My Mundo Re-Design 4.0 – Slimmer Storage w/ Insulated Cargo Bags, Costco-trip-certified!

 

Well, it’s been about 6 months since I overhauled the storage systems on our Yuba Mundo cargo bike, so–whether it’s a sign of my creativity or a symptom of my inability to leave well enough alone (probably the latter)–I have redone our blue beast, making it lighter and slimmer and (hopefully) just as useful.

The white IKEA plastic bag holders that used to be in back are now up front where a basket would be on a normal bike.  If this is your first time seeing these odd contraptions on a bicycle, then I will exhort you to get a pair of them, post haste.  They continue to be quite useful, no matter where they’re placed, especially with the children riding with me.  Sweatshirts, hats, snack cups, water bottles, bananas, Clif Bars, you name it–if you need quick access to something that’s not huge or heavy, then these long beauties are for you.  Plus, at $1.99, they’re the accessory that gives you the most bang for the buck.

The large pannier buckets I mounted at the rear of the running boards, under the peanut shell child seat (and–before that–up front under the handlebars where the top tube and downtube meet) are now gone.  I took them off when I took part in a 40-mile rac–with my girls co-piloting from the rear deck–a couple weeks ago (a post retelling the tale is forthcoming, as soon as I get some more photos).  I just wasn’t in the mood to put them back on after getting used to riding around without banging into things, especially the basement door frame.  By the way, look how casual my little guy is, taking in the view at Target…the crossed legs crack me up.

Here’s an average haul at Trader Joe’s for us, and it takes up about one of the new bags which, again, are INSULATED!

I realized that I sort of wanted a pair of slings, like the awesome Carsick Designs MONDO SLING (made here in Sacramento!), or something like Yuba’s own GO-GETTER saddle bags…but I’ve heard conflicting amounts of praise for the Go-Getters, and–even though I plan on one day investing in a pair of Mondo Slings–I’m not ready to put two slings on the bike while I still have the three kiddos climbing on and off so much.

So, in the back of my mind, I’ve been half-heartedly keeping an eye out for some large sturdy bags I can plop on and off of the running boards to see how I really like riding with my cargo in those spots, as opposed to up front or way back.

Then, when I had to run into a Whole Foods off the freeway in hopes of avoiding a potty-related accident with our little guy, I spied their large INSULATED MESSENGER BAG, and was sold.  It has a really sturdy strap, puffy insulated lining, and front and rear pockets good for water bottles, snacks and tchotchkes.  The big selling point, though?  They’re $7.49 each.  Yep…I got a pair for under $16.  If I got a pair of Go-Getter bags (and, granted, they have more features and are nice in their own right) I’d be out about $260.  So, I figure I can try these for the cost of 7 cups of coffee and avoid experimenting with something a dozen times the cost.

 

Since I took the big buckets off, I was riding at quite a cargo-carrying deficit for a week, which felt quite strange.  More than strange, though, I realized quickly that I needed to get that capacity back, because there’s just as much stuff to haul as ever with less room than before (as the kids continue to grow like very, very cute weeds).  I had gotten used to riding a bulkier bike (which was totally fine), but I was ready for a lighter riding experience and wanted to be able to just take my cargo and go straight inside the house without repacking things from the buckets or taking a couple armful loads back and forth from bike to home.  As much as I don’t miss driving my car into the garage every day, the simplicity of just going inside as quickly as possible with my bags and three small kids (especially in the cold or rain) was something I lamented a bit.

I took some wire shelving I had laying around the basement, bent it into an L shape and easily fastened it to the Mundo’s running boards with 2 nuts, bolts and washers.  This wire rack keeps the bag from sliding or falling off the running boards with minimal weight and drag.  I added a caribener to each rack as an extra little measure to keep each bag in place.  So far, zero problems with the bag moving.

 

Just in time for us to FINALLY get some rain, (long may it last!), it is nice to pop into the house quickly with my haul.  Also, it’s nice to bring one or both of the bags into a store with me, as needed, without having to repack out at the bike rack.

The first major test of the redesign has been passed: a run to COSTCO.  The other blue bag is, indeed, on the left side of the bike, but you can’t see it with the IKEA plastic bag holders and my tin can music amplifier hogging that side of the shot.  The bags held up great holding a decent-sized Costco load (although, having most of the rear deck free for a big box of stuff helped, too), especially since I had 3 large bags of organic frozen blueberries in there.

And even though (as the above photo can attest) gas is–for now–under $3 for the first time in a long time, I still prefer the $0.00 per gallon cost of riding my Mundo.

 

 

Big Turnout for Nov. Kidical Mass ride

Our Sacramento Kidical Mass ride this last Saturday was quite an enjoyable success.  About 70 folks, representing all age groups and almost every kind of pedaled conveyance, converged outside of Practical Cycle in Old Sac with donations for Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services in tow.

It’s a good thing that Old Sacramento doesn’t begin to fill up with revelers and tourists until around lunchtime, because we turned most of J St. into two- (and three-) wheeled parking lot!

After a nice time of kibitzing, perusing, and trying out each other’s bikes, our motley crew got into formation and slowly trickled out of Old Sac to make our way through Downtown to our final destination in Midtown.

Old Sacramento’s Wild West-themed buildings and characters (heavy on old-timey gunslingers and “ladies of the evening”) were an odd backdrop for our pedal-powered wagon train. We passed a group of Harley riders on our way toward Midtown and–while they may be far more intimidating–we had them beat in the numbers department.

Past the beautiful Sacramento River, over the freeway and into Downtown we cruised, thankful that the week’s intense winds had taken a siesta.  (Earlier in the week, it was quite possible that gale-force winds, as well as rain, would be our cycling companions).  Not only was the weather not to be contended with, but traffic was non-existent, too, which is always nice.

Longtail bikes, bucket bikes, and road bikes, OH MY!

Either the denizens of Midtown were all asleep, or our dinging bells, penchant for fluorescent orange, and intimidating average speed of 9 MPH sent them scurrying indoors.

Me and my best gal, with donation bags in tow and an industrial carafe of coffee sitting in Little Brother’s seat.

We arrived–safe and sound with our peloton intact–at Edible Pedal in Midtown.  We transferred our clothing and food donations from the bikes to the big blue barrels from SFBFS, then enjoyed some more time to swap stories, ideas and advice (I picked up a few helpful tips for winter riding and more than a few ideas for future customizing projects).

Thankfully, Edible Pedal is located in an alley with a bare minimum of car traffic, as we claimed almost every square foot of asphalt for bike parking.

These, and other barrels, fit just right on one of Edible Pedal’s Cycletrucks.

Special thanks to Elle and everyone at Sac Kidical Mass, Practical Cycle, Edible Pedal, Old Soul Co., and Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, and all the riders and helpers for a wonderful time benefiting a wonderful cause.

SFBFS Food & Clothing Donation Ride 11/23–Sac Kidical Mass

• Join our group ride for the young, old & in-between!
• Collect donations for Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services to benefit those in need!
• Enjoy goodies & treats to fuel you up!
• Check out & demo our crazy array of cargo bikes!
• Make some new friends & support a good cause!
• Lions, Tigers, & Bears, oh my! (not really)

For this month’s Sacramento Kidical Mass, we’re riding to collect donations for Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services Sat, Nov. 23rd. We will be gathering at Practical Cycle in Old Sacramento around 10am where we’ll have cargo bike demos and treats to start the ride. Around 11am, we’ll set off towards Edible Pedal, picking up donations along the way from special designated locations. Total ride distance will be approximately 3 miles.

Please bring a donation of food or warm clothing for the food bank.
All children under 18 need to wear a helmet and adults are greatly encouraged to wear one as well. We will be following the rules of the road as we ride.

Our “SCHOOL BUS” v2.0

With the new school year, new growth spurts, and increased ability to bike for the long haul, it was time for a major overhaul of our Yuba Mundo.

Gone are the twin Peanut Shell seats taking up the whole rear deck (where the girls sat) and the large Yepp seat for our now-not-so-little boy that dominated the handlebar area up front.  He now sits in one of the Peanut Shells in the back while the girls sit on the deck and hold onto the new Yuba Monkey Bars.

The girls like the bigger-kid feel of being less strapped in (as we’ve already seen demonstrated by our other Mundo-riding friends whose kids sit on the back without Peanut Shells), and Big Boy has a bigger seat now that doesn’t swivel.

So far, so good…everybody is enjoying the ride (including Dad, who doesn’t have to work as hard at the pedals!)

                              Our newly reconfigured “Bus” has less weight and wind-drag, and the steering is easier now that big boy is sitting in a peanut shell in the back (instead of on the stem up front)

Both girls fit on the front half of the rear deck and are pretty secure, thanks to our new Yuba Monkey Bars.  This lightweight trapezoidal frame spans the entire deck and has additional interior bars that can be adjusted to various widths.  If the back peanut shell seat wasn’t there, we’d use the longer interior bars and move the middle bar to the rear.  In that configuration, you could get 4 kids on the back!  (instead of buying a pricier seat like Yuba’s Soft Spot–which is a nice product, no doubt–I used two $3 IKEA seat cushions I had in the basement…voila!)

Since Big Boy and I are riding around a lot, I figured it was necessary to pack a diaper-changing kit.  However, I didn’t want it to take up room in the panniers, so I used a Band-Aid multi-bandage pack from Costco and bolted it onto the downtube using the braze-ons that used to attach to the water bottle cage.  Thankfully, we haven’t yet had a diaper blow-out, but I figure that day will likely come!

Big Boy now sits in one of the awesome Peanut Shell seats that his big sisters had.  Since their size and weight are greater, they’re closer to the middle of the bike, while he sits in back.  He’s still within arm’s reach for me, and I can see him clearly in my side mirror.  I attached a RayShade UV Protective Stroller Cover ($5 each) over top, and used one of our umbrella stroller shades as a collapsible windshield and snack/toy protector, (which clipped onto the Monkey Bars)

Of course, cup holders are a must for drinks and snacks.  I put four up front: two water bottle cages down low where the cross bar and downtube meet, one water bottle cage on the handlebar, and a coffee cup holder I made for about $1.50 out of a plastic c-clamp and a mostly-used-up roll of packing tape (much cheaper and less attractive to thieves than the fancy chrome or brass coffee cup holders)

I wanted a lightweight storage solution up front that would create minimal drag and would be large enough to hold the girls’ full-sized backpacks.  I put a front rack above the wheel and attached some standard panniers to it.  On top of the rack I put an old black rubber coated wire basket I had in the basement, and attached to them 4 shelves from a black rubber coated wire shelf system (like you’d find at an office store) with some zip ties.

I used a pair of IKEA Vairera plastic bag dispensers ($1.99/each) for super lightweight “umbrella/clothing/random junk” holders.  They’re the perfect width and height to sit at the back of the running boards, just under the Peanut Shell.  These are especially handy for stowing sweatshirts, scarves, and other clothes for when the weather changes mid-ride.

So, that’s our new and improved “Bus.” We think it will be as reliable as it’s namesake, if not more fun and environmentally friendly.  Oh, and it hasn’t been accumulating unidentifiable grime and smells since the Reagan Administration.

Wall Street Journal article re: Cargo Bikes

Cargo Bikes: The New Station Wagon

Cargo bikes are winning over casual and avid cyclists alike with one supersize feature: the ability to haul it all—from the groceries to the family that eats them

By Tom Vanderbilt

Updated July 5, 2013 11:41 p.m. ET

ON A RECENT SUNDAY, Brandon Jones, a 44-year-old fund manager at 9W Capital Management, traveled from his home in downtown Manhattan with his wife and two children to meet friends for brunch in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They were heading to Reynard, the popular restaurant in the neighborhood’s fashionable Wythe Hotel, where Manhattan-bound Town Cars regularly idle on the street outside.

But Mr. Jones did not drive. Nor did he take the subway. Instead, he piloted his two children via the deck of his Yuba Mundo, a so-called “longtail” cargo bike. (His wife rode her own bike.) Picture a mountain bike, but with a stouter frame and smaller wheels, stretched out and lowered in the back. “We actually beat our friends who drove back to TriBeCa,” Mr. Jones said. While Mr. Jones does garage a BMW X5 SUV, his car rarely sees daylight within the city limits. Rather, for daily trips like the mile-and-a-half commute from TriBeCa to his children’s school in Greenwich Village, he simply hops on another kind of SUV—one that actually includes a bit of sport.

Mr. Jones’s choice is becoming an increasingly popular one in the U.S. The country’s biggest seller of the Yuba Mundo is Joe Bike, a Portland, Ore., store specializing in “high-performance urban, utility and touring bikes.” The owner, Joe Doebele, said that when he began carrying cargo bikes—a catchall term covering a variety of bike styles built for functional hauling—five years ago, he thought they would be for just that, cargo. “But parents, mostly moms, were the ones who were buying them,” he said. “It quickly became a family bike.”

Mr. Doebele attributes the interest to Portland’s “mini baby boom” and the fact that many young families are choosing to stay in cities like Portland instead of moving to the suburbs—not to mention higher gas prices.

Kidical Mass — Park + Doughbot Ride! [Pt. 2]

Here are some more pictures from this past Saturday’s Kidical Mass ride from Grant Park in Midtown to Doughbot and Southside Park.  I thought I’d include some shots of the awesome bikes other people are making/riding…look for these rides and their happy owners as you cruise around town.

Elle’s Bullitt bike is very, very cool…and useful! It has to be, because she and her kids puts an amazing amount of miles on it!

Anna’s awesome Yuba Mundo! This was the very first Yuba I every saw, and Anna was very kind to tell me all about it and encourage me in getting one. Her custom basket liner and nicely appointed seat post handlebars are just two of it’s many nice touches.

Keith’s amazing box bike. Yes, he freaking built this thing! I aspire to be one-fifth as handy as he.

Seth’s Dutch Bike has long been one of my very favorites. I love that it’s classic and classy, but also that he’s built awesome additions like a sweet lightweight canopy and super useful kitty litter panniers for the back.

This sleek, eye-catching bike really does the job without being a behemoth like my Mundo. Check out the cool black downtube saddle for the little one–I didn’t even see it at first!