Comments for Bakfiets en Meer

Comment on Graffiti Research Lab: LASER Tag Trike by honorato

honorato — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:07:20 +0000

This laser graffiti technology is quite something isn´t it?

I´ve seen all the GRL videos but I´ve also come across some lesser known ones, thought people might enjoy them too:

http://www.sensaa.com/en/laser-graffiti

Comment on “Bicycle Mania”… Great book about Dutch cycling by Jim Kukula

Jim Kukula — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:10:50 +0000

I’ve started a \Dutch Bike Owners\ group on facebook, a place for rides to share tips, experiences, etc. Everyone interested is welcome!

Comment on De Fietshangar (bike hangar) by henry

henry — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 08:52:18 +0000

Axel, Most bikes simply live outdoors here. Why do you think that bikes will rust faster in the sheltered hanger than in an unsheltered, outdoor bike rack?

Comment on De Fietshangar (bike hangar) by Axel

Axel — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 08:37:26 +0000

I bet bikes will rust fast in that hangar. It needs a chimeny to tent out moisture. I dont think the mesh on the side will be good enough in a city enviroment.

Comment on Frozen Cable Time by Axel

Axel — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 08:34:09 +0000

rim brakes are just fine for snowy weather! I live in Sweden, store my bike outdoors in -20°C sometimes, with no real problems to speak of. Sure stuff are a bit more stiff in that temp, but after trying the brakes for a while they work fine.

Comment on The “Inventor” of the Bakfiets by ubrayj02

ubrayj02 — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:24:43 +0000

I’m sorry not to add much to this discussion, but this post is one of the most meaningful additions to my sales pitch here in Los Angeles. People get very distracted with “high tech” bike components on sporting bicycles – forgetting that so much refining and re-working of the bicycle has already been done.

Comment on Sage & Cooper arrive in London by Robin

Robin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:42:31 +0000

I spotted a bike in a shop fitted with the new Sturmey XL brake hubs which I borrowed for a quick round the car park test. It had a useful increase in brake power over a bike with 70mm brakes which would stop but didn’t have much in reserve for emergency braking.

Comment on The “Inventor” of the Bakfiets by henry

henry — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:46:25 +0000

Erik,
I’ve written about the proliferation of bike ideas and inventions before, most notably here: http://www.bakfiets-en-meer.nl/2009/10/01/whats-really-new-in-bicycle-world/

But it doesn’t necessarily matter that you’re not the first or even the thousandth to think of something and possibly document it. You can still be the first to do something useful with it, or the first to see its importance for a new application. In such cases it might be much more difficult to patent the idea but there are actually quite few things that are worth patenting… especially in a field where practically technical permutatation has been tried or published once.

Comment on The “Inventor” of the Bakfiets by erik

erik — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:28:18 +0000

What is indeed new in the bicycle world? Up until sometime last week I believed I had come up with something if not entirely new at least new enough to be patentable and useful enough so be sellable. Alas, on yet another round of patent database searching I find a german patent of a close to identical idea. So at the moment I am trying to find ways to further develop my idea to such a height that it will fly over the previous patent (and if anyone is intrigued, do contact me)
Point is, in those early days, many may have come up with similar ideas. It is not a lesser feat to reach Mt Everest as the second person.

Comment on The “Inventor” of the Bakfiets by henry

henry — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:54:13 +0000

Todd,
Aside from the occasional wife of the bakfiets builder women began carrying kids in three-wheeled bakfietsen when Christiania began making little, family oriented bakfietsen in Denmark, probably in the early 1980’s. These were always three wheelers. Van Andel’s two wheeled Cargobike was an improvement on these, and everything needed or family transport was present right from the first models: seats, harnesses, canopy, low step-through frame, stable parking stand etc. This was no accidental discovery; It was the whole point of the bike from its conception. That’s why I’ve steadfastly referred to van Andel as the spiritual godfather of this type of bike.