[Creakyknees]

One of my favorite American Made bike co's

As Bikes of Burden Rise, One Company Peddles Slowly to the Revolution - WSJ.com

 

[ClancyO]

At the risk of sounding like a grumpy old guy ... I'm not sure I 'get' the concept of these 'hauler' bike's. They're cool to look at and probably even build - but $3000-5000 per?

Going back to my delinquent youth where I spent my summers in Germany, many craftsman had simple wood bodied bike trailers. They just hung off the back of your regular bike. I used them to haul all kinds of stuff around.. The pros far outweight the cons - riding your bike, no weird geometry sacrifices, no major handling issues (weight aside, but the hauler bikes will have the same problem). They’re cheap, reliable, and did I mention you get to ride a normal bike that functions just like a normal bike w/o the trailer?

And apparently they're even good for naps!!
View attachment 275971

Maybe I should start building hipster cool trailers...

 

[Creakyknees]

At the risk of sounding like a grumpy old guy ... I'm not sure I 'get' the concept of these 'hauler' bike's.

I think $3-5k is the very high end... most are around/under $1k, and they are definitely not intended for the roadie enthusiast crowd... target market is big factories / campuses and they expect the riders to be regular people just using the bikes as a tool, a piece of capital equipment, a cog in the machine, so, they are built ultra-heavy duty, I mean you need to see one in person to realize what I mean... they are nearly indestructible.

 

[InfiniteLoop]

As Creaky said, a well-built work bike is pretty indestructible. Things like heavy duty frame with all powder-coated parts, good roller brakes, fully enclosed chain, internally geared rear hub, and stainless everywhere else all adds up. When you're carrying heavy loads a really solid bike with good geometry is worth a ton. A well made bike like this with heavy duty front and rear racks and center stand will be about $1500 - $2000 but worth it. You can spend less but end up with a bike thats squirrelly under load and requires a lot more maintenance.

The front box bakfiets is great for hauling cargo and kids. It's easier to maneuver than a trailer, can carry a lot more weight, and for kids is great because they're in front of you where you can have a conversation instead of behind you looking at your butt all day. Similar to above, a well-made one that handles well and will last a couple of decades will cost you about $3k, but worth it.

 

[DrSmile]

CNN just had a video on Worksman:

This is the last big U.S. bike maker - Video - Small Business

Kind of sad that they're all that's left. Then again, there are lots of smaller U.S. builders that make high end stuff.

 

[gearloose]

When I first started my career, I worked at a huge chemical complex on the gulf coast. The instrument people had heavy industrial trikes and used them regularly. It wasn't unusual to see a sick gas chromatograph on one of them headed back to the shop for repair.