14 Responses to “Sighted: Bakfiets. An Indicator Species of a Healthy Portland?”

1. Comments by: Jim Labbe
   

   Evan,

   This could be a huge fundraising boon for the BTA. If you are proposing to have "life lists" for bike styles, folks are really going to need bike styles watching guide books (written and sold by BTA). Where else will people get their comprehensive lists of native Portland bike styles? At whcih point you might as well host an equivalent to Portland Audubon's Birdathon: BikeStyleAthon. How many bike styles can you see in 48 hours?

   Then when your "twig & critter" friends hit you up for a Birdathon Pledge you can say… "hey but you never pledged me for BikeStyleAthon last year!"

   Jim

   Nov 16 2006 at 6:13 pm
2. Comments by: shara alexander
   

   My burley trailer can carry 100 lbs. (I've carried more than that). What is the weight limit of the bakfiet? The Burley is a very stable trailer which is separate from the adults bicycle, making it very safe for beginning riders. The Bakfiet looks like it is mounted to the steering column… Is this an aerodynamic, stable way to transport a load? Is the Bakfiet inexpensive? is the Bakfiet made locally?

   I'm all for bike diversity and European style, but practicality reigns when you have a family to transport. It kind of looks like a not very smart design.

   Someone educate me please.

   Nov 17 2006 at 10:01 am
3. Comments by: Evan Manvel, BTA
   

   Shara, they're beautiful wood, which is probably part of the draw for me. I'm an aesthete, not just a functional bicyclist.

   I've seen Bakfiets with a couple kids and groceries in them. I don't know what tasks often require more capacity than that — unless you're a contractor, etc. If you need more capacity, you could always add a trailer.

   They feel pretty darn stable — they're not designed for speed, though. Right now Bakfiets aren't made locally — true.

   But I think that tens of thousands of Dutch folks think they're practical and the right choice. It just evokes a certain "Slow City" feel that I like.

   Nov 17 2006 at 11:21 am
4. Comments by: Todd Boulanger
   

   Hi Evan (and Shara),

   I am glad you saw your 2nd bakfiets today…you saw my bike yellow and black bakfiets during the BTA bike move…I think you were there.

   My running Metro Bakfiets count is that there are 3 here so far.

   For Shara…the best way to describe the handling of a bakfiets with a load vs. a kid trailer, is that a bakfiets is like operating a cargo truck vs. a small car with trailer. The handling of a bakfiets gets better as the load increases up to 150 lbs. or so. The weight limit for cargo is higher and the cargo is more protected up front. The other nice things about a bakfiets is that one can carry 3 kids up front and potentially 2 more with seats and add a trailer too if one had too - for 7 kids. The cleaver chimp motor really makes this a SUV buster for central city kid cargoing. Though most parents do not need to carry such loads - nor want to. The best thing about the bakfiets layout is the parent's ability to directly monitor and manage their kids upfront vs. in the rear. Drivers too will likley give more road space to Bakfiets than trailers.

   The negatives…it takes up more space to store and is heavy. One fully outfitted Bakfiets equals the purchase price of almost 10 Burley trailers. And it is not locally made.

   Nov 17 2006 at 11:25 am
5. Comments by: Todd Boulanger
   

   The bakfiets Evan is writing about is the "short" bed model - which is the standard size. I have the 'long' bed version which holds up to 3 kids with 2 bench seats v. 2 kids on one bench seat.

   For anyone considering buying one…I recommend the long bed, as the cost is not that much more and the extra space is nice for kids gear or cargo. The handling is not too different. (The wheel base of the long bakfiets is similar to CATs Long John freight bike. I have access to both types of bikes.)

   The bakfiests in Evan's photo is the same one in the photos on Jonathan's post (Bakfiets on Broadway).

   Nov 17 2006 at 11:39 am
6. Comments by: Richard Wilson
   

   Hi all - I'm one of the other Bakfiets owners and the blog guy…

   I'd second Todd's vote for the long version and his comment that handling get's better and better with additional weight. The official weight limit is 175lbs, but I've carried 200+lb. adults around the neighborhood with no problems other than limited leg power and general silliness. The bike is not at all tippy or unstable when stopped at an intersection with even a 225lb person in the cargo box. Todd's stokemonkey solves leg power issue very elegantly for those who need it. I'm getting around town pretty well without help now that my legs and butt have adapted to the upright riding position and I enjoy the simplicity of the Dutch style bike for the fact that I can ride it no matter what I'm wearing on a given day.

   Speed? I can usually keep up with the lycra clad commuter crowd over the bridges and up the Broadway hill with child and groceries in the box, so I think it's time people undo their brainwashing about every gram of bike weight being so critical with respect to attaining/maintaining speed. The weight is more of an issue if you have to haul it up stairs, etc. than on the road. Besides, mile for mile I'm getting fitter than all you Tri/Ti people, so there! Yah, it's a _little_ slower, but does that really matter when you're getting groceries or enjoying time with your kids? It's certainly much faster to run multiple errands in the neighborhood than with a car. I never have to look for a parking place or even a bike rack for that matter - the bike stands up on it's own kickstand wherever you want to put it. On flat ground it cruises along with very moderate effort, even fully loaded.

   As for the buy local argument, I'm all for it and would have happily purchased a locally made bakfiets had it been available. The good news is that I recently met with a very clever local fellow who bought me coffee in return for an extensive test ride and to take some measurments off my Bakfiets as he is working up some prototypes of a PDX-bakfiets right now… So cross your fingers and hope he finds time between full-time job and child to get his bikes on the market soon!

   Again, I'd like to extend an invitation to anyone seriously interested in these bikes to drop me an email and then come over to my house for a test ride. I'm not selling anything - am just very enthusiastic about the bike and would like to see more of them around.

   The Cargobike has been a joyful addition to my life and has dramatically improved my connection to my local community, neighbors, merchants and family and I heartily encourage more people to take the plunge and give one a try. I think the most wonderful thing for me has been the many smiles and friendly, curious comments I get from walkers and drivers alike. It may just be my cute child singing and yaddering away pointing out squirrels and doggies as we ride along, but you know, it happens when the bike's empty, too, and I think there's something to the lumbering, lowtech quality of the bike that helps make cycling more approachable in our community.

   Nov 17 2006 at 1:24 pm
7. Comments by: Richard Wilson
   

   How many Bakfiets are nesting in the Portland area? My count is 4:

   - me (Irvington - NE)
   - Todd B. (Vancouver is it, Todd?)
   - Dean of CleverCycles (Irvington - NE)
   - the now famed Dutch-owned and operated Bakfiets above (Irvington - NE)

   Nov 17 2006 at 1:47 pm
8. Comments by: todd boulanger
   

   Hi Richard,

   Yes…I am up here in America's Vancouver…or perhaps Portland's Vancouver.

   So I guess Irvington is the center of Bakfietsdom on the West Coast…unless Vancouver BC has more.

   And I have been giving test rides to Portlanders/ Vancouverites too. The offer still stands.

   I also suggest families buying a bakfiets include the rain bubble, the AXA chain extension for the lock, and a set of Clarjas (sp) panniers. And throw away the stock seat and get a Lepper or Brooks saddle, unless it is being stored outside.

   - Todd B.

   Nov 19 2006 at 9:25 am
9. Comments by: Jessica Roberts
   

   Are you getting one of these to sell at Alice?

   PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE???????

   I *really* want one, and if the opportunity came along to bid one on to benefit the BTA, welll, I might not be able to resist….

   Nov 21 2006 at 12:20 pm
10. Comments by: Bruce B
    

    Way cool. I've long wanted one of these things. I have to ask:

    1. Where the heck do you store something like this?

    2. How much does it weigh?

    3. How are the ones that CAT makes in Eugene compared to the European models?

    Thanks,
    Bruce

    Nov 23 2006 at 3:25 pm
11. Comments by: Mary
    

    The panniers mentioned above are Clarijs — lovely bright-colored and sturdy panniers from the Netherlands, available at http://www.clarijscovers.com . One caution: the full-size ones require a longer rack than most North American racks. I had to switch to a European rack to be able to use my new panniers (seen at http://www.velomobiling.com/gallery/TransportationStrategy/TransportSolutions/HPVVariety/Standard/FullClarijs.jpg.html )

    Incidentally, the Bakfietsen seem to weave their way through traffic in the Netherlands amazingly well. Those who just can't feel confident on two wheels can ride the three-wheeled versions, which hold as many as 8 children.

    Nov 25 2006 at 9:45 am
12. Comments by: Aaron Goss
    

    YOU ALL ARE AWESOME!

    Seeing people haul kids and cargo with human power makes me so happy!

    Nov 26 2006 at 10:37 pm
13. Comments by: Richard Wilson
    

    Bruce - I store mine inside the garage to keep it dry, though it would do perfectly well outside in the winter if you can stand cold, wet seat and grips… I back it in so it is ready to roll out when I need to run an errand. All the hardware is stainless and there are drainholes in the marine plywood box, so nothing to worry about if it gets wet.

    As for weight, well, maybe Todd can chime in with a number. I haven't figured out how to weigh mine yet… It's pretty darn heavy, but this is a good thing in a cargo bike, just like in a truck or pickup. The only thing about the weight that concerns me is that you really have to ask a lot of the brakes on downhills stretches… I have fussed over shaving grams off various roadbikes over the years and have to say that the Bakfiets handles more nimbly than you might expect either empty or fully loaded. The steering linkage is designed such that you don't fight it or have to "heave" the bike around, if anything it's a little light steering when empty.

    I really can't speak to the performance of the CAT bikes, but the folks at Bakfiets.nl have really got the geometry and details dialed in on this bike. One of my greatest anxieties buying one without a test ride was that it would be horrible to ride or awkward to use on a daily basis. Since there are tens of thousands of these things already on the road in Europe, they have had time to refine the bike to where it is a very mature product, which I fear may not be the case with smaller production cargo bikes here (and abroad) that don't have as to the bike loaded or unloaded, which is more than I can say for most high-end touring bikes or mountain bikes I've used for cargo hauling.

    Thanks for the info on the panniers, Mary. I think jorg&olif in Vancouver sell something similarly stylish to go with their Dutch bikes.
    http://www.jorgandolif.com

    Nov 28 2006 at 12:50 pm
14. Comments by: henry
    

    Its fantastic to see all the enthusiasm for the Bakfiets Cargobikes in the US! A few of you know me. For the others I'm the Dutch connection behind the North American exports of these bikes as well as the Dutch city bicycles from Azor.

    Just a little self-promotion here… I've got a blog where I write about all things bakfiets, cycling in Holland, bike infrastructure in Amsterdam, new developments in workbikes etc from the American in Holland perspective. Have a read:
    http://bakfiets-en-meer.nl

    Groeten,
    Henry

    Sep 25 2007 at 3:31 am

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