Cargo Bikes... Xtracycle Type Cargo Bikes.

The most recent Bicycling Magazine has a review of their favorite cargo bikes. If you're thinking about buying a cargo bike it might be worth a read, but by no means should it be considered authoritative.

One of their favorites is the long tail cargo bike, Yuba Mundo. When I was at Blue City Cycles last fall they had one of these in their front window. Since I'm a big cargo bike weenie, I was intrigued. The Yuba Mundo is a version of the Xtracycle cargo bikes that have become popular over the last few years. Surly has the Big Dummy... Madsen kg271... Even Trek has come to the table with their offer, the Transport.

My paralegal, Bob, has been using a Xtracycle Free Radical for years. He loves it too. He likes that it is basically a regular bike. Having the added few inches doesn't significantly change the handling of the bike (...although the bike weenies at Bicycle Quarterly would beg to differ. The most recent issue of Bicycle Quarterly has a review of the Big Dummy. They don't like carrying cargo over the rear wheel, and they claim it has detrimental effects on handling. They much prefer the handling of a front loader long bike. I appreciate the super wisdom of the guys at Bicycle Quarterly, but sometimes they split hairs.) Longtails are versatile in the type of cargo one can haul, and it even comfortably seats a person in a pinch.

If you're looking for a good all around cargo bike that isn't going to break your pocketbook a longtail might not be a bad choice. The Yuba Mundo is available in Chicago from Blue City Cycles.