READERS’ BIKES

CHILD CARRYING The Bakfi ets website suggests that children as old as seven can be carried on the CargoBike, although most will have graduated to some form of selfpropelled transport by then. Babies under a year go in their own car seat, facing backwards towards

the rider. After they are one or so they graduate to a seated position. WorkCycles adapts simple bicycle child seats to provide extra support for younger seated children. Older passengers (from around two years onwards) sit on fi rm plywood bench seats and are strapped in with an effective, if rather fi ddly, three point seat belt system. We’ve generally put children in helmets to ride the CargoBike, principally to help them associate helmet wearing with cycling in general, but the pictures from Bakfi ets suggest that such precautions are not considered necessary in Holland. Indeed, the biggest risk to a child’s head while using the cargo bike is from the rider’s knee should the child accidentally nod off and loll backwards while travelling. The children, and their friends, love travelling in the Cargobike. We’ve taken trips of seven or so miles each way without whingeing or complaints. The forward carrying position makes it easier to see how the passengers are doing, or break up arguments. As Harriet faces backwards she can be entertained by both driver and older

child passengers, which keeps her happy until she (quickly) falls asleep. Longer trips tend to encourage sleepiness in all passengers, so something for the seated passengers to snooze against is a help here. Harriet, now nine months old, has been riding since she was a little less than six months. She fi nds bumps a bit distressing, as the Cargobike’s lack of suspension combined with her position close to the front wheel mean that shocks hit her pretty directly. The solution is gentle riding, particularly down hill. Older children fi nd the bumps more amusing and like to ride along shouting “Aaaaaggggh” to hear the joggling in their voices, although even Cameron reached his limit on a particularly rocky bridleway recently.

STAND The simple stand works well in use and is key to much of the bike’s convenience. A fl ick of the toe on the latch releases it for landings and the bike is simply pulled back into a stable position on the four rubber feet. Launching again requires a hefty push to come off the stand. I fi nd that just reaching down and folding it away with the hand is most straightforward, but the nimble (or big footed) can do this with a toe. For short hops (such as when opening a farm gate for example) the bike can be wheeled along with the stand dragging on the ground. Once, hitting a bump during a high speed descent caused the stand to jump out of its latch and deploy accidentally, but while this is noisy and surprising, it doesn’t cause any problems as the stand simply bounces along the ground. Bakfi ets.nl claims that the stand is so stable that the bike can “be used as a jungle gym.” And in practice, this proves to be the case. Provided it is parked on a fl at, level surface the bike is indeed very stable, and a neat step on the outside of the box makes its

possible for agile three year olds to climb in and out without help. Cameron and his friends enjoy playing Fireman Sam in the CargoBike and, apart from the odd squabble over who sits in the front seat, can spend long periods happily doing so. Unfortunately, it was just such child’s play that caused the only mechanical problems so far. The neat AXA sidewall dynamo is within easy reach of grasping fi ngers, resulting in loss of alignment and the snapping of a roller on one recent trip. A hub dynamo is available as an option, and while Henry was reluctant to install one, I think it would add signifi cantly to the care free durability of the bike.

CONCLUSION The CargoBike has become an extremely enjoyable part of our lives since its arrival three months ago. It sees child-carrying use every weekend and we are even planning our fi rst CargoBike camping trip for the near future. For anyone with enthusiasm, a fl attish neighbourhood and the space to store one I’d recommend it as a superb way to shift large numbers of children about.

Jonathan Ward

AVAILABILITY Manufacturer: Bakfi ets.nl: Tel or see www.bakfi ets.nl This bike supplied by: Henry WorkCycles, Amsterdam. Tel +31 20 689 7879 or see www.workcycles.com Also available in the UK via Cambridge Dutchbikes: see www.dutchbike.co.uk

This is our second Cargobike report. Another reader, Steven Brandist, reported on his family’s experiences with the machine in Velo Vision Issue 10 back in June 2003.