I don’t know if turning 40 primed me for a major lifestyle change or what, but early this year I had the idea to make a break with one
of our vehicles. Crazy in this car culture, I know. Radical even. But questions were begging to be answered,
such as: Why pay large chunks of our income for gasoline? Could we go without
our second vehicle and how would we get around when my husband took his car to
work? I began to get excited by the possibilities of dramatic change, because
truthfully, I loved my Honda Odyssey, but it didn’t love me. The comfort of the
van created a dependence that kept me from using my body to get around, which
is ironic since we live within walking distance to parks and businesses and
most of my errands don’t require a drive out of town. Giving up my van would
mean I would be choosing to become physically active after many long years of
weight gain and inactivity; the sacrifice would initiate my own odyssey, only this
time a real one, taking both me and my family outside the comfort zone of our life
together.
How could I make this do-able in my community? My first
thought was of using Santa Clarita’s extensive paseo/bike path network, an
ideal bicycle highway across most of the Santa Clarita Valley. The only challenges
I could see to getting around via bike were my low level of fitness, the
geographical distance of one end of town from another, and the high
temperatures that a typical Southern Californian summer brings. With these
issues in mind, now was the best time to finally purchase what I had been
saving for: an electric bike. Such a bike would get me further distances than I
could expect to travel without conditioning and without exhausting myself.
Moreover, the lack of extreme exertion would help me tolerate a hot climate
that would normally discourage bike usage.
Initially, I thought a bike trailer would be best for towing
around my 5 year old, but the lower end e-bikes sold locally at Walmart didn’t
have space for the trailer hook up around the back hub motor. The internet solved
my dilemma. When I read about cargo bikes and their multiple uses, I saw the
practicality of using a specialty bike to truck around both my kids and my
groceries. After much research in forums and blogs, I decided I had to test
ride the Yuba elMundo.
The Yuba Mundo is a rare breed of bike in the U.S. – a
cargo bike, or longtail, due to the extended frame. From the internet, I became
familiar with the Dutch bakfiets, or box bikes, used in the Netherlands to move
whole families in a box secured to the front of a long framed bicycle. YouTube
is full of videos of seemingly happy Dutch families cruising through the city
on these bikes. Here, bakfiets are sold mostly in Portland and Seattle, where
bike culture is strong and varied. However, as much as they looked like fun,
Dutch style cargo bikes are very expensive, much more so than the alternative
cargo bikes developed in the U.S. and honestly, I wanted something more
streamlined for my new adventure. The typical American cargo bike carries its loading
capabilities behind the rider’s seat, above the rear wheel; the stretched frame
behind the rider is the “long tail”. Other U.S. companies have designed bikes
that carry loads in front of the rider, but as with the bakfiets, these bikes
seem to cost more than the longtail design.
Without a local Yuba vendor, I settled on traveling 92 miles
to ICargo Bike, a cargo bike specialty shop in San Clemente, CA. My girls suffered
the long car ride through heavy traffic to meet with Richard, the owner. Their
moods lifted immediately when they saw his well-used e-Yuba waiting for the
test ride. I took it around the block alone, and felt the exhilaration of
moving forward on e-power, gliding around the alley and street effortlessly.
Next, the girls, ages 5 and 13, with a combined weight of 145 pounds, settled
onto the rear seat pads and away we went. The Mundo has a lower center of
gravity than a regular bike, so their weight did not disturb the ride, though
the excited attempts to peer around my shoulder would shift the balance
somewhat. Clearly, we were love-struck from the first ride and the next day I
placed my order for a black Mundo with cream Fat Frank tires and a
top-of-the-line electric battery and motor system. Hell, if I was going to give
up my beloved van, it was only going to happen for a worthy replacement!
The Delivey
After placing my order with ICargo Bike, I felt an overwhelming
nervous excitement. I couldn’t stop daydreaming about my bike, (nor telling
everyone about it) and the day it arrived was very much a dream come true. On
May 10th, Richard delivered the Yuba right to my home, free, as
advertised on his website. The family was waiting on the street as he
pulled up! My husband was seeing a cargo bike for the first time and was
impressed with the dimensions: 6 feet, 9 inches and weighing approximately 45lbs
without all the upgrade accessories, according to the Yuba website. And I had
ordered accessories, oh yes. The eagle had landed.
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| Little M and her friend were eager to get on the bike. Richard from ICargo Bike makes an adjustment. |
This bike has a no frills design, but was created to meet
the needs of a range of users. Mine has front and rear disc brakes, for my own
peace of mind since heavy bike loads require extra braking time. Additionally,
I was leery of standard tires and the flat risk associated with them. Another good
excuse for an upgrade, no? Cream Fat Franks with tubes treated with green Slime seemed the
most reassuring solution. The electric Bionix kit that I had put on came highly
recommended by ICargo Bike. Honestly, this feature alone warrants its own post, and
I’ll have to do just that very soon.
The Yuba also has a sturdy bread basket, attached to the
front frame of the bike; not the handlebars. This allows the basket to hold up
to 50 lbs. But no, that’s not enough storage space; I had to have the giant Yuba
panniers that fit over the rear tires. The Go-Getter Bags accommodate a full
grocery run. Having had the bike since May, I haven’t yet filled them to
capacity. 8 bags of food, including liquids, fit and balance easily on this
bike. Usually I have my youngest child with me during these runs to the store.
In fact, most every ride on the Yuba has little M. hitching
a ride on the back seat pad. Next, I’ll share how this has changed not only her
world, but that of my whole family too.
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| Our electric Yuba Mundo really gets around. |
