Tag Archives: Haul-a-Day

Featured Build: A Cargo Bike named Avocado Toast

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From the personal attention of our Bike Designers, to the focus and craftsmanship of our production team, every worker at Bike Friday knows that every bike we build is special. But not every bike build receives a nick-name before it’s delivered…

As christened by our production team: Avocado Toast.

 

Rumors spread through the factory about Avocado Toast. Was this a frivolous Millennial indulgence or was there something more to this build? Hanging in the stand the bike certainly looks impressive. While some cargo bikes boast of their capability in neon orange, Avocado Toast says I can do everything that the bigger, heavier overseas bikes can with a fusion of British style and American ingenuity. The classic British Racing Green colorway is set off by the Brooks-supplied touchpoints while the subtle mix of high-end components, like the Chris King Sotto Voce headset, provide the dependability essential to the years of trouble-free use one expects from a cargo bike.

 

We may have snuck Avocado Toast out of the factory for a few photos. (Not that we recommend taking photos of your food for social media)

Love those tan-wall Maxxis Grifters

Ready to pick up the kids

With the wealth of accessories available for the Haul-a-Day, Bike Friday customizes the mix to suite the needs of the owner. Like many Haul-a-Day riders, this family will be running their kids to school and back, as well as around-town errands. Bike Friday’s Whoopie-Deux bars provide wrap-around security for 2-3 kids (depending on age and backpacks) with a cushy Xtra-cycle Magic Carpet for comfort. Our Big Foot rests provide convenient support for larger passengers or loads.

The wide double kickstand provides a solid foundation for loading and unloading of kids and cargo. Or a comfy perch to relax!

Bike Designer Walter delivering Avocado Toast to the excited owners.  New owner Drew actually told us they just had car trouble and were going to immediately be using the bike as a car-replacement. Good thing they bought a Bike Friday Haul-a-Day when they did…Avocado Toast saves the day!

If you want to roll around on your own custom-built Made In USA cargo bike, this exact build, including components from Thompson, Jones, Avid, Chris King, Shimano 105, and Brooks, is $3629. Electric Assist is available new or as a retro-fit. With a more modest build and the same great frame, the Haul-a-Day starts at $1685. Feeling inspired? Or Hungry? Order an Avocado Toast for yourself! Call 1-800-777-0258 or email [email protected] to get started!

Helpful information from a 79-year-old Grandpa riding his Grand-Toddler on the back…

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Here we have a growing list that our friend William Robinson is putting together of modifications he is making to his Bike Friday Haul-a-Day cargo E-Bike. It’s like have an Ikea Bike because it’s so modular.


City Hall Photo Op. Took grand-daughter downtown in her Hamax seat on my HaD to share the love with City Manager and Safe Routes to School team.

“Love the assist. My 79-year-old knees and other joints value the boost when scampering across an intersection. I weigh 172 lbs. Bike weight of the bike with battery, motor, lock. whoopee deux and front basket is 76 lbs. It is almost evenly divided, front to rear. With grand-toddler on the back, the assist is an invaluable fatigue eliminator…”

The best way to lay out your bike when you pull it out of the box

“Child seat by Hamax, a good alternative to Yepp. My 17-month-old grand daughter has her helmet; we first need warmer weather. I will add felt to the inner surfaces of the leg shields. That will prevent chafing the paint on the pipes.”

Rear dynamo tail light custom mount
– Water Bottle mount –
Two 1-1/2″ straps hold ordinary bottle mount securely to seat tube.
Modified my old Thule bike rack to carry my HaD. The rack was limited to 48″ so I shortened the frame to the same. I am 5’6″ and 79 years old. I can get the HaD on and off by myself.
Failure teaches. The first attempt, pulling on the SKS fender was foolish. Discovering the unused pannier lugs allowed fabrication of a three legged bracket. It is independent of the fender. It works marvelously and allows very tight turns without challenge to the bracket or shoes. And it reduces the amount of front wheel turning when using the kickstand.

Family Travel with the Haul-A-Day and a pakiT. Yes dreams do come true!

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Traveling for the first time with bikes in tow, if I am being honest, is scary…beyond scary.  First I was scared to death that I would have a million issues that I would not easily be able to fix, either due to inexperience or having my whole toolkit among other things.  I had never folded a cargo bike, taken one apart(cargo bikes don’t normally come apart) let alone dreaming that it might actually fit into a travel bag.  With this fear, (and great encouragement from Alan Scholz himself) I jumped in with both feet.

Full disclosure, I am the new Marketing “Guru” at Bike Friday and knew that I would have to bring bikes on this pre-planned trip so I was best able to relate to all of you fine folks reading this.  With that let the story move begin…

So when you have a pick of best bikes we make sitting in front of you, that are easy to fold and pack in a bag, being the Papa that I am I really wanted to bring a Haul-A-Day.  Mine is set-up with the bottle battery so traveling with my bike was

out of the question. I just assumed no Haul-A-Day on my holiday, until Alan talked me into.  Thankfully we had a few stock Haul-A-Day’s here at the factory ready to go(though I did have to add a few family-friendly options to make it easier for family travel).  

Taco-Tuesday with a Haul-A-Day

I had no idea how I was going to get this large bike into the bag I bought but the measurements worked out that it “should” work and thanks to so many of you sharing so much of your travel wisdom via blogs and forums I was able to get pool-noodles with a side of patience.

Off we go for a fun family trip which started in Germany to see all the family on my wife’s side and then up to Norway to see all of my family.  

I should tell everyone that this was our main focus on this trip, was to see family and riding was really the bonus(we also have a 7-year-old…bike-focused trips are coming soon).  It cost me $100 to take an extra bag which had the Haul-A-Day in it but it was a price worth paying(don’t forget to “demand” fragile stickers). 

Zoom forward to flying, taking a train out of the Frankfurt airport(which by the way that is the most amazingly great thing about flying into Frankfurt, how easy it is to get around once you are there), then off to my in-laws house to figure out how to put these bikes back together and…the scary part…did they make it in one piece?  Great news…better than great and the best part is that the Haul-A-Day took me about 10 minutes to get it back together and on the road while the pakIT took about 3.

Now the real adventure ensues…well kinda.  Reality is, again, this was a family trip so we had tons of family events going on while we were there so riding was the bonus but boy was it a bonus.  I have been to Germany around 20 times in the last 20 years(missed a few years but traveled back twice a few times)and never had a bike along and have always relied on people to get around.  Having a bike is life-changing because if I felt the need I could just jump on my bike and ride…something we all take for granted yet here I was with the means to just go and go we did. My boy jumped on the back and away we went.

Ready to ride!

Our little area in Germany is the Saarland, which is filled with history, some of the oldest in Europe with towns like Trier, Saarbrucken, and St.Wendel, is our little spot where we hang our hats.  To be able to just jump on the bike and explore does things that you could never get in a car.  You see more, smell more, enjoy more all because the pace of life has slowed to a manageable speed which allows you to enjoy the journey…it is a vacation after all.  We had a few days(and a little rain) and then it was time to repack the bikes for the next leg of our journey.

Happy to report that it did NOT take an hour to repack Red and she went back into the bag with ease.  The pakIT yet again was far easier to pack but the Haul-A-Day was maybe 20 minutes after all was said and done.  Packed and ready it was time to explore the land of my ancestors and see how the Haul-A-Day performed as a farm bike.  One thing I love about our bikes is the wheel size, easy to climb and actually really comfortable as a gravel grinder.  We were staying in the most picturesque setting one could ever dream of which made for the perfect backdrop for our adventures on two wheels.  The pakIT was even a champ for gravel grinding around the farm and the kids loved it.  

Imagine yourself grinding up some back road then cresting that hill which then opens to mountains for climbing and lakes for swimming…we even found cute little frogs.

Every good trip has to end at some point and ours was nearing its end and it was time for Red to get adopted by another family, and bonus Red got reunited with one of its very own family members back in Oslo.  Our friend bought his first Haul-A-Day 3 years ago and his wife wanted her own so we knew it was going to a good home. 

New Bike Day!

We spent some time geeking out about the bike and all the little changes that have come as we put these bikes out on the road and received feedback from so many of our users(being a small manufacturer it’s not hard to make a rolling change so yes, through the years we have listened to you all and made adjustments as needed and for this we thank you).  It was fun, me being the “new guy” at Bike Friday, to hear about all the fun things that have been done on our bikes first-hand…we are rich with stories of great adventures and even the greatness of day-to-day life on a travel bike because of you all.  Goodbye Red…enjoy your journey as we pack for our next leg in adventures back to Germany.

Packed and ready it’s time to get back to our (second) home and a few more adventures on two wheels.  Fun was had and simple joys were found because we had the freedom to go, explore and find what we could find.  One of the biggest joys of traveling by bike is that you can do just that…explore.  Something we never do when we are home no matter how amazing our “backyard” is, we almost never take the time to look at the details and take it all in.  This was maybe the biggest lessons learned for me on this trip.  I look forward to the next adventure and now have adjusted my list a bit as I have some ideas on where to go next.  We will still make our yearly pilgrimage home but now it’s time to explore other places on the globe…which should we do first?  Australia is near the top of the list…what say you world travelers?

If you have any questions about this trip please feel free to ask and I hope I can be of assistance if you plan to travel to some of these same areas.

jarlb@bikefriday.com

More pics from our fun trip :

Bike Friday in Norway and Germany

Sweeping the streets…one Haul-A-Day at a time…

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Our friend Matthew has been working on a little project with his creation called Bicimakina for many moons and its tale we set before you about a man on a mission.  A life free from flats, no longer having the need for emergency repairs.  Find his story below and may your journeys take you to faraway lands, where the streets are littered with smiling faces rolling on two wheels for miles of smiles.

Enter the mind of Bicimakina solutions for changing the world:

 

For a long time, I had terrible tires, something cheap, I don’t remember. I kept meaning to buy new ones, but I’d forget until I inevitably chanced upon some broken glass.

I could never risk running over the glass, it was a guaranteed flat. So the choice was always either to swerve into traffic or screech to a halt. It was a frequent and frustrating occurrence. Of course, instead of just getting some sturdier tires I concocted the most stupidly elaborate solution possible: put a broom on the front of the bike.

 

Thankfully, as I had a Haul-a-Day, I could easily build an attachment for a deployable push broom. All I had to do was design it around the convenient headtube mounts, used for the front rack + plate. So, during quiet hours in the shop, I tinkered away until I had a working prototype.

The idea was good in theory: an angled broom, like a snow plow, would push all of the glass off to the curb. Better bike lanes for all. There was only one problem. It doesn’t work. Like at all. Unless you’re sweeping bouncy balls or getting geese out of your way, it’s pretty useless. The glass just rattles around under the bristles and then pops out of the back and you run over it anyway. It’s not even any good for getting leaves or debris out of the lane.

So this is where we call on all our BFF’s(Bike Friday Friends) and encourage you to get involved, help our friend Matthew at Bicimakina bring this solution to life in a truly functional way.  Makers of the world unite…with many minds we can change the world one bike at a time.  Can you help us with this project?  Support our friend and fellow maker who wants to ensure flats are a thing of the past and smiles for miles are a thing of the future.  Enjoy the video below and then share with us your ideas…how would you take a Bike Friday Haul-A-Day and adapt a broom to it for clearing the bike paths as needed?  Show us your stuff!

Haul-A-Day E-Assist will change the world!

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Like Manna from heaven the next dimension of Bike Friday bikes has finally hit the ground and hit the ground with rocket boosters. Going E-Assist has been life-changing for our test crew and loyal customers who were the early adopters of this technology so this is a big moment for us here at Bike Friday.

The Haul-A-Day is no longer just a cargo bike…it is so much more.

When on your commute to work, have you ever wished you could cut a few minutes off your time or climbing that hill wishing you could keep pace with the guy in biking shorts, but the full load of groceries keeps holding you back or you are a bike family but need to haul a load of 2X4’s from the hardware store?  Well guess what, it’s possible.  It’s even more than possible due to E-Assist.

Our team here has worked hard, invested countless hours not only building but also testing system after system, all to ensure we offer the same quality E-Bike as we do classic bike. We are able to officially replace your daily driver vehicle without skipping a beat. No joke…we are there and we are now able to work together and reach the goal of less cars on the road, less emissions, less carbon footprint, less sedentary life and a better world for future generations.

It’s time to spread your wings and fly down the bike trails.

This is huge…HUGE! We are excited to bring you along for the ride and know that together we are making a difference.  Keep following our journey and as you join the movement we hope you share you stories with us as well.

Together we are stronger.

6 Reasons Why Cargo Bikes Are The Next Big Thing

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We already have seen the impact  of Cargo Bikes. Have you?

Check out this post on Grist.org

 

 

 

Win a Haul-a-Day on Bicycle Times

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eugene-drt-jordan-eli-win

Jordan and Eli Bishko won the Family Division of the Eugene Disaster Relief Trials on a Haul-a-Day in 2015.

Do you feel lucky? Do you feel like a winner? Would you like that to be you in the photo on your new Haul-a-Day?

Check out the Win a Haul-a-Day contest on Bicycle Times

You only have one week to enter. Good luck!

Testimonial from a Hardcore Roadie

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Jeff Linder on his Bike Friday Haul-a-Day Cargo Bike with BionX electric pedal assist

Jeff Linder on his Bike Friday Haul-a-Day Cargo Bike with BionX electric pedal assist

By Jeff Linder
Bike Friday Angel Investor

I really don’t know where to begin …

The new Bike Friday Haul-a-Day has so captured my imagination, making it difficult to prioritize the long list of things I truly like about this bike.

The global view is that this bike has the potential of freeing the up the younger families from dependence on the second car. At least that’s the way it presents itself to me.

A car can be, and most frequently is an essential tool in today’s family experience but just as commonly the use case for the second car is not quite so compelling and if you can be offered an alternative that can help you do those collateral essentials then hey, fantastic. AND if you can make it fun too — holy Toledo, Batman, what a score.

I’ve been riding the Haul-a-Day now for a few months and have had just the best time. It’s so versatile and delightful and it brings a smile to my face every time.


My Haul-a-Day has the BionX electric assist installed and I’m nothing short of a convert. Full disclosure — I’m the kind of guy who likes to ride with the assist at full tilt-boogie, allowing me to cruise at 20-plus mph in virtually all conditions that include some pretty significant hills.

I really enjoy loading up with the Costco goods or packages from local retail outlets to the bewilderment of many onlookers. I’m quite certain that I’m often pushing 75-100 pounds worth of bike and cargo, and have passed my local litmus test of getting up my 22-degree driveway, which is borderline insanity.

This is easily one of the best things to ever come out of the skunk works at Bike Friday and I’m pleased and honored to have one of the first production bikes to test and enjoy. Here are a couple of pictures of yours truly and the Haul-a-Day in action.

A Bike Friday Haul-a-Day Cargo Bike with BionX Electric Assist loaded with supplies from Costco.

A Bike Friday Haul-a-Day Cargo Bike with BionX Electric Assist loaded with supplies from Costco.

A Bike Friday Haul-a-Day Cargo Bike loaded down with Propane tanks.

A Bike Friday Haul-a-Day Cargo Bike loaded down with Propane tanks.

Pedaling My Arse Around Ireland

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Bike Friday owner Erica Stevenson spent three weeks touring Ireland on her Pocket Llama, and she shares her tales.

By Erica Stevenson

The title of this journal was inspired by a comment from a man on my last long bike tour. He called out: “Y’all know over here, you can’t be peddling your ass around here!” – or something like that.

Anyway, our interactions with the local people in each town were the funniest and most memorable experiences of the trip. Meeting some good Irish people (and especially seeing my family) is what has encouraged me to ride my bicycle around this beautiful little island.

So, this is my first solo bike tour and sort of my first solo vacation, though I’ve traveled on my own quite a bit for new jobs.

erica

In the last year, everywhere I’ve traveled by car has just made me think: “Hmmm, this would be so cool on a bicycle.” The speed of biking is a great way to see local life as it is and still actually go places.

Since moving back to the Bay Area, I’ve been thinking about what it would be like to tour just about everywhere in the world, but Ireland seems like the next logical place to go … I can visit family, it’s somewhat familiar, English, island (can’t get too lost!!) — perfect for a three-week time frame and my first solo bike tour. I’d love to have longer to tour, but I also have a rather cool job, so a crazy chunk-of-year(s) tour will have to wait.

About five months ago I booked a flight and started telling people, I’m going to Ireland!!, and that got the ball rolling.

The bike: I bought a folding bike a couple of months ago through a local Bike Friday dealer, Chain Reaction Bicycles in Redwood City, with the dream of easily flying and riding my own bike in far flung places.

I researched these cute little bikes to death and I was able to pretty much custom choose all of my components (without having the worry or cost of them not working out, which was nice!)

I chose dropbars, bar-end shifters, V-brakes, and I upgraded from their standard headset, seat post, and chain. I’ve put a few hundred miles on my Pocket Llama over the summer and he is AMAZING (and adorable).

Except for being a bit unsure when confronted with rocks, he feels very much like my full sized bikes, nimbly climbs up the steepest of hills, and is quite confident when loaded down.

You can read about Erica’s entire journey here.

Momentum Magazine’s Review of the Haul-a-Day

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had-momentum

by: Sandra Allen

The Haul-a-Day is Bike Friday’s addition to the growing cargo bike market. Bike Friday is an Oregon-based bike building company who use words like local, organic, community, and handcraft to describe what they do. They specialize in custom folding and travel bikes, which means the Haul-a-Day has many of the inventive conveniences of those types of bikes and can be customized to your desire.

The Haul-a-Day is a mid-tail cargo bike so it has a smaller footprint but can still carry huge loads without being ‘tippy’ thanks to the 20” wheels giving it a low center of gravity. It adjusts to fit riders 4-foot to 6-foot-4 (1.2-1.9 m) and has a low step-over height which is immensely helpful when hopping on and off with kids aboard. Disc brakes front and back, a stabilizing two-leg kickstand, huge front basket and a plate-deck rear rack round out the specs, while you’ve got the choice of 8 or 24 speeds. The Haul-a-Day is light and agile and rides like a real bike while doing 10x the work. One can customize everything from the rear rack, the front basket, saddlebags, colour, and kid-attachments – Bike Friday loves to work with their customers to create the best bike for your lifestyle.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS You know that classic scene from E.T. that every cyclist loves to reference? Elliot on his bicycle flying through the sky, red hoodie up, E.T. tucked in the front basket. I feel like Elliot in that scene when I ride the Haul-a-Day. Maybe it’s the big basket in the front, or the upright riding position, or the fun, red colour of this model. It just feels like flying on this beautiful bicycle. I get compliments on it ALL the time, and the girls I nanny used to always ask why people were staring & waving at them all the time. I’ve had to explain that we just look so cool & unique, so that’s why all the attention!

I find the basket and 2 huge saddle bags handle all my loads perfectly. The basket is so solidly attached to the bike frame itself – and the wheel turns freely below it – which allows the bike to turn smoothly even in tight places. I don’t think I could handle the loads I do without such a low step-through and the small wheels. This makes it super sturdy and stable when loaded to the brim with cargo or kids or both! I am a small person and manage the bike just fine; I’ve even read an older child could use this cargo bike, which I believe is the only one on the market able to adjust for such a wide variety of people. Great disc brakes ensure I can stop no matter what and the SRAM dual drive 24-speed lets me gear down if I get stopped suddenly and really tackle those hills with ease.

WISH LIST There isn’t much I would change on this bike, it’s pretty darn awesome as is. But hey, we may as well try to get it perfect. So here’s what I’d like to see:

  • An option between the open-back hoop and the full hoop-la. Kids want independence when getting on & off but need the security to not fall off the back. Maybe a gate would help?
  • Stronger internal front shifter. I ride bikes hard it seems and needed to get it readjusted twice over six months.
  • More high gears for speed! I often topped out when riding on my own.
  • Built-in lights. When I attached a light on the back where it could be seen while carrying kids meant it got stepped on while the kids got on and off. Built-in lights are ideal for commuting bicycles!

SUMMARY A light, easy and fun mid-tail cargo bike. Having tried a lot of other load-hauling contraptions, getting on the Haul-a-Day was a pure delight! To not feel like the bike is out of your control or struggle much on any sort of incline, I really appreciated all the thought that went in to this beautiful bicycle. If you’re looking for a bike that can haul big loads safely and easily without being a huge presence, then the Haul-a-day is for you.

Read Sandra Allen’s review of the Haul-a-Day in Momentum magazine.