Re: [workbike] opinions wanted

-----Original Message-----
From: Easy Living Services <ezliving@execpc.com>
To: workbike@ihpva.org <workbike@ihpva.org>
Date: Friday, October 15, 1999 9:06 AM
Subject: [workbike] opinions wanted


>Workbikers - If one is looking for the ultimate delivery /
utilitarian /
>multi purpose bicycle, which is better, a two or three
wheeled vehicle?
>I have been using two wheels with trailers for about 10
years. I also
>own a fleet of pedicabs. I am looking for some feedback as
to which
>works best in most applications.

I have to agree with Shane, Mike, that it really depends on
what you're doing.

As I've mentioned previously in an article on the workbike
web site (www.workbike.org), we've had good success using
mountain bikes to pull our two-wheel trailers.  Since our
employees use and maintain their own bikes, using trailers
has minimized our upfront equipment costs and maintenance
expenses.  The trailers require less storage space than
traditional cargo trikes or quads, and can be stored outside
year-round without cover, reducing costs even further.

We (Joan and I especially) do a variety of work, from
carrying documents in envelopes to moving hundreds of pounds
of newspaper.  A bike alone can do the former, while a bike
pulling one or two trailers can do the latter.  We
frequently will pull a loaded trailer to one part of town,
unload it, and disconnect it, then pickup or deliver
documents in that area using the bike alone, come back and
pick up the trailer, and move on to the next run.  This
allows us to do a broader variety of work than using either
a cargo bike or bicycle alone.

Since riders in our company use their own bikes, I tend to
think they feel more comfortable on their own bike than they
would if we provided them instead.  With a fleet of bikes,
each rider would probably want to adjust the handlebars,
seat, etc before starting until their comfortable, which
would take time (and would be a real pain here in the
winter).  Plus, we've had male employees who are over 6 feet
tall and women who are barely five feet tall work on the
same day.  I  think it'd be difficult to get one bike that
could fit every rider comfortably.  What's been your
experience with this?

I admittedly have never operated a delta cargo trike before,
but I would *think* that a bike with an empty trailer could
travel faster than a traditional empty cargo trike.  Based
on your experience, can a traditional cargo trike, with the
rider's high, fixed center of gravity, go around a turns as
fast as a leaning bicycle?  If so, this would reduce the
amount of time spent traveling empty--which are usually
non-paying miles.  I'd be interested in hearing what others
have to say about this.

Also, since I have no experience with a fleet of workbikes,
I'm not certain how much time they take to maintain.  I
would think, tho, that maintaining the brakes and drivetain
on, say, eight  workbikes would take a considerable amount
of time, much more than we spend maintaining our fleet of
eight trailers.  (I rarely seem to have enough time to keep
my own bike in top running condition. :)  ).  Do you find it
takes more time to maintain your fleet in the winter?  We
find we go thru parts on our bikes much more rapidly in the
winter than other times of the year....

OTOH, a bike with a trailer is definitely not always the
best tool for the job.  Three- or four-wheeled bikes are
great for short-distance, low-speed, heavy work--perfect for
pedicabbing, for example.   Keeping balance at very slow
speeds is not a problem with a trike or quad as it is with a
bike.  As I'm sure you know, two-wheeled bikes (with or
without a trailer) are lousy on poorly-plowed, snow-covered
streets.  I would think a rear-drive delta trike would work
great in snow, and even better when it was loaded.  (Do
they?)  Also, since most trikes and quads can easily
incorporate an intermediate drive jackshaft, it's generally
possible to get a larger number of gear combinations (plus
some much lower gears) than are possible with a conventional
diamond-frame bike.  Finally, I think workbikes are often
more visually appealling, which again make them perfect for
pedicabbing or similar work.

-Jim
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Jim Gregory & Joan Stein
Bikes At Work, Inc.    mail@bikesatwork.com
216 N. Hazel   Ames, IA  50010-5948
515-233-6120
providers of bicycle delivery services & equipment since
1991
http://www.bikesatwork.com