Warmonger

Hello Northern Californians. I am looking for a Cargo Bike and I would like to keep my business local.
Believe it or not, I am unable to find any 'used ones' in the usual Craig's list venue for local sellers.
You gotta remember that in a used beast of burden, I would like to inspect it at least visually before purchase.

Links on the net usually refer me to some large outfit in the Midewest or the East Coast, sometimes even Holland.

To make matters worse, I am looking for a cargo bike that I can either rig or customize to carry my fat and lazy bulldog.

The very few cargo bikes I have found are typically made to carry bricks or even troops into combat. Needless to say that a $3000 washingtons price tag is way to expensive for me. Even the local SOMA Fabrications Pick Up Artist has a hefty price.
I am not disputing the validity in price but the 'used' market is close to nil around here. Which surprises me since SF is such a bike friendly quaint little town.

If anybody can direct me or guide me to a local manufacturer or even frame builder that would take such a custom job, please, I am all ears.

The closest so far is Joe's Bikes in Oregon. I have sent them an email but I think they are very busy building cargo bikes.
Still, it means, I have to travel to Oregon and bring my pick up truck. I am trying to avoid doing that.

Here is photo of kind of what I am looking for.

anotherbrian

Dunno if you are interested in a Big Dummy or not, as its probably more suited for a big load than that pictured. Xtracycles do seem to be the prototypical cargo bike though, at least in the area.

I have a large'ish Big Dummy (bent top-tube era) in olive green. Definitely steel. :-). As our kids have started outgrowing fitting on the back I've been considering selling it and outfitting an old recumbent with an Xtracycle kit to cargo'ize it. I'm up in the Sacramento area.

DiabloScott

The PUA is $1500... you want cheaper than that on an Bay Area product? What is your target price?


Why don't you think about a trailer for your dog?

Workman bikes are made in New York, maybe you'd consider one of them - https://worksmancycles.aitrk.com/?teng=go
Used to see them in the shipyards when I was in the Navy.

Warmonger

A Big Dummy? I don't know what they look like but I sure like the name. Sounds exactly like what I need.
Sacramento is only about a 100 miles drive.
Yes, I am interested. Send me a picture.
In the end, I think that a strong frame made for cargo will improve my possibilities of customizing it to carry my dog.

Warmonger

wow, PUA for $1500? Where?
there is only one SOMA PUA on Craig's and it goes for 3 grand.
I have used a trailer for my dog and it needs to be hooked to my bike. This might seem easy but I had to buy a bike just not to damage my other bikes when hooking it up. It takes a lot of space and zipping through other bikes and people is not as easy. It is a long bike with trail and the swaying has cost me always to completely stop as I encounter heavy people traffic.
Also, a trailer always gets stuck in the sand at the beach. It means, being limited to where I go with my dog.

My idea involves a single vehicle (my bike) with the versatility to zip through traffic and any terrain at normal speed. By rigging the front plank of a cargo bike, like the one I show at the top of this thread, I can secure my dog and best of all, isolate it from other dogs who routinely bark or launch or taunt my dog as it sits in the back of my trailer at low level. It forces me to look back all the time to make sure my dog is OK, to make sure the swaying of the trailer is not hitting other pedestrians or other bikes.
Turns are a pain in the ass, as I have to compensate the widening of the turn. In short, with a trailer, I spend more time slowing down and looking back than enjoying my ride to the beach with my dog.

In a cargo bike with a front plank, the plank is above the front wheel. Difference to a front cargo for regular bikes (like a basket) is that the basket itself moves along the front wheel.
With a cargo bike equipped with a front plank, that plank does not move. It does not seat atop the front wheel. It is completely separate and its weight is inconsequential to the front wheel turns.

Warmonger

I would love a used bike I can customize for carrying my dog either front or back, intricately part of the bike, not a separate contraption:

Warmonger

I can built a cage of nylon or nylon strip basket that prevents my dog from falling off forward in case of sudden braking but I need the solid plank frontal platform or back platform if need be.

Warmonger

The bike frame itself is the start of the project. The final result will be up to my ingenuity to built a modular where to sit my dog comfortably.

DiabloScott

That's the price on the SOMA website:
https://store.somafab.com/sopiar.html


Item# 93211

$1,499.99

cccorlew

https://www.xtracycle.com/
In Oakland!

Warmonger

Well, I gotta say, I would die of hunger as a detective. Right here, under my nose.
Although $1500 bucks still expensive for my pocket, it is the best option so far. I wonder why the two SOMA's on Craig's in SF are double that price?
You'd figure that a used one would be less than that.
Thanks man, I will drop by SOMA FABrications in the South of Market.

Warmonger

XtraCycle in Oakland?
Wow. I must have been looking in the wrong places.
Thanks you much. Now, I gotta plan a trip to both SF SOMA and Oaktown.

Warmonger

Truth be told, if money was not an issue, I fancy this:

anotherbrian

If a new SOMA PUA is only $1500, my used Big Dummy probably wouldn't be priced competitively (I have too many fancy bits on it).

For a smaller dog, if you were designing a crate, I'd personally get something like the PUA where the load is in the front. The Big Dummy and other Xtracycles all have the load in the back, which is fine for dead weight, but not so good for things you want to keep an eye on (in my case kids) ... and the load would be relatively high up compared to a shelf above a 20" wheel. I do think the EdgeRunner frame improves on some of my Big Dummy complaints (rear deck is too high for the kids, stand-over height is too high to share the bike with my wife), though I haven't seen one in person to be motivated to swap frames.

Xtracycle was doing a fold-up side-car that looked really cool. I assume it only connected to the Xtracycle mount points though.