center of attention

center of attention, a photo by owenfinn16 on Flickr.

There are bicycles everywhere you look in Japan, but the Yuba Mundo is still a head-turner wherever it goes. I have yet to see another longtail or bakfiets in Yokohama. I did see a Big Dummy in Tokyo once.

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.

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".

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!