Cargo Bike: First Operational Test Run

Well, today was my first day to use the cargo bike for an actual chore. I am an avid re-cycler, in that I enjoy riding my bike over and over again, as well as the other meaning: reducing the amount of garbage my household creates. I have usually accomplished the task of dropping off paper, plastic, cardboard, and metal cans by driving my car about a mile to the local blue recycling dumpsters. I have never liked driving there, as it is just such a waste of gas and is bad for the environment. Supposedly most of the harmful stuff that comes out of your car's tailpipe is emitted in the first couple miles. Additionally short trips reduce your MPG and increase the wear-and-tear on your car because it never has an opportunity to warm up. As such, I have been thinking of ways to eliminate the need to drive to accomplish this weekly chore to benefit the planet, my wallet, and my well being (bikes are good for you...). Well, today, I did!

I took my first operational test drive with two paper bags full of cans/bottles/plastics to the dumpsters a mile away. As I was loading the bags into the 18 gallon Rubbermaid container, they were full enough to put upward pressure on the lid. This made me worry about the lid popping off at speed, so I grabbed a bungee cord and secured the lid. Better safe than sorry, right!

The ride to and from was great. The added weight of the material in the container was felt, but it was controllable. The container, deck, rack, and all the recyclables in the back felt secure. It was a great ride, I may have made the short trip a bit faster (and definitely cheaper) than if I took my car.

So, the cargo bike passed its first test with flying colors. However, I still had a large amount of cardboard to carry, as well as some paper. I took off the lid to the container, filled the container with cardboard, placed a box on top of the full container, and strapped it all down with three bungee cords. I used two bungee cords along the container's width, and one along its length. Even without the container's lid, the load felt secure, but I still had more to carry. I decided to take out the Burley Solo child trailer, and found that a larger plastic container that I had been using to carry recyclables in my car fit in it almost perfectly. I laid the kid's seat down, opening up the interior space, and removed the cloth top to the trailer. I loaded up the large plastic container, placed it into the child trailer, and prepared for a quick test ride.

I rode the fully loaded cargo bike and trailer around in my front yard. While everything felt pretty secure, an item flew out of the trailer, even at the slow pace I was riding in the grass. As such, I attached a bungee diagonally across the plastic container in the trailer, and made sure everything was secure.

I grabbed my bike helmet, and headed off for another bicycling recycling adventure! The ride was uneventful. The slight uphill grade to the recycling bins was more noticeable on the single-speed cargo bike. While my bike and trailer were stuffed with recyclables, it wasn't all that heavy. As such, the biggest limitation to the cargo bike may be its lack of gearing to make hills and loads more manageable. Or it might force me to get stronger! And while it took me two trips on bike, it gave me a great excuse to get out of the house and cruise the neighborhood on my bike. Either way, it was a fun ride, and everything made it to the blue bins without delay. I look forward to recycling again via bicycle.