type of bike you want at your price is to buy used.Of course a bike needs to come up for sale,keep checking everywhere online and call bike shops for inventory alerts.The cheapest way of course is Asian bikes but you know your playing with fire on those.Good luck.

harshbarj

That's why I plan on buying a European made cargo bike. The one I am looking at now will cost around $1400 after shipping (could be less if the dollar would gain on the Euro). The entire drivetrain is shimano. I will need to add a generator myself (part of why it is so cheap), but the lights included are battery operated. Reviews on it have been very high.

shortboardmike

Do you have a link to the manufacturer? That's a low price when compared to most. Thanks.

Dynocoaster 

Ebay has them type bakfiets in the search, I found them also with the 7 speed IGH for a little more.

chucky

Not sure if they're any good, but I've been eyeballing one of these for a long time:
https://organicengines.com/mystery-machine/