A collection of posts

Recent posts we’ve written about Longtails and Xtracycles, including videos.

Longtail Foo

A mixed-item load like this, you just stack on the back of a longtail, strap it down, go slow, and avoid bumps. Use your longtail foo.

That's a handtruck, giant gym bag, plant. On the other side, another box of plants.

Uploaded by Hugger Industries | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Bike Move: Workbench

While we used trucks and cars for most of our move to a temp location — we’re remodeling Hugga HQ — the Bettie worked well for items like this Workbench.

Check the crappy camera phone video and notes on this photo. Also, please don’t try this at home, without advanced cargo skills. Riding with that much unbalanced weight required constant adjustments to counter the twisting.

More Longtail

Recent posts we’ve written about Longtails and Xtracycles, including videos, are available on our Longtail Page.

Bettie Swells

Stormy, Winter day in Seattle and out running errands on Bettie. Noticed the swells and grabbed this shot.

Here’s another.

Uploaded by Hugger Industries | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Cargo Bikes and Stone Tablets Pt2

Alright, last week I laid down a system for categorizing cargo bikes, as God had commanded me. Perhaps the system doesn’t quite recognize every little nuanced variation of cargo bike, but we can’t have a different subgenre of cargo bike named for every butcher, baker, and candlestick-maker who pedaled his way to work.

What we needed was a way to get a handle on the types of bikes so we could discuss how the major variations compare against one another. Longtail cargo bikes get the majority of media coverage right now, but are they the right bike for everyone… all the time? Let’s look at where the new generation of longtails come from and maybe talk a little about their potential.

Read Cargo Bikes and Stone Tablets Pt2.

Huggacast 76: Santa Sleigh

In advanced longtail, cargo biking, this is known as “Santa’s Sleigh.” It’s a collection of different size boxes, packages, and weights secured to the bike with tie-down straps. The weight in this load is 150 pounds.

Part One was published earlier today.

Download now for iTunes, your iPod, iPhone, and subscribe to the Huggacast Feed for more episodes.

Media

• Watch now on YouTube
• More videos
• Subscribe to the Huggacast Feed for more episodes.
• Huggacasts are also available in the iTunes podcast directory.

Huggacast 72: Cargo Power

195 pounds of Clip-n-Seals en route to Canada. Delivered by cargo bike to the mail dispatch. Made possible by Big Dummy, Xtracycle, and Stokemonkey.

Read Huggacast 72: Cargo Power.

Long and Tall Sally

Top-bottom DLG configuration on Long Tall Sally
Originally uploaded by Rock The Bike

Xtracycle, Tall Bike, with Down Low Glow. Not sure how you can top that.

Introducing Barney Big Dummy

Since the summer of 2006 Byron has integrated an Xtracycle longtail cargo bike into his family’s life and blogged about it here on bikehugger. The affectionately named “Bettie,” has seen several iterations. Bettie 1.0 was a Karate Monkey equipped with an Xtracycle Free Radical. Most recently, Bettie 2.5 has emerged as a Surly Big Dummy with custom mounted Stoke Monkey electric assist. No matter where we go, the sport utility bike turns heads. When we’re spinning up bike blended smoothies at a crit race, or just out with the kids at soccer practice, everyone wants to know more about Bettie. We’ve become such fans of Xtracycle cargo bikes, that we’ve doubled down. I’m pleased to unveil “Barney” Big Dummy. Mark V, recently completed the build of Barney at Elliot Bay Bikes. You can check out photos of Barney step’in out with a down low glow on his first trip to “Full Throttle Bottles,” Beer store in Georgetown. We look forward to comparing Barney’s Rohloff drive train performance to Bettie’s Nuvinci after I get a chance to put some rubble under Barney’s tires.

Uploaded by Dapper Lad Cycles | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Longtail Evangelism

I get asked so many questions, the cards help. I explain that it’s a sport-utility bike, a car replacement, and a cargo bike. That it’s liberating for errands cause no parking. Go to the store, just pull right up, and park.

Uploaded by Hugger Industries | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Wheeeeeeee Ludicrous Speed!

Kid 1 gets the camera to record the ride to school on Bettie. After the slow, grinding climb, we hit Ludicrous Speed on the descent and that’s a big wheeeeee!

Note: this ride is performed by experienced cargo bike cyclists and passengers. Please don’t try this at home.

She complains about how slow we go, until we go fast. Oh and we have an agreement that I drop her off a block from school to prevent mortal embarrassment.

Also, we need to get one a Speed Vest to proudly display our speed.

Related Posts

Recent posts we’ve written about Cargo bikes in general. Also see

• Cargo tag
• Bike Hugger Urban
• Bike Hugger YouTube Channel
• on iTunes

Adventures in Tree Hauling

We’ve carried lots of goods and gear with our cargo bike, like a workbench (video), but not a tree. Greg Raisman got a good deal on some trees and hauled them with his bike and a trailer.

Uploaded by gregraisman | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Brown Truck Brown Bike

The driver parked in my spot!

Normally I roll up late afternoon and deliver the goods.

After chatting about the freight business, he let me borrow his handtruck. UPS drivers are working late these days. Rolling heavy trucks with extra packages from the storm delays in the midwest.

Today's Workout: Cargo

Muscled this delivery today and even with electric assist, that's still a heavy load to handle.

3 SKUs, 190 Units, 7 Boxes of Clip-n-Seals. 215 pounds.

I use just enough power to keep the bike moving with my legs and a steady hand to keep the bike straight.

Carga de los Muertos

Inspired by a “day of the dead” ceramic tile and drawn by Toms Cargo Bikes.

Uploaded by tomscargobikes.com | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Urban Brute

That’s an Urban Brute, a ‘bent cargo delivery bike from Urban Mobility Project and built by Organic Engines.

Uploaded by grrsh | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Mush

Dog walking with bakfiets.

Uploaded by grrsh | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Convertible Cargo with Assist

While searching for more details on the Lunartic, found this Dyson Design Award nominee and it has some promise. A convertible cargo bike with electric assist:

This is a utility pedal-assisted electric bicycle - tricycle that can be ridden like two-wheeler or like a three-wheeler depending on the intended use. When one needs to carry a heavy load, then the rear wheel can be split and transformed into a three-wheeler with a loading surface (up to 150 litres and up to 40 kg). It is bigger than some trunks of small city cars, yet big enough to carry a full load of shopping cart. The BIQUATTRO has a specially built suspension that allows the bike to tilt to the left and to the right for steering. This permits the rear wheels, which are extremely narrow to each other, to tilt independently ensuring a better steering performance and user experience (it feels like a two wheeler, but it is more stable).

Psychedelic Cargo Bike For U.S. Hipster Changes

America has a problem. Our citizens are overweight and lazy. Most of our trips, and more specifically most of our trips under five miles are made by auto.

For a variety of reasons it is either impractical or impossible to perform a number of tasks via bicycle. Some of this has to do with infrastructure, some with society and some with bicycles.

While countries like the Netherlands and Denmark have great cargo-carrying bikes, they largely have not hit our shores. Personally I think that Americans aren’t partial to the Amish-black color that these bikes come in.

Biomega and Puma’s long-term collaboration has resulted in a new approach to the U.S. cargo bike market. The new “fashionable” cargo bike reminds me a bit of the 1980’s mountain bike scene (right down to the Judy-yellow color on the fork) but it might just solve a problem—if you can get past the name..

The Mopion (sounds like a Volkswaggen moped) is an aluminum cargo bike that weighs in at a mere 50 pounds, and is available in more traditional colors like white and black as well as this eye-grabbing color scheme.

I’m looking forward to trying this bike out, as my current cargo-carrying solutions tend to feel a bit awkward and unsteady. I’ve ridden the fietbikes that these are based on in Amsterdam and the small front pivot wheel makes them a tad bit faster to navigate than what I ride currently.

This bike might not solve the urban cargo problem, but it’s a start, and it’s a much-needed one if we’re ever going to get our cities to look more like Copenhagen than like Newark.

Noticed this week: Bike Share, Lance, Levi, Twitter Saves Cyclists, Cargo, Wheeldom

Tried to take some time off this week at Hugga HQ, but the news kept happening, as I tweeted:

Weird day. Tour of CO announced & a politician says bikeshare is a plot. Levi is implicated in a book & Tour of UT announces he’s riding.

Lance Investigation

According to the media, Lance has relocated to Aspen and brought a stage race with him; meanwhile the PR message from his attorney is that dopers are liars and get sweetheart deals. Prosecutor responds with, “we’ve got more than Landis.”

Levi Implicated

Same day that Levi is implicated in a new book (Guaranteed Positive) from a former Directeur Sportif of Gerstoleiner, the Tour of Utah announces he’s riding. Levi has had no formal response, but was spotted changing his RoadID tag from: “‘whatever, man’ to ‘lean ‘n’ clean’”

Social Media Saves Cyclist

ABC World News reports on a cyclist who got lost and injured during a triathlon and tweeted for help. We wondered why she had her phone with her during a race? Glad you got saved, but disconnect sometimes or leave the location services check in until after the bike leg.

Read Noticed this week: Bike Share, Lance, Levi, Twitter Saves Cyclists, Cargo, Wheeldom.

Boxcycles by Christiania Bikes

Will from Boxcycles wrote to tell us that

After years of saying no to anyone asking if they could import the bikes to the the States, we are starting a joint venture to bring the legendary bikes to the American market. we are starting a joint venture to bring the legendary bikes to the American market.

A small test launch will take place this summer and you are welcome to participate. Check their blog for the details.