It always comes down to city planning. Cities planned around being walkable, dense, mixed, and human centric see less driving. Cities planned around maximizing private land ownership see more driving.
This is an ill argument: the cost of buying a new cargo bike may be in the same ballpark of a badly used small car, but the cost of running it is negligible. Try to sum up the following yearly costs:
gas
insurance
property tax
maintenance
parking
You end up with something like between 1k€ and 3k€ each year. Multiply this by the years you want to keep your (badly used) car, and then compare the total price
It’s not an “ill argument”. I don’t drive a car and never have, so I don’t pay any of the costs of running a car and I won’t be paying them when I get a cargo bike either. The issue isn’t the total lifetime cost, but the initial upfront cost. I just don’t have $15,000 to spend on a bike
I happened to see it in the thumbnail of the video.
It is very expensive compared to regular bikes, which I have bought many of over the years.
So I made a comment lamenting about the expensive price tag for that specific style of bike I happen to be interested in.
It wasn’t a meta commentary on cargo bikes in general. It wasn’t a complaint about total cost of ownership. It wasn’t anything other than "I want one of those, but it’s expensive.
Ok, no bad feelings. You do know tho that “it costs like a car” is a typical anti-cargo bike argument, right?
I also think and agree that cargo bikes are expensive, much more than a typical bike, but why you mentioned 15k? Is it the actual price of that bike? I’m just curious…
@Andres4NY@agegamon That back-to-back tandem recumbent was designed by Kurt Ritchie in Richmond, Indiana as a one-off. He's an acupuncturist by day who also knows how to weld. The chain crosses over at some point so the stoker can also pedal "forward". There's also a freewheel that allows the stoker to idle if they wish.
Besides the exhaust pipe from, I believe he ordered some chromoly tubing from airplane supply company.
The shape of the bike does make it aerodynamic and fast!
@dx@agegamon The Hase Pino tandem has a massive set of chains because the frame extends in two places. One side of the bike works like a giant derailleur, where the chain may double back almost 3 feet to soak up the slack when the frame is compressed.
@markstos@dx@agegamon 😂 this kind of thing has me thinking I should just have the kid crank/treddle a generator rather than try to get their power there mechanically
Compared to used car prices, unfortunately there are not many used cargo bikes. I think the cheapest new option would be like the unfinished project I'm riding, which is fine on small hills or if you don't mind working hard sometimes, top assist speed 15mph (+~$500 more = moar⚡)
$3k acoustic supercargo, 440lb max load yubabikes.com/cargobikestore/supercargo/
$570 tiny 250W 190Wh #eBike wheel ➕ torque arm hilltopperbikes.com/product/sprinter-12-mile-24v-electric-bike-kit-copy/
@agegamon@ada there are also trikes in that price range like from lectric and radpower, which could be a good option for a lot of people but your top speed on that is more like 12 even downhill, so you don't tip over. If you're going slower, the trike can be easier to manage a big load, but bakfiets are great at 12-20mph 30 if you like wind.
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