Sunday, August 11, 2013

The Hungry Hungry Bakfiets

I was fortunate enough to be able to flag down the family riding with this bike past the shop.  I was curious what brand of bakfiets this was, since I didn't recognize it.  With good reason it turns out, because it was built by its rider after looking at lots of other bakfietsen.   At first he just had a flat platform to which he fastened a child seat, but last winter he built the fabulous box with a caterpillar theme from the Hungry Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.  








Posted by at

13 comments:

  1. ian_rm27August 11, 2013 at 5:07 PM

    I'm speechless. Beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ConnieAugust 11, 2013 at 5:27 PM

    So awesome! What is the box made of? The 'caterpillar' is so detailed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CyclerAugust 13, 2013 at 6:13 PM

      The box itself is plywood, but the "caterpillar" relief sections are styrofoam, carved to have the right contours, and then painted.

      Delete
  3. aem2August 12, 2013 at 8:43 AM

    That is fabulous.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownAugust 12, 2013 at 7:33 PM

    I saw that bike a few weeks ago while rushing someplace, it was just a glance and I thought that the box was made from green painted fence pickets; the reality is so much nicer!
    Very impressive homebuild.
    Mark

    ReplyDelete
  5. New England BicyclistAugust 12, 2013 at 9:49 PM

    Nice. I've seen this and it's wonderful and incredibly well built. I didn't get the Eric Carle reference on my own but it works.

    ReplyDelete
  6. JeshiiAugust 25, 2013 at 10:45 PM

    hahaha, love the Baby on board sign! I should get one of those!

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousAugust 28, 2013 at 12:28 PM

    Brilliant! This child will grown up with an even great love of bikes - and books!

    ReplyDelete
  8. QuincyclistAugust 28, 2013 at 4:35 PM

    Just saw it turn from Kilby street onto State Street in Boston and park in front of 53 State. The "Baby on Board" sign was, for the nonce, out of place though.

    ReplyDelete
  9. MarkAugust 29, 2013 at 2:00 PM

    I guess no front brake isn't too bad except that you only have one brake. And given the setup of the rear cantilever, it doesn't look that powerful.

    I also wonder how well the front shock works with varying weights and distribution in the box.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownAugust 30, 2013 at 10:54 PM

      Yes Mark, the lack of a front brake is suboptimal, and I've thought several times about installing it (it's a rather trivial thing after having done all the other work), but the truth is that the rear brake has proven sufficient throughout the past year that I've been riding it since I built it. It is also true that I ride it in a very non-agressive mode since I'm conscious all the time about the precious cargo I carry in it. So I compensate the lack of front brake with prudent driving, if that makes any sense. I may get to it some day...

      The front shock was suggested to me by an experienced bike builder, and I blindly incorporated that piece of advice. I don't really have an opinion one way or another because I haven't had the chance to ride other cargo bikes. I can say though that I am satisfied, and that the biggest load I've carried for several miles was close to 65kg (150lbs) and manoeuvrability was much harder, but that comes as no surprise; I experienced nothing particular in regards to the shock.

      Delete
  10. UnknownAugust 30, 2013 at 10:43 PM

    Hi there! I happen to be the proud builder and owner of this bike. I have tried to document some of the building process (by no means exhaustive!) and some of the key insights on this site: http://victorgrau.net/caterpike (still somewhat behind, and still some ideas pending to incorporate), but the most important thing thus far is that my son truly loves riding it, and we both feel safe doing so.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Instep Sync Bicycle TrailerSeptember 6, 2013 at 12:36 PM

    It has an awesome design and friendly colors for kids. This bike is a good option for the young children, surely they will enjoy the ride.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)