Andres

Can you even buy an acoustic longtail #CargoBike these days with smaller rear wheel (ideally also with steel frame)? The only one I can find is the Yuba Mundo Lux, which has a 26" rear wheel. Terns and xtracycles are all bosch-equipped (booo proprietary frame!)

I get that covid and tariffs have cratered the US bike market, but surely someone's still out there selling a basic acoustic longtail without a high center-of-gravity.. heck, just the frame if necessary.

Mar 6 at 9:06pmWeb
Show threadAndresMar 6

For some reason it's easier to find acoustic bakfiets (bullit still has non-eassist models) than acoustic longtails.

Also note: not midtails. I love my Kombi, but two older kids on there (mine are now 8 and 13) is an extremely tight squeeze.

Show thread😀🚲Mar 11
@Andres4NY Madsen quit selling acoustic? At least it's still bbs02. Are there edgerunner or swoop frames sitting somewhere? Hopper has a hub motor.
Show threadAndresMar 11

@enobacon I've kind of given up at this point looking for _new_ acoustic longtails. They're just not out there.

Used is a different story - seems like there was a sweet spot ~10 years ago where there were a bunch of acoustic longtails produced that had decent components/frames/geometry, before everyone started Boschifying all the frames.

Show thread😀🚲Mar 11
@Andres4NY you could get Bike Friday to build you a triple tandem with 20in wheels.
Show threadAndresMar 11
@enobacon Hah! I don't think that's necessary. We are borrowing a neighbor's tandem to see if the kids are into it, but we need some better weather.
Show thread😀🚲Mar 11

@Andres4NY I've thought about the madsen, but probably want a bench rather than bucket. They don't really have those board and bags accessory options.

Oh, the haul-a-day? https://bikefriday.com/product/bike-friday-haul-a-day-elite-cargo-bike/

Bike Friday | Online Store | Haul-A-Day Elite A revolutionary long-tail cargo bike | Buy Online

Haul-a-Day Elite "The Haul-a-Day Elite, a revolutionary long-tail cargo bike that has redefined urban mobility. It stands as the lightest and most versatile in its class, challenging conventional notions of weight and carrying capacity." -Momentum Magazine Starting at 34lbs it carries up to 440lbs. It's low center of gravity makes getting on and off with a load easy. The frame adjusts to fit people 4ft 9 in to 6ft 6 in. E-assist is an option (starting at 43lbs for front hub motor bike) and you can disassemble the whole bike to pack into a car trunk for travel. Hand made from raw tubing in Oregon USA. Base model starts at 32 lbs (without e-assist). Read bike reviews: bikegeardatabase.com Two ways to order your bike:  Choose bike menu options below and "Add to Cart"  Contact us and tell a Bike Expert what you want  

Show threadAndresMar 11
@enobacon I was under the impression that the haul-a-day was more like a midtail than a longtail. Reading https://humofthecity.com/2015/02/19/we-tried-it-bike-friday-haul-a-day/ , it seems that it's somewhere in-between midtail and longtail, but it's not clear to me how the rear cargo area compares to, say, an xtracycle.
We tried it: Bike Friday Haul-a-Day

Last year in Portland, we had a chance to test-ride a new midtail: the Bike Friday Haul-a-Day. Midtails are not particularly common yet, even in the still-rarified world of cargo bikes, so the summ…

Hum of the city
Show thread😀🚲Mar 11

@Andres4NY I think the deck is about 24in. This says bags are 20

https://bikefriday.com/product/cargo-flex-load-bags/

Bike Friday | Online Store | Cargo Flex Load Bag - Set | Buy Online

Side panel sling bags for our cargo bikes (set of 2) for: Haul-A-Day Elite Ever-E-Day Elite See description below for more details! Click Here to Return to Storefront Part Number: 18405

Show threadAndresMar 11

@enobacon Okay, so not a midtail but also not xtracycle-sized either. Those bags are 28" long. https://xtracycle.com/products/freeloader-too?variant=44062993121576

Looks like the Mundo deck size is ~30" https://yubabikes.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Mundo_EP8_TechSpecs.pdf

FreeLoader Too

Show thread😀🚲Mar 12
@Andres4NY yeah the xtracycle foot rails are ~30in
Show threadPans4handsMar 12
@Andres4NY @enobacon I'm just going to butt in (that's a framebuilding joke) to say I think we need a resurgence of custom steel bicycles aimed at utility bikes, where the bike is not only sized to fit the riders, but also fit the vastly differing cargo needs.
Show thread😀🚲Mar 12
@Pans4hands @Andres4NY I worry about somebody taking my bikefriday apart with a hex key in Portland, can't imagine what that's like in NYC. Can you just get them to braze that adjustment to your preference, or would you superglue ball bearings into the hex socket?
Show threadPans4handsMar 12
@enobacon @Andres4NY can we just swap in a security torx bolt as a nice compromise?
Show threadNelsonMar 6
@Andres4NY What about the Tern Short Haul? Too small? https://www.ternbicycles.com/us/bikes/471/short-haul
Short Haul: Our Most Affordable Cargo Bike | Tern Bicycles

Meet the Short Haul

Tern Bicycles
Show threadAndresMar 6
@skyfaller Yeah, I'd like a proper longtail. We've got the a midtail which works great for 1 kid, but a proper longtail would help a lot with 2 kids. Thinking it would make a nice replacement for one of the bakfiets, since the kids technically fit into the bigger bakfiet but it feels like such a boat to ride.
Show threadNelsonMar 6
@Andres4NY Aha, I hadn't come across the term "midtail" before, now I get what you mean.
Show threadSkim Shady (331.36 ppm)Mar 6

@Andres4NY #xtracycle kit
and a 80-90s 26” mtb? Very #interoperable

Not sure where you are but her in NorCal they are still found laying around

Show threadAndresMar 6

@woodenmachines The Yuba Mundo has 26" wheels, I was hoping for 24" or even better, 20". Like, the xtracycle swoop but minus the e-assist. There _are_ used options around (which I'm not opposed to), but I'm really surprised at how difficult it is to find *new* bikes that have my basic requirements.

I can't even find non-eassist bikes on xtracycle's site!

Show threadSkim Shady (331.36 ppm)Mar 6

@Andres4NY yeah xtracycle only does e-bikes now. Should have clarified used, I see the kits or modded MTBs come up on Craigslist often.

I’ve come across two Yubas with cracked frames in the last year. Boda Bodas I think.

Show threadDaniel Howard 🌻Mar 7
@Andres4NY oh wow even the madsen bucket bike is electric only.
Show threadAndresMar 7
@dannyman Oh, at least Madsen is using a mid-drive bafang with standard bottom bracket though! Unlike all these custom frames designed for random generations of bosch motors..
Show threadDaniel Howard 🌻Mar 7

@Andres4NY

Question from before Pandemic: "does the local bike shop support Bafang? They sell Bosch ..."

Years later, the electric system has been the easiest subsystem for me to maintain because at the end of the day it is mostly solid state components that are easily sourced and generally snap fit.

The long chain on a heavy bike with a mid-drive motor wears fast and pricey. Taught me to downshift more aggressively. :)

Show threadFrank Bennett 🇯🇵Mar 11
@Andres4NY The Surly Big Dummy has 26" wheels. Not sure if that ranks as a small wheel size?
Show threadAndresMar 11
@fgbjr Ideally smaller than that. 26" is still on the high side, and I could get that with the many used Yuba Mundos available out there in the world. But finding a 20" or 24" acoustic _new_ longtail out there is extremely challenging!
Show threadLuz ChangeMar 11

@Andres4NY
Bike Friday Haul-A-Day Elite! https://bikefriday.com/product/bike-friday-haul-a-day-elite-cargo-bike/

I want one so bad. Steel frame small wheel longtail cargo bike.

Edit- looks like you found it already!

Bike Friday | Online Store | Haul-A-Day Elite A revolutionary long-tail cargo bike | Buy Online

Haul-a-Day Elite "The Haul-a-Day Elite, a revolutionary long-tail cargo bike that has redefined urban mobility. It stands as the lightest and most versatile in its class, challenging conventional notions of weight and carrying capacity." -Momentum Magazine Starting at 34lbs it carries up to 440lbs. It's low center of gravity makes getting on and off with a load easy. The frame adjusts to fit people 4ft 9 in to 6ft 6 in. E-assist is an option (starting at 43lbs for front hub motor bike) and you can disassemble the whole bike to pack into a car trunk for travel. Hand made from raw tubing in Oregon USA. Base model starts at 32 lbs (without e-assist). Read bike reviews: bikegeardatabase.com Two ways to order your bike:  Choose bike menu options below and "Add to Cart"  Contact us and tell a Bike Expert what you want  

Show thread😀🚲Mar 11
@ordinoides @Andres4NY I think some bf employees had titanium haul-a-days they had built themselves for disaster relief trials. Hardly seemed fair. Are they really the last acoustic longtail though?
Show threadMegan Lynch (she/her)Mar 11
@Andres4NY Bike Friday Haul a Day, I think.