Let’s talk about Box, baby!

[dasgeh]

@jinomas 62822 wrote:

Does anyone have any thoughts or experience on the CETMA cargo bike?

Welcome! Great to have more family bike fans. Or cargo bike fans.

My only experience with cetma is that Green Commuter said they could get one when I was shopping last Spring. Unfortunately, the guy I spoke with at the g.c. was particularly unhelpful with respect to family bikes. He kept spouting “facts” that weren’t true. For example, he said bakfiets/workcycles were pos’s that were made in China (they’re not — they’re tried and tried machines made in Holland). He described the cetma as a great family bike, but when I looked online, I could only find info on cetma being a cargo-oriented bike, without an established record hauling kids.

I would love to be wrong here, because more family-bike dealers in the area is good for us.

And you should come to a Kidical Mass Arlington ride. Lots of different family bike set ups.

[FFX_Hinterlands]

@dasgeh 62860 wrote:

Welcome! Great to have more family bike fans. Or cargo bike fans.

My only experience with cetma is that Green Commuter said they could get one when I was shopping last Spring. Unfortunately, the guy I spoke with at the g.c. was particularly unhelpful with respect to family bikes. He kept spouting “facts” that weren’t true. For example, he said bakfiets/workcycles were pos’s that were made in China (they’re not — they’re tried and tried machines made in Holland). He described the cetma as a great family bike, but when I looked online, I could only find info on cetma being a cargo-oriented bike, without an established record hauling kids.

I would love to be wrong here, because more family-bike dealers in the area is good for us.

And you should come to a Kidical Mass Arlington ride. Lots of different family bike set ups.

Um, I’m pretty sure that Workcycles frames are made in China (except Kruisframe bike). They are assembled in NL.

[baiskeli]

@FFX_Hinterlands 62865 wrote:

Um, I’m pretty sure that Workcycles frames are made in China (except Kruisframe bike). They are assembled in NL.

Everything is ultimately made in China. This forum was made in China. This post was made in China and then I assembled it here.

[jopamora]

@baiskeli 62874 wrote:

Everything is ultimately made in China. This forum was made in China. This post was made in China and then I assembled it here.

What about the guy who hand welds frames in his garage in Portland, OR? Is he full of it? And don’t forget about the aluminum frames made in Taiwan! Someone needs to start up a cargo bike frame free trade sourced boutique sticker program. We are talking about coffee right?

[ShawnoftheDread]

@jopamora 62886 wrote:

What about the guy who hand welds frames in his garage in Portland, OR? Is he full of it? And don’t forget about the aluminum frames made in Taiwan! Someone needs to start up a cargo bike frame free trade sourced boutique sticker program. We are talking about coffee right?

He probably uses Chinese frame tubes.

[americancyclo]

from: http://www.bakfiets-en-meer.nl/workcycles-faqs-overviews/faq-about-workcycles/

Where are WorkCycles bikes made?
Almost all of our bikes are assembled in one of two factories in the Netherlands. Coating and painting is performed by coaters in Belgium and the Netherlands. Depending on the model bike our frames are made in the Netherlands, Belgium, Taiwan and China. Contrary to what some would like to believe the Taiwanese frames tend to be the highest quality, then the Chinese and then the Dutch and Belgian frames. But really, they’re all good frames.

Like most modern products the components come from all over the world, with a considerable European content. It varies per model but here are some examples…
Netherlands: rims, carriers, saddles, chain-cases, fenders and stays, headlamps, taillamps, locks
Italy: fenders and stays, saddles, brake levers
Belgium: spokes
Germany: taillamps

Finland: grips
Slovakia: crank bearings
Singapore: hubs, roller-brakes, shifters
Taiwan: seat posts, headsets, chains, pedals
China: handlebars, cranks
Indonesia: tires
Some other bicycle manufacturers claim to be entirely “European made”. It is theoretically possible to build a city or utility bicycle entirely from European sourced components but not practical to do so. It would either be extraordinarily expensive or require major compromises in quality and practicality. For example: the only option for the rear hub and brakes would either a 14 speed Rohloff hub with high-end hydraulic rim brakes, or the famously unreliable Velosteel single-speed coaster brake. I’m not aware of any European made drive chains or pedals, Nokian in Finland is the only remaining maker of quality city bike tires in Europe etc etc. In other words those who claim to be 100% European are either building esoteric, high-end bicycles for recreational use… or not being honest.

[dasgeh]

Online, there are tons of reviews of pos cargo bikes “made in China”. Guy from Green Commuter told me that the bakfiets was the same. That is not true. The bakfiets is “built” in the Netherlands. And guy from the Green Commuter shouldn’t be cast bikes he doesn’t sell in a negative light with misinformation.

Better?

[americancyclo]

It seems that the retailer should not have been grouping the bike’s attributes of “POS” and “Made in China” in the same bucket, while they may appear together, they can also appear individually.

Also, I’m really just answering my own curiosity with that post about the country of origin of the bicycle and parts.

[jabberwocky]

The days where everything bike-related out of China was junk are long past. Chinese factories are perfectly capable of making excellent quality bikes and parts. They are also perfectly capable of making cheap junk, if thats all you want to pay for.

I mean, c’mon. Most of our consumer electronics come out of China these days. You think a bike is a complicate thing to make compared to, say, an iPhone?

[jinomas]

@dasgeh 62860 wrote:

Welcome! Great to have more family bike fans. Or cargo bike fans.

My only experience with cetma is that Green Commuter said they could get one when I was shopping last Spring. Unfortunately, the guy I spoke with at the g.c. was particularly unhelpful with respect to family bikes. He kept spouting “facts” that weren’t true. For example, he said bakfiets/workcycles were pos’s that were made in China (they’re not — they’re tried and tried machines made in Holland). He described the cetma as a great family bike, but when I looked online, I could only find info on cetma being a cargo-oriented bike, without an established record hauling kids.

I would love to be wrong here, because more family-bike dealers in the area is good for us.

And you should come to a Kidical Mass Arlington ride. Lots of different family bike set ups.

Thanks! I’m interested both in moving cargo and my child around by bike. When and where is this Kidical Mass? The link you sent me seems to suggest random get-togethers. I live in Bethesda and I am a full-time student, so surprise get-togethers in Arlington may not work out for me, but I would love to see the different cargo bike options that parents have made work for them.

Other than the CETMA’s possible country of origin, I like that it is separable into parts that could possibly fit into a regular-sized vehicle. I plan on keeping my bike much longer than my current living arrangements or vehicle.

I did get an opportunity to ride a Larry v. Harry Bullitt from a fellow full-time student/father. That was fun. Disconcerting at first, but fun.

[dasgeh]

@jinomas 62968 wrote:

Thanks! I’m interested both in moving cargo and my child around by bike. When and where is this Kidical Mass? The link you sent me seems to suggest random get-togethers.

There are Kidical Mass groups all over the country, and they are group rides for families. Arlington’s is the third Sunday of the month + some other random rides I’ve organized for fun. Yes, those are in Arlington, so might not be great for you. There’s a group in DC, but they’ve mostly been on hiatus this year. I believe there was a ride up in Rockville (?) and you’re welcome to start one in Bethesda. The turnout for Arlington has been awesome.

Oh, and the Arlington rides start somewhere with parking (and either end nearby, or I’ll guide you back), so plenty of people drive to the rides.

[jinomas]

I had a pretty good experience at the Green Commuter. I test rode a Yuba Mundo and also a second-hand hybrid loaded with Xtracycle family accessories. The guy I talked to was sad that I didn’t buy a Yuba from him that day, but once we established I was not not in a hurry to buy even though he was in a hurry to sell, we had pretty good rapport. We mostly talked about family bikes. They had two CETMAs. One they built up with a box and electric assist and the other was a window display. The unbuilt frame was a brightly-colored and attention-grabbing piece of bike art.

[kyleg]

We received our Workcycles Cargobike Long (Bakfiets) back in May and finally got the go-ahead to take our 10-week old out for a ride last week. We’ve been out three times now and he even took a nap on the last, longest ride. I’d love to hear how other parents have installed infant carseats in their baks. We’re using the Workcycles mounting block (essentially a wooden platform bolted through the floor) with a cushion pad on top and the carseat LATCH base strapped on top of it all. It holds the carseat securely, but I’d still like to minimize the vibration a little more. (Of course, the imminent re-paving of the 15th Street Cycletrack ought to help immensely).[ATTACH=CONFIG]3627[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]3632[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]3633[/ATTACH]

[Tim Kelley]

Do you mind sharing a ballpark cost, overall weight of the bike, sizing abilities, and how you think it handles/rides?

[dasgeh]

@kyleg 63073 wrote:

We received our Workcycles Cargobike Long (Bakfiets) back in May and finally got the go-ahead to take our 10-week old out for a ride last week. We’ve been out three times now and he even took a nap on the last, longest ride. I’d love to hear how other parents have installed infant carseats in their baks. We’re using the Workcycles mounting block (essentially a wooden platform bolted through the floor) with a cushion pad on top and the carseat LATCH base strapped on top of it all. It holds the carseat securely, but I’d still like to minimize the vibration a little more. (Of course, the imminent re-paving of the 15th Street Cycletrack ought to help immensely).[ATTACH=CONFIG]3627[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]3632[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]3633[/ATTACH]

CONGRATULATIONS! Isn’t it fun?

Our baby is a bit older — almost 10 months now, about 7.5 when we got our bakfiets (the bakfiets.nl from Rolling Orange – yes, we sprang for e-assist). We strapped the base of our Graco carseat into the box of the bakfiets by using a strap threaded through the two holes in the bottom front of the box. The seat just snaps in and out. We haven’t had issues with vibration, but if we did, we’d just put a blanket under the carseat base and maybe let some air out of the tires.

You should come out to Kidical Mass Arlington (though I understand that’s a tall ask). Next ride is Sunday, September 15th. I’m reconning the route tonight!

[Author]

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