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 At Lighter Footstep, we've long been fans of bicycle commuting. And with record crude oil prices and gasoline again edging up above $3.00 a gallon in the United States, a lot of people are starting to agree.
When it comes to green transportation, bikes are tough to beat. They’re cheap, quick in traffic, and pollution free. But it’s tough to tote the weekly groceries unless you’re properly equipped. That’s where this burly CETMArack comes in.
The CETMArack is plenty big enough to handle that weekend beer run — or pretty much anything else you can think of doing. They come in three, five, and seven rail configurations, and can be purchased with a handy “fence” too keep things from sliding around.
Carrying cargo up front, where you can see it, is probably the safest and most natural way of getting into heavy-duty bike utility. Looking to go all out? Pair a CETMArack with a bike specifically designed as a front loader, such as the elegant Kogswell Porteur. You’ll be able to leave the car in your driveway more often and do amazing stuff like this:
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Readers have left 5 comments. 1. What about balance?
Jenn, Guest I am a huge fan of biking, and last summer I finally put a front basket on my bike (which, in additon to my backrack/panniers makes my bike supremely functional). But I noticed that it is much harder to steer elegantly with a heavy load up front-- even if I just keep my Kryptonite chain/lock up there, I feel kind of pulled off-balance. So, while I love this front-cargo idea, I'm hesitant to attempt it. Am I the only one with this problem? 2. Low as you can go
Chris Baskind, Super Administrator Front loading feels different.
Look at the rack again. See how low it is? That how it should be. Get your weight as low as possible -- you'll find it's more controllable.
A lot of how your bike handles weight on the front will depend upon its geometry (particularly the fork rake). Most bikes designed for the U.S. market assume rear loading. But the front is a good place to carry a load -- where you can see it.
Go look at the Kogswell site. I think I'm going to have to buy one of these. If you do a search for porteur images, you'll see some amazing loads being handled by this style of bike.
See how low you can get your basket. 3. Check out the FreeRadical
Guest, Guest That does not look like fun (the big box on the front). I've had a FreeRadical from XtraCycle for a couple of months, and it is truly awesome. Because the weight is very low, I can throw two twelve-packs on ONE side of the bike and not feel a thing (and still have tons of space left). Talk about leaving your car behind. The drawback is that it makes your bike longer and adds substantial weight. And it costs more than this rack.
Here's a typical load: twelve pack of soda, several pounds of produce from the farmers' market, large back of groceries, one five-year-old, one seven-year-old, library books, water & snacks.
Just another option for those looking to carry serious cargo on a bike.
PS: Just found this site. Very nice. 4. Winter Commuting
Guest, Guest So I am a bicycle commuter in Boulder, CO and have recently been faced with the additional challenge of SNOW. Studded tires can be used to mitigate that, but the real problem with the snow (because honestly, it is a fun ride!) is trying to transport goods and attempting to ride with one hand--it just doesn't work. This rack is a good solution, but my fear is it will make my frontside too heavy and cause my front to be more difficult to manuever than if it were on my rear. That being said, though, if the bike were designed for a front load...then that is a different story and it is an excellent solution. I also wonder if they have designed the rack to be easily removed for those of us who have to pop our front tire off to throw on a rack or otherwise...
Still, great idea. Anything that makes bicycle commuting easier for everyone is a good move. 5. Bike Cargo Rack
Blogen Geezer, Registered Grew up in a rural setting, many of us had no bike. Giving rides on the handlebars worked very well. No lawyers either. Many newspaper delivery bikes were seen during the WWII yrs carrying all sorts of loads over a small front wheel. Tough times, did what we had to do. |
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