# Zigo and Dutch Cargo Bikes



## Ahimsa (Apr 7, 2004)

Does anyone know anything about either the Zigo Carrier Bycycle or the Dutch Cargo bikes? They look so cool, but it is hard to find reviews. I am looking into a car alternative to transport myself, two kids, and stuff like groceries, etc.

Here are some links:

Zigo

Dutch Bikes


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## orangefoot (Oct 8, 2004)

If you look at the bakfiets you will find a lot of chat and reviews online.

I am coveting one of these but am short of the £800 I'd need to pay for one!!

Heres a blog to get you going


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## bigteamug (Sep 29, 2008)

I was interested in these, too, but found a critique of a similar design here:

http://www.bakfiets-en-meer.nl/2007/...ernet-reviews/

there is a little back and forth toward the bottom on the zigo.

I would NOT but any of these unless you can test one - Looking things over, I'm not sure that the rear wheel of the zigo wouldn't tip up when loaded with my two kids in front.....

I tend to think that the dutch bike is probably a more tested design, and more durable, but I wonder how it would perform on hills - most of the places that use this type of transport (Netherlands, Belgium, etc ) are flatter than flat, and have really great laws to protect cyclists.

I guess I would reiterate try before you buy, esp at those prices. I think I'm going to stick with a trailer - unless your kids are spaced close and young, you might not get full use of a bakfiets type bike - at least once you take the trailer off, you still have a bike for you, when the kids are 6 or so and riding their own....


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## orangefoot (Oct 8, 2004)

Even when kids can ride their own bikes as my dd (6) can, I am still considering a bakfiets as she can't ride very long distances. She can do about 4-5 miles but we go at her pace.

We hope to move to a different town where I would be thinking of travelling at least 5 miles each way on trips to the shops and parks etc in a much busier road environment that where we are now. I'd have the bakfiets instead of a second car as I would feel safer having her on board with me rather than ahead or behind me on a bike.


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## zinemama (Feb 2, 2002)

There are quite a few bakfiets here in town - we're even starting to see them on craigslist now and then! I agree that it is crucial to test ride one first. Dh did and really liked it, though we ultimately decided not to get one.

The factors that would influence me to get one would be:

-flat terrain
-having a place to store it easily. For example, we don't have a garage. Our bikes are in the basement. It's not a problem hauling them up and down but there's no way we could do that with a bakfiets, but I wouldn't want to leave it outside.

Many families around here have the Xtra cycle. Have you looked into that?


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## MichaelEhren (Jun 5, 2009)

I will try to respond to most of your posts.

Forward tip is not an issue for Zigo with the children properly seated in the ChildPod. However, the caster wheels should always be lowered on the ChildPod when loading or unloading, and of course children should never be left unattended in the ChildPod.

In terms of storage, that is a great advantage of the Zigo. It comes apart into a bike and stroller, and the stroller folds flat for storage. You could never do this with a dutch bakfiets--that you need a parking space for.

I fully agree with try before you buy. Contact one of our local dealers or contact us and we will try to arrange for one to be sent to your local bike shop.

As for costs...read blog.myzigo.com...you'll find a little bonus.

Thank you for your interest in Zigo.

Michael Ehrenreich, MD
CEO
SOMA Cycle, Inc. (Zigo)


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## aileen (Jan 23, 2006)

we did get a bakfiets on craigslist! (i think we are in the same town, zinemama...) it is somewhat of a doozy on hills - but it's doable, and it only gets easier. we use it mostly for dropping our daughter off at school, groceries, and trips to the community garden plot. (that sounds so idyllic, huh?) it's not flat but it's not insanely hilly, either. i like it. a lot.
but.
the bakfiets is really my husband's bike. i have an electra amsterdam with an extracycle and a bobike seat up front and i can get myself, my six year old sitting on the extracycle, and the baby (almost 2) in the bobike seat and six (6!) bags of groceries home. i love, love, love, love, love, my set up. i can carry unwieldy art supplies, groceries, three children, a gallon size passion flower plant, a helium tank for a birthday party, (i'm trying to think of other odds and ends i've taken on it...) and even my husband on the back for date night. and it really feels like a bike. i don't think i could ever go back to a trailer. (although, in the interest of full disclosure, i've never owned my own trailer - whenever i've tried to test ride/extended borrow one my children protest - loudly.) i think it'll feel a little more draggy when both kids are on the back (we'll probably do a rear bobike seat and my daughter will ride behind it until she's ready for long rides on her own.) sometimes when it's just me on the bike it feels a little like riding in an empty station wagon and when i ride to the art college for my pseudo-job i get jealous of all the sleek, skinny art school kid bikes - but that's probably not just about bikes, huh?
if i'm going a mile, i'd take either bike. and when you have a yard of compost and a two year old and a box of starts, it's the bakfiets, hands down.
but.
if i can carry what i need to on my bike i take it.
although, i've had my bike for a year and we've only had the bakfiets for a few months. at first i said i'd never take it (the bakfiets) downtown (6ish, 7ish, miles?) and now i'd take it if we had time to kill. maybe i'll get more used to it. the other advantage is that the six year old likes to practice her violin in the bakfiets.
which is about as idyllic as it gets.


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## crunchymamatobe (Jul 8, 2004)

There was just a little story in the newspaper here about a man trying out a dutch-style bike with his 4ish year old son. His only complaint was that cornering took some practice so that the bike didn't tip, especially if he happened to be riding it without any passengers!

I know that some people don't like the kid-behind-you set up of a trailer, but I really appreciate that my son doesn't get wet - when it's raining, we can still use our bikes (which is important because we don't drive!).


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## aileen (Jan 23, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CrunchyMamaToBe* 
I know that some people don't like the kid-behind-you set up of a trailer, but I really appreciate that my son doesn't get wet - when it's raining, we can still use our bikes (which is important because we don't drive!).

interestingly, this is why my husband went with the bakfiets instead of his own extracycle set up. it has a fully enclosed rain cover for all season, pacific northwest riding. and then, interestingly, our kids prefer to sit in the rain anyway!


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## Ahimsa (Apr 7, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *aileen* 
we did get a bakfiets on craigslist! (i think we are in the same town, zinemama...) it is somewhat of a doozy on hills - but it's doable, and it only gets easier. we use it mostly for dropping our daughter off at school, groceries, and trips to the community garden plot. (that sounds so idyllic, huh?) it's not flat but it's not insanely hilly, either. i like it. a lot.
but.
the bakfiets is really my husband's bike. i have an electra amsterdam with an extracycle and a bobike seat up front and i can get myself, my six year old sitting on the extracycle, and the baby (almost 2) in the bobike seat and six (6!) bags of groceries home. i love, love, love, love, love, my set up. i can carry unwieldy art supplies, groceries, three children, a gallon size passion flower plant, a helium tank for a birthday party, (i'm trying to think of other odds and ends i've taken on it...) and even my husband on the back for date night. and it really feels like a bike. i don't think i could ever go back to a trailer. (although, in the interest of full disclosure, i've never owned my own trailer - whenever i've tried to test ride/extended borrow one my children protest - loudly.) i think it'll feel a little more draggy when both kids are on the back (we'll probably do a rear bobike seat and my daughter will ride behind it until she's ready for long rides on her own.) sometimes when it's just me on the bike it feels a little like riding in an empty station wagon and when i ride to the art college for my pseudo-job i get jealous of all the sleek, skinny art school kid bikes - but that's probably not just about bikes, huh?
if i'm going a mile, i'd take either bike. and when you have a yard of compost and a two year old and a box of starts, it's the bakfiets, hands down.
but.
if i can carry what i need to on my bike i take it.
although, i've had my bike for a year and we've only had the bakfiets for a few months. at first i said i'd never take it (the bakfiets) downtown (6ish, 7ish, miles?) and now i'd take it if we had time to kill. maybe i'll get more used to it. the other advantage is that the six year old likes to practice her violin in the bakfiets.
which is about as idyllic as it gets.

I have been looking at the extracycles and they look so cool. How does it feel to ride with all that stuff and two kids? Did you put it together yourself?


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## aileen (Jan 23, 2006)

it feels... slow. slowish. when it's ALL super loaded down. the extracycle sort of takes on the "flavor" of whatever bike you put it on and mine's on a sort of 1/2 cruiser, 1/2 fake dutchy style bike so it's pretty cruiser-y. which makes it sound awful, but it's not - it's sort of like walking to the coffee shop with your friend and your two children with a stroller versus walking to the coffee shop with just you and your friend alone and you are telling her this great story and you two just keep walking faster and faster. it's the first one. to get downtown from where we live in southeast portland i think is about 6-7 miles and it takes us 35 - 40 minutes, almost all on bikepaths. and we really never hurry.
i mentioned this before, but, i really. really, love the extracycle because it feels like a bike.
(even though, yesterday when i actually convinced my son to let me put the rain cover on the bakfiets it was prreeeeeeeetttty awesome, to have him and all our stuff stay dry while we volunteered at field day. even though it sort of a tank - i have to say, i'm starting to fall for that bike, too.)

i think i just like bikes.
there must be a place you can test ride the xtra-cycle (i guess i should be spelling that way...), no?
(oh and no - i didn't put it on myself. we have this amazing store here and they did it all for me.







)


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## Ahimsa (Apr 7, 2004)

I am in the process of moving to Corvallis, so I can probably make it up to Clever Cycles and try bikes out some time before October (when I will be ready to buy.)


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## doubledutchbikes (Jun 17, 2009)

Hi All

Thanks for mentioning DoubleDutchBikes, I guess both the Zigo and the Doubledutch are practical and save options riding your kids around, On what I have gathered based on your quotes there are some concerns in regards to purchasing a doubledutchbike bakfiets, one of them is a returning quote stating these heavy bicycles are not able to function in steep terrains, well I have some good news as our latest models are equipped with a 7 speed gearing system which will haul your bicycle up the hill with out problems.
Another comment I saw was the lack of space / storage to park your precious cargobike, Our Bicycles come with a folding mechanism which enables you to completely fold the bicycle in half once you dismount the wooden crate which takes you 1 minute, folded our bicycles take up less then 3.5 feet in length.
In the end I recommend everyone to get on their Bikes rather then taking the car, what ever the bicycle of your choice may be!

Our Bicycles can be tested at HUB STATION in New York City, Please visit our website (www.doubledutchbikes.com) or join our adventures on our Flikr site (http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/) for more details and feel free to contact me if you would have any questions..... in the end our motto is "ONE LESS CAR"

Daniel van der Kolk
Managing director Doubledutchbikes


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## Spark (Nov 21, 2001)

Mmmm, I love the cargo bikes!!! yum yum yum!

Color me jealous about the bakfiets off Craigslist!!!

Mmm, this made me drool on the doubldutchbikes.com site...
http://www.doubledutchbikes.com/inde...16145d4a9376ff And, I've actually e-mailed back & forth with Daniel & he's really really nice! So cool to see you here, Daniel!

You can enter to win a free Madsen cargo bike here if you feel like entering...
http://gaggleofun.wordpress.com/2009...roud-owner-of/ The Madsen seems to be the cheapest (remember you do get what you pay for) coming in under $1000 (with coupon) shipped & assembled on your doorstep.


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## doubledutchbikes (Jun 17, 2009)

Hi Claire,

The internet is a small world, you run into to the same people all the time ;-)
Thanks for promoting our Taylor bicycle, If you got a spare minute go to our Flickr website and you will see the real Taylor riding in front of my own Taylor Bicycle.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/

Save riding to all of you!
Daniel


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