FAQ: Mundo, Bakfiets/boxbike, Joe Bike, Xtracycle, Big Dummy, Ute or trailer?

This is a fantastic question and a darned tough one! Before you buy a utility/cargo bicycle, we recommend that you be very realistic about how you intend to use your new ride, whichever you choose. This will definitely help guide your purchase. The Mundo, Bakfiets/Boxbike, Joe Bike, Xtracycle, Big Dummy, Kona Ute and utility trailers all offer compelling arguments for their specific use-case. These are all excellent options that will change the way you carry stuff on a bike. This being said, here are a few insights and comparisons to help in your search:

The Yuba Mundo ($1099-1199) is a scalable and extensible, super-duty cargo bike for around $1K –it’s a lot of bike for the money. In 2009, it’s actually 12 lbs. lighter but just as strong, thanks to superior materials and the use of ovalized tubing. Its main advantage over XtraCycle is that it’s a single, stiff, superstrong frame, which means it can carry far more, with far greater stability, than the XtraCycle can (the XtraCycle Free Radical kit is an extension that replaces the back of an existing bike, usually a mountain bike; it inherently forms a two-piece frame that is inherently weaker than a single, stiff steel frame). The Mundo’s cargo platforms are larger and stronger than any comparable offering, enabling it to carry more than any vehicle in this category. In fact, the Mundo will gracefully haul more than you’re likely going to want to carry! On the other hand, the Mundo may be more than some people need. If you don’t plan on carrying more than, say, 40 lbs. of kids or cargo with any frequency, you may find the XtraCycle to be good enough.

In a comparison with the Kona Ute, we find that the Ute has an aluminum frame while the Mundo’s is steel; that the Ute lacks siderails, which on the Mundo allow a great deal of weight to be carried with great stability and load versatility; and that the Ute is a light-duty utility bike in the same category as the XtraCycle, but is simply not a cargo bike. Meanwhile, Surly’s Big Dummy is a formidable machine with a formidable price tag: it costs two to three times as much as the Mundo, while offering essentially the same level of capability. 

Boxbike/Bakfiets) (e.g., Joe Bike’s short-wheelbase boxbike, $1,299; or $3,000+ elsewhere for longer, harder-to-ride models) are great for carrying awkward loads and children, as the box is low and easily accommodates shifting loads. Perhaps the most important difference between the boxbike and all other utility bikes is that children ride in front of you, not behind you. Almost all parents we talk to at Joe Bike want their kids in front of them. This arrangement also allows the children to actually see where they’re going, which tends to make for a more enjoyable experience for everyone. Boxbikes/bakfietsen also come fully equipped with convenient features that make it easy to hop on and ride, including an integrated lock, front and rear lights, tie-downs, shoulder straps for the kids, four-point kickstands, and so on. Long box vs. short? The long-box model weighs 100 lbs., which is 30-40 lbs. more than Joe Bike’s short-box model, yet the short-box model can carry most of what the longer version can. The shorter model is also quicker and nimbler, easier to turn, easier to store, and overall easier to live with. Like the longer version, it holds two children on its bench seat and includes a pair of shoulder straps, a rainguard for the passengers, and a long list of other features.  Finally, another consideration is the carbon footprint required to manufacture and ship a bike to its final destination. Whereas the longer-box bakfiets is designed and assembled in the Netherlands, the frame is manufactured elsewhere on the planet. So the frame, along with most of its components, may originate in Asia and are then shipped to Europe for assembly, after which they cross the Atlantic and North America to reach Portland. Meanwhile Joe Bike’s boxbike originates in Asia along with most of its components and is transported once across the Pacific, directly to Portland.

The Joe Bike ($2200-3000) is Joe Bike’s unique, modular, multipurpose utility bike based on the boxbike frame. It offers more versatility and configurability than any other cargo bike, yet with its short wheelbase and relatively light weight, it’s remarkably easy and fun to ride, with essentially no learning curve. The Joe Bike currently includes four configurations, all of which are designed and handbuilt in Portland. These include the first double-decker cargo-carrying system, the original wooden box, and a sort of reverse-XtraCycle attachment that allows two children to sit upright in front of the rider, along with several grocery bags. The Joe Bike costs significantly more than the boxbike primarily because of substantial frame modifications, component upgrades (disc brakes and lighter wheels, for instance), two-tone color schemes, and simply the cost of steel.

Xtracycle conversions ($500 + the cost of a complete bike) are excellent for light users because they have accessories galore and the cost is easily digested. What’s more, you can retain a lot of what you love about a comfortable old steed by using your favorite existing bicycle for the conversion. The Xtracycle extension is made from TIG-welded cromoly tubing with aluminum cargo carriers, which combine to ensure a lightweight ride, albeit with more flex than a fully integrated frame. Over time, flex can damage and weaken the bike frame, especially if the frame is aluminum. The overall capacity isn’t as high as the Mundo or Bakfiets, but Xtracycles can still handle awkward loads with ease up to about 50 lbs. or more, depending on how and where the weight is placed. Lastly, Xtracycle defined the longtail market in the US, so people have been modifying and accessorizing Xtracycles for years. This has produced a massive user/support group. Expect fully-built Xtracycle conversions (using a new bike) to cost $900+. Joe Bike also refurbishes old steel mountain bikes and turns them into XtraCycles for a more affordable pricetag.

Surly’s Big Dummy ($2100-2900 fully built) has further validated the Xtracycle geometry by delivering a solid cargo frameset built on Xtracycle specs to ensure simple cross-pollination of accessories. While the Xtracycle delivers flex, the Big Dummy is an integrated frame, providing excellent stiffness and strength. For cargo carrying, the Big Dummy relies on Xtracycle’s snap-on aluminum top and side loaders. The pricetag, however, keeps this bike out of reach of most.

Kona’s Ute ($900-1100) is a nice entry into the light-duty end of the market, at a reasonable price. The big benefit of the Ute is its relatively low weight, which makes it suitable for a light-utility, commuter focus, though steel (Mundo, boxbike, etc.) offers a more supple, more comfortable ride. The bike features a fully integrated, extended tail (not quite as long as the Xtracycle’s or the Mundo’s) built on an aluminum frame. While offering less load capacity than the Mundo or bakfiets-type bikes, the Ute offers more cargo options than a regular bicycle with a rack. Kona put a lot of thought into engineering a bike that could handle an extra set of bags without being too heavy duty –and without the added weight of a heavy-duty bike. It’s a unique niche that will serve certain riders very well, while others, such as those who want to carry both a child and groceries, will clearly notice less stability than on the Mundo or boxbike. Complemented by many commuter-friendly features (including fenders, disc brakes and a lot of gears), the Ute is a fine solution for folks who just need to be able to pack more than a regular bike on their commute. Kona makes great bikes and the Ute is no exception.

Trailers (est. $300 - $800) perform an amazing array of functions and come in more varieties than we choose to even mention. We love trailers and believe they definitely have a place in the utility cycling market. Trailers are competitively priced and often extremely well-made. We’ve used a two-seat Chariot Cougar for more than a year, packing children and groceries alike. The Chariot can handle up to 100 pounds and tracks beautifully. What’s more, it converts to a stroller with ease. We probably put as many miles on our Chariot configured as a stroller as we have as a trailer. This being said, with trailers your children are behind you, out of sight and out of reach. It’s not the same experience as having your children right in front of you. And it’s always more of a hassle to setup and tow a trailer than it is to just throw things into/onto your vehicle. Trailers take time to attach/configure and have to be locked-up separately from the bicycle. Additionally, they just don’t carry as much as a cargo bike; nor do they handle as wide a variety of loads. If you’re on a budget, the Chariot is fantastic. Just make sure you understand and appreciate its limits.