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So my "thesis" is that 20 inch folding bicycles make for much better (and affordable) semi-substitutes for cago bikes, than their big-wheeled classical counterparts.
And I've got a photo to prove my claim! The rear rack being so much lower on a 20 inch bike, you can put quite a lot of stuff on there. Just have to secure it with a couple of bungee cords. And there's also a robust wooden plank at the bottom of the bag, so that it keeps its shape.
I've been hauling groceries this way for a while now. 20+ kg at a time, and it works great!
It even lowers the center of gravity, which makes for a very stable ride.
20 inch bike for heavy groceries
2023-10-23 · 12 days ago · 👍 drh3xx, mediocregopher, Ruby_Witch, xoagray, mycrobe, dbane
My only refute to this would be using the extra rack height on a traditional larger wheeled bicycle to your advantage by hanging panniers to either side. But yeah, that is certainly a nice benefit of a small wheeled bike. There is a category of bicyle now going to by the name of mini-velos that are basically non-folding small wheeled bikes.
2023-10-27 · 8 days ago
Hey @kelbot! True, but that bag was free hehe! Also, I said 20+ kgs as a conservative estimate, but I'm pretty sure I've done much heavier than that... I'm not sure panniers would be as helpful when carrying a *giant* bag of potatoes, plus six 1L packs of milk, along with lots and lots of other stuff... I'm astonished at the sheer quantity of groceries one can transport this way... But I haven't had a big wheeled bike since my teenage years, so you might be right about the panniers alternative! Cheers!
This is an interesting observation. And something I hadn't really thought about. I still don't think it would be able to out carry a full sized bike with a rear rack , fornt rack, and a good set of paniers, but I like the idea you can stack things pretty tall on the little rear rack.
Could be worth it though for trips where you're putting the folder in the back of a car or something and using it to get around loally vs driving everywhere.
2023-10-31 · 4 days ago
@xoagray: Yeah, they even come with bags of their own, for airplanes and stuff... To me it's the ideal form factor for bicycles!
