Gazelle displayed their new Bakfiets Cargobike child-carrier competitor. Its called the Gazelle Cabby and its based on the rear frame of their new in 2006 MPB (Multi Purpose Bike), which is a blatant, late and ill-conceived attempt to cash in on popularity of the excellent Batavus Personal Bike, which was introduced about 7 years ago. Just to note: I do work with bicycles but don’t have anything to do with either of these bikes or Gazelle or Batavus.

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Het geldt blijkbaar ook voor de bakfiets: In Amerika, hoe groter hoe beter. Een klant in de VS heeft deze speciale bak gemaakt en op een Bakfiets.nl Cargobike chassis gemonteerd.

Nou het laadvermogen van een normale Cargobike is 80kg en van een opgevoerde WorkCycles Cargobike Delivery 100kg, dus hopen we dat ze niet van plan om veel bakstenen, gereedschap of zoiets mee te nemen.

Precies specificaties weten we niet maar de bak is van glasvezel versterkte polyester gemaakt. Volgens de fabrikant is het vrij licht tenzij zijn enorme maat.

In the Netherlands we simply ride our bicycles everywhere, often while carrying children, groceries, friends, a spouse, flowers, building materials or whatever else needs to get from Amstelkade to Bloemstraat. Thus we build bicycles with special carriers and don’t think much about how the now rather heavy bicycle can be carried aboard an automobile. Why would one put a bicycle in an automobile? That would be akin to putting a car on a truck or a missile on an airplane. Very strange!

Apparently its different for the Canadian Army Cargobike Infantry Division who are now using the Workcycles Cargobike as a key weapon in their antiterrorist system. The military Cargobike Weapons Delivery Bicycle is equipped with (very small) missile launchers and (light) machine guns operated by a (preferably child sized) gunner inside the bulletproof polycarbonate bubble. Each Cargobike is transported on a specially fitted Mercedes Unimog, ready for rapid deployment wherever needed, be it in the woods, in the tundra, at a hip coffee shop or at a pickup hockey game.

This probably not really news for those in Portland, Oregon since it seems the entire city has been anticipating the opening of Portland, Oregon USA’s first retailer totally dedicated to bicycles for daily, practical use. That means at least bomb-proof WorkCycles-Azor Dutch Bikes, the ridiculously popular and charismatic Bakfiets Cargobike and the unmatchable Brompton folding bikes. Various other makes from Holland and the USA will fill in the line-up of bikes for commuting, carrying children, doing groceries and all the other things we in Amsterdam regard as nothing special to do on a bicycle.

But such bicycles and attitudes are still very special in the US, and the folks at Clever are amongst those leading the charge to change that situation as fast as possible. My experience as supplier from the other side of the pond is that Clever has what it takes to do more than their share to popularize practical cycling in Oregon. Unlike others who’ve produced a handful of load-carrying bikes, Todd, Dean and their colleagues are professional, technically proficient and thorough.

So pay them a visit and find out just how satisfying and fun it can be to pedal around with ten times as much weight as any glossy cycling magazine will tell you is acceptable.

Clever Cycles

Rain City Bikes recently celebrated the grand opening of their new Bakfiets, Cargobike, Dutch Bike shop in Vancouver, BC, Canada. It was apparently a success since nobody seems to have had time to take photos of the rowdy event until after the party. Thus all we get to see is some greasy Belgian frites and bakfietsen full of Heineken beer bottles, flowers and trash bags. Eyewitnesses claim it was good though. Here’s an anonymous report:

Once the crowd was sufficiently alcoholically lubricated and revved up by heavy metal band Chaincase… the “Dutch bikes with kids” two-up drag races began. When all the elimination rounds were done Victoria resident Hugh Hoser was crowned Victor. There was some deliberation though, as competitors claimed Hoser’s 2 week old, 4kg baby girl secured to the front carrier of his transport bike conferred an unfair advantage. But, alas, there were no rules about the manner of child transport so Hoser took home his trophy: a brand new Bakfiets.nl Cargobike Long, complete with rain canopy and Maxi-Cosi carrier.

Now Hoser’s baby girl will ride in safety and style, protected from rain, snow, hail, rioting youth and soccer moms in Hummers. Heartwarming, eh?