Greetings and happy new year all. First, I have just joined this excellent forum, what a find.
I have just started to commute to work, a mere 6.5 miles each way although this should increase to 10miles e/w if the house sale ever goes through! I am currently making this journey on my trusty and much loved Raleigh Dyna-Tech Diablo, which no longer looks like a MTB and now resembles a road bike with mudguards, rack, panniers and occasional Co-pilot child seat (for 3.5 year old), plus a lot of reflective tape and lights!
I run an internet company (Traditional Playhouse Company) selling playhouses and wooden toys (www.traditionalplayhouse.co.uk if you would like to take a look). In addition to the bike I own a Ford Transit van, which initially was used to make local deliveries for playhouses and take the toys/letters to the local post office (1 mile away), usually 1 sack full per day, Christmas is more but that is the exception.
Why am I telling you all this? Well I have never been happy with the company using a transit van taking the post to the post office and now the playhouses are all delivered via a courier which helps with our carbon footprint. So to improve the footprint further I want to start taking the post over on a bicycle and I was thinking of a trailer or a trike. In addition to the change in haulage vehicle I was considering using this new bike as the commute bike too. I have come up with a few ideas, below, but I wondering if anyone had other, better informed ideas.
Idea 1 – Christiania bike. I like the idea of a bike I can transport my child and in front where I can see the little darling, plus the dreaded school run will start in September. I can then cycle to work and do the daily post drop off etc. I live in Suffolk where there are no hills to speak of. Limitations are of course size and weight, but I can also pickup other large objects. The size is also an advantage as I cycle down a lot of unlit country lanes and could add a little advertising on the box too!
Idea 2 – Dawes Galaxy (because I’ve always wanted one!) and trailer. Child transportation is limited in the co-pilot so I would need a child trailer, but I’m a little apprehensive of that. Speed is clearly the winner here.
Idea 3 – Stay on the Diablo and use a trailer as above, but I’m a little concerned with regard to the load on the chain and seat stays as they are bonded and I’m sure this is not the use the designers had in mind.
Overall the aim is to commute and deliver child/postage and thus being able to sell the Transit and replace with a small car for business trips.
Thanks for reading; any comments are very much appreciated.
Phil.
I have just started to commute to work, a mere 6.5 miles each way although this should increase to 10miles e/w if the house sale ever goes through! I am currently making this journey on my trusty and much loved Raleigh Dyna-Tech Diablo, which no longer looks like a MTB and now resembles a road bike with mudguards, rack, panniers and occasional Co-pilot child seat (for 3.5 year old), plus a lot of reflective tape and lights!
I run an internet company (Traditional Playhouse Company) selling playhouses and wooden toys (www.traditionalplayhouse.co.uk if you would like to take a look). In addition to the bike I own a Ford Transit van, which initially was used to make local deliveries for playhouses and take the toys/letters to the local post office (1 mile away), usually 1 sack full per day, Christmas is more but that is the exception.
Why am I telling you all this? Well I have never been happy with the company using a transit van taking the post to the post office and now the playhouses are all delivered via a courier which helps with our carbon footprint. So to improve the footprint further I want to start taking the post over on a bicycle and I was thinking of a trailer or a trike. In addition to the change in haulage vehicle I was considering using this new bike as the commute bike too. I have come up with a few ideas, below, but I wondering if anyone had other, better informed ideas.
Idea 1 – Christiania bike. I like the idea of a bike I can transport my child and in front where I can see the little darling, plus the dreaded school run will start in September. I can then cycle to work and do the daily post drop off etc. I live in Suffolk where there are no hills to speak of. Limitations are of course size and weight, but I can also pickup other large objects. The size is also an advantage as I cycle down a lot of unlit country lanes and could add a little advertising on the box too!
Idea 2 – Dawes Galaxy (because I’ve always wanted one!) and trailer. Child transportation is limited in the co-pilot so I would need a child trailer, but I’m a little apprehensive of that. Speed is clearly the winner here.
Idea 3 – Stay on the Diablo and use a trailer as above, but I’m a little concerned with regard to the load on the chain and seat stays as they are bonded and I’m sure this is not the use the designers had in mind.
Overall the aim is to commute and deliver child/postage and thus being able to sell the Transit and replace with a small car for business trips.
Thanks for reading; any comments are very much appreciated.
Phil.
