The Car-Replacement Bicycle (The Bakfiets)
youtube.com
youtube.com
My brother-in-law recently got an electric scooter for his work commute. I did the math, and at current gas prices and electricity prices, it saves him $4 a day in fuel, plus another $10 for parking, plus wear and tear on his high-end sports car. With three days a week in the office, without selling the car, the e-scooter pays for itself in less than four months, and the commute time is the same. And, when he does get in his car, it's not to go sit in traffic going to work, so he actually gets more enjoyment out of his nice car.
My kid just learned to ride a bicycle (without training wheels, going straight from balance bike to pedal bike) at 3½ years of age, so in a while he can ride along with us instead of being carried. (The perks of living in the Netherlands I guess.)
Yes, this seems ideal to me. A bakfiets seems like it wouldn't handle that well, especially around the tight 180 degree corners that many paths near me have. Also they are probably too wide to ride in our narrow bike lanes, especially the two-way cycletracks where it would be a nuisance for cyclists going the opposite direction.
> (The perks of living in the Netherlands I guess.)
Undoubtedly. My city in the US is constantly hailed as one of the most bikeable in the country, which is probably true by many metrics, but I think you'd have to be mad to let a child under, say, 14 years old, ride further than a friend's house a couple blocks away here, and certainly not across any major roads. The actual bike infrastructure, such as it is, is pretty scary for most adults who aren't hardcore cyclists. Well, as a hardcore cyclist, it is often still pretty scary for me, but I'm also a hardcore ideologue so I have to do it. In contrast, in my suburban childhood, it was possible to bike to places miles away safely, though that was only because they had accidentally built sidewalks that nobody ever used, so we just used those as our bike lanes. Here in the city, actual pedestrians are trying to use the too-narrow sidewalks, so they can't be relied on for burgeoning cyclists who aren't yet strong and savvy enough to brave the roads.
Be careful not to tip it on the first corner. You have to actively steer it, rather than just leaning. I assume people get used to it, but I didn't really like riding one.
With three wheels these obviously aren't bicycles.
Perhaps someone Dutch can correct me if I'm wrong, but from my understanding, bakfiets is Dutch for a bin-in-the-front style cargo bicycle (Google translates it as "bin bicycle"), and there is also a company that takes its name from this style of bike and makes cargo bikes and trikes in this bin-in-the-front style. I'm referring to the two-wheeled type, ie a bicycle, and I assume everyone else is, since that's what the video is about.
Yes, bakfiets just means "cargo cycle", of any type. The company Bakfiets makes cargo bicycles and cargo tricycles.
I've never ridden a cargo bicycle, so I can't comment on handling or stability. The tricycles are much more common in Copenhagen.
The only thing I'm missing really from tricycles is the canopy, the roof, some of those have. I haven't seen a bakfiets cover high enough for tall-but-young kids, and it's really annoying to resort to ponchos or other garments to keep water away... I'm almost in the mind of building one, if only I was a better woodworker...
Buying my second bakfiets short in 2 days, couldn't be happier to fork the cash over...
Yeah, 3:10 - 3:20.
As for the bakfietsen being used by the more affluent parents: that used to be true but I have a family member that does not qualify as affluent by any stretch of the imagination and their bakfiets is their car replacement (they don't have a car) and that works very well for them. Such cases abound here (in NL), especially if one or more of the adults in a family do not have a driving license, which is more common than you might think.
That said, the e-bike bakfietsen that are top of the range definitely are aimed upmarket but there are plenty of cheaper ones. For many years we used (and still use) a third-hand unpowered bakfiets that we probably put more kilometers on than on most of our other bikes except for my commuter one.
11/12 is indeed the risky age: strong enough to attain appreciable speed, but not smart enough to do so responsibly. One of my kids is right in the danger zone and has so far managed to avoid falling, which probably means that if and when he does it will be bad. I caution him whenever we go cycling together but autumn (wind, leaves) is coming and going home from school is such a motivating thing for him that I can't really get him to slow down. Tricky!
Note that, to my Dutch surprise, bikes are legally obliged to go on sidewalks in many (most?) countries.
The biggest drawback he's found is that the top speed of 19mph is a little limiting on the roads with painted-on bike lanes where he rides, some where the speed limit is 35mph so the speed difference is a little uncomfortable. I think that's a result of many cities restricting personal electric vehicles to conform with the 20mph top speed of a class 2 electric bike, so e-scooter makers just impose the same limit. His city bans rental e-scooters, but doesn't regulate personal e-scooters at all, so he may end up selling it and getting a faster one, or just hacking the controller to raise the speed limiter.
When I was a kid a bakfiets was a huge affair, always three wheeled, essentially a small person powered truck, and in Amsterdam they were super common for people working on the various open air markets and to haul produce and freight all over the city. Specialty versions were used to sell fish and bread from. These were large, with a bed about 1 meter wide, 1.5 meters long and a frame that weighed in at 35 Kg. It wasn't rare at all to see people move house using a bakfiets.
We even had a profession called a 'brugop', someone who helps heavily loaded cargo bikes up the (many) bridges because you'd run out of momentum. Typically you'd get a dime for this and lots of kids made spare change doing this, but there were also adults doing it to live off.
Over time, as minivans became more affordable the cargo bikes dropped in popularity, there was a hybrid moped/motorcycle bakfiets for a while and then they disappeared almost completely except as promotional devices or curiosities.
Enter the Danish freezone Christiania where a bunch of artists and other people had the need for a cheap and environmentally friendly form of cargo transportation.
A birthday present started off a trend that spread amongst the bike friendly countries in Western Europe:
These days I would recommend an electric assist version, though our old-skool model helps to keep me fit.
The turning radius is indeed another issue with those, their wheelbase rivals that of a (large) car, and you can't make very sharp turns. Trikes have similar issues, quick corners should be avoided and going downhill you really want to moderate your speed because the tadpole arrangement isn't very stable and it's super easy to flip a bakfiets at high speed.
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_bike#Long_John_bicycle
Just say cargo bike. It's a bad name for a generic term. There is really no need for everything cycling related to be NL related.
Of course you are much more limited on where you live vs where you need to go compared to a car, but the cost difference is so dramatic you can literally afford to move (especially in places where car-parking is not free). But you do need decent biking infrastructure because those things are not drivable in heavy car-traffic streets (especially with children or pets in the basket)
I myself live around 6km from my job and used to take public transportation to work, my (upper-end) e-bike paid itself in 2 years from not needing to pay public transport
I am using a trailer and some front and back panniers instead. It is not entirely as practical as a cargo bike when you need the cargo but it is impressive the amount of shit you can still carry and the trailer is stored when unused.
My e-bike is pretty expensive, but removing the battery, a good lock and insurance let me sleep easily with my bike outside
Although I would say the main reason to NOT leave it outside is rain and snow, it damages the gearbox and chain. If you oil regularly it alleviates the problem a bit
Especially on electric bikes there's a shift towards 'integrated' gearing (either traditional in the back wheel or the new-ish Pinion systems), plus belt drive, which shouldn't have any problem with weather. That plus all bearings being properly sealed these days should make this a whole lot better than it used to. Still using the word 'should' because I don't have any experience myself apart from just riding through rain; I just cannot get over leaving any of my bikes outside, having been raised with strict 'no metal outside' policies :)
E-Bikes without batteries are worth less (to thieves) than normal bikes? Because regular bikes, even very basic models, get stolen all the time.
Stealing a bakfiets is pretty much like stealing a car: you need to have operate in a network to make a profit. Otherwise you are stuck with an expensive stolen bicycle, with the owner very likely trying to track you, and nobody willing to buy it without you proving that you own it.
Cars have just as many, if not more, parts to steal without moving the vehicle.
- bikes aren't registered, very few are marked and second hand buyers never ask for papers and proof of purchase - Locks that can defeat battery power tools for more than a few seconds weight like boat anchors and you wouldn't want them on your bike. - market is such that you can steal a bike and swap it bike for money the same day - it is easy to steal 10-15 bikes, load them into a van and sell them in a city 500km away.
I wish people would stop buying bikes without asking for a proof of purchase. It should be mandatory that any purchase of a bicycle should include a paper with a copy of ID/Passeport and addresses of buyer/seller and the serial number of the frame.
Which means global mamdatory ownership registration.
Having said that it is very easy to steal only a handful of parts with mostly basic tools but I guess we could also have a tool to associate parts with ownership using serial numbers.
The rest is just bandaid.
> Which means global mamdatory ownership registration.
The shop writes the serial number of the bike (stamped on the frame) on the receipt.
If the bike is stolen, the owner reports the number to the police. The police can check any bike in their database of stolen bikes [1].
People purchasing second hand bikes will be wary if the seller doesn't have the original receipt. They can also check the frame numbers in the police database [1].
[1] https://politi.dk/cykler-og-koeretoejer/tjek-om-en-cykel-ell...
In addition to the legal framework mentioned in a previous comment, cars are insured. Most bicycles are not.
I'm not sure about the availability of bicycle insurance worldwide, but in the Netherlands you will typically also buy an insurance plan if your bicycle costs more than a few hundreds of €.
Stealing a car is an order of magnitude more difficult than stealing a bike. A bike can be stolen in seconds (even with the best locks). Stealing a locked car with modern anti-theft protection will likely take minutes for even the most skilled thief.
I'm not sure what you mean by locks at bike parking spaces, the lock comes with the bicycle, doesn't it? All you need is something to attach it to. I've parked my bike in the more criminal neighbourhoods by locking the in-frame lock to make sure the back wheel doesn't go and by snaking my chain lock through the frame and my front wheel so they can't take the rest.
There are places (notably train stations) here where you can pay a small fee or a subscription to store your bike in a locker. Seems like a decent idea to me it you live in an area where simple bike locks aren't an option.
I've never lost a bike that was locked. Even the crappiest lock has protected me in the center of Amsterdam. I've used a lock that you could probably cut with paper scissors to protect my retro racing bike. Often not even attached to a pole or anything.
I'd almost blame my lost bikes on myself because the thieves are so consistently preying on my negligence. But F them, it hurt everytime, it's not my fault my head's in the clouds so often.
Maybe we need some kind of smart lock situation, pinging your phone if you leave your bike unlocked when you park it somewhere not near to your home and forget to lock it. No interaction with the lock itself, just a quick notification. You can probably use Google's location stalking API to detect biking and then have an app listen for a lock ping over Bluetooth LE or whatever so the lock doesn't even need to track state or contain location hardware.
(In Denmark; might not apply everywhere.)
They were a niche gadget before electrification went mainstream, but today, I really urge you to give it a try by renting one for a couple of days, it makes life more enjoyable in my experience, beyond the money saved.
But these mini electric vehicles remove a lot of reasons for those who don't want the physical exertion but would still be willing to drop their car. And the more such people there are, the more it is easy to make our cities bike/walk friendly.
That's not to say I hate bikes now. They are great for getting around the city when the weather is nice. They are also great for sport. But really get a license and a car the day you turn 18 if you can afford it.
There are better hopes for the environment too (ie electric scooters + public transport and electric cars/motorcycles, synthetic diesel fuel).
From another Dutchie: get better friends
>some trauma from biking through a cloud of exhaust in Rotterdam
Now you are providing that trauma to others. At least drive something electric if you live in the city. It will be mandatory within cities soon anyway.
>Turns out cars are the bikes I always wanted.
Even in Rotterdam, if everyone switches to a car, it wouldn't fit. The only reason you find it pleasant to drive is because others aren't.
>There are better hopes for the environment too (ie electric scooters + public transport and electric cars/motorcycles, synthetic diesel fuel).
Yes to the first, but cars are too big by default. People should not own a car when living in a city. They should rent one on the days they need it.
It's not just the space the car takes when you drive it. It's the space it takes when you park it. Go visit places where everyone takes the car. Everything is far apart because it's separated by oceans of parking. The average US city ends up dedicating more space to parking than to everything else combined.
And yes, public transit is a great alternative, but only works with a minimum amount of population density, which cities indeed do have. But even in villages people should go at least electric, and the center should be car free, so it becomes a destination for people. No one wants to eat out next to a parking lot.
I love how you guys are just crazy honest with each other.
> I totally put myself at a social disadvantage to the point where I think I would have been held in much higher regard if I had had one before.
Get better friends and colleagues. Nobody bats an eyelash at my not owning a car, despite having a toddler and being a homeowner. It's completely normal in the Netherlands for city dwellers.
(I got my Dutch drivers licence at 18, drove a car for a few years, but haven't had a car for over two decades now. There's no point in it.)
Also, I have used my bike a lot in my teens and liked it in a suburban/small town environment, but hate using it in cities. While there are bike lanes everywhere, they are full of bikes with sometimes insane speed (for a vehicle without air bags) and ignoring both common sense and traffic laws. I don't like the risks associated with it. Once you've reached middle age, every bike accident has a good chance of ruining your life forever...
Lastly, cargo bikes are used for much more than just transporting kids, it isn't rare at all to see them used to haul groceries in quantities that would never fit in pannier bags. My s.o. vastly prefers the cargo bike over her regular bike with heavy loads, both for stability and for hauling capacity, even if it is a bit slower than the regular one.
Five to six year olds are the hard case: technically too large for a regular bike seat, but too young to be in traffic. Having two of these quickly maxes out the carrying capacity of a normal bike, and when parents 'bikepool' taking neighbours kids along to school you regularly see a parent with up to four kids in a cargo bike, a feat you'd never manage on a regular bike.
As for the SUV: those things shouldn't be in city traffic to begin with.
Still better than cars though, maybe I should just take a car spot...
That's exactly what I do when I use the cargo bike. Usually when I come back there is another one using the same spot :)
I'm hoping for this to be institutionalized where car parking slowly gets transferred into permitted bike parking.
Most of the time I see people carry a single child or a bag of goods at best. Quite similar to how often people use SUVs for actual offroad riding, like never. Don't get me wrong, if you are transporting stuff on a daily basis these are great. But it seems for the majority of time a normal bike plus backpack or child seat would have been sufficient.