A Short-Legged Dog and a Long-Winged Bird (Small Cargo Bikes) plus a few others
In the quest for cargo bike extremes, today we're going small.
Added for dramatic effect! (Let me know if it helped.)
The Dachshund Cargo Bike (approximately $0)
Since this is 2Wheels Maybe, we'll start with the cheap and the DIY - the Dachshund!
The Mighty Dachshund DIY cargo bike! (youtube video)
I ran across this one on youtube and fell weirdly in love with it. It looks like the ingredients you'll need are...
- a kiddie bike
- a rigid mountain bike
- a well-worn skateboard deck
- a milk crate
- and a whole lotta chutzpa
...to build this one! I am especially impressed with the double-chainwheel drive setup - a creative way to solve the ground clearance issue.
Able to haul a tiny bike in style!
Do I want one? No. Do I want to build one? Yes! (And, yes, I know - I have a problem.)
Collected reviews of the Dachshund Cargo Bike
Since I don't know what else to say about this one, let's go from one long dog to a pair of rather slick birds. (These will involve a lot more cash and a lot less ingenuity on your part.) Unlike the Dachshund, either of these could replace the need for a car (or at least a second car) in many households. (If you are a rebel who wants to use a Dachshund Cargo bike as a car replacement - please let me know. That might be enough inspiration to get me started on Mesquite Hugger Productions - Documentaries and More!)
A Tern (or two) for the Better
If you're not familiar with the Tern Bicycles company, you probably haven't been in the market for a folding bike (or you just like to avoid all things Finnish). For years, that's what they've done - build some really cool folders.
(I sporadically love folding bikes. I used to travel solo a lot for work, and I really wanted a very portable bike to haul along with me. New towns are better enjoyed by bike! These days I almost never travel solo, but I still think folders are cool.)
Tern Cargo Node: phenomenal hauling powers - itty bitty living space!
While I was aware of Tern for a while, I became much more aware of them when they joined up with Xtracycle and built a folding cargo bike - the Cargo Node. Very cool machine!!
The Tern (mostly folding) bike lineup
These days, though, Tern also offers a pair of non-folding cargo bikes that have been terning a lot of heads (Yes, I intended it.) with their ability to haul a lot of stuff efficiently while taking up very little space. Check out the HSD and GSD bikes.
The Tern HSD (Roughly $,4000)
The Tern HSD (The littler bird)
Both bikes have mid-drive Bosch motors and both do some folding to make storing and hauling easier.
The bike has its own upright seating position!
Tern HSD Video (with chill music)
The Tern GSD (Roughly $5000)
The Tern GSD (The bigger little bird)
Smaller than a mountain bike and equipped with 2 batteries!
Cargo Bike Joy! (The Tern GSD Video - with invigorating music)
So, here's the most amazing (non-technical) thing about these two Tern bikes - there's been amazing positive buzz for them since their introduction. Keep in mind, that you're reading these words on a blog where the words phrase under $100 appears often in titles and subtitles. It's pretty rare for me to feature a bike that costs enough to warrant multi-year financing, but these bikes have a lot of families and professional bike journalists singing their praises as practical, legitimate tools for ditching the car, and they're no larger than a standard bike.
So, how about you?
What small(er) cargo bikes have you been checking out?
In case your list is blank, here are a few more to check out:
The Hand-Made Cycletrucks (Beavertail & S.U.B.)
The Truly Small Republic Bikes Kids Cargo
Alright, that's it for small cargo bikes priced from $0-5,000. I hope you found something you like and that fits just right into your budget and your carbon-neutral plans. May you be well and haul your stuff around without releasing a lot of carbon!
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