When I bought the Sorte, I knew that I wanted a motor. I knew that my terrain would not be friendly to a 70 pound bike filled with 70 pounds of kids. I have been able to use the bike but not to the breathe that I wanted to. I was hoping to go to all playdates, all classes, all errands within the city and maybe intercity as well.
So I am wondering, should I just sell the Sorte. I am not a seller. I buy things and I keep them forever. There stress of recouping what I paid is often too much for me and I often just give stuff away when I am done with it. And most things I keep.
I really love the Sorte. I love riding it. I love it's look. I love how it feels. I love it;s geometry. I love how stable it is. I love it's three wheels and its canopy and its Danish roots.
But I ride the bike path toward Harvard Square and I feel grumpy that I can't take the Sorte out that way. I want to use my bike further and go places I haven't been on bike before. I love how I feel on the bike- I want to feel that way all the time.
I don't know what the alternative would be. The Xtra is too big and overbearing for me. The kids don't like it either. Girlpie has gotten used to being down low. She doesn't like hanging on. She is also no where near to be ready to ride on her own. I wanted to take a spin out on the carriage lane today and she refused. She gets hot very quickly and pretty much likes to take a break often. Riding for transportation is not her thing right now.
Someone I know in town has a madsen. I plan to give it a test ride. I wonder- if I was able to sell the Sorte and buy a madsen would that help? I don't know. I wish I lived on flat land, that would solve a lot. Who could I sell it too anyway? I haven't met many people ready to shell out the money for it and I can't give it away.... And why would the madsen feel any easier for me than the xtra?
What would you do?
A CoMotion three seater?
ReplyDeleteI rode my friend's Madsen & I found it to be incredibly light-- much lighter than our bakfiets so I suspect you will likely find the same thing about the Sorte. Also, I know you like the trike but you may find that the two wheels gives you far more maneuverability.
ReplyDeleteI am sad about selling our bakfiets but I know it is time. One of my sons got tears in his eyes when we talked about it today though :( However, our Yuba is HERE in town now. We got the Fed Ex note on our door when we returned today from yes, Newton. We went to a wedding in Mass. & the boys hung out with my sister there.
Well that's disappointing.
ReplyDeleteWhat about a tandem? I have my eye on the Bike Friday Family Tandem for this stage. I've heard of kids girlpie's age on them, but haven't seen them in person. They do have a three seater as well.
Also, you might be happier after getting used to an xtra (or ute or yuba) once you actually got used to the feel. The weight is so much less than a box type bike, and it really does handle like a bike. I even commute on it, which I'd never do on a sorte/bakfiet in a million years. Yeah, the kids would have to get used to it, but if she's opposed to holding on, maybe she'd be OK in the new Xtra kid seat (it goes up to age 7). What kind of xtra were you riding? You'd be welcome to try ours! Oh, and you can get a motor on an Xtra! I forgot about that.
Also, we have friends with a Gazelle Caddy, probably lighter than the Sorte, but a seat for two in front. I bet they'd let you try it. Drop us a line and I could put you in touch with them.
Since I have never used cargo bikes, I do not know what to suggest. But if you do decide to sell, I think if you post an ad on C-List, or out it on consignment through Harris, you might be surprised at how many takers you get. Good luck either way!
ReplyDeleteI've been dreaming about a Madsen or an Xtracycle with the caveat that when we next move it is to someplace flatter than Newton! My daughter is 4 and has finally outgrown the babyseat and I'm not quite sold on her being ready for a trail-a-long.
ReplyDeleteCurious to hear what you think of the Madsen!
You know I cannot offer you ANY recommendations. In this short time, you have made me fall in love with your Sorte and cargo bikes and inspired me to get out and ride. It's funny because now reading this after the lengthy email you sent me, I see how we have similar bike issues/concerns. Well maybe we should talk. DE is flat as a board! Oh and yes, let me know what you think of the Madsen too!
ReplyDeleteI agree that the kids (and you) may adapt to an Xtracycle or Yuba - especially if it's got a motor on board. Our yougest was 3-1/2 when he started hanging on. Sometimes with his his older sister, sometimes without.
ReplyDeleteI only have a few days piloting a Madsen under my belt. Our impression was that it's great for younger kids, but that 70lbs worth up that high may bet a little tippy.
Maybe Julian will weigh in. He's got a lot of Madsen seat time, that's for sure. Whatever you do, keep the faith. It will work out.
How about an electric assist bike with a kid trailer? Don't feel bad about selling the sorte. I am not good at selling used things, but my husband is. I just turn things over to him and he advertises and sells them.
ReplyDeleteLynne from MD
thanks everyone!
ReplyDeleteI'm nervous about a tandem. I'm really a wobbly rider!!! Plus the whole cargo thing- I carry a ton of crap as do the kids. sigh.
I rode the sorte yesterday and while it was a hot ride, I do love it so. So stable no matter how slow we go. I really wish my older would ride her own bike... but yesterday it was too hot and she pretty much put her foot down before I even suggested it. She saw me opening the garage and she said- I'm NOT riding. It's too hot! god she is my child.
I do wonder if your Xtra Free Radical would work better for you attached to another bike. You might find it less cumbersome/heavy & yes, you could get a StokeMonkey e-assist. Also, our Yuba came yesterday. It's long tail is longer than our Xtra so I am hoping the boys will have a bit more space & not fight too much on the back. It WILL be an adjustment for them b/c they always ask to take the bakfiets b/c they love chillin' out in the box & reading as we ride. We'll have to come up with more games we can play on the Yuba as we ride along so they don't complain about not being able to read. We decided to not go with the electrical assist since I've been OK here in New Haven in a bakfiets but you can get a Yuba with an assist (one here already in the city and the family loves it). Haven't 'pulled the triger' on selling the bakfiets quite yet. Yeah, we'll have three cargo bikes in the garage for the rest of the summer but I am hoping as we ride the Yuba more & more, we'll all be willing to see the bakfiets go to another family....
ReplyDeleteSo if you want to try out our new Yuba, let me know.
sara- yes- I bet the radish would feel a little better? I had planned to get a stokemonkey for the Xtra this summer- but when I rode it over the 4th I don't want to invest. My chain pops off a lot and I'd say half the time I'll ride and then get stuck and have to stop and fix the chain. Since I am going slowly it's no big deal. But I would hate to have more power/ speed when the pedals lock up. I wonder if this is spec to the townie... it did happen to me before the free rad was on it so I think it is specific to the townie and not the Xtra... I really loved the townie back then- I defended it. Now I hate that bike!
ReplyDeleteThere are bakfiets that can work with motors, right? Like a Joe Bike or something from Portland? Sounds like that would be the best solution, based on your preferences. I agree with Veloria that you could probably find a buyer for the Sorte more easily than you think.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds to me like your xtra isn't set up correctly. I know of at least 3 people here in SF that have e-assist Townie xtra conversions. They all carry big, older kids and stuff, so it must be working for them. I can't say it would be my choice- I would more likely go with a Big Dummy and add a Stoke Monkey just to know that all the parts are compatible. I know a couple of people who do that and really like the combo.
ReplyDeleteThis may be of some help, here is some info I got on electric motors for a bakfiets when I was looking into replacing my mamafiets:
ReplyDelete"The factory version Electric Bakfiets is a pedelec - this means that the electric assist 'kicks in' after about a half-one revolution of the pedals - you can vary the amount of assistance it provides. The battery and controller is built into the rear rack. The price for this on top of the regular Bakfiets price is £1,000. It has a range of 5 -30 miles which is dependent upon the terrain, and load being carried.
There is another, albeit much more expensive, option. The Heinzemann controlled Bakfiets which has a high speed or high torque version and a choice of batteries costs from £1300 to about £1600. There is a twistgrip (twist throttle for assistance) or pedelec (as above) option, this is the one for serious hills/heavy weights and for commercial operators, it is very powerful and will take a full cargo bike up a 25% hill. The battery and controller are normally fitted in an underseat locker in the box.
The minimum battery life is given as 2 years but if well looked after, they will last much longer. If used loaded and on hills on a daily basis the bike should be charged each evening/overnight.
Both are front wheel motors and have a V brake which can be upgraded to a Magura hydraulic rim brake for an extra £90 (good for stopping you going down the hill!)."
In the end we decided we couldn't justify the expense, as my eldest daughter is now 5 1/2 and quite mobile on her bike. She was quite prone to tantrums too about going on her bike instead of getting a lift on mummy's bike, but we just said "tough you're too big" and made her ride. It seems to have paid off and she can now manage about 5 miles so long as we take enough supplies of chocolate!
Did your shop consider the Stokemonkey ( http://clevercycles.com/products/stokemonkey/ ) when pricing assist packages for the Sorte? If not, it might be worth checking into, as this is on electric system that should be relatively easy to add onto such a machine. The other would be the BionX ( http://www.bionx.ca/en/ ), but I think they may be even more expensive than the Stokemonkey. Val
ReplyDeleteyeah! Bribe the girl to ride with chocolate! That's the answer!
ReplyDeleteHere's what I would do. Sell the Sorte and get a Xtracycle with the Stokemonkey. You'll only lose a couple hundred dollars if you get a good price for the Sorte. The Xtracycle will let you ride with two kids and you can add a tandem attachment (I think...) as soon as one of them is old enough to pedal. :)
ReplyDeleteMadsen owner here who struggles with kids (my main cargo) being behind me and thus prone to misbehavior. Perhaps I should be re-thinking my parenting rather than my bike choice but, when I google sorte I don't get bike info. Can you give details about the bike or a link? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteFrom a West coast bike mechanic,
ReplyDeleteI carefully looked at the Sorte photos available online. It looks to me that there is a good mounting location for the Stokemonkey mount and bracket on the steertube at the lower cargo box cross member. The mount would need to be modified somwhat to fit the steertube but to my calibrated eye the bracket should fit in just fine. The rest of the installation looks very doable and you should make sure to install functional chain guards and take care to make sure the tension cables clear the steering linkage (you may need an additional bracket for that).
If you have a good mechanic I think you should suggest the above, If I was in your area I would take the job. tnakadegawa@sfwater.org if you or your mechanic have questions
I've tried both the Azor pedelec version of the bakfiets cargobike and the e-bike version my the electric bike company. Both are fun, and v-brakes are plenty.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I am being unrealistic (I am an at work dad, rather than a stay-at-home mum), but could you not just get fitter? When I started with our first bakfiets, I had a BMI of 26.5. Riding a bakfiets more got me fitter, so I started riding my commuting bike more. I progressively rode further and further. I've worked up from 30 miles a week to over 200 in the last 18 months, and ridden (apologies for mixing units) 13,000km this year. I've even taken up randonneuring (audax in uk-speak). If I hadn't started with a bakfiets, none of this would have happened.
Dear Mama V,
ReplyDeleteI live in Holland and also own a Sorte - I love it very much and share your joy when riding it. It's flat in Holland and that makes for easier riding but there is someone here who has designed a motor for the sorte. Are you still interested in attaining a motor for your bike? It's been a long time since you blogged so not sure if you will even read this message.
Mama D
Mama D- I am interested. Please get in touch. if you read this. vanessa.allen@mac.com
ReplyDelete