ikea run with junko

ikea run, a photo by owenfinn16 on Flickr.

I`m used to using the Yuba Mundo to haul folding bicycles to and from "Yokohama Rides and Rentals" customers, so I knew the bike could handle some heavy loads, but I wasn`t so sure about this almost 6 foot long carpet!

However, as soon as, I got on the bike I knew it wouldn`t be a problem.  Even with half the weight of the carpet jutting out behind, the bike was remarkably stable. Got a lot of stares from passing motor traffic on the way home - but that is part of the fun IMO!

Kids, folding bikes, mega amounts of groceries, cargo, all of the above simutaneously - where there is a will there is a way with the Yuba! I am starting to believe that there is almost nothing this bike can`t handle.

Via Flickr:
btw - the side go getter bag was loaded up with about 10 kg of stuff. The carpet on top weighed about 25kg and was about 180 cm long.

yokohama twilight cruise

Untitled, a photo by owenfinn16 on Flickr.

A day in the life of my Yokohama Yuba Mundo.
In the A.M., I used the bike to drop off my 6 year old boy at school, and then continued on to work. After work, I picked up some groceries, then my son, and brought them and him home. I then put one of the "Yokohama Rides and Rentals" folding bikes into the go-getter bag, gave it the bungee treatment, and delivered it to a customer(dropped it off at his hotel). Now, with the suddenly unladened Mundo feeling quite spry(kinda sorta), I couldn`t resist a nice twilight cruise around the city before heading back home.

Kids and the Yuba Mundo

A couple days ago, we grabbed some after school snacks in a "kombini" and rode to a nearby park to eat.  For some reason, the boys didn`t like the looks of the park`s benches - so they plopped right down on the Yuba Mundo`s sideloaders and proceeded to enjoy their kara-age and ice cream.

They do seem to love the "Big Blue Beast".

Yuba Mundo update

Update - the insurance company is only willing to pay the difference between the cost of the bike and what they have already paid. :(   Bitched and moaned as much as I could for a week but to no avail.  Also, my wife has to act as interpreter and go between, and she is sick of it. 

Anyway, this means I could pay about $500 of my own money for a new bike and then try to sell the other to make my money back, however, I am not certain I would be able to (with the broken fork) - so, after all that, I have decided to try to get the broken fork replaced.
 
There is only one Yuba dealer in Japan, and they don`t have any forks in stock, so I told the shop to go ahead and install the Surly Big Dummy fork.  Since the BD fork is threadless, they will need to install a threadless headset and stem and possibly new handlebars. 

One thing I am worried about - the Surly fork is about a centimeter longer than the Yuba`s, so there will be a slight change to the geometry -  but I see it`s been done before on a Yuba V2. 
http://www.ecovelo.info/2010/07/21/gallery-sheilia-terrys-yuba-mundo-v2-deluxe/

Will have it back in a week. 

Fingers crossed.



Mobile Park Bench

"Don`t jump!  It`s just a bent fork!"

yuba night ride

After a long work day it`s nice to jump on the Yuba and go for a "decompression" ride around Yokohama.  The pent up stress of the day melts away as I pedal through the old narrow streets and lanes of Kannai or Noge and the futuristic "Blade Runner" type scenery of Minato Mirai.

Hauling the boys to soccer

Owen and Finn love riding to soccer practice on the back of the Yuba.  Here the new "Stand Alone" kickstand is being put to the test.  No problem!

Rain cover for Yuba Mundo

The bicycle parking area next to our house, unfortunately, does little to protect the bikes from the elements. There`s a roof but that doesn`t help much when the rain is really coming down and blowing sideways, as it very often does!  Until now, I`ve been using two cheapo bicycle covers to cover the Mundo but they are poorly made and were starting to tear. 

Well, I finally found a quality rain cover that fits the Yuba Mundo and won`t blow off.  I found it in an autoparts store - it`s made to cover big motorcycles like Harley-Davidsons.  Kind of expensive at 5000 yen but worth it I think! 

Yuba Mundo

My new Yuba Mundo!  The Mundo, with it`s 200 kg load capacity, should be up to the task of hauling folding bikes to "Yokohama Rides and Rentals" customers.  

In addition, I placed an order for four Pacific Carryme folders for the new rental bike biz today. 

BikeRadar.com review of Carryme

Pacific Carryme in NYC -  some nice photos illustrating the many ways the Carryme can enhance a tourist`s sightseeing experience. 

Still thinking about other bikes to offer rental customers.