Cargo bike / bakfiets - complete imposibility?

[sushistar]

Heya green folks
I am DESPERATE for a cargo bike - one with 3 wheels. Something like this

There's a few other makes as well - Christiania, or Nihola...

BUT - all of them are well over £1000

Has anyone seen one 2nd hand - or (wild hope) even got one they'd sell? Or even if you wouldn't sell, would you reccomend it?

In the process of moving from London to the south west, I am going to have to live at my mums for a while. I don't drive. She lives a mile from the nearest village (1 shop) and 6 miles from the nearest town. I have 2 kids under 3. This is the only way I can see that I won't be completly trapped in the house...

hairybabysmum, I am interested in trailer options - my concern is that my 2.5 yr old will be on his own., effectively, with my 6 month old. He is a loviong big brother, but has his moments (like most siblings?) of pinching, eye poking etc... especuially if bored - I worry about not being able to reach them quickly / see what he's up to...

Like the chariots though. And I bet I could easily get one on ebay - off to check...

I live in York...also flat....except its not when you are towing 5 stone plus, especailly without decent gears!! You need to think long term here!

I woried about that too, but htey are generally fine and never had probs when ds2 was younger, the support hting does provide some separation.

They sometimes fight now, but i have a rule that fighting in trailer = no telly at bedtimne, is generally successful. Though you can no doubt imagine how dignified it is to be cycling through town hollering 'do that again and there will be no telly tonight!! Classy!

Chariot is £££, Halfords is all you need, honest. here mine has done me 3 yrs, i use every day to work, 3 times a week all weathers winter and summer.

I've had my 2 DD's in a trailer the last year, since DD2 was around 7 months and DD 1 nearly 3; they've loved being in it, but tbh the problems in the back are only starting now as DD2 is getting very responsive to DD1's attention (and does her own bit of pushing too).

I've got a rearview mirror on the handle bars and can just about see what happens in the trailer. O yes - and they're strapped in, so only limited scope for older one to really get on top of the little one

Trailer might be the way to go then, thanks!
If i can get a cheapish trailer then I can get a yummy bike - mmmm...

you can fit a trailer and a child seat if you get the right kind of trailer - that gets around the toddler-with-baby-pinching-and-poking issues.

see here for example

sorry just realised I linked to a trailer bike, you are probably not ready for that yet, but the idea is the same - seat plus trailer. Or get a child seat that goes at the front on your handlebars.

Me back again - I'm sushistar but I've name changed

Sooo, decided the best option is a bike and trailer. Now I need help choosing a bike! If I'm gonna be towing the kids, what's the minimum gears d'you think I need? I hate excess gears, and secretly I'm hankeriong after a beautiful old style loop-framed bike, or old dutch bike - y'know, vintage style. But I'm guessing that won't be the best choice if I've got to tow babies on it!

Hi we are selling our beloved bakfiet because we are moving to a hilly place and our kids are big enough to ride their own bikes now. See it here tinyurl.com/33xyw87

Fake Cargobikes Warning
Warning! Just because it looks like a cargo bike, doesn't mean it's suited to years of heavy daily use. Fake cargo bikes are a pile of garbage. Anything that sells well can and will attract fakery.

I don't own a cargo bike and I don't have a link with any supplier. I am interested in buying a cargo bike and I will share with you what I've learned. I too was dismayed at the costs of a new cargo bike, but it's important to realise that a well-specified good-quality bike will cost around £700-1000+. Specialist bikes aren't cheap. Now consider that cargo bikes are a niche product and made in smaller quantities, so will be more expensive. A well-designed well specified cargo bike will last for decades of hard use with low-maintenance. Expect to pay ~£1200 for a short-John (Workcycles FR8); ~£1700 for a long-John / Bakfiets.nl, more for a Deluxe Bakfiets.nl / Workcycles / Bullitt. If you can't afford that, try second-hand.

Now consider that bak-fakes are available by the container load for 100 Euro each. Ask yourself, what can you expect for 100 Euros? Remember they're making a profit on the 100 Euros.

There are some very nasty fake cargo bikes out there. They're horrible: nasty frames, nastier components and will soon start to rust and fall-apart and will probably be a pile of scrap within a couple of years. Your money will all be wasted. I saw a bak-fake in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey on Valentines Day 2011. Unfortunately, I didn't get to speak to the lady wheeling it, but she didn't look happy. It seems that despite being shiny and brand-new, already something serious had gone wrong with it, probably a transmission failure.

I have spoken to a proud lady owner of a genuine Bakfiets.nl. She was most enthusiastic. They don't own a car and live in London.
I have spoken briefly to a proud lady owner of a Christiana trike. She was very pleased with it. Bought at Velorution in London.

Read the horror stories of people who've bought bak-fakes, or the stories of the people who get asked to fix them. My recommendation is to google bak-fake and read and be warned!

Don't touch certain Dutch discount companies. I can't give their names, because they keep changing their names, because they like to keep on the move before their unsatisfied customers come back. I believe these companies don't offer warranties. It isn't hard to wonder why.

eBay
Be very careful.

Avoid any bike that LOOKS LIKE a Bakfiets.nl, but folds ? they're trouble.

Second-hand sources

Best to take someone who knows cargo bikes.

www.bakfiets-en-meer.nl/2011/02/08/guest-post-cargo-bikes-and-the-information-revolution/
www.bakfiets-en-meer.nl/2009/04/29/the-fake-bakfiets-cargobikes-keep-on-coming/
cargocycling.org/2010/10/the-big-china-rip-off.html

Buy from well-regarded shops.

Respected makes are:
Christiana
Bakfiets.nl (if it doesn't have the '.nl', it's a copy / fake. 'Bakfiets' means 'box-bike' an unfortunately generic name, exploited by the shysters and rogues.)
WorkCycles Cargobike Delivery bicycle
Gazelle Cabby
Bullitt
Velorbis
Monark

Bakfiets.nl and Workcycles bikes are made by Azor, a well respected Dutch bike manufacturer.

Note: This isn't a complete list.

Test ride several too, with a payload. Handling varies.

Please do your research before buying! Once you handed over your money, it's too late!
Remember what the Romans said: 'caveat emptor'. (let the buyer beware)

Problems that bak-fakes exhibit
Bad paintwork that permits rust; plasticine-grade steel frames that sag; bad welds that fail; poor-quality boxes that are made of board that 'blows' ? swells & expands and then rot and disintegrate; appallingly poor-quality components; abysmal design ? folding frames that collapse; bad gears; various other transmission problems; bad wheels; bad transmission; 'design' that prevents normal maintenance. The list is long, yes, there's more, much more.

E&OE. Remember, if it's too good to be true, it almost certainly is. All information given in good faith.
One last thing. I accept no responsibility for any problems that may arise, should you choose to follow my suggestions. You are on your own. It's your money, spend it wisely & carefully. Don't say nobody told you.

In my previous post, I mentioned the hinged frames.
This is so they can sell you a box of parts which means no warranty. It comes in handy when shipping from China, or wherever else they're thrown together. Yes the Chinese can make really good stuff, but not these fakes.

This is what you're likely to end up with.

www.flickr.com/photos/10392335@N07/3209520358/in/set-72157612693597651/

The hinge and the steel it's made of aren't good enough to last. But they're good enough to get people's money. Just make sure it isn't yours.

I'm pretty certain what I saw was one of these but with a black box.

www.tricycleweb.com

Best avoided if only from the too good to be true basis.

How can they supply a good bike for 699 Euros? Henry @ WorkCycles said they're 79 Euro bikes sold for 500 Euros [now 699 Euros]

Note these conditions:
"....no liability can be accepted and no warranty is given. The goods are accepted by the opposite party in the condition that they are in upon delivery...."

I suspect most people would consider those conditions unreasonable. Basically, you pay your money and when it all ends horribly (as it seems to have done for many others), you're on your own.

There are some not very flattering comments about the bikes these people supply.
measured-response.com/bakfiets/?p=8

The sag-prone frame joint is the give-away.

Please don't take my word for it, contact those who have bought these bikes and find-out what they think.

Plus ask people who get asked to fix these.

But the best thing has to be is to buy from a dealer in the UK. Because these are niche bikes, there aren't many dealers.
Many local bike shops won't have the expertise, because these bikes are quite different from normal bikes, often in numerous subtle ways. If you import from a dealer abroad, you'll get little or no support.

But remember to do this before you part with your money.

Remember: Act in haste and repent at leisure.

We've got a secondhand Trikadoo for sale if anyone is interested. Its only 1 and half yrs old, and has always been kept in the garage. Excellent condition.
We're in BRIGHTON / HOVE east sussex.
Price negotiable, but about two thirds the new price??
Call or text 07977 037906
Will & Lynsey
(Feb 2011)

does anyone have a bakfiets from ebay? they are selling them on there direct from the netherlands for a 1/3 of the price, they have 2 years guarantee - 10 years on frame, are these any good?

Megandmoo
Bikes from eBay? ?.are these any good?

It's hard to be certain. It looks very much like the 'made in Holland' claim does not mean what it seems: 'made in the Netherlands'. It's probably 'Holland' in Turkey, or some other country.

I think you should ask the seller. The answer will be very interesting.

If it's a deliberate attempt to deceive (which I suspect), that should be a big warning.

I have archived the web-page for posterity here: www.webcitation.org/5xiB6LWiH

I very much doubt these bikes are worth the money.

For example, my son's bike, a Scott Sportster cost £315 from Evans. By the time it was commuter equipped, it had cost an additional £300+. This was for the mudguards; rear luggage rack; LED dynamo lights (which included a new wheel being built for the hub dynamo); and new puncture resistant tyres after a catastrophic blow-out. These additional components were all sourced on-line at substantial savings.

Don't forget that such bicycles are sold by the tens of thousands, which means savings through mass-production. Yet cargo bikes are sold in much lower numbers, so the per-unit cost of making them is higher.

Despite this, the cargo bike cost less. So what's being squeezed? Profit or quality? My bet is the quality of components and the frame. I suspect profits are healthy.

Despite that, the cargo bikes are cheaper than a standard bicycle.
Two sayings that apply:
'Caveat emptor' ? Let the buyer beware.
If it sounds too good to be true, it most probably is.

You need to do more research before parting with your money.

I am also totally smitten with cargo bikes and trikes. With a busy life chasing 4 boys, it was the only way I was ever going to get any exercise. I now even import them through www.kidsandfamilycycles.co.uk

They really are life changing bikes.

I agree with the comments that you should try as many as you can if you are serious about buying one. You may be suprised by the one you finally choose.

Also take a look at Henry's comments on cheap Bakfiets

www.bakfiets-en-meer.nl/

This is a really comprehensive blog by a true cycling expert

Sorry to resurrect an old post but I have just received delivery of a new cargo trike! I?m so excited...!!!
Having stayed in Holland for a short while a few years ago I have always loved the idea of a cargo bike or trike. Now that we have two DD's and times are a bit £££ tight I suggested to DH that we should sell my old Corsa and get a Bakfiets.
Surprisingly he was up for it, mentioning something about my future toned legs and stilettos..... (Why is there always an ulterior bloody motive!)

I road tested a few cargo bikes but being only 5ft (hence DH comments about heels!) and 7st I struggled to pedal them up small hills. I eventually ordered one from a company in Derbyshire who make cargo and family bikes. They changed their ?Little People Carrier? trike so it was shorter and narrower plus something technical about the frame to make it lighter and easier to pedal. We got those huge f*%king annoying speed bumps down our street so they suggested they fit bigger wheels to make it easier to ride over them.

The downside is that it took 3 months from paying the deposit to the day I first rode it as they have a waiting list.

It does take a bit of getting used to but you can?t beat the feeling of pulling up outside the doors Tescos in it without having to fight to get 1 of the 2 M&baby parking spaces

The DD?s love it and I often have a few of their friends in it too! Not sure when they?ll be 2 heavy for it but I?ve been looking at another tandem type bike, the ?Back seat driver? where a 4-10 year old can pedal up front and you steer/brake/gear from behind. That looks frigging genius!

I've had a few PM's about the company; Its called The Cargo Bike Company.
I'm off Xmas shooping with it now, hope it all fits it......!

Just heard one of our customers in Dulwich is interested in selling their Bellabike with two reclining seats. He bought it to use in his marketing company, but didn't use much in the end, so practically brand new. Approx resell £1,500- £1,600, which includes 6 months warranty and full service. Do email me on [email protected] if you are interested in his contact details to discuss it. See the model on www.kidsandfamilycycles.co.uk

Hi all, if anyone's interested, I'm selling my secondhand Bellabike here www.mumsnet.com/local/norwich/nearly-news/4897-bella-bike-4-cargo-family-delivery-bike-trike-tricycle-like-christiania-bakfiets-trikidoo, it's in near perfect condition. Thanks

We're selling our Bakfiets.nl too - its the long version - give me a shout if you might be interested. We're in Kent.

We have had one for 9 months and it is the best purchase I have ever made. Read my review of ours:
albertomzanni.wordpress.com/2017/05/02/urban-arrow-family-cargo-bike-review/
I have also written a guide to buying a cargo bike in the UK
albertomzanni.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/a-beginners-guide-to-buying-a-cargo-bike/

OK, I'm a male grandparent. I've got few bikes that I use to transport grandchildren about.

I've got a Bella 4 (Danish, 4 seats, 3 wheels, full wet weather gear). It's big, heavy, rear wheel steering, but built like a tank and more than capable of taking 3 or 4 medium sized children to the shops and get the shopping in the bike too, but it does get HEAVY. And remember that any 3-wheeler doesn't love cambers, and you have ot be smart on corners. Forget about hills. Best winter bike ever for children as long as it's flat. 8 speed gear box, lots of brakes. Really high quality product. TBH needs to be kept in a garage or recognise you have to buy a new cover every year. This sort of bike is really big, you need to try it before making commitment. There's a place in New Milton stock them or you can borrow mine.

I've got a Workcycles FR8 tricked out for children. Two wheels, very big frame, joy to ride, 8 speed box, lots of braking, HEAVY, EU Crate mounted on the front, winebox on the back, grandson sits on seat between me and the handlebars, if more than one grandchild give up wine box (oh dear) and fit one or two seats with pegs behind saddle and wheels protected by skirt guards. Incredibly high quality, more stainless steel than a Gordon Ramsay kitchen. Happy to let people try it out but it is BIG and Heavy (though my professional cycling friends tell me it is a fantastic ride, so compliments to Workcycles).

Compromise is an Elephant Bike. Ex post office, rebuilt, 3-speed, works well with child on the (long) rear rack and tiny child on stem-mounted child seat. Nice ride. Bu still heavy (mostly steel). Second hand and not guarantee, but if you buy one they send one to Malawi as a charity. It's a sweet ride if you keep it maintained.

New to UK, Biria bike is an ultra-low step through that can be tricked out with a centre stand and same seats as for Elephant bike. Biria has the advantage of relatively low weight and incredibly easy on and off.

None of these bikes are low cost, except the Elephant bike that can be got for less that £500 fully tricked out with seats and everything.

The Bella is about £2k, the Workcycles about £1.3k, the Biria about £0.6k, and the Elephant about £0.5k.

Overall the Elephant is the right answer for a one-child solution, or the Biria if you want the security of a very low step through, then it's a toss up between the Workcycles for two children (and quite big children at that, especially on the back), or for more than two it's the Bella.

Sorry for the length of the post. Happy to let people try out the bikes I have before you make your mind up!