Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Trash Bike

I've seen this bike a couple of times parked, and once or twice when I couldn't get a decent photo of it,  but I finally had a chance to watch it go past me and then follow it for a block or so.

I was surprised it wasn't noticeably stinky- riding behind a trash truck is normally a nightmare on a hot day.  


DIY mudflaps/  fender extensions

I think that this kind of bike-truck makes a lot of sense for a dense urban area.  It can carry a lot, has no emissions, and most importantly can fit in a very small parking spot/ tight streets and alleys.   One of my pet peeves are delivery companies that send 18 wheelers into dense urban areas.   With their wheel size and huge blind spots, they're incredibly dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists.
I would love to see more businesses doing "last mile" delivery with bikes or hand carts like this.


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10 comments:

  1. Astroluc (Find me on Tumblr and Instagram @Astroluc)July 3, 2012 at 1:06 PM

    not only that, but they are way too loud... I am sure this bike is a whisper in comparison.

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  2. Recycle A. TronJuly 3, 2012 at 3:06 PM

    Awesome idea. I wonder what his services are and what kind of fees are involved.

    ReplyDelete
  3. cyclerJuly 3, 2012 at 5:20 PM

    They're under contract to the city of Cambridge- you can find some info here:
    http://www.cambridgema.gov/citynewsandpublications/news/2011/08/improvedrecyclingprogramforcambridgeparks.aspx

    and here:http://metropedalpower.com/metropedalpower/?s=cambridge+recycling

    ReplyDelete
  4. MarkJuly 3, 2012 at 6:27 PM

    That's so cool. Sometimes the wackiness of government here in the People's Republic is a good sort of wacky...

    Really makes sense though....

    ReplyDelete
  5. Steve AJuly 3, 2012 at 11:42 PM

    One wonders, however, what the fender extensions do other than keep mud off the blue paint. I can't help it - it's an "engineer" thing...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. cyclerJuly 4, 2012 at 9:01 AM

      I thought it was concern for people who might be riding right behind. There must have been a problem, as they didn't do them for aesthetic reasons

      Delete
  6. TrevorW�� July 4, 2012 at 8:11 AM

    What a brilliant idea....!

    -Trevor

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  7. Tuk-TukJuly 4, 2012 at 12:53 PM

    Brilliant, indeed! What a practical, clever, approach, and a perfect model for those "last mile" deliveries for nearly everything. Maybe there's a serious business opportunity here for a forward-thinking entrepreneur.

    ReplyDelete
  8. MoopheusJuly 5, 2012 at 1:05 PM

    The types of stores that get delivery by 18-wheeler (supermarkets, big-box chain stores like Target and Home Despot) are unlikely to change any time soon. The quantity of material they need to move is just too large. Smaller retail stores are the ones taking street-level delivery from panel vans, and those are the ones usually blocking the bike lanes.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dog Friendly DallasJuly 7, 2012 at 3:38 PM

    It looks like it might be a recycling dumpster so maybe that's why it wasn't stinky?

    ReplyDelete

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