Comments on: Cargo bike survey

By: barton cohen

barton cohen — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 20:50:00 +0000

i own 2 dutch cargo bikes and i pronghorn mountain bike all made in denmark,i have others trek,raleigh,many years ago kmart specials,i tried bike delivery,you are right it is still a hobby,and eccentric for now.very frustrating,i am now without a car i owned a honda civic hybrid that was totalled about 7 years ago,i have not bought a new one,for now i do not know if i will ever owne a car unless i rent one,which i have done for a few days here and there,i believe that the hybrid rode great,and i treated it like a bike not a car nobody understands that,i now believe that the car is only used as status and for work and family,gas must go up more for people to considier hybrid,/electric for now i fell it does not faze them thanks barton cohen

By: Don

Don — Tue, 25 May 2010 17:39:52 +0000

Wow. I read your blog, Virginia, and you are an inspiration! When you are bicycling around town, don’t worry about someone thinking, “What is she doing on a bicycle?” Instead, consider all the people you are inspiring: “If she can do this, maybe I can too!”

I think you made the right trade off between the motor and a bike for your daughter. You want her to develop her biking skills and see it as a good mode of transportation too. I make my kids ride their own bikes up our hill twice a week (they aren’t so thrilled about that) and then they each get a free ride on my cargo bike once a week. They walk up the hill on the other days.

Your comment also alerted me to the existence of an electric motor as an option on the Yuba Mundo (http://yubaride.com/yubashop/28-e-mundo.html). This is very exciting. I didn’t know that a motor was available from a cargo bike manufacturer, and at about half the total price of my bike, this one looks interesting. I will probably blog about it later — I would love to hear if anyone has any experience with it. How powerful and how loud is that motor? How long has this bike/motor combo been on the market?

By: Virginia Pykonen

Virginia Pykonen — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:30:40 +0000

I love your blog! I found you through the link at the Yuba Mundo site. I just bought a YM myself, and it is due to be delivered sometime this week.

I chose not to get the electric version because I wanted to save some money and be able to afford to buy a (standard) bike for my daughter as well. Seeing your review of how the motor helps makes me wish I’d gone ahead and invested in it.

Still, I have confidence that my muscles will eventually grow to accommodate the tasks being required of them on a daily basis.

I think you are right, that we ARE on the leading edge of a new bicycle revolution. Twenty years from now I predict it will be as common to see bicycle commuters here as it is today in Denmark. The need is there, the answer fits, and it’s affordable. The change is going to happen!

By: Don

Don — Tue, 25 May 2010 05:18:48 +0000

Thanks, Mark, those are great photos. I especially love the one of your child helping with the hand signals. My kids do that too, and it’s empowering for them to share some responsibility as we transport ourselves. They don’t get to contribute much when I belt them into the back seat of our car.

Your blog is great, especially the “ton of bricks” article (http://mark.stosberg.com/bike/2010/05/like-a-ton-of-bricks.html#more). I sometimes try to make that point myself, but never as eloquently as you have.

I’m feeling less lonely tonight!

By: Mark Stosberg

Mark Stosberg — Mon, 24 May 2010 23:49:56 +0000

I recently bought an electric Yuba Mundo from cycle9.com, and my wife and I really like it-- it has been getting used about every day. I have some photos of my electric Yuba Mundo on Flickr.