Croozer News

Croozer Designs of Koln, Germany have an addition to their range in the form of the Croozer Travel which is available from their many UK dealers,
one of whom SJS Cycles in Somerset who have it on their website at £200.
The Travel is a lightweight flatbed much in the manner of the Burley Flatbed. It weighs in at just 8Kg and has a payload capacity of 45Kg. Interestingly, Croozer Design's documentation even includes a recommended nose-weight such as you might find in a caravan manual. In the Travel's case it's between 1Kg and 6Kg. This is a serious point, I've had a badly loaded trailers "snake" behind me on steep hills and taint funny. You don't know if your about to end up in a ditch or under an oncoming car! And braking is the worst thing you can do. Anyway, the wooden cargo deck measures 76 x87x44cm and rolls on 16 inch wheels of the side fixing "wheelchair" type. The Croozer Travel folds flat for storage.

Budget baggage

I was having a look on ebay for something completely unrelated to OLV when I digressed, as is my wont, into looking at the bike trailers.
This one from http://shop.ebay.co.uk/merchant/mimitoyshop caught my eye as I love anything that's cheap, sorry, inexpensive.
It apparently has 20 inch wheels, an axle hitch and.carries 100Kg It's on buy it now for £59.99 plus £9.95 delivery. The seller has 10 available so don't hang about now it's appeared here!

Once again, just when I thought I'd seen it all and that there was nothing left to report on a reader comes to my rescue.

Zaynan Lythgoe of http://www.practicalcycles.com/ emailled to let me know about themselves in general and the Madsen Cargo Bikes from the USA . Practical cycles are the sole UK dealer for these cargo bikes which are similar in layout to Mike Burrow's 8 freight but with a number or detail differences.

Constructed from oversize steel tubing the Bucket and rack versions can both carry 271Kg (Yes 271!) and are equipped with SRAM X5 8 speed gears with trigger shift levers. Braking is by means of discs front and rear.

The bucket version is equpped with a removable seat and seatbelts for children but it could equally be used for goods.

Practical cycles are near Preston, Lancs, and chaqrge £1099 for the bucket version and £999 for the rack model. They can deliver in the UK for £25

Three colours are available, Black, Cream & pale blue. Hard tops for the bucket version and bags for the rack version are under development. Speaking as a short-arse I particularly like the fact that the Madsen allows adjustment for riders from five-foot-nothing to six-feet-six. Shame my Mrs is four foot ten!

Thanks to Zaynan for letting me know about these. Practical offer test rides so if you partake of one then please let me have your thoughts.

The Fifth Wheel

Just occassionally I get around to checking out websites that I have previously scoured in case of something new or just to check on a fact or dimension or WHY.

So it was that I was perusing the site of Mission Cycles when I realised that had added this new trailer specifically designed to increase the carrying ability of their tricycles. The trailer is pretty big, with a load area of 31x24x13 inches. The Chicago Trailer costs £175 plus a modest £10 delivery and runs on 16 inch wheels. The extra long tow arm is designed, as you can see in the picture, to reach over the rear basket of missions tricycles. Which led me to speculate that it could be ideal behind a Kona Ute, a Yuba Mundo or an Extracycle conversion when the need to carry that bit more arises. If anyone wants to test my theory than please let me know the result. I don't have the necessary measurements to be certain of a fit. The trailer comes in any colour you like....

8 and Outspoken!

My Cambridge odyssey continued today with an unannounced visit to Outspoken delivery of Ronald Rolph Court, A rather smart little group of industrial units to the East of the town centre.

I wanted to see the operation behind the customised Burrows 8 Freights which I had seen speeding around the city.

I was greeted most warmly by Rob King who runs the business with his brother Pete. Hot on the heels of the offer of tea came the offer of a test ride on one of the 6 bikes that Outspoken operate. Each is fitted with a bespoke aluminium box (made locally for about £500 each) which enables the firm to carry anything from an envelope to six A4 Boxes without changing bike, and is easily wrappable to carry sponsorship or Outspoken's own graphics.

Needless to say I jumped at the chance and found the "8" very easy to ride. It's low centre of gravity making it very stable and the 8 Speed twist grip SRAM gears were very precise. I never really liked twist grip gears but these seemed perfectly set up and changed right on the click.

The steering though precise takes a little getting used to. You simply cannot turn an 8 foot bike on a sixpence. I was glad of the very effective drum brakes as a wall loomed and I could not turn tightly enough to avoid it! I'd hate to write off £1250 of someone elses work bike!

As my brief ride ended Rob pointed out that the stand has to put down AFTER you get off and AFTER you have put on the park brake on your left hand. Then I really embarrassed myself by trying to throw my leg over the back, CLONK. With a step through frame and a big ally box behind you, you must STEP THROUGH.

Rob was critical of work bikes in general and seemed to feel that the 8 Freight is the best of a bad lot. "They're all crap but this is about the best" is what he actually said. I wonder where the company name came from :-). Admittedly Outspoken's bikes are worked hard. They regularly cover 70 miles each day carrrying upto 100Kg. The aluminium frames have often cracked (and outspoken have added their own bracing plates in problem areas) and the rear tyres (Schwalbe big apple) wear astonishingly quickly. Rob would like to see the former problem resolved by making the whole thing in titanium. (How Much????)

"Cambridge's only specialist courier" can be contacted on 01223 719594 or at team@outspkendelivery.co.uk. Their courier prices range from £2.80 +VAT for a small local next day delivery to £64+VAT for Cambridge to London via bike-train-bike. My thanks to Rob for his hospitality at zero notice and for this, the first ever OLV road test.

Trailer Trash

A serendipitous meeting occurred today. I've been hanging around in Cambridge and through a new friend of a new friend met Andy at Trailers from trash at workshop54 at Newmarket Rd in the City.

As the name suggests, the business builds custom trailers from scrap bikes, metal parts from office furniture & what have you.

Trailers from trash is a worker's cooperative and has been going for a very short time, (Andy only learned to weld a year ago!), but they have already built trailers to carry furniture, trailers to carry 2 more bicycles (pictured) and lately they have received a request from Cambridge council to build a recycled trailer to carry literature about recycling!

I've asked Andy if he cound work up a price for the frame of my long considered A0 size poster advertising trailer. Watch this space. Trailers from trash can be contacted at hellotrailertrash@gmail.com

The best in the west?

I was really pleased to receive this email from Rob Bushill of really useful bikes, it's the kind of extra dealer and product information that I felt was a bit lacking on OLV. Here it is as sent:

Hi Mike,I thought I would introduce us to you. We are 'really useful bikes'(.co.uk) we have been around for a while now (used to be called the longbike centre) and we specialise in cargo and bikes that carry you + stuff. We hope to have bikes that appeal to cyclists and non cyclists alike, with practicality at the top of the agenda. I have seen your comment about the Kona Ute, It's a very interesting bike and good that kona have seen past the need to carry very heavy loads and made a bike for carrying volume…like shopping, not too heavy but bulky. The 08 bike is a good one, the changes for 09 are sensible detail changes that 08 owners can easily do if they deem it necessary (although there will only be 50 of them, the amount kona brought in to the UK). We have a small stock here, the only ones to have stock actually available I suspect and more to the point we have a demo bike here so try before you buy.If you every wanted to pop down and see the place, it's a un assuming space, 'designed' to be unlike a cycle shop and thus be inviting to 'non cyclists', which if you think about it are the right people to be aiming these products. Many of our visitors are aiming to replace the second car, perhaps there should be an offshoot of your site named 'one less second car'….it doesn't quite have that ring to it does it……..If you ever want to come down to Bristol/Bath and maybe have a ride out with a few bikes, yuba mundo, kona ute and Africa bike, xtracycle, workcycles FR8, Bakfiets and others, give us a ring we would make you very welcome. It would be good to chat and meet the man behind one less van.

All the bestRob Bushill

Mark Forster

07801 150727

Really useful bikes .co.uk

Thankyou for all that Rob, and your kind invitation. I will try to get to see you soon but time and money for travel are a bit lacking just at the moment. I hope you don't mind my "lifting" a couple of pictures (Workcycle top, Bakfiets bottom) from your site. Call it advertising :-).

A Beaut' Ute

I found a nice alternative cargo bike blog http://bikehugger.com/2008/01/kona_ute_rock_solid_cargo_bike.htm the other day and on it details of the Kona Ute. The write up on the blog is linked above and far superior to my efforts (the guy has actually ridden one!) so I'll just mention that the Ute has a low (17.5") frame but with tall 700c wheels with 16 speed Shimano Deore gears and is available at wiggle for around £635, Tredz at £589.99 and Cyclestore for £539.91 in their January sale. Other dealers, as they say, are available. Worth pointing out that some 2008 models are out there at very keen prices.

The point of the Ute is that it carries four standard panniers. I can't see why it couldn't also be fitted with a front rack and a trailer for a real "road train" of a bike.

Finally I found a nice little american critique of the Ute here and Kona's (UK) web-site is here.

To the BatBike...

I came across the web page of Littlehampton Dutch Bike Shop this morning and amongst their range of stylish Dutch bikes for general use I found this, the Batavus Personal Delivery bike. The word personal in the name refers to the factory addition of a personal numbers in big letters on the frame which has, apparently, proved popular with hire fleet operators such as Centre Parcs and commercial fleet users like TNT in Holland. Users can easily spot "their" bike.

Batavus produce this bike in black or orange and in single speed or three speed versions and steering and attachment locks, stand, lighting and a saddle bag with repair kit are included in the price. I feel that a single speed bike is a bit to much like hard work in the UK and notice that Littlehampton are only advertising the Shimano Nexus 3 speeder. Price is £678. A wicker basket for the front of the bike can be had for an additional £55. The bike is quite heavy at 25.3Kg and it seems a shame that it cannot be bought with the Nexus 7 speed gears available on the other models in the range. The attention to detail seems good though with niceties such as straps for the rear rack being included. I've only noticed this on the Giant Expression LX before. The Hi Ten steel frame looks chunky and should be durable.

Bullitt point

Florian very kindly emailled me with details of this cargo bike from http://www.larryvsharry.com/english/BullittTNT.html. This is the Bullitt TNT which is the lightest and apparently fastest model of a range of Bullitt cargo bikes manufactured in Denmark. The TNT costs €2680 and weighs in at 22KG. The range starts at €1800 and 24KG but I was unable to find any dimensions or payload details. I have asked the Danish suppliers for more info. I just hope the product is more user friendly than the website!

Powacyle Salisbury...It's Electric!

I haven't really said much about electric bikes for work and i've been inspired to start investigating them by this video in youtube.

The Powacycle Salisbury is powered from a Lithium polymer (Li Pol) battery and 200W hub motor which gives it a range of up to 37 miles.

Gearing is a 6 speed Shimano derailleur and the wheels are 26 inch mountain bike. The bike comes complete with front suspension, a stand and rear rack for about £700.

The battery (at £250 for a spare) is good for 500 recharge-discharge cycles and therefore represents quite and annual cost compared with plain pedalling.

As illustrated the bike weighs 22KG (including the 2.6KG battery) which sounded really good to me, I've owned 19KG pedal only cycles before now.

Looking closely at the pictures it appears that the rear end should take most trailers and the front end most racks so this could be a really solid base for a work bike project especially considering powacycles 2 year guarantee.

The Salisbury can be pedalled, pedalled with motor assistance, or used just with electric power.

Big Black Rack Attack

Most front racks available in the UK are, lets face it, a bit naff.
They attach to the bars and provide a shopping basket with barely enough room for a week's Merlot and then you add two front pannier racks for the less important shopping, presuming you don't have suspension forks.

David Henbrow of Assen, Netherlands, has been in touch to let me know that his "Sturdy Front Rack" is now available to customers in the UK. The rack fits to the frame of the bike rather than the handlebars so that the steering isn't badly affected by the load and the rack, it appears to me, will fit bikes with front suspension.


To the frame you can add one of David's elegant baskets (I featured his basket for the Yak trailer in December of last year) or any other sort of bag or box. David's Website has a really snappy video to illustrate this.

The rack costs €70 plus €20 postage to the UK.

Jakob Nordin wrote to me on 19th September and only now do I get around to mentioning his email. Sorry Jakob. The text of his email was thus:

"Hi and thanks for a great homepage. You´ve sadly forgot the mother of all transport-bikes, the Long John! http://www.longjohn.org/ will fill you in on all the details. WBR Jakob Ps. I´m in the process of creating a Transport-Hybrid by crossing a bike trailer and a Long John. Ds."

Well, below is the Long John with it's load between the saddle and the front wheel. This next bit is from the long john .org website (except that I've omitted the german & Danish language sites).

"The manufacturer of the "original" Long John, Everton Smith in Denmark (owner of the brand S.C.O.), perished in 1997. Long John production shifted to Monark Exercise in Sweden, who stopped building these bikes in 2003, then restarted in 2007. The current Monark model is quite similar to Long Johns built by Everton Smith in the mid-nineties. In Germany, Monark Long Johns are currently being sold by USED, Quakenbrück. See their website for more information:used-hq.com (English)Velorbis in Copenhagen imports Monark Long Johns to Denmark and other countries under their own label:velorbis.co.uk (English)velorbis.com (English) ".

I couldn't find much detail on the used-hq site saving three pictures but the Velorbis site led me to Chopperdrome in the Netherlands who quote €1999. and mention that the bike has three speeds. The "100kg, 120 cm" stencilling in the photo seems to refer to payload and load length. Other than that they are equipped with a british Brookes saddle and Sturmey Archer hub gear there is little more I can tell you.
So here's a thousand words...

The pickup style trike which I mentioned a while ago under the "Ppp pickup" heading seems to have been deleted from the Triycleweb catalogue. They still have a range of two and three wheeled bakfiatsen though. They've also added a nice little bakfietsen video to the site.

The trailer pictured above is another monowheel this time from Ridgeback and available from Evans Cycles stores around the country and on the web at £159.99.

The following are the details directly from their web site:

"Expedition capability and day-to-day practicality make this a really useful addition to any bike - Folding box-section steel frame for easy storage - Frame and wheel can be carried or stored within its own bag - Waterproof fabric bag has huge storage capacity - Low-profile treaded tyre works on or off-road - Reflector and flag included for added visibility - Simple fitting system works with any bike - Weight approx 8kgs complete."

Again this monowheel is aimed at the adventure camping market but at OLV we see it more as a towable tool bag. From a thread on velovision I gather that this trailer is sold under other trade names and is identical to Mission's offering apart from the bag though I can't find a monowheel on mission's site.

Pret a manger en remorque.

This rather appalling little photo from my appalling camera phone is of the Pashley Euroload trailer as used by Pret a manger branches all around the UK for delivering food to offices and the like.

I snapped this one in St Stephens Street, Norwich.

Lee at Pashley had told me about these but this is the first I had seen. The trunk in which the food is carried appears to be a custom one and I particularly liked the "Toblerone" shaped advertising top which gives a dual role. The towing bike is also a Pashley. Although not the cheapest bikes, trikes and trailers, Pashley do have a reputation for building solid and reliable products. Most (if not all) Royal Mail bikes are from Pashley.

Q: Where's ya bin?

A: I haven't bin anywhere!
I don't normally cover panniers but they're still the most common way of loading a bike and these are tough. BikeBins are made in the UK from 2.5mm thick, hard polypropylene which should protect your books, laptop, tools or WHY. The panniers have lockable lids and can be secured to the bike with a chain or steel wire lock.

BikeBins are available from the manufacturer's website in various colours , you can even specify differing lid and body colours or have your firm's details emblazoned on the sides.
When your off the bike you can carry the BikeBins by their handles or on shoulder straps (included). A pair of these panniers in black delivered in the UK will cost you a mere £62. Each BikeBin Carries 17 litres of stuff. All the dimensions are on the web site.

Ppp Pickup a ...

This pedal powered pickup is available from tricycleweb in Holland. Delivery to UK addresses is a rather hefty €405 on top of the not unreasonable €299.95 asking price. The pickup or rather " model 060" has a huge (1000x630x290mm) load box which can carry 150Kg and has an unladen weight of 55Kg. The 060 doesn't appear to have derailleur or hub for gear changing so your stuck with one speed. In my case I suspect this would be stopped!
Indeed stopping might be interesting in itself. The 060 has two brake levers acting on two ordinary looking brake blocks on the 24" front wheel via a rod connector. Additionally there is a parking brake acting on the 26" rear wheels. The frame of the pickup is fully galvanised and you can have it in any colour you like so long as it's black. Coming flat-packed means that you'll have a fair amount of assembley work to do but there are many detailed photos on the web site to guide you through it. Though the 060 doesn't seem to have a load cover and is lacking in the braking and gearing departments it still makes an inexpensive alternative to the "Cargo Trike" from Cycles maximus (pictured bottom) which has a 258Kg payload capacity with 3x8 gears and a £2795 price tag. In fairness though, the CM offering is a much better thought out and engineered vehicle.

Radical Cyclone Cargo

Another flatbed trailer, the Radical Cyclone, is available from Norman Faye Cycles (0191 456 1055) or from Bikefix (+44 (0) 20 7405 1218). I wasn't able to access the former website but bikefix charge £280.
The frame is made of aluminium the Cyclone runs on 16 inch wheels. The straps to attach your holdall or toolbox are built in and can be seen folded in the picture.
The trailer appears very rugged and Bryan Ball, Managing Editor of "BentriderOnline" (on-line mag for fans of recumbent bikes in the USA) calls it "One of the best in the world" and goes on to enthuse "...the Cyclone is lighter, has better quality and more features than the [Burley] Nomad". The cyclone is also up against the 7Kg Carry Freedom Y Large which will carry 90Kg (yes 90Kg!) for a mere £210.
The Cyclone carries the usual 40Kg and it's unladen weight is 5.7 Kg. It folds flat for storage and re-assembles very quickly.

Fun in the sun

This solar assisted quadricycle is the brain child of the Moss Solar Trust of India and is a Brox Quad (which I briefly reviewed in December 07) fitted with a solar roof.

One rear wheel is pedal powered and the other solar powered via a heinzmann power hub.

The site mentions that the Brox is no longer made though Bikefix in London are still advertising them on their web site

A small price to pay...

If you're looking for a bargain price small cargo trailer then OLV has just found you one courtesy of BikeBiz.com and Amazon. Bikebiz is an onlline trade magazine and this is the only trailer listed in their "Best Buy" section. More cargo bike coverage please BikeBiz.

This diminutive tow along is Made by Bellilli and distributed wholesale in the UK by Avocet, Belvin, Hykeham, and also Reece.

It carries 60 litres (a medium sized rucsac full) and up to 70 Kg when pulled by a bike.

It comes with a cover and is quality approved to the German TUV standards.

Amazon have it for just £57.95 but wait, Cyclesense who are becoming a regular feature on OLV have it for just £54.99 I'll leave you to compare the carriage charges.

bboblynx and trailer

BBOBLYNX (email name) very kindly sent me a picture of his trailer at the Gardening Exhibition held in Norwich's impressive forum building (pictured below).

He says he uses it for his Veggies, as a dog trailer and for camping.

C'mon BBOBLYNX, tell us a bit more about it. Is it bought or home built? How long have you had it? Have you any opinions about low hitch versus high hitch?

I'm really very grateful for you contribution and hope more readers will write and tell me about their cargo cycles and their experiences with them.

Stop me and buy one again.

My apologies for the length of time since my last post. Problems in my marriage have meant that I'm having to use the library PC for research and posting. Computer time at the library is limited to one hour blocks.

I've also been busy trying to find another place to live, change GP, Dentist etc in Great Yarmouth. Enough.


Back to workbikes. Once again my Adsense adverts in the right hand column have come to my rescue. Whitby-Morrisson produce a range of vending trikes for the sale of Ices and Hotdogs.

Details of weights, gears, brakes etc are a bit scant but here here are a couple of pictures culled, as is my wont, from their website.

The top picture is of their basic "Giovanni" model which is for stuff like wrapped ice creams and chilled water as illustrated. With this trike and frozen goods you have 6 hours selling time. The trike is 2m long and 900mm wide.

The lower picture is of the "Holdover" model which has a real fridge and can give you 12 hours selling time from a 12 hour charge. It's partularly good for selling scooped ice cream but I'm sure there must be other goods which it would suit. The Holdover is 2.1m long and 1m wide.

Whitby Morrisson also produce a Hotdog trike. Unfortunately clicking on it's image just takes you to the "Holdover's" page again. The details are few except for this.

All Whitby Morrison trikes can be sign written / liveried to your requirements prior to delivery.

Out of Orbit

It seems that the Orbit Bluebird 5 in 1 trailer which I reported on last December is no longer available. A shame as this was a very practical design, ideal for shopping, camping, fishing or just taking stuff to the tip.
The website is showing 404 "page not found" and the trailer has been removed from the Gearshift website although they still have some spares in their sale accessories pages.
I can't find any other references to it on the net and so I've removed it from my supplier list as well.

Practical Pashley

I've been rather slow in writing up the Pashley Euroload trailer as it's picture has been in the right hand column since I began this blog last September.
I called it the practical Pashley in the title as it's designed to carry a half Euro-pallet box. For anyone not familiar with this format a Euro-pallet (pictured) measures 1200mm x 8oomm and a range of boxes and crates have been developed to be transported on these pallets. Typical sizes are 600x400 (4 to a pallet), 1200x800 (1 to a pallet) or 800x600 (2 to a pallet) which is the size the the Euroload trailer is designed to carry. There are smaller Euro boxes & crates available (eg 8 to a pallet) and this trailer can accommodate combinations of these as well.
The trailer runs on 20 inch alloy rimmed wheels and has a payload capacity of 60Kg. My thanks to Lee at Pashley for that last bit of information as it wasn't anywhere online.
The grey pallet box pictured with the trailer isn't included in the £285 price but in fairness this trailer is aimed at industries already using this sort of box / crate. The Euroload is available online from Bikes & Trailers but Pashley have loads of dealers (including Harrods!) and I'm sure any of them would be happy to procure one for you. Have a look at their dealer list here.

nature nigh, DIY

These pictures are of Nature Nigh's Smart Dolly System sent to me by Mark Hammer. They turned up in my private email account rather than the onelessvan account.
It's a very versatile system with the possibility of a simple tool box on wheels as pictured on the right to a large cage system suitable for garden waste or whatever pictured left and centre. You choose the components you need. This, however, makes pricing out your trailer rather complex. Especially when all the prices are in US Dollars and some of the part's descriptions are in Swedish.
In it's basic toolbox form the trailer frame can carry 100Kg and the toolbox can take 50Kg / 70 Litres. This price for this base model is $289 including tax but excluding delivery. The unit is delivered disassembled with the wheels, towarm etc inside the box. Very neat. It's also possible to stack a second box ($23.20) on top of the first for a very useful 100Kg /140 Litre capacity. The trailer runs on 16 inch wheels made of plastic as standard though steel rims are available.

Cargo Cycle Insurance: Are You Covered?

It's estimated that over half a million bikes are stolen in the UK every year, two thousand are stolen annually in Oxford alone.
Figures on statistics.gov.uk show that in 2005, 3201 people were killed on British roads and 5% of these (160 people) were cyclists. The previous year the total was 136.
It's been difficult putting this post together as several of the larger insurance companies just haven't bothered to reply to my enquiries.
So insurance is a must and I discovered that the policies offered by E&L insurance, JLT online and Butterworth Insurances (who provide the CTC's Cyclecover) all make exclusions in some part of the policy (theft or accident or public liability) for bikes used in trade. JLT specifically mentioned courier work and carrying passengers for reward. E&L mentioned trade bikes being excluded from the public liability sections of the policy. The Butterworth cycle cover excludes the theft or loss of bikes used for "trade, business or professional purposes". The excess on this policy is also increased from £25 to £50 on trikes, tandems & recumbant bikes for "social domestic & pleasure".
All this has led me to consider just how to insure your bike and trailer, trike, or quad when it's used in business. "Business on wheels" whom I mentioned in my previous post say that a number of their customers have used Southwater Insurance Ltd on 01403 785995.
I spoke to a very helpful Andy Macauley at Southwater who kindly talked me through the insurance issues relevant to the sort of business he does with operators of ice cream vending trikes such as the one pictured.
We started from a point where I'm a sole trader and I've just bought myself an ice cream trike for £4500.
Firstly I need to insure against theft and accident and this would cost around £350 a year. There are a couple of caveats to this. The trike must be garaged at night and attended at all times during the day.
Secondly I need liability insurances for injuring a member of the public either because of the trike or my products. This would cost an additional £120 per year approximately and provides £2Million cover.
The above are two separate policies. Other insurances to consider, If I had two trikes and therefore an employee I would have to take out employers liability insurance. This is a legal requirement and protects me from the cost of injury to my employee at work (say injury from collision with a car). This would cost me about £300 per year for my one employee.
If I want to protect myself from the costs of an accident then I need personal accident insurance, again a separate policy.

There's a lot to business insurance, for instance I haven't touched on goods in transit insurance, and I strongly suggest you speak to a broker in case any of my facts are wrong. I'd greatly appreciate any informed comment on issues of insurance for bikes & trikes at work.
Again my grateful thanks to Andy at Southwater Insurance Ltd for his invaluable advice.

Stop me and buy one.

Business on wheels is a Worthing UK based company who produce a range of eye catching commercial tricycles. It was ironic that I was getting worried that I had finally found all the commercial bikes, trikes and trailers available in the UK and would have nothing further to add to the 'blog. Then I found Business on wheels advertising via google adwords on my own site!
While the company produce trikes for the vending of ice cream which are covered by other manufacturers they also produce trikes for selling fish or flowers and can custom build, I was particularly taken by this version for street traders as I have never seen anything similar.
In common with BoW's other versions the trike has a 24 inch rear whee, 20 inch front wheels and drum brakes on all three. There is also a parking brake and the gearing is Shimano's ubiquitous 3 speed hub. Price for this model is £2595 plus VAT though the website has an offer price of £1695 plus VAT. Delivery in the UK is £150.
The Business on Wheels website has a lot of useful information both on the products and on street trading regulations. Though where I live in Norwich it's damn near impossible to get a licence as the council only allow a limited number of trading locations in the city.

The 8 freight's great mate.

I don't know how I managed to miss this one so far since it's designed and built by Mike Burrows of Burrows Engineering who are just up the road from me in Rackheath near Norwich. Unfortunately I couldn't find a website but Burrows are on 01603 721700.
I finally found it via the very useful Bikebiz website with extra information from Bikefix (the only dealer I located), Velovision and Fisher Outdoor Leisure.
As you can see the 8 Freight has it's 21x24 inch cargo space behind the saddle. It runs on 20 inch wheels and transmission is 8 speed SRAM. The frame is aluminium making the 8 Freight light for it's size.
The standard version with its large canvas load bag costs £1250 from Bikefix but specials can be ordered with load areas to suit your needs.

The Tricycle Association

A UK based association who have a fascinating historical commercial tricycle page here.

Bike Advertising

Back on September 15th I briefly mentioned Cycles- maximus' cargo trike. Now I've got more knowledge of worktrikes in general I thought I'd revisit the Cycles-maximus products.
The great thing about these trikes is the interchangability of the body. The same chassis takes a canvas topped cargo tub, a fibreglass cargo box, 6 sheet advertising body, pedicab or you can have the simple flatbed. This is so that you or your coachbuilder can build you a custom body. Maybe a hotdog van or an ice-cream trike.
Price range from £2145 for a rolling chassis to £3625 for an adtrike. All models can be fitted with electric assist. The Heinzmann at £1195 offers nippy assistance on the flat. The Lynch system at £2395 provides power for heavy loads and steep hills.
The pedalled transmission is in itself unusual using an 8 speed derraileur to drive a 3 speed hub. This gives you 8 speeds on the move but the option of changing the hub gears at a stanstill to suit local conditions. Depending on body type and transmission chosen the trike can carry from 200kg to 281kg.
The adtrike pictured has space for 2 posters each 1200mm x 1800mm which can be backlit. The rear door gives access to storage space for promotional materials.

More from roland

This is the last instalment of my roundup of products from the German trailer maker Roland. Until, of course, they bring out something new. Alongside the Carrie series that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago Roland produce these plywood sided trailers very much like that offered by Christiana. Though the latter carry a bit more weight. Construction is of tubular steel and plywood with aluminium edging and plastic reinforced corners. Roland offer a range of options including high and low Webber hitches and an aluminium top for the two larger sizes.

The smallest of the range is the Maxi (top) with 12 inch wheels and 78x53x20 cm (internal) load area.
Next up is the Profi (below) with a 120 Litre cargo area (internal 88x58x25cm). The Profi runs on 20 inch wheels and can carry up to 200Kg with a recommendation of 40Kg as a trailer. The one illustrated has the optional cover fitted.

The bottom picture is of the largest of this style of Roland trailer, the jumbo.
This one is identical in payload to the Profi but with 35cm high sides giving an increased volume of 175 Litres.
Starting prices are £199, £265 and £275 respectively but there are a number of tow hitch options which change the price. The lid can be had with or without rails. Roland products are sold in the UK by Bikes & Trailers.

Goin' Loco, (though not in Acapulco).

Johnny Loco is an Amsterdam company who are looking for UK dealers. Their products are Cruiser style bikes and trikes, Two of which of of interest from an OLV perspective.
Firstly they have the "Dutch Delight" in their "City Cruiser range" at €549 plus a reasonable €32 delivery. The bike comes with a large front rack to take a box or basket of your own. It has Shimano Nexus 3 speed hub gears and Abus ART lock system.

Johnny Loco also produce this rather handsome trike which they call the "Cargo Cruiser" which is an alledgedely lightweight bakfiets design, though no weight is mentioned in the blurb. Seven speed Shimano Nexus hub gears are standard as are drum brakes.

The cargo Cruiser costs €1599 and a rain cover for the load box adds €89. Unfortunately I couldn't get a price for delivery from their web page. I tried Norwich & London postcodes but only received a message telling me that the goods are heavy and to contact them for a price. "We can work something out" was the phrase used.

I don't yet know of any UK dealers for Johnny Loco products but I'm certain they'll be in touch!

After posting I received this from Arnaud van der Vecht at Johnny Loco.

"

Dear Mike,

some additional info regarding Johnny Loco products.

The cargo is around 38kg (that's without the 20kg balance concrete block which you can see upfront). From April this year we can supply the cargo with an extra feature: an electrical engine (only support). The extra costs will be 800 euros. The battery can be detached (15x20x5cm; 2kg) and charged within 1 hr. It helps untill 25km/hrs and a full battery can take you up to 45km.

We are working on a new packaging and end-assembling process to ship the cargo all over the world for an acceptable price. Unfourtunately this is not so easy. We hope to get this worked out before August. Untill then people have to ask for there shipping costs because it is not as easy as a bike. From our factory in Amsterdam till London will be around 130 euros. The rest of the UK I don't know exactly.

Good luck with your site and if you have any question..feel free. Cheers Arnaud"

The Roland Boys

Roland of Germany produce a large range of trailers and, as I mentioned before, I'm visiting the range piece by piece. I must make it clear that I do not favour any dealer over another, whether I'm writing this or buying my own kit. It's just that Bikes & Trailers are the only UK Roland dealer I know of. Honest!

The Roland Mini Boy is a two wheel, high hitch trailer constructed of tubular steel. It has twelve inch wheels with pneumatic tyres. It carries 60 litres in the box and costs £95.
Extra boxes and lids are available for £25 and £14 respectively.

The Roland Big boy has a more complete steel frame and a larger (90 Litre, 40Kg) payload.
It has 16 inch wheels though 20 inch are available as an option. Other options include the plastic tub with or without lid and the choice of the high hitch pictured or quick change high or low hitches.

The largest of Roland's tube frame trailers is "Der Roland". This carries 120 Litres in it's optional tub.

Bikes & Trailers quote dimensions but I shan't as the tubs tapers toward the base so if you need to fit something particular inside you'd be best advised to phone a get the exact. Again there is the choice of high (as pictured below) or low tow arm. The
trailer runs on 20" wheels supported on both sides. This manufacturer also produce a line of plywood sided trailers which I'll detail soon.

Return to Roland

I promised in my post about the Roland Carrie S flatbed trailer that I would return to the rest of their range. This offering is the Carrie M. It comes in two forms Standard and "Big".
The side panels can be built up as high as you like and you can add rails at the top or a soft cover or a locking aluminium lid. I must mention though that the accepted wisdom is that, for stability, a bike trailer shouldn't be taller than it's track (that is: the distance between the wheels). Payload for the Carrie M is the usual 40Kg. Roland seem to think that the over run (the trailer pushing the bike when going downhill or braking) would be dangerous over 40Kg but I've towed way more than this without accident.
Box footprint is 81cm x 40cm for the standard model (ideal if you need to manouvre it through ordinary doorways) and 81cm x 60cm for the "Big". The trailer runs on Schwalbe Big Apple tyres which are Kevlar reinforced to reduce the incidence of punctures. Without the side panels the Carrie weighs around 9Kg.
The price list is a bit bewildering with so many combinations of side panels, rails, lids . As a guide (and mine dates from Sep '07) a basic standard will be about £270 and a big with solid sides about £425. Extra reinforcement and suspension are options.

This is the most car-trailer-like bike trailer I have ever seen and I really fancy one, lottery permitting :-).
The Roland Carrie M is available from Bikes & Trailers, the only UK dealer as far as I am aware.

The trike that time forgot.

Just before I started this blog last September I was doing an image search on google when I found this picture from Nijland's website. It struck me as almost Dickensian and I felt drawn toward the site.
I was amazed that this "Delivery Tricycle" is available now. Nijland have a few standard models but their real specialism is in constructing one-offs and in modifying Trikes for disabled users.
They also make tandems, and recumbant trikes for children.
Back to the pictured bakfiets. It's designed to carry 300 to 500Kg in it's cargo area which measures an enormous185cm x 85cm x 20cm.
It has drum brakes (and with half a tonne on board I suspect you'd need them) though nothing on the website mentions gearing.
Nijland will produce a cargo body specific to your business' needs. Just don't ask me to pedal it for you!
Another "standard" model in Nijlands range appealed to the green in me. Not only is it an ecologically sound vehicle but it's role is environmentally friendly too, collecting litter. IMHO every parks department should have one. It carries three Dutch style wheelie bins (I don't know if it would take 3 UK ones without customization) . It runs on 20" wheels at the front and a 26" one at the rear. Brakes are front drums and a back pedal rear. It claims four speed Shimano Nexus gearing though I was unable to find such an animal on Shimano's website so the choice now is likely to be either 3 or 7 speeds. An Axa cable lock comes as as standard.
Nijland don't seem to sell through any UK dealers but their site is in English so I'd hope that someone there will be able to help you if you don't speak Dutch. They don't have a price list on the site either so you'll just have to contact them for more details.
Nijland also produce a plain/vanilla sort of bakfiets which you'll see on their web site. I just wanted to focus on the more unusual of their products here.

Roland Range

Roland in Germany produce a substantial range of trailers which they sell through Bikes and Trailers of Lewes, Sussex. As it is such a large range I'll cover them in two or three features over the next couple of weeks. The one that I'll look at now is quite different from anything else in the range being a flat bed very much like the carry freedom Y frame trailer discussed previously.
The carrie comes in s and s-flexx models priced at £240 & £325 respectively.
The difference is that the flexx has an "adjustable cargo area". Effectively the cargo deck is split down the middle and a simple mechanism allows it to be widened.
The Carrie can be loaded with up to 40Kg as a trailer or 80Kg as a hand cart. High or low hitches are available as are a tailored waterproof cargo bag (with it's own snap-on securing system) and storage / transportation bag into which the trailer easily folds thanks to it's wheelchair type push button release 16inch wheels.

Feetz your eyes on this one

Feetz in Holland produce this trike which is sold from Leeds, UK by Cyclesense. I came across it by accident when I wanted to buy a novelty bell for my bike and having concluded the internet order I was returned to their main page which featured this. With a wicker basket as pictured the Feetz costs £1350 or it can be had with an aluminium toolbox for £1100. Delivery in the UK adds another £30
The feetz has 5 gears and weighs in at 28Kg and it's aluminium frame is covered by a 5 year warranty. Other components have a 1 year warranty. Though the Feetz website is all in Dutch there are some interesting videos there and Cyclesense offer a try before you buy facility.
Cycle sense also have the miyata chela mono-wheel trailer (below). According to their website " This is Koga's unique bike trailer. With built in features including an integrated folding chair and table, a telescopic stand for use with a camera,lamp , safety flag etc. and a day pack with solar cells to charge a GPS unit or a mobile phone.
Travel kit can be stored in separate integrated compartments. The alloy chassis has suspension and offers smooth riding characteristics. It also adapts into a luggage trolley with ease." The Chela weighs 12.6Kg with a payload of 30Kg and offers a volume of 78 Litres. Only downside is the whopping £549 price tag on top of which there is a £10 delivery charge.

And in case you're wondering, I always like one silly thing on my bike, and since wife Suzie had bought me a new (well to me anyway) Claude Butler for Christmas I needed a daft something for it. Cyclesense are sending me this burger bell.

Get Smart

Smart Trike is marketed in Holland by Amazing wheels who are looking for dealers should anyone be interested. The specifications given on the website are scant but I did manage to find a price list. The smart can be had as a simple barrow or as the trike pictured. Prices are from €2200 to €4000 and a range of options are available. These include rain covers for the open topped version, alloy wheels (as pictured, the standard ones are ordinary spoked wheels) and special covers. Both the Barrow and the trike are available with an electric assist motor.

Burley Chassis

Burley of Eugene, Oregon, USA produce the Flatbed (top) and Nomad (below) cargo carrying trailers which are distributed in the UK by Fisher Outdoor and their many dealers. The Flatbed costs around £200 though if your quick Wiggle are offering a 10% January discount. It carries 45.5Kg. The aluminium alloy frame helps keep the empty weight down to 5.9Kg and it runs on twenty inch wheels which have quick release skewers. Ideal for carrying a coolbox or your fishing tackle.
The nomad seems more squarely aimed at the adventure camping market. It costs around £250 but again you can get one for £225 from Wiggle before the end of January. The rack on top of the Nomad is an optional extra priced at £61 to £69 depending on where you shop. Like the flatbed it carries 45.5Kg though it runs on smaller 16" wheels. Without the rack the cargo volume is slightly more than 131 litres (8000 Cu In is quoted). Burley also produce a large range of child & pet carrying trailers and all seem to have a good reputation for handling and durability.

Triobike for Jools Oliver

According to Triobikes own web site both Jools Oliver and the Fifteen restaurant (inspired by her husband Jamie Oliver) have chosen Triobike trikes from Denmark. The former for carting kids about and the latter for local deliveries.
Sold in the UK by Funktionalley in Batley (West Yorks) and Penzance the trio bike is unusual in that it has an aluminium frame and can be separated into a bike and a separate hand cart / push chair. There are integrated front and rear lights and Basta lock.
The triobike as a cargo carrier can carry an 8oKg payload in it's vacuum formed ABS load box for which a fabric hood with windows is available.
It was launched in th UK in November 2006 and Costs £2065.

Christiana Bakfietsen & Trailers

This item about Christiana is long overdue as they are a key producer of bakfiet type trikes and produce a very solid trailer. Based in Denmark, Christiana's products are available in the UK from Velorution and possibly elsewhere. The trikes and the trailer all carry a hefty 100Kg, the other dimensions for each type are given in detail on the Christiana website. The trikes can be had with a choice of 3, 5 or 7 gears and a reverse gear is also possible on the 3 & 5 speed versions! An electric motor is also available. Christiana have been building trailers since 1976 and trikes since 1984.
My only concern is that the bodies are 9mm marine ply and this could make them pretty heavy.

Washing by bike

I don't know if this really fits the remit of One Less Van but pedal powered washing machine is certainly a workbike and, anyway, it made me laugh.
Known as the cyclean it has been demonstrated in action at the big green gathering. I shan't be buying one, I don't think it'll go in our kitchen...

Practical Dutch Bikes Video

Found this video on you tube. It's a good introduction to cargo carrying by bike.

There'll be bluebirds...

The Orbit Bluebird Trailer
This is sold as a 5 in one trailer. The base unit (pictured top) can be used for cargo as it is or the rails can be added as below. When fitted with the rails there is a weatherproof cover to go over the lot though this is also an optional extra. Child top, dog top and stroller conversions are also available.

The trailer runs on 20" wheels and has an internal area of 67x55cm. The side rails, tow arm and wheels stow away in the load area. The Bluebird weighs 10.2 kg but I was unable to find a recommendation for maximum payload. The base unit costs £160, the side rails a further £25, and the cover an additional £20.
I like the way the load tray extends below the axles. This should make for good stability given my propensity for rolling trailers over! I also like the hitch which attaches to both the seat and chain stays. A different (axle) hitch is available if the Bluebird is to be towed by a bike with disk brakes. My only issues are that the overall width of the trailer is 86cm which may make it difficult to get into my shed without folding it down first and that bumping up or down kerbs could severely dent the tray.

Load up your Mule

I think this is the least expensive trailer on the UK market at the moment. Although the second part of it's name is "Mule" I have seen this preceded by Raleigh, Phillips and Avenir though the trailers seem identical. You might also see the same thing badged as a Spokey Joe Cargo trailer. Whichever you choose, they carry 40Kg and are priced from £80 to £100.
The trailer attaches at the bike's chainstay (lower picture) and runs on 16" wheels. The load area is a useful 80x60x60cm and the whole thing folds flat for storage. The mule is available all over the place including Chris Pratt Cycles in Hull, Argos extra, Raleigh's online store and Discount Bicycles Ltd in London. Just google for "Mule Trailer" to see more. The best price I found for mail order was at Bikecare, (£79.99 including delivery). The Spokey Joe version I saw was at cyclexperience.

Dog on a mission

This is the Mission Cargo trailer which is available from Mission Cycles and their dealers. The trailer connects to the bicycle's rear axle and provides a basic mesh load area which folds for storage. The plastic box is an optional extra. The trailer can carry 40Kg on it's 45x62cm load bed. In it's basic form the trailer costs £120 plus a £6.96 delivery charge. The plastic box, complete with lid and roller wheels on the underside adds £19.95 plus a further £6.95 delivery charge even when purchased with the trailer. Mission also produce this Cargo Trike priced at £550 plus a £30 delivery charge. It can carry 45Kg in it's 88x61x52cm wooden cargo box. The cargotrike comes with 3 speed sturmey archer hub gears and a rear pannier rack. Compared with other bakfiets designs this seems to be an economical choice if you can live with three gears rather than the seven or more offered on more expensive designs by Christiana and others.

Broxing clever

This excellent little HPV or recumbent quadricycle or call it what you will is built in the UK by Brox and available through Bikefix of London. I've gazed into their window a number of times as they are just around the corner from Gt Ormond St Hospital which we had cause to visit on many occasions with our son. I digress. It costs £3150 in the form shown and can carry up to 75Kg. The recumbent format has a loyal following and adherents claim that the lower frontal area and consequently reduced drag more than compensate for the extra friction of more wheels. You can also stop and sit where you are to drink your coffee. The Brox has 7 speed hub gears, hydraulic brakes and child carrying and pedicab bodies are available. I found the lower picture on a Dutch site Unfortunately I don't speak Dutch but the pictures are good.

One more one wheel

My look at monowheel trailers was less than exhaustive I'm afraid. Just this morning I found this Mission Low Load at Bikedock for £160. It's also available in twin wheel form from Bikecare at £99.
Both versions come with the bag and carry up to 35Kg. Both fold for easy storage.
Sorry for the omission.

Cycling video's from you tube

I've added youtube video at the foot of the page. I'd appreciate your comments on it. If you have any youtube video relevant to workbikes then please let me know by comment or email.

A basket for your Yak

I just found this beautiful woven basket for the BOB Yak trailer. It's made by David Henbrow in Holland and costs 118 euro. He makes all sorts of basket for all sorts of bike. Have a look at his website.

One wheel on my wagon

Three mono-wheel trailers have come to my attention apart from the extrawheel advertising trailer which I featured some weeks ago. These are the BOB Yak, the Oxtail, and the cargo version of the extrawheel. The first two provide a platform for carrying a large sports bag while the last provides two net panniers into which you put your cargo.

Starting then with the top picture. The extrawheel trailer weighs in a 4.8kg and can carry up to 120 litres of kit in two waterproof bags slung in the cargo nets attached on each side of the single wheel. There is a choice of wheel size and of bag size. The link to the bike is unusual as you need to change the bike's rear axle (spindle) for extrawheel's own one which has shaped ends to accommodate the trailer's hitch. Extra spindles are available if you need to share the trailer among several bikes. The extrawheel is available direct at £136 including two 60l bags the price seems reasonable. The spare / extra spindles are £6 each.
Second picture from the top is the Oxtail which didn't show up on my previous trailer searches despite having been around a while. It weighs 6.5kg an can carry up to 70kg on it's 50x35 cm load deck. Shame about the load deck length. A quarter euro box has a footprint of 60x40cm. It may be possible to bolt or strap on something like really useful's 45 litre plastic box. That apart, the oxtail does come with a holdall and securing straps. The Oxtail is available direct from the maker and the price delivered to the UK is €290. The manufacturer is English but lives and works in Portugal.
The bottom picture is of course the BOB Yak. Probably the best known of the mono-wheels, the Yak is built in the USA and is available via many cycle dealers in the UK. BOB's website gives just two, Amba Marketing and Orbit Cycles. Both of these turned out to be wholesalers so I trawled the net again and found prices of £235 both from kinetics and future cycles.
The bag in the picture adds £0-£50 depending on where you go. Panniers are also available to hang on the sides of the trailer. The Yak weighs 5.5Kg and will carry up to 35kg. Volume inside it's frame is 90 Litres. Like the extra wheel trailer it depends on a replacement skewer to attach to the bike.
Mono-wheel trailers are much loved by those who cycle mainly off road and city users praise the way they follow the bike so closely. The ability to cut through the traffic without worrying about the width is a bonus but payload and volume are limited.

Finding your way

Not much in the way of pretty pictures in this post but I want to mention viamichelin.co.uk
This excellent route planner has a button which you can click to indicate that you are travelling by bike so the the generated route does not include motorways or very busy main roads. I've used the site a lot and have found it to be very reliable on the whole though on one occasion I was on the Chippenham to Wooton Basset road which although a B road is used by many large trucks and was rather too narrow for them to overtake a bike and trailer with any degree of comfort.
On other occasions it has omitted known cycle tracks in favour of roads.

More Bakfiets Available in the UK

London recumbents very kindly made me aware of Nihola who produce these trikes which can be had in either a load carrying form or an advertising poster form as pictured. The advertising form has the option of an opening front thus providing space for your promotional gifts, lunch, beer etc. They come with 5 or 7 speed gears and front drum brakes. They'll carry 100kg and have an unladen weight of around 33kg though this obviously depends on which of the huge range of options and extras you choose.

I also spoke recently to Winther's uk agent KangarooBike.co.uk
This Cambridge firm supply Winther's Kangaroo model (third pic down) which is primarily designed for carrying kids but could be used for shopping or packages.

Unfortunately their site doesn't give a vast amount of technical data and I've heard whispers about problems with warranties. Shame as it looks so smart.

Despite being in holland Dutchbike.co.uk
will import their cargo trike (bottom pic) direct to your door but crucially

they seem to have established a network of people and dealers in the UK who would give a test ride. One correspondent told me they had lent him a bike (2 wheeled bakfiets) to try before he decided to buy. He's promised me a road test report in the new year.

Cargo on 2 wheels

Certain loads can be carried in front and rear panniers on a conventional bikes but here at onelessvan we like to think beyond the conventional.
If you can't find shed space for a trailer or trike then what cargo carrying ability is available to you. The traditional butcher's/grocer's bike pictured (top) as well as the Post Office style "mailstar" bike are available from Pashley.
John Borwell Cycles of Norwich (01603)787 736 gave me a ball park price of £700 but admitted that their price list was a 2005 one!
As usual the Dutch have come up with another striking solution to bicycle cargo logistics. This two wheeled variation on the bakfiets trike (below) is available from the Cambridge Cycle Company
and offers a novel way to transport cargo or kids. The company's website invites you to visit them to try a demonstator. I might yet take them up on it.
Yet another approach is to extend the rear frame of the bike to carry a longer and / or wider box than usual. This concept can be built into the bike as in the case with the Yuba Mundo (left) which is available from Loads Better. The mundo is built in both single gear and 6 speed versions.

An extended rear frame can also be retro fitted to a standard bike. All the bits you need to do this are available in a single kit also from Loads Better in the form of the Extra Cycle Free Radical kit. The kit (pictured below) costs £295 and a number of accessories are available to accommodate extra long or extra wide loads.


Following a couple of interesting phone conversations with dealers about the latest new models I'll be revisiting the bakfiets trikes in the next post. Don't go away!

The Bakfiets Cargobike: Fun with Cargobikes

Found this blog this morning which might be of interest to onelessvan readers
The Bakfiets Cargobike: Fun with Cargobikes

Trailers indoor and out (part 3)

This last instalment of my three part rambling on trailers which can be carted inside complete with contents is about another trailer from Carry Freedom.
This is their city trailer which is designed with the urban user in mind. Weighing in at 5Kg the city carries 45Kg in a 70 litre bag/rucsac mounted in a tubular aluminium frame on 12" wheels. With the bag empty you can carry a box with a 60x40cm footprint on top of the frame. That frame, incidently, folds flat for storage or transport making it convenient for any form of public transport.
The city costs £250 and is available from Carry freedom's distributor "ExtraUK" .
I think that you can deal with Carry Freedom direct if you wish (they're in Scotland).

Trailers indoors and out (part two)

The Bike Hod pictured here is available from Bikes & Trailers .

In its basic form it's a shopping cart with a bike hitch at a price of £235. More interesting in my onelessvan context is that it can be fitted with other "bodywork" to accomodate a toolbox or WHY?

The bike hod website has lots of information and pictures which will give you some ideas of how it might be converted to suit your needs.

With a 40 Kg payload and 12" wheels the bikehod could be ideal if you need to travel by coach or train, so long as you have a folding bike of course! I'm a bit concerned that there doesn't seem to be a suitable rear lamp attachment point though.

As with the Donkey a push-pull handle is available for ease of manouvering when disconnected from your bike.

Trailers indoors and out

I've now started to ponder the use of bike trailers for people who work predominently indoors but who work at varied locations. Solicitors who move paperwork between office and court. People who carry out small repairs and need a tool box but not a fully stocked mobile workshop. Teachers and lecturers who need to move books etc from home to school college or university. There's a need here for trailers which can be detached from the bike and wheeled indoors complete with contents.
Three such trailers have come to my attention. The last I came across is actually probably the longest in production. The Winther Donkey (top left) consists of a tubular steel frame on 16" wheels which is fitted with a polyethylene box. The box is open at the back and top with a metal grille which can be used as a shelf or a barrier to prevent the load falling out of the trailer. A rain proof cover is provided.

The donkey carries 40kg and (unusually for bike trailers) comes with a five year warranty.
Allan Fowlie of Power-to-the-pedal.co.uk quoted me £299. More information on the Donkey is available direct from it's Danish manufacturer's website.

In the interest of keeping individual posts short, I'll write about Carry Freedom's City and the Bike Hod separate posts.

Freedom (at a price)

The Y Frame trailer from Carry Freedom is one on my favourite trailer ideas. Incredibly simple, the Chassis is an aluminium Y which is then topped by a wooden deck. The deck is predrilled so that you can fit lugs (supplied by the trailer maker) to any box that you have lying around. Alternatively bags to fit the deck can be supplied or you can choose from a substantial collection of plastic crates or locking alloy trunks.
One of the best features, IMHO, are the wheel mountings. These are wheelchair stub axles so that the wheel is mounted only on the inside making it really easy to mend a puncture while also minimising the frame weight.
The CFY is available in two sizes. The small version has 16" wheels, carries 45Kg and costs £180 plus your choice of box. The Large size carries a whopping 90Kg, has 20" wheels and is only £20 dearer.
Carry freedom's website is a thing of beauty too. Visit it at carryfreedom.com

It's a dog's life

I found this trailer on Zooplus.co.uk while looking for stuff for our cat!
It's designed to take your dog for a spin but it struck me that with it's roll down sides it would keep your shopping or parcels dry and out of sight.
It weighs 20kg and will take a load of upto 50 kg. At £99 it carries more than many so-called cargo trailers. I'm hoping to road test one soon.

Cycle England Report on investment in cycling

An article from the BBC yesterday on a report by Cycle England suggests that a £70M investment in cycling would bring a reduction of car journeys of 27-54 million per year.
You can read the peice at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6998086.stm
In it's slant on the Cycle England report, The Guardian picks out the resulting reduction in emmissions (35000 tonnes annually) and details the cost savings of swapping a 2.5 mile car journey for a bike trip (annually £137.28 in congestion reduction plus £28.30 in NHS Costs). The Guardian article is at http://politics.guardian.co.uk/publicservices/story/0,,2170849,00.html
How much greater the savings when more of us cycle at work as well as to work

Tricycles for business

I've rattled on a bit about trailers for bicycles because I have more experience with these. It seems about time though to have a look at trikes for business.
Trikes fall into three main categories. The commonest types have the "sit up and beg" riding position with two wheels at the back & one at the front. Versions of this type are available from Pashley dealers & from Cycles maximus who are both listed in my links list (below the adverts on the right). The second variation on this form is the Dutch "Bakfiets" with one rear wheel, two front and a front mounted load box. Less commonly seen are the recumbent trikes. An ad version is shown in my previous post but load carrying versions are inhibited by the single rear wheel. Though if you just want to carry 50 to 80 litres of stuff you could look at a recumbent like ICE's Trice pictured above fitted with optional panniers.
If it's a market or street trading stall you fancy then how about this (top) from Henry workcycles in Holland. An extension of the bakfiets idea with fold out front and rear tables & a parasol. Chris van der Oord quoted me Euro 2650 for this with 7 speed gears, including tax but excluding delivery.
I haven't yet found a bakfiets dealer in the UK. Last but not least, here is cycles maximus' offering. Like a small van but without the operating costs! They also do a version with a fibreglass hard-top which is in service with the Royal Mail to name just one major company. Are their any Posties out there who can tell me what it's like to work with?

Bike Advertising

This follows on from some research I did into starting a business selling advertising space on bikes with trailers or on specially constructed tricycles or quadricycles. The picture is from Gotcha who can be found at Ad-bikes.com.

The first problem that I had was in finding an ad-bike for sale. Several firms would be happy to rent a Quad to you to advertise your business (at a price!) and I'll start a separate post containing links to those I know about as I'm sure readers in other businesses would be interested in this eye catching method of promotion. Practically speaking the trailer is a considerably cheaper alternative to the Quad and recumbent Quads & trikes need some quite time consuming adjustments to change rider size whereas a bike is much more easily adjusted. If I buy a second trailer a student with a bike to tow it shouldn't be to hard to find as I live less than 10 minutes walk from the university!

Eventually I found one company "Work-cycle" of Holland who would be able to let me have a trailer mounted advertising system which uses A0 sized posters. My stumbling block at the moment is the cost: Euro 950 each plus delivery. Work-cycle are listed in my links on the lower right hand side of the page.

I really do hope to get hold of this sort of trailer soon and I'm considering building a chassis which could take an A0 A board sign purchased from one of the many signage specialists advertising on the net.

Part of the beauty of this promotional technique is the ability to stop and hand out leaflets or promotional gifts and talk about the client's product or service. From my point of view it draws on my sales experience as well as my love of cycling.

The customer would need to design the posters & have them printed and this work is available on the net for under £70 for two A0 posters. For more complex posters it might be necessary to engage a graphic artist though I have always found it difficult to delegate and might be inclined to take a course on Corel Draw or Adobe Illustrator and hand my artwork, once my client has approved it, straight to the poster printer in digital format.

In my investigations I also came across this solution if advertisers can live with an A1 size poster (half the area of A0) and a lack of storage for flyers, though I suppose the rider could have a courier bag or panniers on the bike. Price for this one is Euro 299 and deals are available for orders for 5 or 10 units at a time from www.extrawheel.eu

Trailer number two.

I bought this second trailer from a dealer on Ebay. Like the Columbus before it, it has the high hitch to the saddle pin approach only this time it has a mini ball hitch arrangement. A very similar trailer (but on 20" wheels rather than the 16" ones in the picture) is available at a very reasonable price from Camcarts who are in my links list (bottom right).

The trailer carries 90 litres plus and a maximum weight of 40KG.

Just like the columbus it does have a tendancy to roll if you hit a kerb at an obtuse angle at speed.

I wonder whether this is just me being incautious or whether a degree of instability is inherent in the high hitch type trailers. Most child carrying trailers, in fact all child trailers I have seen to date, employ the low hitch to the axle bolt approach to coupling.

My First Trailer

When, for the first time since I was 17, I found myself having to do without a car, I began to think about a trailer for my bicycle.

The problem was that at the time (1992) there were very few trailers on the market any many of them had a tiny payload in terms of both weight & volume.

After much searching I found a company in Scotland who could mail me a "Columbus" trailer which could carry 100kg and a big volume.

The trailer, built in Denmark, was essentially a PU canvas bag hung in a tubular steel frame which connected to the bike's saddle pin via a rather clever little universal joint.

I quickly found loads of uses for my Columbus. I delivered weekly free newspapers in it, I took the cat (in its pet box) to the vet, and I even took on a betterware round. This involved delivering catalogues of household goods, collecting them back with the orders and then delivering the goods to the customers in the trailer. I didn't earn a lot from that job so the freedom from car tax, insurance & fuel was a godsend.

The problem with the trailer was that is was ridiculously easy to roll over. Too tight turns into driveways would flip it every time. On one occasion I managed to invert it while on the way to the bottle bank. Glass all over the road! What fun!

Eventually I got another car and principly due to lack of storage space I sold my bike & trailer, an action which I have regretted ever since. I can't find a columbus trailer on the net these days and a google image search only revealed only one picture which I've included.

My second foray into the world of bike trailers came early this year. Visit again for the story.

Looking for links

If you know of any more trailer or work bike supplier's web sites I'd be glad of the address. I'll add them to my links (bottom right of this page). Please leave them as a comment or email me at michael.reeves@hotmail.co.uk

What do you use yours for?

Perhaps the most common use of bicycles for work is the provision of courier services. In my local area (Norwich) we also have community police officers & paramedics on bikes but I'd be interested to hear from anyone who uses their bike for other kinds of work.

About

I looking for some sort of work that will get me out on my bike and I've used bike trailers for years. At 42 I'm too old and unfit for courier work!!!

Perhaps this blog will lead to a book or a work-bike & trailer shop.

One less van builds month by month into a complete encyclopedia of cargo carrying bicycles!
Watch this space!