BULLITT Cargo Bike

BULLITT Red

While a number of North American designers have developed "longtail" cargo bikes, where the kids or freight are carried in back, the Dutch and Danish prefer keeping things up front. LARRY VS HARRY, a shop in Copenhagen, designed the BULLITT to be a relatively light-weight and speedy way to transport cargo and children.

Most of the models come standard with a 7 or 8-speed internal gear hub in the rear, disc brake in the front, a custom kick-stand and fenders. Derailleur gearing and e-assist are also available. The riding position is somewhat leaned-forward, especially for taller riders, and there is no step-thru frame option. The modern-looking aluminum frame is meant to be extra stiff, to prevent twisting even with heavy loads.

I had a chance to test-ride this bike alone and with kids in the front (in a version that has an added kid seat); the handling is similar to a road bike, with responsive (or twitchy) steering which takes a minute to get used to. Disc brakes are a good idea on a bike meant to carry weight at high speeds.

These bikes have been reviewed by:
Totcycle
Josh Volk
Lovely Bicycle
Momentum Magazine

Many of the Bullitts in the USA are sold by Splendid Cycles in Portland, Oregon, but they are also available in a few other cities. The bike comes as shown, but most people pay for a child seat or cargo box to be added, and an electric bike version with a lithium battery pack is also very popular. A frameset costs $2350 alone. The complete bike with Alfine 8-speed hub is $3500. The e-bike version with a BionX rear hub is a grand more, $4500. Dynamo hubs and lights are an option.

Due to the relatively narrow cargo deck (no wider than the handlebars), one child can fit easily, but only small kids can double up.  Winther, another Danish bike company, makes an adaptation of the Bullitt frame called the Wallaroo, which has a wider child carrier included, to fit two kids side-by-side. However, there is only one current USA dealer, JC Lind in Chicago.

BULLITT Specifications (ALFINE 8 version):

shifter	Alfine 8 speed
rear drivetrain	Alfine 8 speed
crank	Alfine
bottom bracket	Alfine
chain	SRAM 9-speed
brake levers	Avid
brakes front	Avid BB7
brake rear	Avid BB7
rotors	Shimano centerlock
Headset	FSA Pig
stem	Civia Midtown 25.4
handlebar	Civia
grips	Civia Ergo
seatpost	FSA
saddle	LvH
pedal	Wellgo Platform
fenders	20″ front/26″ rear black
tire front	Schwalbe Marathon 20×2
tire rear	Schwalbe Marathon 26×2
tube front	Slime tube 20″
tube rear	Slime tube 26″
rim strip	Schwalbe rim liners
wheel front	Alfine/Alex DM24 rim/stainless spokes
wheel rear	Alfine/Alex DM24 rim/stainless spokes

BULLITT Geometry:

Kinn Cascade Flyer

Kinn is new company with 1 model of family oriented bike in Oregon. The frame, wheels and many other parts are made locally.

The Cascade Flyer is part of a new class of bikes called "mid-tails", shorter and lighter than a "long-tail" cargo bike, such as Yuba Mundo or an Xtracycle, but long enough to carry a kid plus a couple of panniers. And it comes with everyone you need, except for lights: integrated rack, fenders, chainguard, dual kickstand, 8-speed internal gear hub, disc brakes and a leather saddle.

The designer wanted a bike that was sturdy and long enough to carry his grandkids along with a couple of bags of groceries, but short and light enough to ride to work and around town. It also is just short enough to fit on a bus rack for bikes, with the front wheel turned backwards: this explains the curve in the down-tube. The geometry is designed to handle similarly to a modern hybrid or city bike, with 72 degree frame angles, and full-size 700c wheels (built by hand in Portland).

Front wheel twists so the bike can fit a standard bus rack

The 8-speed Alfine IGH version costs $2350 for a complete bike as shown. A 27-speed derailleur option is the same price. Unfortunately, there is no small size; riders shorter than 5'2" are out of luck, but medium to tall people should fit.

This can be a good option for a person who wants a made-in-the-USA, fully equipped bike that can haul groceries and a kid, and also serve as a commuter bike and city bike. I wish the complete build included dynamo lights. Considering that the wheels are hand-built locally, it may be possible to add this on to the order for an additional cost. If not, the front wheel should sell easily on Ebay.

You also get some fancy extras, like the bamboo rack top with hidden lockbox:

This bike has been reviewed by Lovely Bicycle and covered by Bikeportland

Specs:

FRAME FORK	Hand made in Portland Oregon from heat-treated Cro-moly steel tubing. Fits tires up to 1.75″ wide (700x42mm) with fenders. Fork has eyelets for front rack at dropout and mid-blade.
Sizes	Regular  (5’2”-5’10”)  or  Large (5’8”-6’4”)
Three Colors	Sardinian Sea, Red Earth, Clean Slate
Built-in Rear Rack	Rated for 130lbs (60kg) to easily carry a child and groceries. 21″ rack with bamboo deck.
Child Transport	Built-in Yepp EasyFit window for direct child seat mounting. Integrated footpeg mounts.
Cargo Capacity	Pannier rails fit standard panniers even with a Yepp child seat attached

GEARING	27 SPEED DERAILLEUR	ALFINE 8 SPEED INTERNAL
Cranks	Shimano triple 44-32-22	Kinn 36t Aluminum Crankset with Ring-guard
Cassette	Shimano 9 spd 11-34 Cassette.	Shimano Alfine 8-speed Internal hub with 20T cog
Shifter	Shimano Alivio 430 trigger shifter	Shimano Alfine Trigger

WHEELS	Hand-built in Portland by Sugar Wheelworks
Rims & spokes	Alex DM-18 700C silver rims, with 36 14G stainless steel spokes
Hubs	Shimano SLX  or Shimano Alfine hubs
Tires	700c x 35mm, with reflective sidewall and puncture guard
Brakes & Levers	Avid BB5 mechanical disk brakes for all weather stopping power
Levers	Tektro 3 finger levers
Pedals	VP-560 silver alloy platform pedals
Handlebar, Grips & Bell	Alloy touring/city bar and lacquered cork grips and classic brass bell
Saddle	Velo comfort saddle
Seatpost	Silver alloy 27.2mm x 350mm
Stem	Polished aluminum stem. 90mm (small) 110mm (large)
Fenders	Alloy full coverage fenders with mud flaps and rear reflector.
Other:	Chainguard, double kickstand, footpegs

Xtracycle Edgerunner

Xtracycle Edgerunner 27D Lux XO

Continuing our overview of cargo bike options, the relatively new Edgerunner is a Longtail cargo bike from Xtracycle.

Xtracycle founded the current Longtail cargo bike craze, with their FreeRadical. This frame extender attached to a standard bike, converting it to a longtail. An ecosystem of accessories, bags, decks, lights and kickstands was developed around this standard, which Yuba later adopted for their Mundo bike, as have some other manufacturers. Now Xtracycle is making their own complete bike, the Edgerunner. 

The 27D Lux features fenders, a double kickstand, disc brakes, a front dynamo hub and high-end dynamo-powered lights. It has a 3-speed front and 9-speed rear derailleur, for a wide range of gears. 

It uses a smaller, 20 inch rear wheel to keep the center of gravity lower. This make it easier for kids to mount the bike by themselves, and improves handling with carrying heavy loads. It also lowers the effective gearing, which will be a big help when hauling 2 kids and a week of groceries.

Options include huge cargo bags for the rear rack, rails for kids to hold, toddler seats, hydraulic instead of mechanical disc brakes, internal gear hub, and electric assist with the BionX system. The price can vary from $1500 for the basic 24D, to $2500 for a special version with Alfine 8-speed hub at Splendid Cycles, to $2900 for the 27D lux with dynamo lighting and high-end derailers. E-assist is $1000 extra.

Edgerunner Electric 24D Family

Reviews: 

Bicycle Times

Bike Radar

Davey Oil

Hum of the City

Specifications: (24D Family)

Frame & Fork
Paint
Brakes
Front Rotor
Rear Rotor
Brake Levers
Headset
Handlebar
Stem

Grips
Shifters & Derailers
Crank
Chainring
Bottom Bracket
Cassette
Chain
Front Hub
Rear Hub
Front Rim
Rear Rim
Spokes
Nipples
Front Tire
Rear Tire
Seat Collar
Seatpost

Saddle
Pedal
Kickstand
Front Light
Rear Light
Fenders

100% Chromoly
Black, White, Blue, or Orange + clear coat
Avid BB5
180mm
160mm
Avid FR5
FSA Mallet
31.8 clamp alloy
65mm ext (16.5”)
95mm ext (19”)
Velo Duracork
Acera 8s
Altus 8s 170mm
Steel 48-38-28
JIS - 68 x 125mm
Acera 11-34 t
KMC Z72 8-sp
Sealed Bearing 36h
Sealed Bearing 36h
36h Double Wall
36h Double Wall
14g Stainless
Brass
Schwalbe Big Ben 2.35
Schwalbe Big Ben 2.15
34.9 alloy allen
31.6, 300mm (16.5”)
31.6, 400mm (19”)
Velo
Resin, Cromoly Axle
Alloy black
Optional Luxos U
Optional B & M Std.
Optional Upgrade

#7 Angus's Old Bikes

A vintage Repco Monaco road bike. Repco is one of the oldest bicycle companies in Australia. All photos courtesy Angus.

Angus added extra passenger and cargo room with an xtracycle.

Ricardo mixte, circa 1970s. 

Hi,

Thanks for the great blog!

I think you should put more emphasis on second hand and recycled bikes. I think the quality of old bikes is much better than new.

Attached are three of the bikes we use. The first is an xtracycle-equipped recycled bike I bought from bicyclerevolution.com.au

It has a recycled frame, but new wheels. The brakes are some old Magura hydraulics I salvaged, and the pedals are from a 70s Ricardo mixte we have. I bought the child seats second hand, sawed off the bottoms, and screwed them to the platform. Very solid and a great bike! I bought the xtracycle attached to a different (but still excellent) bike for AU$350.

 The second bike is my wife's favourite. It was $10 second hand, and all I've done to it is attach flat handle bars, racks and clipless pedals. Its gear shifting is something to behold, and puts my LX-equipped mountain bike to shame.

The Ricardo mixte cost AU$75, and it needs nothing doing to it -- fantastic riding condition.

There are so many fantastic bikes in people's garages gathering dust. often, they're better than what can be bought in the shops today...

Cheers, Angus

Islabikes: Real Bikes for Kids

There's been a veritable revolution since this blog was started. It used to be difficult to find a good "bike for the rest of us," suitably designed and equipped for everyday riding by regular folks. Not so, 2013. Walk into any reasonable independent bicycle dealer and you likely to find a decent practical bike for your purposes, whatever they happen to be... unless you're a kid, or shopping for one.

There are good reasons why good kids bikes are hard to come by. A decent multi-speed bike, regardless of the size, is going to cost $300-$500, and not a lot of people are willing to spend this kind of bread on a kids bike. I suspect this is because kids (1) grow like weeds, (2) won't necessarily "click" with bicycling, and (3) don't always take great care of their possessions (not a judgement, just an observation).

There are some good kids bikes available and they are getting better, but the variety is lagging the adult market by at least ten or 15 year. What does that mean? Well, you can now find good road bikes for kids, traditional and "flat-bar" style, and there are "cruiser" style bikes and decent mountain bikes for kids, but not many that meet the criteria for a "Bike For The Rest Of Us."

For example, Fuji's Ace 24" and Absolute 24" and 20" are good for fun, fitness, or even youth competition.

But these are not great for practical transportation, or just kicking around town--there's no room for wider tires or fenders. Also the stand-over height is a bit tall, limiting the potential audience. Kids are top-heavy--their heads are bigger in proportion to their bodies than grown-ups--so a scaled down adult bike doesn't fit properly. This is a pretty huge point that gets overlooked sometimes.

Here are some options from widely available brands: Giant Revel Jr. 20" and Specialized Hotrock Street 24". Both come in "Boys" and "Girls" models, and in versions with 20" and 24" wheels. Lets see...  

Lower stand-over height? Yes, good job.
Wider tires? Yes. (But the Giant Revel Jr comes with heavy knobby tires--bad choice.)
Can you mount a rack on the back? Yes.
Fenders? Giant, no. Specialized, yes.
Good upgrade on Specialized Hotrock: stainless steel spokes and quality tires.

But wait: the water bottle mounts are awkward at best, or not available, and 21 gear combinations are unnecessary and overly complicated (most adults have trouble learning good shifting habits--starting with a single shift option--rear only--is a GOOD idea).

Next: Trek. Here are the FX 24" Boys and Girls models.
 

Good thinking, solving problems, and a nice explanatory website (Trek Kids Bikes). I particularly like the dual position crankset/pedals (though it might be a solution looking for a problem). But... the website doesn't list the parts specification, and the steel seatpost and handlebar and high-tensile (heavy and not good at absorbing vibration) fork suggest that other part selections may cut corners.

My final complaint: what's with the differentiation between girls and boys models? It is entirely unnecessary, stigmatizing, and just a bad idea. The girls models lose water bottle mounts, the boys models lose stand-over height, and there's WAY too much focus on color (my daughter was all about pink for a while, then all of a sudden it was no pink allowed, or purple, anywhere). Besides, these are kids bikes, they're going to be outgrown in a year or two, and passed down to a sibling or neighbor--why limit the audience? I guess it's like breakfast cereal: more models = more shelf-space, boxing out competition, and giving the illusion of choice.

Solution: ISLABIKES. Smart smart smart. I don't work for them, I gain nothing by this, and, disclaimer, I've never seen their bikes in person, but they've solved all the problems I see challenging kids bike design.

Isla Beinn 24" (http://www.islabikes.com)

I'm too tired now to write down how they solve all the problems. Check out the website and read it for yourself. Maybe I'll finish this off later, but it's a nice day to go outside and ride a bike ;-)

--David

Kids Bikes

While we're on the subject of kids' bikes, I thought I'd jot down a few of my ideas on the topic. 

1.  Skip the training wheels

Like-a-bike "mountain" bike. Courtesy: LIKE-a-BIKE USA.

The Big Day has arrived!  Your little one, who has been riding around like a pro on her training wheels, is ready to try riding without them.  You'd better take her to a soft grassy field, because she's about to take some falls.

Here's the problem: A child who learns to ride with training wheels does not learn the most fundamental of bicycle fundamentals: How to balance. 

That's why I like Like-A-Bike.  Kids learn how to balance first; then they're ready for pedals. Like-A-Bikes are well-crafted and safe. They are, however, a bit pricey. 

There is an inexpensive alternative.  You know that Toys R Us bike you bought?  Take off the training wheels and the crankarms/pedals. Let her scoot around on that for awhile, and soon she will have mastered balance and will be ready for you to put her cranks and pedals back on.

2.  Introduce new concepts gradually

As discussed above, start with balance.  Then braking. Then turns. But don't expect your 4- or 5-year-old to know how to shift.  Once the basics have been mastered, the next bike can have more bells and whistles.

My 8-year-old's six speed. With bell.

Actually, by bells and whistles, I mean handbrakes and a few gears.  But a bell or horn is a good idea as well, so long as your young rider is not getting too distracted from the basics of bicycling.

3.  Buy used

I'm not big on spending money in the first place, but why would I want to spend it on something that will be mistreated and quickly outgrown?

My 11-year-old's bike.  It has a kickstand, yet he's let it drop to the ground on the drivetrain side.

There are many used  kids' bikes for sale that have hardly been ridden.  I've had great luck finding cheap, tough, functional kids' bikes at the local co-ops. When your child has outgrown her bike, donate it back to the co-op.

4.  Spend lots of time teaching

This is a big deal.  I'm not just talking about teaching your child how to ride a bike.  I'm talking about bike safety issues like seeing the whole road, being visible, and being consistent.

I often see kids riding on the left side of the road, riding in the center of the road, or riding back and forth between the sidewalk and the road.  These are future car drivers. Take this opportunity to teach them the rules of the road. 

There are lots of bike rodeos and other kids' safety programs - enroll your kids.  They'll have fun, learn stuff, and maybe get a free helmet or some stickers for their bike.

***

These are the four suggestions I share most often with other parents.  As always, feel free to disagree with me or add your own thoughts in the comments.

Linus Kids Bikes

Awww...  Photo by Kat Borchart. Courtesy: Linus Bikes

Linus is now offering kids bikes: The Lil' Dutchie in red and the Lil' Roadster in Metallic Blue.

Click for big.

We've discussed Linus quite a bit in previous posts.  The Linus 2013 catalog is out and features lots of pretty pictures by Kat Borchart.  Well done.