utility cycling

I've been riding the same Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo Mountain Bike since my uncle found it in a sandpit and gave it to me to ride while away on my first internship. It was in somewhat rough shape back then, and it's kind of the bicycle of Thesius at this point as parts failed and I found ways to replace them.

I was replacing the front tire and realized I'd like to make this thing into a cargo bike (I currently use it to scout for furniture to restore on trash days, but usually have to ride home and return on foot to grab anything I find, plus I could get groceries). I'm not sure what level of standardization this bike follows and I have no familiarity with cargo bike parts, but I was thinking I'd like to add a Rear Pannier Carrier Cargo Rack and perhaps a large basket on top of that - in fact, I happen to have this homemade welded steel basket I pulled out of a dumpster a couple years ago:

It's 23" long, 12" tall, and 16" wide. I could weld on whatever mounting hardware it needs.

So basically I'm looking for advice on layout and things to add, specific parts if you have any recommendations, is that basket a horrible idea, etc. What traits make for a useful cargo bike, what would work well with this old mountain bike? And thank you for any ideas!!

I love seeing this. I'm not quite ready to by this particular bike, but I'm definitely going to share the info with my husband and see what he thinks. This could suit our needs in the next year or two.

This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional...

I am sure this would work for messenger bags, camera bags, or really any bag. And hard board backing could be added to them from rubbing on the wheels.

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/9204474

I had been looking for a bike to get around my local city and managed to snag a Huffy cruiser for $50. It is in decent shape with only some superficial rust on the pedals. This will be a big learning experience for me as I haven't ridden a bike for nine years. I'll both learn how to use a bike to run errands and how to do some of my own maintenance. Maybe even customize it a bit by adding a frame lock and a 3 speed gear hub. I guess we shall see how far I get in this learning and fitness quest.

https://imgur.com/a/ivFq4VE

Hi all,

A coworker gifted me a free Trek 4500 from the early 2000s, largely unused in the last many years. It sat in my back yard for a few months while I thought about what to do with it; I've finally made the first movement towards having a badass utility bicycle.

Step one involved knowing that I like a more upright riding position and am not the most comfortable or agile person on a bike (that's nice-speak for "I'm a pretty fat guy" and "I never really rode bikes as a kid so I learned how in my mid-20s and am still not 100% comfortable with it"). So I bought a pair of swept-back handlebars which I then kept in a closet for a month, lol.

Finally I decided to just move forward, so I took the bike to the local bike shop and had them do their inspection, basic needed maintenance, and installation of the handlebars. Now I have something fairly comfortable which also looks kind of neat.

Four more things I have planned to do:

• Add a back rack that I have on an old trashed frame also in the backyard.
• Acquire and add fenders. While it rarely rains here, when it does I'd like to be prepared.
• Acquire and add a front rack, since this is going to be largely for groceries and errands.
• Add a bike trailer, again for groceries and errands.

Other possibilities include a different seat, a handlebar bag in lieu of a front rack, essentially anything else to make it cool and functional.

Do y'all have any recommendations for stuff that might be worth adding or doing to this bike to make it comfortable for someone overweight to commute with and do basic errands and groceries with?

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Context: I've got panniers, including those specific to shopping, and a traditional bike trailer. For large grocery hauls (100lbs+), this combo works well, but it's a bit of a PITA.

But the Travoy is so unique and useful that it probably should have been my first purchase for groceries by bike.

For those who don't know, the Travoy is basically a two-wheeled grocery cart that can attach to your bike as a trailer (by the seat post). That means, you can cart it around off the bike, then attach it to your bike and ride off.

I'm finding it easier than panniers (and no need to get a grocery cart, then return it, etc.), and way easier to store compared to my other trailer.

My only real problem is that Burley sells really expensive bags that attach to the Travoy, and while the bags are good quality and add to the utility of this trailer, they are way too expensive.

I'm currently using their "Upper market bag" and an Arkel Shopper bag on the lower half with straps that attach to the Travoy and keeps everything nice and secure.

Anyway, I've had so many positive comments while using it in stores that I thought you guys might appreciate knowing about it :)

well, my plan was to fix up a free entry-level mountain bike a coworker gave me - and, to be clear, i still intend to do it. however! i ran out of time, money, and know-how, all relatively quickly. and combined with that, i also decided somewhat last minute that i don't really want to drive to work any more in 2024 if i can possibly help it.

so instead i dusted off my electric chariot, my Shadowfax, my E-Motion ebike which i have named "Thora". she's my go-to ride in nice weather, but has been packed up for the winter. last night i got her out of her "garage" and charged her up, and this morning i did my quite short 1.5 mile commute in cold weather for the first time. 21 degrees F, -6 degrees C.

just wanted to say, i super appreciate all the advice shared in my other thread about winter biking. i wore my snowshoeing coat, gloves and glove liners, and a stocking cap. it worked! the only rough part was my face; it got so cold i got a headache. that said, i can just try a scarf tomorrow.

here's to functional transportation, even in the wintertime.

What’s it like to bike in the winter in Montreal, a big North American city that’s pretty bike-friendly but also has cold and snowy winters?

hi all - i am wondering what your daily riders look like - for example above i have my ebike (a secondhand Eco-Evo by Easy Motion), which is my summer daily driver since i can charge it with solar energy and don't get as hot cycling (i'm fat and i live in a desert, which is a miserable combo sometimes).

right now i'm working on putting together a winter "acoustic" bike by putting together a bunch of parts stripped from old bikes i've salvaged or been given, but i'd love to see any ideas for what folks ride.

I live in NYC and it seems like almost every time I go out for a bike ride someone almost hits me with their car. And then if you call them out on it they act like it's your fault. I can't even get out for a bike ride to clear my head anymore. I'm so sick of it.

Reject modernity. Embrace Chukudu

I honestly have no idea if this is practical, the closest I ever came to utility cycling was riding with small furniture in a handlebar basket. I am working on a photobash where a salvage co-op is recovering technology from overgrown buildings, and I wanted to put some kind of vehicle out front. My first instinct was a wagon with tires/suspension from a car, but I thought this might be an opportunity to show off alternatives to horse or oxen, - is there some kind of larger-than-average contraption you'd like to see here?