This is my heavy hauler which can haul a LOT of weight. It can go mostly on it’s own power but up steep hills and fully loaded, it takes a little pedaling.
The bike is a MUNDO and is made in Germany. It was designed for 3rd world countries as an alternative hauling vehicle. It’s designed to haul 440lbs. Yikes.
I added a Crystalyte 5304 front hub motor with a 36 volt controller and lead acid batteries. I made a metal box for the controller which can be seen under the batteries which are in the red tool box.
Today I hauled a full load of groceries plus a 20lb turkey home and I live in the foothills of an extinct volcano. No way I could do that without a motor. No need for a car with this bike.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
What a sweet cargo bike! I love the addition of the electric motor–this really makes it practical for the common man (or woman!). I assume you could easily attach a trailer to it as well. I don’t have a cargo bike, but have envied people who do. Have you seen the Stoke Monkey? Look’s like quite a system! http://cleverchimp.com/products/stokemonkey/
Thanks Kevin. I have seen the Stoke Monkey; it does indeed look like a nice system. It wasn’t on the market when I needed a motor so couldn’t use it. I do like the pedal assist idea and will probably build a bike using that system at some point.
The addition of a motor is almost essential if you want to use a cargo bike to carry a load over even small hills. I’ve been riding a Rans Hammer Truck with a BionX motor for over 6 months. I regularly carry kids or a big load of groceries up the steep hills of our Seattle neighborhood. You can see a video of my bike in action at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIea5W4U8Wc
The good news is that manufacturers like Yuba and Kona are starting to add electric options so you don’t have to do a custom build yourself. I compare these bikes with mine on my blog at http::/MyCargoBike.net
I’m hoping to see a lot more powered cargo bikes in the future.
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