I'm very sad to have to part with this bike. She's been like an old big friend. However, it's time to pass her on.
I will first say, I love this bike. Seriously. I love it. Riding it makes me happy. And it does ride like butter. It would just be happier on flatter lands and perhaps some place with a tighter circle to travel, Newton is huge and has 13 villages. A place like lexington or Arlington with a single town green and a bike path off of it would be the ideal I think.
So here is the official statement of my love, my bike.
Sorte Jernhest Cargo Trike Fire Sale:
Original price $4299. For Sale for $2000.
Rear steering
5 speed internal SRAM hub.
Red canopy perfect for rain or cold windy weather.
Padded mat to sit on and back rest.
Carries up to 350lbs in the box.
Cateye bike computer on rear wheel
Bike rides smoothly and handles large weight surprisingly well. Can fit two children happily and four kids if they sit criss cross. I have happily had 1 eight year old, 1 seven year old, and 2 five year olds and biked easily along flat lands. Great for school runs and groceries or anything else you'd need to haul.
Edited to Add measurements: box is 36X26.5 inches. To park in a garage one would roughly need a 7X3 ft space to put it. ( I drew a chalk box around it and measured that...). From floor to the top of the handlebar it's 46 inches.
This bike is happiest in flat lands, and with quiet suburban streets and bike trails to take one's time going along.
Would prefer local pick up- Bike fits in a pick up truck.
Contact allen.vanessa72@gmail.com for more info.
Just for sake of helping the sale, don't forget to list width and length; I think that needs room in a garage or shed.
ReplyDeletegood point- will measure her today!
ReplyDeleteI wish I was in your neck of the woods so that I could take the Sorte for a spin. She looks like a fun ride! Do you have plans to replace her with some other kind of bicycle?
ReplyDeleteAm trying to figure out if a cargo bike is really for me and the children. We've go some serious hills and I'd be on the sidewalk riding most of the time - the traffic is too bad. But everything I need is within 2-4miles of our house. I'm down in NC, otherwise I'd love to try her out! Can you expound on what it's like to ride in these sorts of situations? Thanks - and good luck!
ReplyDeleteI hope this works well for you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve! I hope so too!
ReplyDeleteElle- I don't like hills to be honest. I think some bikes deal with them better than others. Two wheeled do better I think. I have biked up long sloping hills and a few short medium steep hills. I do it it works, I go slow. I go 4mph on a good hill. Middle aged runners pass me. But I almost never break stride.... However I don't enjoy it as much and it takes time. So if you have serious hills I don't know- a two wheeled bike might be better.
As for sidewalks- the trike does VERY well on them as long as there are handicap assesible lips at each corner. I go from street to sidewalk at busy areas and I do so fine and feel stable. The only problem with sidewalk riding is that it's a wide load and so you have to stop and make way for people etc. and if the sidewalks are narrow then you have a problem. The places I sidewalk are wide and empty...
You should check out Cycle 9 in NC they do cargo bikes of the two wheeled variety and do electric stuff too.
I will measure!
oh sad to see your parting with your gorgeous cargo bike. As a fellow cargo biking mum, I have been following your blog and am often found nodding my head in agreement with your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the bike will be snapped up by someone who will love it just as much as you have.
Kerry x
Hey Elle -
ReplyDeleteHave you tried a Yuba Mundo cargo bike? It might be just the thing for your NC hills. We bought one for slightly different reasons:
* We wanted a heavy duty cargo bike (it hauls 440 lbs + rider)
* We have no garage and not a lot of cargo space(it's a long tail bike. .so long but not wide, and can go up and down the 1/2 flight of stairs to our basement)
* We couldn't spend more than about$1500 to $1800 ( base price is about $1100, we added a few accessories plus Chicago tax made it about $1700)
* Upright riding style! (the Surly Big Dummy, is another cool longtail cargo bike, but it has a more hybrid-style handlebar setup)
The bike has 21 speeds (and comes in an e-assist model too) and it's really geared low. It's almost too low for the flatlands of Chicago, but it also means that riding up our slight inclines (i hesitate to call them hills) with a load is fairly easy. I've got a lot of pictures and details on my blog if you're interested.
We really really love the bike!
Have you sold the Sorte yet by the way? I do love the look of those bikes.. and we live in the perfect city for them, if only it met all the criteria I listed in my above post. Digging the new orange bike though - very cool. That's a favorite color in our family. :-)
ReplyDeleteI live on a step hill and my 2 girls weigh about 70 lbs together. Would you recommend this type of bike for us? I am somewhat strong but not sure how biking 70 lbs up or downhill would really feel.
ReplyDeleteLisa- a "steep" hill may be an issue. I would say that most cargo trikes would be a bit of an issue on a steep hill you must mount daily. the question is how long is the hill and is it the only steep one you'll encounter. If it is a shorter one that you'll have to muscle through to get home- you may be able to make it work. but if it's the kind of hill that even thinking about it before you start the trip- then it's going to be an issue. Where do you live. Can you test ride one?
ReplyDeletethat said my kids weight 80 lbs and I have worked at it. It's slow going.