Cargo Bike Conversion: First Operational Test Ride!

Well, I rode the single speed cargo bike down to Trader Joe's for the first operational test ride, and all went well. I was able to carry about 47 pounds of food back from Trader Joe's without incident.



My ride is about 2 miles down to the local train station, a short train ride to the shopping center, and about a half mile ride to Trader Joes. Pretty easy ride, with only one major hill to climb on the way back. As such, I was able to handle the increased weight. While the increased weight on the back of the bike was noticable, it was managable riding it home. The bike rack and the ulock securing the bike to the rack held the bike firmly upright as I loaded the cargo container with the grocery bags. Of greater concern is handling the bike after loading it but prior to riding it: It was difficult to handle the bike while unlocking it from the bike rack, manuever it toward the street, etc. The weight on the back made the front very light and relatively unstable side to side, and made me worry that the bike might tip while I was pushing it the short distance from the bike rack to the street. It was a pain balancing the bike while stowing the bike lock in my bag, as the loaded and heavy bike would have created a mess had it tipped at this vulnerable moment. Luckily, nothing did!

Once on the bike, though, it rode well. The cargo container held up, buldging a bit at the bottom, however it suffered no strain great enough to cause white stress marks in the plastic that would indicate potential failure. The bungee cord I used on the top helped hold the lid on, too. The container (Rubbermaid Roughneck) was strong enough to keep the groceries secure and upright. The two bags fit tight enough in the container to keep everything in place without shifting or moving too much.

Overall the system worked well. I look forward to using it on future shopping trips, and would recommend the modification to anyone else that is looking to make their bicycle more practical for short trips. It was easy to manufacture, easy to install, and best of all: easy to remove and place on another bike that has a rear rack mount.