Mother and child enjoying a Bakfiets at Clever Cycles in Portland
I’m a big fan of cargo bikes. They add major utility to transportation cycling making the thought of living car-free even more of a reality. You can do a week’s worth of grocery shopping, transport small children or even adults, or pick up a couch. Best of all, you can do all these things while not having to drag along a trailer.
There are various designs for cargo bikes out there such as the Xtracycle, Kona Ute, Yuba Mundo, and Madsen bucket bike. These are all great bike designs (heck, I have two Xtracycle Free Radicals!), but none except the Madsen can carry as many varieties of stuff as the Bakfiets. Based on the Danish Long John design created in the mid 20th century, the Bakiets is a bucket bike with the cargo riding in front of the driver. This has the advantage of putting the cargo at a very low center of gravity for improved handling as well as the ability to keep an eye on things.
The major downside of the Bakfiets has been their limited availability. A few retailers like Clever Cycles of Portland and Seattle Dutch Bike (which also has a store in Chicago) stock Bakfiets imported from The Netherlands. Also Joe Bike, an utility bike shop, sells the Chinese Flying Pigeon version of the Bakfiets with a Portland edition that jettisons most of the crappy components for quality ones. UPDATE: They will also soon be releasing a double decker, Portland-made Bakfiets called the Joe Bike with pictures here of the prototype.
How about Made in the U.S.A.?
These imports are certainly worth looking at, but why not save the shipping fuel and employ some American workers when you buy your Bakfiets. There is a growing list of U.S. builders making Bakfiets and we’ve put together a quick list:
Bilenky Cycle Works- Master builder, Steve Bilenky, can build you just about any kind of bike you want, but he also makes a Bakfiets inspired Long John. Frameset is $1650, full bike is $2700.
Center for Appropriate Transportation: Human Powered Machines- Based in Eugene, OR, CAT offers a Long Haul model with a wooden bucket, covered fiberglass container, or flat bed. Starting price for the flat bed version $2100.
The two part frame of the CETMA cargo bike allows you to separate the frame for easier storage or transport.
UPDATE: CETMA Cargo- Built in Oregon, these Bakfiets have a unique, two part frame that allows the normally lengthy cargo bike to be taken apart for easier storage and transport. Framesets at $2100 and full bikes $3150.
Double Dutch Bikes- This New Jersey company was recently brought to our attention with a range of no frills Bakfiets under $2000. It is unclear from their site whether they make these bikes or have them made off shore, so caution if you are wanting to buy Made in America. UPDATE: Danny from Double Dutch Bike let us know that they are an American company, but they import the bikes. Nothing wrong with that, just know they are not manufactured here.
Metrofiets- Hand made in Portland, Oregon, we recently posted an article about this company from the Seattle International Bicycle Expo. These are certainly the prettiest Bakfiets out there, and framesets start at $2600 with complete bikes coming in at around $3800.
Metrofiets of Portland
Want to learn to build your own Bakfiets?
The CAT Human Powered Machine Long Haul with Fiberglass Container
Do you want to add your name to the growing list of American cargo bike builders? Well, the Center for Appropriate Transportation holds a five month class in Eugene, OR twice a year to teach the craft of fine cargo bike building. Students learn hands on by working with teachers to build cargo bikes for CAT. Various different cargo bike designs are taught, and students leave the class with their own cargo bike of the design of their choosing. CAT also teaches students bookkeeping, management and marketing, skills which are woefully absent from most bike builders in my opinion. Tuition is $5000 and communal housing is $300/month. The two five month sessions are held July 15 to December 15th and from January 15th to June 15th.
Related posts:
on Apr 22nd, 2009 at 10:46 am
Hi Eliot, Great Article!,
Thank you for mentioning doubledutchbikes.
A little more history on our Bicycles to clarify our position and product.
We are an importer of the bakfiets, I am a native Dutchman whom moved to NYC 2 years ago, Sometime last year I noticed the “make NYC more bicycle friendly”movement here in the city and the idea of introducing a Dutch tradition started to form.
At 1st we have looked into manufacturing these Bicyces here in the US but after a lot of research, talking to manufacturers and comparing other US made bicycles we came to realization that in order for us to succeed and position our selves on the lower end of the price scale we needed to find alternative sources in order to keep our production costs under control wile not giving in on quality!.
After intensive research, building and testing demo models, many trips to our production sources and extensive teamwork we have managed to produce and introduce a high quality Bicycle which hold its own and would encourage anyone to give us a fair judgment after testing and riding our bakfiets.
on Apr 22nd, 2009 at 11:03 am
Thanks for the clarification, Danny. The bikes look good. The only suggestion I’d make is specing them with 8 speed hubs as an option. I realize this might put them over the magical $2000 market, but in my experience, you can get by with 3 speed on a regular Dutch bike but is way too few for a cargo bike in anything but totally flat terrain.
on Apr 22nd, 2009 at 11:09 am
Hi Elliott, Thanks for your feedback.
Funny that you mention that as we are currently working on developing 6 speed hub to be introduced later this year!, and yes you are right this will bring us slightly above our target but then again we offer our customers a choice.
on Apr 22nd, 2009 at 11:20 am
Nice article, Eliot. Just wanted to point out a few things. First, Joe Bike is a physical shop, not just an online shop, that’s been operating in Southeast Portland for about four months. We specialize in utility bikes and are Portland’s first and largest Yuba Mundo dealer.
Second, we’ve modified the frame to transform our longjohn into what will be, in a few weeks, the most versatile bicycle in the world: a modular, multipurpose utility vehicle for carrying kids, a wide variety of cargo, or both at once. It can be reconfigured in seconds four or five different ways using at most an allen key. I think it will render moot the “bakfiets vs. Xtracycle” question (“What’s the best way to haul stuff on a bike?”). Photos of the prototype in its double-decker configuration are at http://www.joe-bike.com. This bike, aside from the base frame, is designed and handbuilt in Portland, so we call it the Joe Bike. Ecospeed, an e-assist developer also based in Southeast Portland, will soon have their superior technology on the Joe Bike and on our conventional boxbike.
Finally, we too have been trying to find a way to manufacture the Joe Bike on a larger scale in the US, especially in Portland, though we’re running into the same sort of realization that Danny at Doubledutch describes above. The rapidly growing ranks of Portland-based bikebuilders might change this. We’ll see.
on Apr 22nd, 2009 at 11:22 am
Whoops–I meant to say we’ve modified our bakfiets-type frame, not the Mundo frame!!
on Apr 22nd, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Joe Bike,
Thanks for the update. The Joe Bike looks like a great idea though I’m not sure it puts the Bakfiets vs Xtracycle debate to rest. I still think Bakfiets are the best at handling all varieties of cargo but the Xtracycles are more fun to ride sans cargo. (I find it difficult to imagine a Bakfiets as my sole bike but have no problem imaging an Xtracycle that way.)
Anyway, I’m glad to see further refinement of the design. I hope you sell a bunch, and we can get to see one down in Austin.
on Apr 22nd, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Any reason you missed the new-ish CETMA Cargo Bike on the US Made list? ( http://www.cetmacargo.com/CETMA%20cargo%20bike%20home.htm )
on Apr 22nd, 2009 at 2:51 pm
jdmitch,
Just an inadvertent omission. I’ve added CETMA to the list.
Boy, you Bakfiets folks are vigilant on the Internet!;)
on Apr 22nd, 2009 at 4:18 pm
*big smile* Yeah, I’ve been looking at lots of options for a pedal powered mini van. A CETMA Cargo frameset was / is at the top of my list. However, that Joe Bike I’ve not seen before and is king of interesting, and a Madsen Bucket was also pretty high (though I’d be modding a lot of stuff on it anyway)
on Apr 29th, 2009 at 4:15 am
[...] Bakfiets into the US so you dont have to deal with a $500 freight and import bill!.” On the same site, he says “Thank you for mentioning doubledutchbikes. A little more history on our Bicycles to clarify [...]
on May 21st, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Hi,
Just wanted to let everyone know that I have also thrown my hat into the bakfiets ring.
Check out the Long Juan at http://www.organicengines.com/
Also working on a three wheeler which you can see some photos of.
Dan
Organic Engines
on Dec 28th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Take a look at this:
http://www.tomscargobikes.com/
on Dec 29th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Thanks for the link, BAW. Love the Kidfiets.