Please advise
Due to a recent string of legal victories and the sale of most of his bicycles at yesterday’s GABA Bike Swap, tucsonbikelawyer is flush with cash. And he wants a new bike.
Both of the bikes I am looking at are, in my view, hugely overpriced (as well as being just darn expensive to begin with). But I need a bike I can ride to court in a suit without tearing the cuffs and getting my tie caught in the front brake. In short, I need, yes need, something like this:
But my friend Dwight over at World’s Best Bike Stickers says I have a moral obligation to buy one of these:
He says that only by riding a bike like the one above can I fulfill my duties to make Tucson and the world a better place for bike riders. He points out that since I make my living off the pain and suffering of cyclists who have been injured by cars, I owe it to them to illustrate to Tucson that cars are unnecessary and dumb. And the only way to do that is by riding the above bicycle everywhere I go. I can ride it in a suit and make a statement at the same time. And, it’s really, really cool.
It also costs $3,000.00. A small matter to Dwight, who doesn’t have to pay for the thing. Also, it’s eight feet long. Where would I keep such a thing?
–Erik Ryberg
April 20th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Erik, you might consider the CETMA cargo bike. Lane is working on a box for it and it might come out cheaper, depending on parts and how much you have/do yourself. Also, made in OR– Doug.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:45 am
I vote for Bike A. Much more stylish. The average driver probably wouldn’t imagine converting to Bike B, but would certainly feel Monkey-See-Monkey-Do feelings of envy and longing upon seeing Bike A.
But if you really really want that big weird bike, go make yourself happy! I propose taking the Mercedes, getting a welding torch, gutting the thing, and making a bike garage out if it. This elegant solution makes a statement and solves your storage problem.
April 20th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
“But I need a bike I can ride to court in a suit without tearing the cuffs and getting my tie caught in the front brake.”
Walk (it’s not that far).
Or wear a bow tie or a long tie with a stylish tie clip and fashion some trouser protectors (easy to do with wire shirt hangers or with electrical tape and velcro)
Or just walk…
Sheesh…
See, Red Star saved you 3k…
April 20th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
You might check out Joe Bike in Portland, which is importing bikes from Asia and converting them into well-spec’d Bakfiets-on-a-Budget.
http://www.joe-bike.com/
$1,200 for a cargo bike w/ box that’s a dead-ringer for a $3k Bakfiets. $750 for a Flying Pigeon city bike w/ Nexus 7 or 8 speed internal hub.
April 20th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
I vote for the second one – it comes with a built-in casket which should save you (or your next of kin) some dough in the small but very real chance you get splattered on the streets of Tucson.
April 20th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Here’s another Bakfiets clone: http://hpm.catoregon.org/?page_id=7
Feed the end of your tie through the space between a couple of buttons in your shirt. As for your pants, wear an ankle strap: http://www.rei.com/product/631128
April 20th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Janet– Alas, the Mercedes is gone. I gave it to a client who got creamed in a hit and run with no witnesses. He was afraid to ride his bike anymore and was all but penniless after the multiple surgeries to get his broken bones back together.
Red Star– I do walk to court more often than not, but biking would be better. And, there are other places I sometimes need to go. I teach at the law school, for example, and want to ride a bike there.
Aaron– I actually have checked out Joe Bike and even wrote about them a while back. Unfortunately the Flying Pigeon bikes, which I would otherwise buy in a second, are too small for me. I’m 6′4″.
EBR
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Bwaa-ha-haaa! Lawyer-see, lawyer-do! Eric, you fashion slave.
Just buy the one you want to be seen on, because…
“I need a bike I can ride to court in a suit without tearing the cuffs and getting my tie caught in the front brake”
If that were really the driving factor, then pretty much *any* bike would do after the installation of a chainguard and full fenders. For the $$ you’d spend to import a beautiful off-the-shelf boat-anchor, you could have one of the local builders make you a much lighter hub-geared, fully-fendered useful bike you can pedal faster than 8mph.
April 22nd, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Hey Scott,
You are partially right. But I’ve looked into that and it isn’t working. Finding the full chain guard is harder than you think, and building a bike with those components may be more expensive than you are calculating. These bikes are both equipped with 7 speed internal hubs and magnetos that power front and rear lights. Individually that stuff adds up really fast.
I currently ride an old Raleigh three-speed and it works pretty well, but does not have the full chainguard and I have the dry-cleaning bills to prove it. It’s also too small. I am 6′4″ and have a hard time finding upright bikes that fit me.
But yes, at bottom it is of course all about style. And a desire to provide an example for others that they can ride a bike in their work-clothes, too, if they want to.
EBR
April 23rd, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Have you checked the Bisbee Bicycle Brothel lately? Anything commonly found on a bike from the 40s or 50s is just the sort of thing Ken might have stashed in a box somewhere. Otherwise, it’s really a simple shape, cut/fold/tape one out of cardboard to fit your bike, then flatten it back out, trace it onto sheet metal, and go for it. If you’re not handy with a hacksaw, file, rubber hammer, and hand drill; Tucson has several sheet-metal shops that will be happy to cut-n-brake for you – I recommend The Metal Man. Less “classic” looking, but lighter and less rattley is the same thing epoxied together out of thin sheets of lexan plastic that you can get at most hardware stores. Internally geared hubs may be best for this, but you can still make an effective full chainguard that will work just fine with a rear derailleur set-up, as long as you run a single front ring.
And since LEDs have become cheap and plentiful, I don’t even see the point of magneto lights anymore – if you’re going to limit yourself to last century’s technology, why not go all the way and use a candle lantern?
Of course I’m speaking as a practical engineer, and not somebody who even pretends to possess any sense of style, but I just don’t understand the appeal of those Dutch tanks. Have a nice useful frame made to your size that will accommodate either hub-gear or rear derailleur, racks, fenders, and a custom chainguard; add remaining components to your taste, and get *your* bike – not a conduit special designed for some Dutch guy from the 1940s. Unless maybe you’re really some Dutch guy from the 1940s.
April 24th, 2009 at 11:16 am
And we return again to the old style vs. substance divide, the enduring battle between the romantic and the pragmatic. Why do so many disagreements boil down to this? Cf. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
I don’t need to get anywhere quickly. If I did I’d probably drive more. Nor do I care how much my bike weighs — or even notice, really. And I hate fussing with batteries. They always seem to go bad right around dark. And then you have to throw them away. Or worse, you have to schlepp them around from one recharger to the next. I’d much rather pay the weight and rolling resistance fee to never have to worry about them.
I like the upright position, like God intended. But those so-called “comfort” bikes made by Breezer and the like are dreadfully ugly contraptions to me.
So I defend the romantic impulse. To me it is all that separates us from the robots. And I’ll probably buy bike number 1, once I get over the sticker shock. The main reason I pick it over the bakfiets is I don’t have space in my apartment to store the bakfiets. Sorry Dwight!
–EBR
April 24th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Bike #1!
Paulus’ parents are genuine Dutch people from the 1940s. Opa wooed Oma on a just such a bike. They’re still kind to each other, and still biking…..They went back to Holland every year into their 80s and rode bikes all summer, hundreds of miles.
Is that romantic or pragmatic?
I prefer situations where that line is blurred.
April 24th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
If I see you riding around dressed like this (http://www.tucsonbikelawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/16codes-190.jpg) I promise to laugh!
April 28th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Having ridden both these bikes, I suggest the first bike. The bakfiets is very convenient and carries lots of stuff but really doesn’t handle very well without at least 30 pounds of stuff in the bin. Since I usually carry at least one kid with me this is not an issue for me.
April 29th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
May I suggest:
-The Novara Fusion, which goes for about $1000, has generator lights, and really only needs a chainguard to do everything you need;
-The Civia Hyland, another commuter bike that comes with everything you need (chainguard too!)
Or, for the Bakfiets, take a look at the CetmaRacks cargo bike :
http://cetmacargo.com/
It’s supposed to be lighter and stronger than the bakfiets, and MSRP for a full bike is something like $1800. Plus, it’s handmade in the US! Granted, you’ll need a chainguard, fenders and a generator, but you’ll still come out ahead of the bakfiets, and IMHO with a nicer bike too.
April 29th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Erik, bike #1 for sure. That’s a sexy bike! & it’ll be too much of a pain to park bike #2 when you are rushing to court. I’ve gotten accustomed to 3 point turns and limited parking options with the longbike (it’s one of the few disadvantages).
Red Star, walking is way too primitive. We avoid it at all costs.
May 22nd, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Don’t hesitate. Get bike #1 – I have an Azor Transport from Dutch Bike Seattle and love it more than any other bike I’ve had. You’re hearing a lot of very valid perspectives here in the comments, and there are other lighter domestic options (ANT Boston Roadster, etc), but the Dutch bikes come stock with everything you want, and the one you and I like has what very few US bikes have – a *frame-mounted* (not porteur) front rack, which makes hauling big loads up front possible with minimal effect on handling.
Sure, you can weld one on (check Dreadnought 2.0 for an nicer example of this – http://www.rideyourbike.com/dreadnought2.html), but the Azor Tranport is more elegant. The weight has not been as much of an issue as most US riders assume, although on big hills you certainly feel it, and you will be more leisurely paced than many. Ask about “Seattle gearing” if things are not pretty flat where you are. And ziptie some big ‘ol basket (wicker, Wald, whatever) to that front rack!
May 23rd, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Check these chainguards – http://www.velo-orange.com/postch.html. And the VO custom city bike is to drool for.
I rode an oma in portland. Very calm and elegant feeling.
May 23rd, 2009 at 12:46 pm
VO city bike – there may be something to this low trail thing.
http://www.velo-orange.com/vogecibifr.html
http://ep.yimg.com/ip/I/yhst-84224226242177_2054_18372400
October 30th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
I have a bakfiets cargo bike and live here in Tucson. I would highly recommend it. Anyone can come test drive it if they like.
jkevincoffin@gmail.com