Bakfiets: Move it, Move it
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09.25.06
We’ve been meaning to mention the Bakfiets for ages. Ever since reader ‘Moo’ brought them to our attention in posts we’ve run on cargo trailers and family bikes. But, other than highlighting the similar TrioBike, we’ve were slack. We’ll that is, until our Birthday Boy saw some recently in Amsterdam. Bakfiets translates as cargo bike, or barge bicycle. (in Afrikaans, a bakkie is a pick-up.) Anyhow it means a bike designed to haul big loads. And these sure do, as the pics indicate. Two six year old kids can be secured with a 3 point harness in the front box, which appears to made from durable marine ply. There is even a long model for transporting up to four munchins. The low centre of gravity and the bikes geometry make it stable and light to steer. Covers are available to use the box in wet weather, either as a cargo bay, or with viewing windows for children. Mostly available in the Netherlands, but it seems there is a distributor in the US, who, oddly enough, goes by the name, the Dutch Bicycle Company. And yes, we know no-one is wearing helmets in the pics. This has been discussed umpteen times, most recently here. More at ::Bakfiets.
No helmets? That's what I (a foreigner) love about living and cycling in the Netherlands. Bike users aren't intimidated by other traffic here - by and large they have their own cycle lanes which, in the case of new roads, are complete separate and safe from the motorized traffic.
I passed a father just a few days ago riding one of these 2-wheel bakfietsen with a baby in a Maxi-Cosi in the bak. Not only did he have no helmet he was sending an SMS on his mobile phone at the same time! Ok Im not saying this is to be recommended by he was perfectly safe because he was cycling slowly on a fully separate broad cycle path.
I've also lived and cycled in Ireland and Britain. In Ireland I've been hit twice by cars (fortunately nothing worse than a few stitches). But basically as a cyclist in those countries your are treated (by car drivers and city planners) as if you have the same rights as pondscum. This is what is really dangerous.
Great bikes!
Also check out www.jorgandolif.com for bakfiets, Dutch citybikes, and uber cool accessories...
I recently imported one of the long Bakfiets from the Dutch Bicycle Company in the U.S. It's a fantasticly useful machine - don't use the car around the city much anymore. Check out my Bakfiets blog for updates on how we're using our bike to improve daily life. We're seeing more and more of these sorts of bikes appearing on the streets of Portland, Oregon. The Dutch really got this one right!