Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Cool Cargo Bike of the Week

  In the not too distant future, I'm going to be back on the cargo bike twice a week taking one of the kids to summer camp!

Hold on to your butts

I'm super excited, and celebrating by posting this really neat concept cargo bike. This is built as an urban cargo bike, something less cumbersome than a normal cargo bike, but still very versatile.

Neles Cargo Bike

   I came across this sweet piece of machinery on the Woman on a Wheel Blog, which I recommend you check out. This is a cargo bike by industrial design student Nele Dittmar, and unlike a lot of concept bikes, this one is not digital. It has two 20" wheels, and a fairly compact cargo area. This keeps the size down and the rear end short.

In action

   The most interesting and innovative part is the steering connection - not done by a piece of linkage like a Bullitt, but with a chain connection:

Chain driven steering

   What is neat about this is that it maintains the steering rake. What is confusing about this is how do you keep the chain tight? It is a half-link chain, so it has more adjustment than a standard chain. I still wonder how to keep it nice and tight for good steering without any sloppiness.
   Other details scream elegance, like the braze connection, leather details and tiny pieces of hardware. This is as much art as it is function. I think I need a cold shower.

Rear wheel details

   Speak German? Read more about the bike here.

1 comment:

Bill said...

Those are some really nice looking joints!