Cargo Bike Reviews



I recently came across this review of cargo bikes on the website of Bicycling Magazine. I was intrigued because one of the bikes they reviewed was the Yuba Mundo, which of course is the main bike I ride. I didn't necessarily agree with the reviewers comments of the Mundo (or the rest of the cargo bikes for that matter)...it didn't seem like it/they were reviewed that well; not in depth enough for what they are built to do and the lifestyle they provide. Maybe I'm just being nitpicky, but then again a magazine like Bicycling is geared more for the road cyclist, tourer, and racer rather than the cargo biker...but then again I may be wrong because I've never actually read on cover-to-cover. But, on the other hand, they did have this nice article on their site about the popularity of urban cycling and lifestyle. I'd be interested to hear what other Yuba riders or longtailers thought of the review(s). The below short clip of the somewhat silly cargo bike race was copied from their site.

Comments

Max said…
"We might not get to sit with the popular kids at lunch after admitting this, but other test riders and I were proud to accomplish ordinary tasks under pedal, rather than petrol, power."

-Yeah, whatever.

I don't really give Bicycling magazine much attention, and this article, while positive in the fact that they are mentioning cargo bikes at all, still somehow proves my reasoning. I don't want to be any more pessimistic, so I will leave it at that.
Joe said…
Max, my thoughts exactly...whatever.

But at the very least they are showing to people that are unaware of them that bikes like this actually exist...I'm often amazed how often people are so amazed when they see me on the Mundo and have never seen anything like it; most people think I built it myself.
Pangolin said…
Absolute fail on the part of Bicycling Magazine. They reviewed cargo bikes and two longtails but fail to have a single Xtracycle, or Surly Big Dummy. For every Mundo or Trek transporter out there there are a dozen Xtracycle FreeRadicals in service.

Their next massive fail is that they don't have a Bakfiets which are more common than Longjon type frames.

But what do you expect from a lycra-clad crowd that seem to think $2k is a cheap bike but can't afford a bell.
Joe said…
Pangolin,

Agreed...epic fail. I also thought the same thing...where's the Xtras. These were and are way more popular than the Yuba and others listed. And what they did write, well I felt like they treated the bikes like toys or novelties. Mostly fluff.