You could carry about the same amount of cargo in a trailer for less than 1/5 the price, and you can hook the trailer up to different vehicles and use it as a cargo-cart/wheelbarrow to deliver inside the destination. I don't quite get the appeal of these bikes aside from their "cool" factor.
I have even seen some trailers with a electric motor assist and a solar panel on top to charge it.

I really applaud more diversity and competition. I am, however a bit disappointed at MetroBike. The things that make the Bakfiets so practical for everyday use, are exactly the things that are left out. No (fully enclosed) chain guard? No back rack? No bak seats? I'm guessing these aspects of the bike were altered for appearance's sake, not to be mistaken for the original...and ending up in court.

The items I mention are not exclusive to European tastes or requirements. The bakfiets is perfect for wearing normal clothes and hauling a whole lot of stuff and kids, not bothering with 'special gear'. The MetroBike forces one to start wearing pant clips (once) again and tossing out those handy panniers. Not really selling points at these prices, I actually expected more innovation. Less is often more, just not in this case.

I'm sure MetroBike is still working on improvements and will adapt along the way.

====author replies-====
Hi, Amsterdamize:
It's possible some of the features you mention can be added...let's see what Metrofiets says.

I think it is useless. for the price of a couple pieces of pipe and $100 worth of wood i could build it myself. Is the wood on that bike made out of a sustainable product? A trailer is better.

Good idea, if it was 1/10th the price..

Sorry but it looks like nothing more than a play toy for well heeled bike geeks. The concept is good but so long as these things cost as much to purchase as a decent used car they will **never** catch on. Cargo bikes could be a fantastic way to reduce gas consumption in this country but they need to be priced at a point that makes them appealing to the average consumer (not your average cyclist).

The problem with bikes as transportation is that they tend to take one of two approaches:
1) An all-out replacement for a car.
2) A commuting vehicle.

These two approaches have a lot of problems.

The first approach won't work for many Americans due to commuting distances, need to haul kids, a desire not to get wet when it's raining, etc., etc. Like it or not, people are not going to give up their cars. You're tilting at windmills to think otherwise.

The second approach will also have limited appeal since many people have too long a distance to commute, rush hour traffic is perceived as being too dangerous, and most employers lack shower facilities.

What the bike industry seems to be missing is a third approach: the household errand bike. Most people buy their groceries, rent movies, etc. within 2 miles of home. What they need is a bike that's suitable for these short hops and can comfortably and easily carry the sort of loads involved (2-4 bags of groceries). Make it affordable, market it as an environmentally friendly AND convenient tool, and DON'T sell it through bike shops. Selling it through bike shops pretty much insures the majority of the public will never see it. Instead sell it through stores such as Target where the average consumer will see it.

=====author replies=====
I'm with you on the cheap green concept, but what decent used car can one get for $3,200???

Cyclocross-- there's another way tp think about this for many people.

My wife and I each had a car--we sold one of them and now make most of our lowest mileage/least efficient trips with a Bakfiets. It saves us 15-20 car trips a week in stop and go traffic and allows us more exercise than we used to get.

It's not about an absolute solution so much as it is a way to make our lives more pleasant (and cheaper, eventually).

I live in Portland and had the opportunity to ride one of the Metrofiets prototypes. The thing was smooth and a real work of art. I really love the modern take on this European classic - disk brakes, integrated gears and generator...

Yes - bakfiets are expensive, but remember that they can be a full-fledged replacement for your car. @cyclocross may not bike to work everyday, but I do. It is great to have a local builder as an option.

And, the baks can be built up with all the bells and whistles if that's your thing (chain guard, rack, etc...)

I'm a photographer in LOS ANGELES, yes...the land of the automobile and I use a cargo bicycle (a Bilenky built in PA, USA) to get to all my photoshoots...

http://www.russroca.com
http://russroca.blogspot.com

I have to respond to two comments here...

First of all, I think the Metrofiets is a bit more than some pipes welded together with a plywood box nailed together on top of it. If you think that, then you're missing quite a bit of the beauty and skill in bicycle design. These things are friggin handmade in the US and not mass produced in a factory in China...and it's a cargo bike, not some run of the mill BMX for your 8 yearold that you buy at the deparment store.

It has to be designed to not only serve the basic function of a bike (moving form point A to B), but to also do so with considerable loads...I know, I use one every day. There's a bit more to making a successful cargo bike than just slapping a big box on the front of it.

Secondly, I must be one of those crazy "well-heeled bike geeks" that shelled out 3k for my cargo bike instead of a "decent used car" (you're joking right?).

I honestly think you'd be hard pressed to find a decent used car for $3000 that has all four wheels..and if you did the costs don't stop there. How much more money will it take to keep it running? Gas? Insurance? Parking tickets? Registration? Maintenance?

The true cost of car ownership goes far beyond the sticker price.

I did the math and for me to maintain a car that I own outright and drive the US average miles, it still comes out to $7000 a year. Now, if you're like most of the US public, and are making payments, that number goes up exponentially.

So that decent used car suddenly costs you $10000 the first year and $7000 every year thereafter. If you ask me, a $3000 bike that may cost $200 in incidentals over the course of the year is a much better buy, not to mention much more sustainable.

It's all relative.

I am intrigued with point that errand bikes should be at Target. I know that some IKEAs overseas offer bike/trailer rentals.

How about thinking of these cargo bikes as 2nd or 3rd car replacements rather than just "bike geek" toys. The utility of car without the added costs.

"cyclocross may not bike to work everyday, but I do."

Actually I bike or take the bus everyday. I also use a bike (or walk) for the majority of my trips. My Toyota pick-up - which cost me less than a Metrofiets - is largely used for weekend trips to the lumberyard and other such heavy lifting tasks. Insurance is minimal since it's only used as a recreational vehicle and fuel costs are trivial (I fill the tank maybe 4 times a year)

But back to my main point which is the pushing of bicycles as a substitute for a car isn't going to work for most people in this country. Yeah, it works great if you live in SF, Portland, Seattle or other relatively temperate and compact locale. However, that doesn't describe the vast majority of Americans. If you want to get more bikes on the road and decrease the amount of gas being burned you're much better off positioning bicycles as an augmentation to an automobile rather than a direct replacement. Getting the average American to commute 5-10 miles by bike in all weather conditions is a huge uphill battle that only a fool thinks they can win. Getting the average American to hop on a bike for the 1/4 mile jaunt to the grocery store is a much more realistic proposition.

----author replies-----
I take your point, but think that it's an evolution, and if a lot of people start doing the quarter mile to the grocery today a big percentage might do the all weather 10 miles a day tomorrow!