The Bakfiets Experience. Period.

Enough said.  The bakfiets is an experience we should all take part in.   The bakfiets is a Long John style cargo bike which according to longjohn.org is a two-wheeled cargo bike with the load area between the steering tube and front wheel.  The site doesn't clarify who designed the first long john, but does attribute a Danish company with first manufacturing the bike in the 1940's.  One thing is for sure, long john cargo bikes haul ass, and then some, and the modern editions handle like a dream.

Thanks to MyDutchBike.com, I had the privilege of riding a bakfiets home, loaded (the bike not me),  after KT and I finished the Vélo Vogue Bike Wardrobe Remix photo booth at the Disposable Film Festival.  I had to figure out a way to get the photo booth equipment AND my bike home too, but with a huge cargo box I knew it wouldn't be a thing.

 

Loading the bakfiets was cake and it took about 15 seconds to adjust to riding, the 8-speed nexus hub was perfect even with a little incline, handling was smooth enough that I could ride one handed and snap photos of myself, getting the bike on and off the kick stand was a breeze, and if I could afford it, I'd stock my bike garage with a bakfiets today.  Experience the feat of engineering that is this bike.  Get on a bakfiets, find a load to carry, GO!

The Bakfiets Experience: Form & FUNction!

Look at how HOT this ride is!

And guess what, it's totally utilitarian! I cruised along Market Street from Soraya's shop to Adolph Gasser to pick up a lighting kit for our photo booth at the DFF.

Let me provide answers to your questions up front:

A: The Bakfiets is easy to ride and maneuver through traffic.
A: The heavy load in front doesn't bog you down. Steering was quite easy, once you get the hang of making wide turns.
A: The Bakfiets has 8 gears and you can stylishly ride at a normal speed.
A: The Bakfiets turns heads.

Look! I didn't just pose with it. I rode it! Self-portrait in window of the W. Hotel (where King Mikael stayed during his last SF visit - sniff!)

Tow truck avec tow bike.

And if a picture is worth a thousand words, than a video ought to be worth a million.


The Bakfiets delivered me to the Good Hotel safe and sound, along with my cargo. Thanks to My Dutch Bike, our Photo Booth was shining bright!

When all was said and done, we got to play around in the FUNfiets.


Dan Nguyen-Tan demonstrates the many uses of this functional bike.


Ms. Wheelright was not only carted around for show, but rode the Bakfiets home and will now offer us her very own Bakfiets Experience.