If you haven't seen the article by Tom Clynes in this months' Bicycling Magazine, you ought to check it out. The article is titled, Cargo Bikes: Is This The Coolest Bike Ever Made? It's a perspective on the growing interest in -- you guessed it -- cargo bikes. It's a pretty comprehensive article, covering a variety of facets of interest, and he checks in with manufacturers both large and small.
I quote here the final paragraph, which gives insight into the rest of the article:
It's then that I see, in the parents' faces, what Dave Cohen calls "the politics of possibility." I could tell them all how green my bike is, how cost-effective and healthy. But in the end, what they see—and take away—is how much fun it is to carry people and things around under your own power. In the delighted faces that surround me, I can see the possibilities opening up. In practicality, it seems, there is joy.
Also, there is a somewhat breathless quote in the article by yours truly:
For eco-conscious cyclists like Joseph Ahearne, a Portland bike builder, part of the allure is making a statement. "Every time I'm on my bike with a big load of stuff on it," Ahearne says, "I can only hope that some people in cars see me and are already so frustrated with traffic and the costs of fuel and car payments and the roll of fat falling over their belts that they look at me taking care of business on my bike and feel something like envy. It plants a seed."
Here is my entry to the 2011 Oregon Manifest. The 50 mile ride was good. The weather was just about perfect, even if a little hot, and the route took us through some awesome backroads. There was a combination of paved roads and gravel, with a lot of climbing along the way. I was very pleased with the bike. It was solid, quiet, had the gears I wanted for climbing and it carried the load without a hitch. I ran some pretty large tires so that the gravel sections weren't a problem, and descending with weight the bike felt sure and stable. The bike did everything I asked of it, and did it well.
There were a lot of great entries in this event. I can't imagine having been a judge, trying to decide which bikes were winners. I think a congratulation should go out to everyone who did the work building the bikes, and for all those who rode the ride. And a special congrats to Tony Pereira for taking the cake. Nice job Tony!
Here are photos of the Ahearne entry with a summary of features to follow.
Oregon Manifest Bike
This is the Ahearne Cycles entry to the 2011 Oregon Manifest competition. There were several criteria that the all the entrants were supposed to fulfill, most of which were in the realm of bikes that I often build. The bikes are to have lights, fenders, a locking system, a way to carry things besides the rider, etc. Here's a quick list of the features this bike offeres:
24 inch front wheel, 700c rear. The rack is fixed to the frame and is rated at about 50 lbs. maximum capacity. The small front wheel allows the basket to be lower, which drops the center of gravity and makes for a more stable ride with a load.
The basket has an integrated lock holder (no rattle), a bottle opener, corner bumpers (dead tire), a weatherproof DiBond base (aluminum sheet with a dense plastic core -- light-weight & bomb-proof), a large waterproof bag by Inside Line Equipment, and shown here there are 2 speaker mounts and a water bottle cage (also on the basket). There is also a bolt-on utility bag on the rack which is for spare tubes, tools, straps and bungee cords, etc.
There is an insanely bright lighting system (600 lumens!) that runs off a rechargeable battery pack hidden under the rack, which is charged off the generator hub. It's a prototype lighting system by Light On! lights. The wired tail light is internally routed, and if you look closely, it is mounted to a bolt that runs through the seat tube and serves the double purpose of being a seat post lock -- the seat post is slotted, and can't be removed without taking out the light mount bolt.
Speaking of security, there's a hidden lock for the kickstand so that, when the kickstand is open and the lock engaged the stand can not be retracted. I'd love to see a thief try and ride off on the bike, but not be able to figure out why the stand won't go up.
The bike has clearance for very large tires. The fenders are full wrap, with a 26 inch rear fender covering the front wheel. There's a supplementary blinky tail light and reflector on the rear fender by Portland Design Works.
Beyond these features, the bike has a lot of the little things I believe should be standard on a hard core commuter bike: full gear range, bell, pump, disc brakes (advisable, especially for rainy climates), wide puncture resistant tires, comfortable upright riding position, wide flat pedals, etc.
The final thing is the aesthetic, which is subdued and classy. I didn't want to over-invent a machine that has been designed & refined for well over a hundred years.
The last thing is, this bike is for sale. It's built to fit me, so it's large. The top tube requires that someone have at least a 33 or 34 inch inseam or better for standover. The top tube length is a 61 cm. The rack is brazed into the frame so cannot detatch for shipping. Shipping out of town is possible, but it will have to be a large crate. If you're interested in knowing more details, please contact me.
For those of you not in the loop, the Oregon Manifest is happening this weekend. In fact, it began this morning. All the entrants submitted their bicycles, had photos taken, and explained to the judges the features that make their bikes unique. I'm not posting photos (except for a taste of the bike I built, which I'm pretty excited about) because I don't think the bikes have officially been unveiled to the public. The public unveiling happens this evening. If you're in the area, you ought to come out. There are some really amazing and interesting designs. It's very exciting to see how each builder and collaborative team interpreted the criterium and built their bikes. I'm impressed with all the crazy innovation I saw, and I'm really looking forward to the 50 mile ride tomorrow. How are all these bikes going to perform? It remains to be seen. We're all curious to know what sort of course has been chosen for us. The course is still a secret, and will be revealed this evening.
I will be out of the shop from the 31st of August to the 15th (or so) of September.
We're taking some time to ride around Vancouver Island. I've never been there, and everyone I've talked to who has spent any time there says it's a beautiful place. We'll see about that. I'll be reporting on the trip when I've got the time and the internet access.
All shipping of flask holsters, handlebars and center stands will have to wait until I'm back. Thanks for your patience.
Here's a classy lugged 650b randonneur. It's got all the basic requirements -- comfortable geometry with a low trail and stable handling with or without weight in the front handlebar bag; it's got a front generator hub and bright front light wired through the rack; the bike has plenty of tire clearance for fatter tires, and long Honjo fenders with mud flaps to keep the road spray off. There's a light duty rear rack that can accommodate small panniers for those short bike camping trips. The drive train is Campagnolo, and everything works like a dream. This is a bike that begs to go out for some seriously long rides, and is meant to be comfortable the whole way, no matter the road conditions. I'm envious of Michael, especially since this one is just about my size.
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