Downsizing

3/27/2014

It's time for us to cull the herd and sell off some of our fleet. Our stable has grown too plump and I'm looking to pare things down a bit. Sadly, a few of my favorites seem to be on the chopping block--our BionX Breezer, Oscar the touring bike, and possibly even our Mundo.

Our BionX system is still holding strong and it's such a wonderful bike to zip around on. In fact, this bike was probably the deciding factor in our choice to go totally car-free. It makes the longer commutes a blast and helps us bike even when we don't feel up to it. However, it's impossible to use with children (since we got rid of the trailers) and although I could add the BionX to the Bullitt or put it on a Boda Boda, I'd rather sell it while it still has life left and save up for something more functional for us later on.

Poor Oscar is out because I just don't ride it anymore. The aggressive riding position is uncomfortable now and the bike is so light and fast, I just don't know what to do with it.

Finally, the bike that started it all, our Mundo. This I'm still on the fence about. We have some wonderful friends who would give the Mundo a loving home and make great use out of it. I'm going to be heading up to Portland to test out the new Bike Friday Haul-a-Day and depending on how that goes will determine our Mundo's future. The biggest bonus to the H-a-D is that it fits on a train, which is huge for us. To be able to have a bike that can both carry the kids and be multimodal is the answer to a lot of our transportation issues.

As of now, only the Breezer is officially up for grabs and Oscar will be heading out soon, probably over to Edible Pedal for consignment, if they'll take it. I'll keep you all updated on any changes to our fleet. While we may have some goodbyes, there will always be room for new beginnings.

14 Comments

Madi (Family Ride) link

3/27/2014 03:22:45 pm

I'm proud of you, Elle! It's so hard to part with bikes! I still miss the hardtail Gary Fisher I sold six years ago before we moved to Seattle. (Are they already listed on Craigslist or somewhere else before I raise a toast in your honor?) I still need to sell the kids' old bikes...but that's more about being disorganized than having trouble saying goodbye to them :)

Elle Bustamante

3/31/2014 01:28:41 pm

Madi, only the Breezer is on craigslist. The Mundo all depends on the HaD and my little tourer, Oscar, just needs to be cleaned up. I feel like I've become a hoarder of bikes right now and I need to consolidate. Oh man, an old school Gary would be hard to let go. Jose has one in pieces in the garage that he dreams of getting back together. That was his baby!

Bekah

3/27/2014 06:18:24 pm

Let's talk about Oscar, please.

Elle

3/31/2014 01:28:01 pm

Ha! Unless you want him, he's the easiest to let go of :) I don't even know if he'd sell but I feel bad with him sitting unused in the shed.

sara link

3/27/2014 07:18:41 pm

I still have pangs about selling our Mundo. It remains here in our city, which I love, with a family with kiddos younger than ours. There are moments when I think, "Oh the Mundo would work here" but truthfully, our needs have grown & change. Now the Workcycles bakfiets-- our cargo bike that started it all-- my sons are so absolutely insistent that we cannot sell that bike. They imagine themselves older & bigger riding it so we have kept it (& I"m sentimental about it too). It now goes out on long-term loans to some local families. The first family had it for three months & then bought their own cargo bike. This next family has two young sons so it's perfect for them. Spreading the Cargo Bike Love. Hope your bikes find wonderful homes.

Elle Bustamante

3/31/2014 01:29:40 pm

I love the idea of a long-term loan. What a great way to be a bikevangelist! I can't yet picture my boys on pedaling side of the cargo bike but I hope one day...

Melissa @ HerGreenLife link

3/27/2014 11:02:48 pm

We're also downsizing a bit, and I totally understand being on the fence about the Mundo. I'm on the fence about getting rid of our Chariot 2-kid trailer. It was our first "biking with kiddo" purchase, so there's definitely some emotional attachment.

That said, I think we've used it less than 10 times in over 2 1/2 years. Once I got the IBert front seat, the trailer sat in the garage collecting dust. Now we're waiting on our new Edgerunner, and I really don't see us using the trailer any more than we have been, but still.

Good luck with your downsizing!

Elle

3/31/2014 01:27:27 pm

We had an easier time getting rid of the Chariots because we knew we weren't going to use them once we had our cargo bikes. It was such a drag (literally) to use them after knowing what it was like with the Mundo. I do feel better knowing that the Mundo will be well loved and taken care of, if we go that route. You are going to LOVE your Edgerunner!

daniel arbuckle

3/28/2014 01:13:55 am

Your better than I. I seem to collect bikes and never get around to selling the ones I dont use. Maybe we can do a bike swap meet at Johns shop. Ashlie said no more new bikes until a few go.

Elle

3/31/2014 01:26:40 pm

Dan, it is so hard to choose what has to go. I wouldn't let go of the Mundo unless I can find something to fill it's place and fit a gap that we need. You sold your Mundo! I hadn't even thought it was possible until I watched yours get snapped up within 24 hours!

Peter

3/29/2014 12:50:11 am

The Haul-a-Day looks interesting. I hope you'll test it with weight and write about your ride. I fear that it will feel noodly with kids & gear on the back, certainly moreso that a Mundo (though hopefully better than the average Free Radical build).

I hope Yuba is looking at this and considering a smaller-wheeled Mundo, one that would work better for multimodal trips. With the Peanut Shell I'm pretty sure I couldn't bring ours on the trains around here. Without the Shell it's still 1" longer than the rules allow, so a picky station manager could keep us off the train. It looks like Xtracycle's EdgeRunner, despite the small rear wheel, is actually an inch longer than Mundo.

Elle Bustamante

3/31/2014 01:26:11 pm

Peter, the Boda Boda fits on most public transport if you turn the handlebars around. I still have the kid in a seat which take up most of a midtail deck or else the Boda Boda would have been a really high possibility. If I could, I'd take the BionX off the Breezer and put it on a BB and combine all the needs--electric bike that hauls kids and goes on public transportation.
I'm really looking forward to getting a feel for the HaD. It has a solid frame, which is a huge plus. I wasn't a fan of the free radical and was sold on the Mundo because of it's solid, tank-like feel. The Edgerunner wasn't around when I was choosing but I was surprised that I liked the ER when I tested it--not enough to swap it for the Mundo, though.

Melissa

3/31/2014 02:34:49 am

The Haul-a-Day does look pretty cool, but since you already have the Mundo, have you considered just holding off for a year or so and then getting a Bike Friday tandem and adding a Piccolo for Little Brother (there are at least a few people online who were able to modify the Piccolo rack to fit a Bike Friday)? As the kids get heavier, I think it will be more helpful to have them pedaling and the tandem seems more packable for travel. It'd be nice if the frame-mounted front backet were available on the tandem for more convenient cargo space. I've been grappling with what is the logical next bike step for us too, especially for longer distances where the Fr8 is just too heavy to be practical. I really wish the Follow Me tandem were about half the price. . .

Elle Bustamante

3/31/2014 01:33:39 pm

Those are some great points, Melissa! I hadn't thought about the tandem with a trail-a-bike. I have always drooled over their family triples. I think that we still have a few more years before the boys are ready to be on their own set of pedals and in the meantime, I've really been looking for a way to get a cargo bike to fit on the bus/train.
The Fr8 is a really heavy bike. The Follow Me would add a ton of weight to it, too. They're hard to find used as well. Now that your bigger kiddo is on her bike more, maybe a tandem + seat would work? Have you seen the Onderwater tandems? Not that that's a cheaper way to go :)

http://rollingorangebikes.com/family-bikes/onderwater-kids-tandem-xl/

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