There are many types of bikes that may be used as utility or cargo bikes. This one is an example of the most common bike, the mountain bike. Mountain bikes come with a wide range of gearing although many could use lower gears for our hills. It is relatively easy to go to your local bike shop and have the gearing lowered. A mountain bike allows the rider to sit in a more upright position than the old road bikes, which is usually more comfortable but reduces speed because of increased wind resistance (noticable at higher speed). Bikes are designed for men's longer backs, so women may have to shorten the distance from the seat to the handlebars to be more comfortable. If you have ever been on a road bike and had a sore neck from looking up, chances are that your handlebars are too far from the seat.
Most bikes will need to be outfitted with fenders and racks for carrying goods. Good lights are important if you ride at night. If you don't plan on riding at night, you still should at least have a rear blinky like a Planet Bike Superflash in case it gets dark before you get home. I recommend a flashlight for a headlight for emergencies. You can take it off your handlebars if you get a flat or drop something or want to use it for camping or around the house. I have found Romisen RC-N3 from ShiningBeam.com for $25 to be a great light. I use a Two Fish Block to attach it to the bike. I have bought a dozen of them so I could make them available for $30 for the set (my cost, I am not in business). Contact me to see a few different lights at night. Most bike lights in this price range are too dim for my old eyes. Bicyclists that are frequently riding in the dark should get more lights. Be aware that if you are only using a single light in front and a blinky in the back, cars have a hard time determining where you are on the road. It is hard to gauge distance with a little point of light and the white front light can easily be mistaken for a distant porch light.
Xtracycle
The next move up the cargo ladder is an Xtracycle (brand) or longtail style of bike. This attachment moves the rear wheel about 15 inches back, allowing more room to haul cargo. When I put one of these on my bike, I became aware of the difference it makes to keep the weight between the axles. To explain: The distance between the front axle and the rear axle and anywhere above that line, is where you can carry weight and not seriously effect handling of the bike. If you put much weight outside of that, you will notice the bike becomes a bit less smooth. I really noticed it when touring with large panniers on my bike and the bike felt like it I had a big fishtail. With a longtail style of bike, the heaviest part of the load can remain inside of the axles and it handles like an unloaded bike even with a hundred pounds on it. I carried 200 pounds of mortar mix this summer and it was pushing it when I went up Clay Street out of Kai Tai park to get to Uptown. I haul quite a few tools and even hauled a 6x8 beam that was 12 feet long. A very useful addition and there are a number of them in town.


Big Dummy
There are now a number of longtail bikes coming out that are built that way from the beginning, such as the Big Dummy. Search for Longtail Cargo Bikes and you should find a few.

Recumbent Bicycles

I started looking at electric and recumbent bikes about a year ago. I have a tendency to get heavily into a subject once I become engaged. I now have 7 recumbents and 3 electric bikes that you are welcome to try out.
Recumbent bikes are those odd looking bikes that cruize around carrying people who are so lazy, they take their easy chair with them on the bike ride. Recumbents (also known as 'bents) are wonderfully comfortable as you sit back against a back with a big padded seat under your butt. Your hands have no weight pushing on them, so the wrists and palms don't get sore. They are more aerodynamic and can be fitted with a fairing (wind shield) for further efficiency. The main problem with them stems from the same reason they are so comfortable, your butt is stationary. On a diamond frame bike (normal bike), your center of gravity can and is easily adjusted constantly. On a recumbent, you are sitting on your center of gravity so the recumbent seems more wobbly at slow speed. Of course, you are lower to the ground so it is easier to catch yourself before you tip over but it feels strange at first. However, if you watch any child learning to ride a bike for the first time, you will notice it takes a bit of practice. The other drawback to the recumbent is the hill climbing. You don't have the option to stand up on the pedals and effectively 'walk' up the hill like on a diamond frame bike. Most 'bent riders build up the muscle groups they need over the course of the first month or year, depending on how much you ride and other factors.
In comes electric motors... add one to a recumbent and you have just about the perfect commuting machine. You can sit back in comfort, go fast more efficiently, install a fairing for speed or winter, and meet lots of people who ask, what is that?
I have two bikes I use a lot, one is my electric recumbent. I just made a trip to the county library which is 10 miles away (I live near Fort Worden). I took my time and went up the Larry Scott trail and up Otto Street to Fort Townsend Park and then went out to Highway 19. Cruized at 25 mph until I got to the 40mph zone and slowed to 20mph to the county library. On the way home up the hill I only went 15 mph because I was testing my new battery. By the time I got home, I had gone 20 miles averaging 14.5 mph according to the computer. I used 1/3 of my battery and had gotten a good ride in without hurting my knees. Next time I will increase the speed and go straight there and back like someone would in a car, it is so fun to talk to people and site see with a bike but it doesn't give a perfect comparison with a car.
Now all this wonderful electric power comes with a financial cost. However, so does my small pickup truck. This summer I spent $1700 putting new brakes, shocks and leaf spring helpers on my truck and I don't use that as much as I use my bikes. You could get a pretty nice electric bike for $1700 and you would have that for a lot longer than that truck is going to last.

Bike headlights

In these dark days of winter, it is nice to have good light to see the road. I have tested three lights that are pretty nice and better than those cheap bike lights in stores. All three of these lights use 2 AA batteries and are LEDs. The first is a Dinotte bike light. It has nice distance and floods to the sides very nicely. It costs $105 plus shipping. The next is a Fenix flashlight. Almost exactly the same at night as the Dinotte but you need to buy a 'Two Fish' block to attach it to your handlebars. The Fenix costs $57 plus shipping and a 'Two Fish' Block. The third is a Romisen flashlight from Shining Beam.com that has about the same distance as the other two but doesn't have the flood to the sides. It costs $25 plus shipping.
I have bought 12 of the Romisen flashlights and the 'Two Fish' Blocks. Since I bought a dozen at once, I got a better deal. If you want to buy them from me, I will sell you to you for the same cost. I am not a business and don't need or want to make a profit. The set for Romisen and block is $30. Only available if you can get hold of me here in Port Townsend. Email me.

11/20/08
I am going to attempt to pass along some information that I have gleaned from my on-going research into making bicycles more accessible and useful to the average person. I am not a hard core bicyclist that knows everything about bikes. To the contrary, I have never raced bikes, worked in a bike shop or gone on group rides. I just like using my bike for everyday uses. My bikes are not top of the line bikes, in fact I have only bought one bike new, back in 1978. I am 53 years old, so obviously I am not advocating from a testosterone induced euphoria.
About a year ago I got back into bicycles, after a long hiatus. I find that since I began biking again, I still weigh the same but fit a smaller waist size that I haven't seen for about 10 years. I have less aches and pains when I get up in the morning and have better muscle tone. My back which has been a problem for years, is no longer is a problem. Statistically, I should have lowered my risk of heart problems, Alzheimer's disease and other health problems.
I use my bike, as you will see in future photos, for going on errands, visiting, groceries, and even hauling pretty good loads of construction tools. I have and will continue to try products that help the average person use their bike for utility. These are generally refered to as 'Utility Bikes' or 'Cargo Bikes'. When I use the phrase, Utility Bike, it will usually refer to a normal bike that is being used as an all around useful bike. Cargo Bike will usually refer to a bike that has been modified or built in some way to increase its ability to haul loads.