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The People's Utility Bicycle Project is practice based research, that explores the alternative methods of developing and manufacturing human powered transportation technology in times of energy poverty. These utility vehicles are developed as appropriate technology. They can be manufactured energyfrugally; with simple tools and techniques using mainly the waste of the society as a resource. The utility bicycles are aimed to serve as accessible tools of transition towards the behavioural changes required for a sustainable culture.
Citation preview
People's Utility Bicycle Project
2012
MA Thesis by Uula Jero, Supervisor Simo Puintila
Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Department of Design
Table of Contents
Personal Statement
1. Hypothesis 1
2. Abstract 3
3. Aim 5
4. Objectives 5
5. Background 75.1 Philosophical Framework 8
5.1.1 Limits to Growth / Ecological Argument 8
5.1.2 Looking Beyond the Industrial Society 9
5.1.3 Facilitating a Transition Under the Current
Economic Reality / Social Entrepreneurship 10
5.1.4 Open Source Technology 11
5.1.5 Revival of Handicraft in a Deskilled Modern Society 14
5.1.6 A Frugal Society 15
5.1.7 Sustainable Technology 17
5.2 Practical Framework 17
5.2.1 Bicycle, the Most Efficient Means of Transportation 18
5.2.2 The Past of Utilitarian Cycling 18
5.2.3 The Rise of Utilitarian Cycling 20
6. Method 236.1 Development Basis 25
6.1.1 The Long John 25
6.1.2 The Industrial Tricycle 26
6.1.3 The Sociable Cargo Bicycle 28
6.1.4 Evaluating the Potential for Production with
Simple Tools and Low-energy Manufacturing Methods 30
6.2 Making & Development 31
6.2.1 The Box Bike 32
6.2.2 The Doubler 46
6.2.3 The Barrel Bike 58
6.3 Instructions 65
6.4 Utility Bicycles in Action 73
6.5 Outside Involvement 95
6.6 Work with Glasgow Bike Station 112
6.6.1 The Vision of Glasgow Bike Station and 112
the Future of the People's Utility Bicycle Project
6.6.2 The Collaboration 113
6.6.3 Fabrication 113
6.6.4 Workshops 114
7. Aesthetics and Visual Communication of Values 117
8. Results 119
9. Conclusion 123
10. Bibliography 124
11. References 125
12. Appendix 129People's Utility Bicycle Projet Visual Identity Material i
The Box Bike Instructions ii
The Barrel Bike Instructions iii
Cargo Bicycle Cost Sheet Produced for Bike Station iv
Workshop Plan Produced for Bike Station v
Personal Statement
I have been thoroughly exploring the benefit of human powered technology for the last
seven years. The world revealed itself to me in the beginning of my studies, when I stumbled
upon a discarded bicycle frame in skip of a recycling centre which was located near the
Helsinki School of Industrial Arts. Before then, despite enjoying riding it, the bicycle had
never revealed its true nature to me. Seeing this naked frame laying there, was when I
understood its functionally de-tangled simplicity.
The staff of the bicycle workshop at the recycling centre probably sensed my enthusiasm,
when I first walked in with this frame I had found. All I knew was, that I wanted to learn
everything that was required to make it run. Kindly they took me under their wing, letting
me rummage through the oily bins of spare parts every break I got from school, and teaching
me the essential knowledge and tricks of working with old bicycle technology firsthand. To
my surprise, everything was straightforward, and made more sense than I had previously
thought. All that was really needed, was the courage to explore the technology through my
own hands.
Though it cannot be said, that I know everything, I consider that I learned to master the old
bicycle in their guidance. Riding swiftly through the congested morning traffic to school
gave me a liberating sensation of freedom and self-sufficiency. Looking at the expressions of
the motorists confined in their stagnant vehicles, made me think that they were missing out,
committing a sin simply because they were misguided. I too, had once been a keen motorist,
succumbed to that ecstasy of speed, and fascinated by the promise of the esoteric
technology. I did not know how relative the illusion was.
I made my 16 kilometre commute to school nearly as fast as I would with a car or a bus in
the morning traffic, and felt considerably better and invigorated when I reached my
destination. The physical effort, and being exposed to the elements was not a struggle, but
rather a triumph in self discovery. I felt more connected to the world than ever before. I
learned to accept my limitations, and cope with the realities of nature. I no longer had to
worry myself over the upkeep of the car and expensive specialist repairs. All that I needed to
keep my bicycle running reliably would fit in my backpack. For as long as my legs would
carry, I would not be left standing puzzled in the side of the road.
Perplexing enough, I could no longer be satisfied accepting the dependent foundation of the
society. The longer I studied industrial design, the more intimately the modern technology
revealed itself to me. Perhaps with a naïve attitude, I had considered that technology had a
genuinely liberating function and human interest behind it, yet it became obvious that its
fundamental purpose was altered to serve the interests of market forces. Technology would
not reveal to us, what it means to be content, but offer temporary alleviation to the
existential crisis.
The habits of consumerism portrayed the failure of seeking identity through attachment to
material, that was being fed out through the mass production machinery. Simultaneously
the market was utilising this void in life, misguiding the consumers by offering tailored
projections of identity in the form of new commodities.
It was a miserable scenario, as the impact of the habits of the developed world became
apparent: the industrial society was rapidly consuming the foundation of its own prosperity
and moving on to exploit the human and natural resources outside its own borders, just to
feed this questionable source of hunger. I moved into a primitive shelter to discover the
relative nature of subjective need. The paramount questions in my mind were: how could we
regulate our consumption, and how much do we really need to be content?
As a result to this experiment, it occurred to me, that the right kind of technology could, in
fact teach us about ourselves. This technology, if it was sufficiently human in scale, and
connected us to the physical limitations of ourselves, and the natural environment, could
steer the society into a direction that was sustainable. Like the bicycle, there are such
technologies, that enforce introspection and give a more modest physical reference point to
consumption. This reference point is not, what a motorised machine can achieve, but where
we, as humans can stop and say, that a sufficient effort has been made.
My vision is to help rekindle the knowledge of technologies that can be managed with
modest human efforts. It is becoming more apparent, that we are failing to run away from
the natural limitations, therefore it is beneficial to learn to embrace them. I have substituted
the dogma of industrial development to learning to live with Nature, for it is Nature that
dictates what we can ultimately achieve, not the machine.
The future will not be motorised.
1. Hypothesis
If there is an imminent and severe oil crisis, then the bicycle can be used as a viable solution for
urban mobility.
‘When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race’
(H.G. Wells)
1
2
2. Abstract
The People's Utility Bicycle Project is practice based research, that explores the alternative
methods of developing and manufacturing human powered transportation technology in times of
energy poverty. These utility vehicles are developed as appropriate technology. They can be
manufactured energy-frugally; with simple tools and techniques using mainly the waste of the
society as a resource. The utility bicycles are aimed to serve as accessible tools of transition
towards the behavioural changes required for a sustainable culture.
The project employs an open-source approach to development, with the paramount aim of
sharing knowledge. This is to enable user freedom, and encourage outside collaboration in
pooling of skills and ideas to create beneficial utility bicycles to suit varying needs and
environments. In the practical part of the work, 3 typeforms of utility bicycles have been
developed, resulting in 9 vehicles. Outside collaboration has produced another 4 cargo bicycles.
The knowledge is spread on the internet, and through a social enterprise hub. Of considerable
importance in the work is the partnership with a Scottish social enterprise, the Bike Station. The
purpose of the collaboration is to establish a harbour in which sustainable practices can be
facilitated in the current economic reality. Together with the Bike Station, the aim is to create a
sheltering environment and provide local services, to promote cycling as a primary mode of
personal transportation.
This work is founded on a comprehensive philosophical framework, that provides a clear
definition of the prerequisites of a transition to a sustainable culture, based on current facts.
Emerging issues and challenges are addressed in the form of a practical example of the steps that
can taken towards developing more energy and resource efficient solutions, that take into account
both the needs of the society, and the environment.
3
4
3. Aim
The aim of this project is to develop human powered vehicles that are suitable for post-industrial
production methods and that, to a greater degree can replace the function of motorised vehicles
in local-scale transportation.
4. Objectives
To empower people to be self-sufficient in their transportation. The project promotes a way for
ordinary people to be in control of their everyday tools. In this case to build their own vehicles
using simple, non-specialist tools and practices.
To prioritise low energy manufacturing.
To demonstrate how the waste of this society can be used efficiently and viably by means of non-
destructive recycling.
To find a harbour in which the post-industrial practices can be facilitated in the current economic
reality.
5
6
5. Background
7
5.1
Philosophical framework
5.1.1 Limits to Growth / Ecological
Argument
“Oil provides 40% of all energy used by human
beings on Earth, and it powers nearly all
transportation in the industrial world. It's also
the most important raw material for plastics,
agricultural and industrial chemicals, lubricants,
and asphalt roads” (Greer, 2008, pp. 11)
Global oil supplies have been diminishing since
1970’s as observed by M. King Hubbert’s Peak
Theory. The world is now approaching a point
of increased oil scarcity, which poses a serious
challenge to the growing industrial society. The
spiralling price of oil will have an unavoidable
effect on the current global economy, hindering
further growth and increasing poverty.1
Figure 1. Decreasing oil discoveries
The viability of oil-hungry mass production is
dependent on this easily manageable, cheap
form of energy. As it replaces manual forms of
producing commodities to a great degree, the
impending oil scarcity risks the demand-supply
chain of the modern industrial society. For this
reason, it is now beneficial to reflect upon
other oil-frugal means of sustaining the needs
of the society. Keeping the cost down is vital
for mass production to remain viable. For
agriculture, oil impacts as much as 20-50
percent of total costs, for raw material
industries 20-30 percent, for manufacturing
industries 10-20 percent, and for service
industries 5-10 percent.2
'Limits to Growth' report published by Club of
Rome in 1972 was one of the first scientific
studies to question the foundation of our
political and economic systems. The conducted
research presented a conclusion that any
measures done to persistently maintain
industrial growth would lead to an inevitable
catastrophe.3
“One of the central themes of The Limits to
Growth was precisely that modern civilization
cannot turn on a dime. Changing from on energy
resource to another isn't simply a matter of
pouring something different into our gas tanks,
because much of today's energy infrastructure is
fuel-specific...It took 150 years and some of the
biggest investments in history to build the
industrial, economic and human infrastructure
that turns petroleum from black goo in the
ground to the key power source of modern
society. To replace all that infrastructure with a
new system designed to run on some other form
of energy would take roughly the same level of
investment, as well as a great deal of time.”
(Greer, 2008, pp. 13)
The Earth’s physical resources are by their
nature finite. At the moment there is no
sufficient means of providing renewable energy
and minerals to meet the ongoing demands of
the industry. Green technology is gaining
popularity as energy prices continue to
8
increase. These solution are designed for lower
emissions, but they do not always offer a
solution to the problem of resource depletion
in the manufacturing end. Many technological
fixes, for example the current generation of
hybrid cars, do not suggest that real changes in
infrastructure and behaviour are really
necessary. It would be beneficial to reflect
upon how to lighten up the energy hungry
framework of the society, rather than seeking
to find a greener way to sustain its inefficiency.
“We are living as if we have an extra planet at
our disposal. We are using 50 per cent more
resources than the Earth can provide, and unless
we change course that number will grow very
fast – by 2030, even two planets will not be
enough.” (WWF, Living Planet Report 20124)
Figure 2. Earth's Carrying Capacity, source
steadystaterevolution.org
The growing population in developed countries
must become more efficient in using the
depleting resources. Assuming no new
technological solution can be conceived to to
solve this problem, the only available solution
is to live with less. In this case countries must
develop energy frugality within their own
borders and be considerate of imports.
Figure 3. Ecological footprint, source 8020vision.com
“European economy uses huge amounts of
natural resources to function. Demand for
materials is so intense that between 20 and 30 %
of the resources we use are now imported. At the
other end of the materials chain, the EU
economy generates more than five tons of waste
per person every year. With the boom in
international trade, EU consumption and
production damage ecosystems and human
health far beyond Europe’s borders.” (EEA,
Material Resources and Waste - 2012 Update5 )
5.1.2 Looking Beyond the Industrial
Society
The biggest obstacle to growth is the fact, that
the industrial society is currently feeding off it’s
own foundation. In the struggle to sustain
growth in economy, the physical limitations
that grant its sustainability are easily forgotten.
A profit-based economy will continue to extract
resources in such manner, until the last
profitable drop of oil and crum of valuable
mineral have been extracted from the ground
and turned to waste. Should it remain faithful
to the predictions of the Limits to Growth
report, it would be a recipe for catastrophe.
9
As an alternative, a resource-based economy
offers an optimistic future projection for
development. The modern industrial society
can be seen as a transition towards such a
model, as it becomes more sophisticated in
handling its resources. Rather than incessantly
extracting new resources, a resource-based
economy develops by multiplying the benefit of
already existing resources, e.g. by reusing and
recycling to the greatest degree possible.
Current EU waste policy6 suggests a transition
towards the behavioural changes required for a
resource-based economy. The EU resource
roadmap is now proposing incentives for
resource efficient products, promoting
responsible consumerism and creating market
for industry that uses secondary materials.7
Such a behavioural transition would be ideal,
yet the roadmap has already been condemned
as “useless” and “vague”, without adequate
tightening of waste legislation to force
compliance with the new values.8
5.1.3 Facilitating a Transition Under the
Current Economic Reality / Social
Entrepreneurship
The world is going through an era of global
capitalism. A strong argument could be made
that its fault lines are starting to show9, yet no
instant remedy exists. In addition to pressure
on the environment, tremors are felt with
increasing unemployment and rising demands
for social justice, as demonstrated by the
unified force behind the wall street protests. It
is a prerequisite for equality in a capitalist
economy, to be able to provide jobs for the
unemployed10. Unemployment and poverty are
stepping stones to social exclusion.
Corporations are only responsible for all legal
measures of maximising profit to the
shareholders, therefore the paramount social
responsibility is left for the central government;
to aid those who have been left behind.
Figure 4. Misery Index combines rising living cost of
living and unemployment
Europe’s anti-poverty targets for 2020 are
proving to be ineffectively met, with
unemployment increasing by 2 million from
2010.11 It is alarming how many people
struggle now, to meet the quality of life that is
considered a norm in today’s society. 2010 EU
statistics show, that 40 million people were
considered severely materially deprived, and
nearly 116 million at risk of poverty or social
exclusion.12 Oil dependency of the modern
infrastructure is due to push the cost of living
and poverty even higher, if the resource
inefficiency continues dictate the sole means of
the society.
Social enterprises have started to create
services by swiftly responding to arising needs
of the society and environment locally. Social
enterprises have a good stance in responding to
social needs faster than state-run services.
Where state-run services concentrate in serving
a mass society, social enterprises can tackle
problems locally and treat its challenges as a
unique case. They can concentrate at the grass
10
roots level, creating frameworks to empower
and inspire people locally to serve themselves.
Figure 5. Growing number of community interest
companies in the UK, source CIC Regulator
Essentially social enterprises are self-sufficient
charities that pursue their environmental and
social goals using business methods. What
makes a social enterprise different from a
traditional capitalist company, is that it gains
profit by developing existing resources and
uses them to maximise its positive impact,
whereas a capitalist company consumes
resources to maximise its profit that benefits
shareholders. Social enterprises aim to create
independence, which essentially provides
people with the knowledge and skills to
develop to tackle their own problems locally,
and as an ultimate outcome removes the need
for the social enterprise altogether.
Social enterprises hold a promise of allocating
unemployed in more sustainable work, that
seems not to be greatly affected by the current
recession13. For example, the abundance of
material waste makes it possible create work
that feeds from the very inefficiency of the
modern society. Employment has successfully
been created in recycling and repairing14,
finding ways to use waste that cannot be used
as an efficient resource for the refined needs of
the industry. Reused and repaired products can
then be sold as an affordable service locally.
The manual labour intensity required15 is
beneficial for job creation16. Reusing and
recycling also promotes and rekindles useful
manual skills that are beneficial for frugality in
both hard economic times, and a more
resource-efficient culture.
The resource base of discarded technology
develops as quality technology is kept in
circulation. It offers a good value alternative to
brand new cheap production models that are
unrepairable and have a very short lifespan.
The sophistication of consumer behaviour can
be developed as a resource by promoting the
idea of maintaining higher quality and positive
impact of reusing items. Social enterprise hubs
can provide sheltering environments for
communities to safely embrace and develop the
behavioural changes required by the transition.
Growing quality of the resource base and
higher sophistication of consumer behaviour
develop in return the social enterprise itself. As
an optimistic future projection, social
enterprises can be seen as building blocks that
help form the foundation of more sustainable
local economies.
5.1.4 Open Source Technology
"That ideas should freely spread from one to
another over the globe, for the moral and mutual
instruction of man, and improvement of his
condition, seems to have been peculiarly and
benevolently designed by nature, when she made
them, like fire, expansible over all space, without
lessening their density in any point, and like the
air in which we breathe, move, and have our
physical being, incapable of confinement or
exclusive appropriation. Inventions then cannot,
11
in nature, be a subject of property. Society may
give an exclusive right to the profits arising from
them, as an encouragement to men to pursue
ideas which may produce utility, but this may or
may not be done, according to the will and
convenience of the society, without claim or
complaint from anybody...." (Thomas Jefferson,
1813)
“The conventional design process of industrial
technology tends to be autocratic, needing
professional designers and generating specialized
products which are aimed at short-term
profitability in a mass market. The structural
preferences of post-industrial technology,
however, are for democratic, non hierarchical,
participatory processes, open to everyone, and
taking into consideration the long-term needs of
the environment and society.” (Cross, pp.5)
Competition and safeguarding know-how are
ingrained in capitalism. Patents were originally
conceived as stimuli for useful innovations, but
the way they are now utilised, in connection
with short-lived consumer products, can hinder
and distort technological development17. Now
every design solution must consider the risk of
patent infringement. Corporations are reluctant
share significant information that might grant
users and developers a greater freedom of
using and modifying the technology.
Understandably this tendency is also apparent
in the concern that driving the development of
technology is costly, and it is arguable that
such work deserves an appropriate reward.
Creating aftermarket dependency is also
profitable in the long-run. A rational argument
is, that the inability of sustaining profitable
compensation would eliminate the
development of technology altogether, as the
economic reality would not be facilitated. For
some reason, though, the success of open
source development rises as an example
against this traditional train of thought.
It can be observed through human history, that
capital is not the only aspect fuelling
technological development. It is an inherent
part of human nature to cope with the
wretched nature of existence by developing
technology to ease the toil of living. The
tendency to develop technology and improve
life, considering future prospects, is what has
crafted culture since the very first tools and
techniques were conceived. It is also
fundamental aspect that separates humans
from other species that simply submit closely to
the realities of their natural physical limitations
and live in the simplicity of the moment. The
current technological trends are most certainly
just another short step towards change.
“One of the things that’s changing our world and
disrupting our industry... is the falling cost for
like-minded people to locate each other, share
information, pool what they know, collaborate,
and publish the results back to the world. This is
what makes open-source culture possible.” (A
Talk by Jay Rosen, TEDxNYED, 30.6.2010)
With the increasing ease of knowledge sharing
via the internet, a new notion has emerged,
that the creation of beneficial technology for
everyone can be guided by an open,
collaborative effort. When resources can be
pooled from a wide range of participants, all
working for common goals, claims for
intellectual property are out of place. The
success of open source can be explained by the
possibility that participants are eager to give
their time to reach a better result, because the
act of giving, and the following merit can grant
a sense of satisfaction. Such gift, or solidarity
economy is not based on maximising personal
12
gain, but to accumulate non-monetary wealth
inside a community.
Open source technology encourages its users to
explore it more intimately. It holds an inspiring
promise of independence, as many solutions
are technically possible to be maintained and
customised to the needs of the user. Users of
the Linux operating system can receive
abundant information and assistance from
more experienced people on how to solve
specific problems and how to find the right
type of software to customise the operating
system to their needs. The amount of
information available enables the users, if they
are willing to learn, to master the tool they are
using, and in return contribute to the
community in developing the technology. In
fact, anyone at any skill level can give a
valuable insight to make it more accessible and
functional.
There is evidence of a rising maker, and open
design movement. For example, Group N55 in
Denmark develops instructions for users
fabricate things, like greenhouses (Figure 7.)
and utility bicycles (Figure 6.)18. Open
Structures Project19 develops modular universal
pieces, like in the MECCANO20 kits, and
encourages users to contribute to the
development of new parts, and create open
design solutions using them. Websites, like the
Forums of Make Magazine21 and Instructables22
are online platforms, where makers and
developers can pool knowledge and develop
instructions to provide for the growing open
source and do-it-yourself culture.
Figure 6. XYZ spaceframe vehicles, source N55.dk
Figure 7. Spaceplates Greenhouse, source N55.dk
The rising notion that open source and
operating in a solidarity economy promotes,
encourages to think outside the bubble of an
egocentric notion of maximising personal gain.
Such a shift of values suggests the idea that
personal benefit, or well-being might be
inseparable from the society’s. A healthy
society fosters healthy individuals, and further,
a collective consciousness is growing, that a
healthy ecosystem is fundamentally the source
of all human prosperity.
A sustainable future projection could certainly
be seen as a wider implementation of the
values of open source across the field of
technology, backed up by a resource-based
13
economy. Promoting independence by
distributing knowledge and skills in using,
maintaining and developing sustainable
technology for everyone is where the ethos of
open source and social entrepreneurship come
so close, that they can almost touch hands.
“[O]penness is more than a commercial and
cultural issue, it's a matter of survival. Open
design is one of the preconditions for the
continuous, collaborative, social modes of
enquiry and action that are needed.”(Van Abel et
al. pp. 44)
5.1.5 Revival of Handicraft in a
Deskilled Modern Society
“Every activity requires a certain amount of skill,
the activity of cleaning and cooking no less than
the writing of a book or the building of a house.
[...] It could acquire certain importance through
the modern division of labor, where tasks
formerly assigned to the young and
inexperienced were frozen into lifelong
occupations. But this consequence of the division
of labor, where one activity is divided into so
many parts that each specialized performer needs
but a minimum of skill, tends to abolish skilled
labor altogether, as Marx rightly predicted.”
(Arendt, pp. 90)
Industrial mass production does not benefit
from harbouring generalist workforce. The very
efficiency comes from fragmenting skills and
training specialists to specific small tasks. For
the cost-efficiency of production, these small
pieces play a crucial part, but for the individual
workers it often has very little to offer in terms
of practical skills for providing for oneself
outside the working world. Profitability
encourages specialisation, and equally
specialisation is dependent on profit.
“Man is a generalist -it is his extensions (tools
and environments) that are designed that help
him to achieve specialisalization. But by
misdesigning such tools or environments we
often achieve a closed feedback loop, the tools
and environments in turn affect men and groups
in a way that turns them into permanent
specialists themselves.” (Papanek, pp. 326)
Some hundred years ago, people were still
locally producing most of what they consumed.
Having a wide range of general skills was the
key to adaptability and supply for needs even
in hard times. Now the economy works by
providing money to purchase such commodities
from the global market of mass produced
goods. Assuming a substantial rise of
production costs in the oil-based economy
would put pressure on corporations, they
would behave rationally by cutting jobs as
necessary to sustain, leading to increasing
unemployment, poverty and a growing
population with insufficient skills and means
for providing for themselves.
“The disappearance of tools from our common
education is the first step toward a wider
ignorance of the world of artefacts we inhabit.”
(Crawford, pp.1)
Reduction of crafts studies has become a
popular progression in the compulsory
education system. In the developed world,
emphasis is shifting on exploring the built
world through technology, rather than hands23.
It has become questionable to prepare the
youth for manual work, as the promise of
future appears to lie in high technology and
brain power rather than manual dexterity. The
14
paramount responsibility of institutions seems
now to lie in guiding a smooth transition to a
future of high-paying specialised jobs. It is a
rational aim, as the modern day is primarily
technology driven, and the paramount aim of
corporations now is to boost global
competitiveness and managing the manual
work of mainly cheap labour overseas.
“And, in fact an engineering culture has
developed in recent years in which the object is to
“hide the works”, rendering many of the devices
we depend on every day unintelligible to direct
inspection.” (Crawford, pp.1)
Technology that promotes user independence
and self-sufficiency is entirely opposite of what
is offered to the modern consumer. Interfaces
no longer encourage the user to engage with
the internal workings of machines. The
function is not externalised, but rather hidden
behind plastic covers and lcd screens, that give
an impression of ‘user friendliness’, but
generally do not grant comprehensive
information about maintenance. Undoubtedly
today’s technology has a helpful function, but
its status is dominant. Users are dependent on
a network of services, and abandoned if they
don’t upgrade, when the tools they use become
obsolete.
“There seems to be an ideology of freedom at the
heart of consumerist material culture; a promise
to disburden us of mental and bodily
involvement with our own stuff so we can pursue
ends we have freely chosen. Yet this disburdening
gives us fewer occasions for the experience of
direct responsibility. I believe the appeal of
freedonism, as a marketing hook, is due to the
fact that it nonetheless captures something true.
It points to a paradox in our experience of
agency: to be a master of your own stuff entails
also being mastered by it.” ( Crawford pp. 56)
5.1.6 A Frugal Society
“In hard economic times, we want to be frugal.
Frugality requires some measure of self-reliance –
the ability to take care of your own stuff. But the
new interest in self-reliance seems to have arisen
before the specter of hard times. Frugality may
be only a thin economic rationalization for a
movement that really answers to a deeper need:
We want to feel that our world is intelligible, so
we can be responsible for it. This seems to
require that the provenance of our things be
brought closer to home. Many people are trying
to recover a field of vision that is basically
human in scale, and extricate themselves from
dependence on the obscure forces of a global
economy.” (Crawford, pp. 8)
A society that can provide for its needs locally
is resilient in hard economic times. Developing
self-sufficiency on local scale is an alternative
to trying to stimulate the struggling economy
by consuming more and searching for profit
from the global market. Spending more money
is unlikely to relieve the fundamental problem
of deficit: of capital and natural resources.
Outsourcing cheaper skilled labour from
overseas will not solve the problem of growing
unemployment and an unskilled society. Being
resource frugal is the right answer to the
problems of overconsumption, and it can be
achieved by starting to change the tools and
techniques of the modern society, to such that
promote the consciousness of the current
physical limitations.
“Speed is the form of ecstasy the technical
revolution has bestowed on man. As opposed to a
15
motorcyclist, the runner is always present in his
body, forever required to think about his blisters,
his exhaustion; when he runs his age, more
conscious than ever of himself and of his time of
life. This all changes when man delegates the
faculty of speed to a machine: from there, his
own body is outside the process, and he gives
over to a speed that is non-corporeal, non-
material, pure speed, speed itself, ecstasy speed.”
(Milan Kundera, Slowness, 1995)
A direct physical connection to the world of
material is essentially natural. There is a long
heritage of naturally sustainable and more
energy efficient tools and techniques that were
developed before the society became fixed on
the benefits of motorisation. A reference point
in physical anabolic effort is a clear reference
to weigh consumption. It was due to
motorisation, that sustaining such inefficiency
became possible. Manual effort is slow and
laborious compared to the speed of industrial
mass production, but the intrinsic value of its
fruit is easier to grasp than anything that is
machine made. It is possible to comprehend
such value, as it can be directly referred to
human effort and skill.
“Labour was the first price, the original
purchase-money that was paid for all things. It
was not by gold or by silver, but by labour, that
all the wealth of the world was originally
purchased; and its value, to those who possess it,
and who want to exchange it for some new
productions, is precisely equal to the quantity of
labour which it can enable them to purchase or
command.” (Adam Smith, The Wealth of
Nations, 1776, Book I, Chapter V, pp.38)
Consider water, that runs directly from a tap,
and electricity that is simply switched on.
Although it is convenient, using such
commodities does not promote the
consciousness of the resources required to
produce them. It is more difficult to be frugal,
and easier to overindulge, like in the speed of a
motorised vehicle. Humans can regulate their
efforts when they become exhausted, but
machines are never-tiring, always excited
entities that will continue to produce without
the sensitivity to the same physical limitations.
Delegating the faculty of judgement to what
motorised technology can achieve, therefore,
cannot answer the question of what is enough,
or how much does it take to make the society
content. Machines will simply run until there is
nothing left in their tanks.
“We do most certainly need happiness in our
daily work, content in our daily rest; and all this
cannot be if we hand over the whole
responsibility of the details of our daily life to
machines and their drivers. We are right to long
for intelligent handicraft to come back to the
world which it once made tolerable amidst war
and turmoil and uncertainty of life, and which it
should, one would think, make happy now we
have grown so peaceful, so considerate of each
other's temporal welfare.” (Morris, 1988)
Distribution of skills and open forms of
developing technology promote the solidarity
that will carry a society through difficult times.
In the race for progress, a sense of purpose has
become obscure. It is hard to understand how
the value of work is derived in the global
economy. Why is the society busy struggling to
generate economic profit for personal gain,
rather than concentrating in supplying for
collaboration and solidarity?
“Open design is more than just a new way to
create products. As a process, and as a culture,
open design also changes relationships among
16
the people who make, use and look after things.
Unlike proprietary or branded products, open
solutions tend to be easy to maintain and repair
locally. They are the opposite of the short-lived,
use-and-discard, two-wash-two-wear model of
mainstream consumer products.” (Van Abel et
al., pp. 50)
5.1.7 Sustainable Technology
“...durability, independence, replicability, and
transparency --make good criteria for any
technology meant to outlast the industrial age.”
(Greer, pp. 172)
Long-lasting technology can be maintained by
the user with generalist knowledge.
Consumables and crucial components to
function should be of widely used standards, so
that acquiring them is easy, even after the
product becomes obsolete. Making the way the
product functions and is constructed obvious
makes it possible to replicate. Externalising
such information works as an encouraging
message to builders, developers and repairmen.
It is difficult to repair and reuse new
technology. The machines are often very
complex and offer no obvious information
about their maintenance. There is a lack of
standards across different brands and product
generations, and because of their relatively
short life-cycles, replacement parts for obsolete
models are expensive and hard to come by. It is
now more expensive to repair products, than to
buy new. Due to the withering repair culture,
user maintenance and repairability are no
longer important design features.
Reusing and upcycling older technology is
easier. It has been built with the simple repair
and maintenance tasks in mind. Such was the
culture, and there were times when the society
was living more frugally. In the absence of
cheap products, it made sense to mend things,
and sustain commodities as long as possible.
Old technology is less complex, and therefore
more open to users without specialist
knowledge. Because of the material quality,
reliability, and simplicity, there are many old
products that can be upcycled today, to offer a
viable, or even better alternative to modern
mass produced commodities.
“...the revitalization of old technologies can be
done successfully by individuals working on their
own. It's precisely those technologies that can be
built, maintained, and used by individuals that
formed the mainstay of the economy in the days
before cheap, abundant energy made a global
economy seem to make sense. These same
technologies -if they're recovered can make use of
the abundant salvage of industrial civilization,
help cushion the descent into deindustrial future,
and lay foundations for the sustainable cultures
that will rise out of the ruins of our age.”
(Greer, pp. 169)
5.2 Practical framework
Energy crisis is, in effect, a transportation crisis.
Trade networks shrink if sustaining long-
distance logistics becomes unprofitable. In the
absence of functional global trade, economy
will have to concentrate locally. The
predicament of transportation moves towards
local mobility; access to local services and
goods. The growing majority of the world’s
population is already concentrating in cities,
where the most of trade and opportunities
reside24.
17
5.2.1 Bicycle, the Most Efficient Means
of Transportation
Utilitarian use of the bicycle and its
applications holds great potential aid for an
energy poor future. The benefits of bicycles in
such societies can be seen in developing
countries. They empower people to access what
is scarce. Even the necessities of food and
water, or employment, social opportunities and
education are considerably easier to reach on a
bicycle over foot. What differs the western
society in its impending energy poverty, is the
availability of this simple technology. As people
in developing countries currently struggle to
gain access to such luxuries, heaps of bicycles
lie unused and unappreciated elsewhere25. In
most of Europe, cycling as a social construction
has fallen under the category of leisure, and
bicycle is seen as a toy of sorts, rather than
fulfilling the original purpose it was invented
for. What can easily be rekindled is the use of
bicycles once again as a utilitarian tool. Along
with continent curtailing railways, it still ought
to be the long cheered invention that liberated
man and woman equally, in the turn of the
19th century.
As mentioned, the technology of pedal
powered propulsion is readily available. Many
types of bicycles have been manufactured, yet
the vast majority of them carry an identical
principle; similar frame, set of components and
riding posture. The type form of a bicycle,
therefore is fairly standardised, and most
components are easily interchangeable. Even
between models from different decades, so
upcycling is straightforward. The only variation
that is not yet so common is the extended
utilitarian application of it. There is scope for
adding to this existing technology, solutions
that require not much more further production,
nor high energy usage. Something that
complies with the common type form of the
bicycle and is capable of adding new
dimensions to it, so that it aims to meet the
needs of people who are looking for a
sustainable option to transfer to, from the
convenience of motorised transportation.
5.2.2 The Past of Utilitarian Cycling
The benefit of utility bicycles was
acknowledged in the dawn of the safety
bicycle, in fact, the industrial tricycle was
developed in England as early as the 1870’s
(the safety bicycle became popular in the
1880’s). It was the choice of tradesmen;
providing mobility to grocers, druggists, bakers
and various other professions.26 These tricycles,
along with some other later typeforms of utility
bicycles were copied, modified and produced
by various factories in different corners of the
world. Utilitarian bicycles were a hit, until the
disruptive technology of internal combustion
engines in personal transportation became
available to the common man. The advantage
was simply too big, fuel was cheap and made it
effortless to carry considerably larger loads
over longer distances. The popularity of
delivery bicycles was struck a fatal blow along
with the utility bicycle manufacturers, who
moved onto other types of production. The
bicycles were left rotting without adequate
service plans and support. The boom of
motorisation lead quickly to excess, and it
became a symbol of convenience in the western
world, to an extent where even the lightest
duty applications boasted with this advantage.
Simultaneously the acknowledgement of the
potential of human powered applications
started withering away.
18
Popularity of adult cycling had a minor
comeback in the periods of post-war energy
poverty, as well as during the 1970’s oil crisis,
but with the rapid recovery and manipulation
of oil prices, the popularity was never
sustained. (See figures 8, 9 and 10) Sharing
the faith with many other alternative
sustainable technologies, the demand crashed
again and the solutions were left to linger in a
niche market to this day. Thanks to these short
spells of crisis, and the visionaries who
continued working with the promise of
utilitarian cycling, the knowledge and
development have been sustained in almost a
hibernating state. Despite the current rising
fuel prices, the scarcity of the service and
around utility bicycles has made it difficult to
adapt as an alternative form of transportation.
In places where it is more established, though,
the benefit of cycle-powered haulage can be
observed to offer a considerable alternative,
even in supporting the logistics of mass-
produced goods.27 Research indicates, that a
quarter of all deliveries in urban areas could be
replaced by cargo bicycles.28
The post 1950’s depreciation in bicycle
transportation can be observed more recently
in China, where the bicycle has persisted to be
a popular mode of transportation.29 With the
recent economic development, the option of
personal motorised transportation is becoming
available to a wider audience. In correlation
the use of human power and manual labour is
waning with increasing automation across the
field of technology.30 With already high
population densities in the growing urban
areas of the world, the increase in the use of
traditionally inefficient motorised vehicles is
likely to add to the already existing issues of
increasing pollution, traffic congestion, and
rising health problems due to the lack of
physical exercise.
Figure 8. Use of motorised vehicles in negative
correlation to oil price
Figure 9. Cyclist injury statistics show the decrease in
the popularity of cycling in terms of kilometres
travelled per year, source British Medical Journal
Figure 10. Bicycle boom during the 1970's oil crisis
19
5.2.3 The Rise of Utilitarian Cycling
The average speed of travelling through
London at peak hour is only 20 km/h.31 This is
a leisurely pace on a bicycle, and it is
unsurprising, that in the increasingly congested
cities the bicycle is once again proving to be a
fast and viable alternative. With the recent
incentives to boost cycling, especially to avoid
congestion during the olympics, London is now
seeing a rising trend in commuting by bicycle.
(Figure 11.) The rising cost of car ownership is
putting many in a squeeze in the hard
economic times32. It is now harder to justify
sustaining inefficient use of costly resources,
and sensible to convert to cycling for economic
reasons.33 Bicycle is still the most efficient
means of transportation known to man.34
Figure 11. Increase of cycling in London, source, UK
department of transportation
Urban mobility does not only mean personal
transportation. Motorists find with the
convenience of cars comes the ability to
transport goods and passengers at need. Being
able to haul cargo is a prerequisite for flexible
self-sufficient transportation. There is the
requirement to go about the daily living, for
example shopping, moving about young
children, transporting material to work, and
equipment to hobbies. Many trades are also
reliant on transporting goods, tools and
equipment, and some entrepreneurs are once
again becoming aware of the possibilities of
trade that can take place on a bicycle. Not
having to pay for fuel, maintenance and
insurance costs of a motorised vehicle cuts the
overheads and makes business more
profitable.35
It is not uncommon to see cargo bicycles of
many different types on the streets in the
capital cities of Netherlands and Denmark. The
is a success that owes thanks to the
government’s efforts to encourage cycling and
take it seriously as a viable form of
transportation despite the growing trend in
motorised mobility since the 1950’s. The key to
the success is, that cycling has been prioritised
over cars in policy and city planning, enforcing
the unattractiveness of using a car in urban
transportation.36 Tightened regulations also
favour bicycles over cars in traffic, enforcing
the motorists to adopt a higher responsibility
relative to the greater risk they pose. In order
for cycling to be recognised and taken seriously
amidst the motorised traffic, it needs to reach a
critical mass. The development of safer cycling
increases, as motorists get used to the presence
of bicycles, and space is allocated for bicycle
lanes. Figure 12. statistics from the Netherlands
show an 80% decline in cycling fatalities as
bicycle use increased between from the mid
1970’s to 2005.
20
Figure 12. Cycling vs. fatalities in the Netherlands
With rising oil prices and growing
environmental awareness undoubtedly playing
a part, utilitarian cycling is once again
resurfacing in the less cycling sophisticated
cities of the Western world. There is a strong
undercurrent in society, especially with young
families, who are taking the possibilities of
human powered haulage seriously. More
means of utilitarian cycling are appearing on
the streets, and the media is increasingly
noting the presence of this rising movement.37
The awareness of the benefits is creating
demand around the utility bicycle business. For
a converting motorist acquiring a cargo bicycle
is not a relatively large investment, averaging
around two and a half thousand Euros. For a
poor household without a car, the cost is a
large obstacle on the way of transition.
With ever increasing poverty, the accessibility
to the empowering benefits of cargo bicycles is
not yet developed. Cargo bicycles are mostly
produced in places where the demand and
sophistication of cycling culture are already
high, but where there is room for
improvement, it is harder to acquire one. In
many cases it requires very costly shipping
from overseas, that brings up the price of the
vehicle. The predicament is, that utilitarian
cycling is gaining popularity from bottom-up,
and before the means visibly appear on the
streets, it will not be taken seriously. Therefore,
being able to provide an affordable cargo
bicycle service locally is an important
advantage to making it accessible, and hence
faster increase its presence.
Most cargo bicycles today are industrially
produced from new resources, and their
technical sophistication level is high. Because
of the high amounts of embodied energy, such
practice cannot be considered as sustainable as
low energy manufacturing and reusing
technology. Commercial cargo bicycle solutions
have been produced in large quantities before
motorisation became popular, and it is partially
due to the specialist nature of the technology,
that they have failed to sustain to this day. To
ensure a long-lasting presence of this
technology, the main concerns of sustainability
and accessibility have to be taken into account.
Technical solutions ought to be simple and
reliable. Sometimes appropriate technology is
better than high sophistication. Transparent,
simple solutions can be adapted to local needs,
and the components and materials can be
tailored so, that they efficiently utilise local
resources.
21
22
6. Method
This project is a practical research to the
potential of upcycling the resource of old
bicycle technology and common material waste
to develop more sustainable alternatives for the
needs of urban mobility. The technology is
developed as open source to maximise user
freedom and promote independence. The
solutions are implemented as services through
social entrepreneurship to secure the necessary
economic sustainability and generate
employment. The aim to promote long-lasting
self-sufficiency and natural development of
sustainable technology in urban human-
powered mobility.
The project will generate ideas to utilise waste
to build vehicles. Ideas will be prototyped and
viable solutions will be developed further. The
prototyping process will be documented in
images and communicated openly.
The functional solutions will be further
documented in the form of easily distributable
instructions that enable people to build their
own vehicles and engage in the development
process by exchanging information and sharing
their own solutions and ideas. The results of
material use, technique and structural solutions
will be recorded and pooled in social media
and online databases, where they are easily
accessible.
Local workshops for distributing knowledge of
building vehicles will be developed in
collaboration with a social enterprise. The
financial viability of workshops will be
evaluated. Employment opportunities of locally
producing and supplying vehicles will be
developed with a social enterprise.
23
24
6.1 Development Basis
Three typeforms of cargo bicycles were
selected for the evaluation of their suitability
for post-industrial production methods: the
box bike, Long John and a sociable cargo
tandem. To narrow down the scope of the
project, the utility bicycles were chosen based
on the following criteria. They should be of a
low-loading type, meaning that even large
cargo becomes easier to handle because of the
low centre of gravity. Having a reasonable
alternative for a car must facilitate the
transport of a passenger, as well as an amount
of cargo that would fit in the trunk of a
compact car. The ability to carry a child and
groceries simultaneously, or a passenger with
a bag was chosen to be the minimum criteria
for capacity.
6.1.1 The Long John
The original Long John cargo bicycle has been
produced since the 1940's. It has a capacity of
carrying a 100kg of cargo in the front and
another 50kg on the back rack. It Is less
carrying capacity than the box bike, but comes
also in a more compact package. Being a two-
wheeled cargo bike, it is more agile and fits
through tighter spaces. The long john also
passes through a door, and can therefore be
stored indoors, when needed. Where the box
bike steering improves with load, the long
john becomes more cumbersome to steer,
especially in slow speeds. The lack of stability
whilst loading and unloading is compensated
by a robust double stand that folds out for
parking.
The Long John is like a stretched-out dutch
'omafiets' or a 'granny bike' with a structurally
supporting basket frame in the middle.
Modern adaptations exist, using essentially a
similar principle. The most significant, and
complex technical solution in the Long John is
the steering linkage, as the steering from the
rear must be linked to the front fork with a
track rod.
To ride a Long John is relatively similar to a
traditional upright bicycle. Adapting to its
steering is a fast process, and one must only
account for a longer wheelbase in balancing
and turning. Unlike in the industrial tricycle, a
Long John’s manoeuvrability improves as the
rider picks up speed.
Figure 13. Long John steering system
25
Figure 14. Long John can handle 100kg of cargo load, source longjohn.org
Figure 15. Long John frame, source Monark manufacturer
26
6.1.2 The Industrial Tricycle
The function of the front loading industrial
tricycle has remained virtually unchanged
since it was developed. The construction
consists of a single wheel bicycle frame that
pivots under a milk cart style box. The
turning mechanism is very simple: turning the
front box steers the bicycle. The whole load
carried sits in the front box, that is supported
on two wheels. It is a very stable and reliable
construction, which makes loading and
unloading easier and more secure, as the
three wheels provide the stability. Image
shows a modern adaptation produced by
Christiania Bikes in Denmark. The Christiania
bicycle was the model that modernised the
old typeform of the industrial tricycle and
revived the use of cargo bicycles in Denmark.
The first model, that became a success, was
developed in 1984. Older models of the
Christiania bicycle usea simpler front cart,
that supports both sides of the wheel axle and
is compliant with standard 24” bicycle front
wheels. The modern models have a cart that
supports the wheel on one side only, requiring
substantially stronger axles and hence special
wheel hubs. (Compare figures 16 and 17)
The bicycle frame used to propel the front cart
is suspended below it by using essentially a
normalbicycle headset type bearing solution
(marked blue). The specially fabricated
bearing unit that contains the steerer tube
bolts onto the cart frame. The stabilising struts
that connect the lower end of the head tube to
the cart frame stiffen and reinforce the
connection, reducing the frameflex sideways
and removing stress off the steerer tube. When
this connection is done properly, it is mostly
subjected to the stress forces produced by the
rider, and affected less by the front load that
rests supported on top of the front axle. (See
figure 18)
There are three features that affect the
steering quality in this solution. One a slightly
inclined steerer angle, which is to the opposite
direction from a normal bicycle, to assist
turning by tilting the rear bicycle frame
Figure 16. Classic Christiania bike, image source flickr, david_john
27
towards the inside of a turn. The second one is
achieved by placing the pivot point of the cart
in front of the front axle, to produce a self-
centering caster effect for directional stability.
Steering stability is also influenced by
implementing a steering dampener, which
considerably assists in eliminating
uncontrolled steering wobble when reaching
higher speeds and hitting bumps on one
side.The box bike has a considerable learning
curve, as tricycle steering and balancing differs
considerably from two-wheeled bicycles. Like
most tricycles, this type of bicycle is prone to
tipping when ridden with high speed into a
turn, therefore riding fast requires experience
and the ability of the rider to physically lean
towards the inside of the turn to balance
against the centrifugal force. It helps to have
the frame compensate for this when turning.
Adding weight by transporting cargo improves
its controllability significantly.
Figure 17. Modern Christiania bike frame, image source manufacturer
Figure 18. Steering construction detail
28
6.1.3 The Sociable Cargo Bicycle
The sociable cargo bicycle is the least common
of the bunch. The unpopularity is possibly due
to the physical size, that requires a lot more
space in the traffic. Practicality is sacrificed for
more capacity. A lot of the solutions seem to
exist outside industrial production, either as
experiments, or as special needs applications.
(See figure 19) It offers the stability of four
wheels and the power of two cyclists, and has
great potential to be used for heavier duty
utilitarian transport, as well as transporting
more peoplesimultaneously. Its social nature
offers an interesting aspect, as the riders can
socialise better whilst pedalling, just like in a
car. As the pictures show, it can be a
straightforward modification: connecting two
similar bicycles together. Adding space in the
rear can facilitate passengers and cargo, and
still propelling with ease because of a mutual
effort.
Assuming two identical bicycles are used for
such construction, the significant technical
solutions are the stabilising struts that support
and hold the bicycles at an equal distance in
the front and the back. The constructions does
not necessarily have to be fully rigid, as a little
flex between the frames can work to the
benefit of the vehicle, removing stress forces
created by uneven road surface. Thesteering is
linked with a track rod. The construction is
also assumed to take into account Ackerman
steering compensation. (See figure 20) This
makes the wheel in the inside of a turn track a
smaller radius than the outside. Without the
compensation, wheel drag develops when
turning, slowing the speed and unnaturally
wearing down the tyres. In the box bike this
compensation is not a concern, as turning the
cart automatically sets the wheels to trace
correct circles.
In similar fashion as with a sidecar, the
sociable cargo bicycle can be ridden alone or
together. There is no considerable balancing
difference, as the bicycle rests stable on all
four wheels, exceptfor when a single driver is
turning with the vacant bicycle in the inside
curve. Centrifugal force is prone to lift the
lighter side of the bicycle off the road surface.
This is compensated by the rider leaning
towards the inside curve, as one would when
riding with a sidecar.
Figure 19. A sociable snowplough bicycle, image coursesy of Frode Nielsen
29
Figure 21. A modular sociable recumbent kit from Blackbird Bikes, source manufacturer
Figure 20. The principle of Ackerman steering compensation
30
6.1.4 Evaluating the Potential forProduction with Simple Tools and Low-energy Manufacturing Methods
In terms of its suitability for post industrial
production, the frame of the box bicycle offers
possibilities, as well as obstacles. The rear of
the frame, including the drivetrain is identical
to that of a normal bicycle, and is therefore
easily obtainable technology. The function of
the extended front of the frame is simply to
suspend the bicycle and driver from the
bottom of the cart. In the case of the industrial
tricycle, the frame is extended with a steel
beam that has the head tube mounted in the
end. The extension of the frame is welded,
and is therefore not a suitable application in
terms of the necessity of using simple hand
tools. Mounting the head tube rigidly by
bolting steel together proves also to be a
considerable problem. With such concerns, it
is beneficial to steer away from the application
of steel in this case.
Using a wooden beam to extend the frame is a
more viable option here, as sufficient rigidity
can be obtained with the right type of profile.
A secure mount of headset bearings in wood is
also possible, as proved by structural testing of
the Ironwood Bicycle Project.40 The project
points out that bicycles can be engineered out
of wood to meet similar structural
requirements to that of a welded steel bicycle.
The benefit of work on such structures is also
its simplicity. The sufficient quality of
production can be undertaken by a person
with moderate knowledge in woodworking,
and simple tools, whereas producing strong
and reliable welds in steel requires
considerable specialist knowledge and high
energy usage.
“The tensile strength of timber is 4 times greater
than that of steel and 225 times greater than
concrete. When the compressive strength of these
three materials is compared, timber is 16 times
stronger than steel and 400 times stronger than
concrete. Timber is a superior structural
material with many advantages not only in
terms of its structural strength, but also in terms
of its environmental friendliness, its low
embodied energy, and its contribution to its
habitants’ health.” (KES Large Scale Timber
structures, Japan.41)
Using timber to extend the frame is a viable
option for the industrial tricycle, as well as the
Long John typeform. Glue lamination of
timber is also a consideration, as it allows
structures to be engineered specific to
purpose. Although adding slightly more
complexity to the process, such applications
can add strength and potentially reduce
weight and the amount of material needed.
This method can add quality structural
characteristics to poor quality wood. The
Ironwood bicycles have been successfully
manufactured even from glue-laminated
recycled pallet wood, which is an ideal
material in its availability and affordability.
The cart of the box bicycle appears most often
to be constructed from 25mm box section
tubing. Such profile is very easy and fast to
work with, yet does not offer as good strength
to weight ratio as round profile tubing.42 For
structural bolted joints, square profile is
superior to round tubing, as round tubing has
to be flattened in order for it to be used in
firmly bolted joints. Although entirely
possible, and a very easy process, flattening
will reduce the essential structural properties
of the tubing in an application like the front
cart frame. Square tubing can also be used to
create the structurally supporting box frame
for the Long John typeform. In terms of
availability, 25mm box section is a very
commonly used type of tubing for light steel
structures, and furniture. Because of its wide
application and low value, it is also a common
waste product and a suitable material for
unrefined, non-destructive recycling.
The sociable cargo bicycle requires very little
in terms of adapting to the restricted
production methods. It uses the most common
technology of the typeforms. The bicycles do
not necessarily have to be altered in any way
to build the structure, therefore it is possible
to use them unconnected also. Extending the
31
6.2
Making & Development
The guiding criteria of sustainability was
carried throughout the prototyping process to
control the tools, techniques, structural
solutions and material choices. The use of
simple tools and that do not require specialist
knowledge, high energy consumption and
special facilities were prioritised. Such
conditions were simulated to facilitate the
right direction of development. Most of the
material used was common waste and
discarded technology that was scavenged and
collected on bicycles.
Structural development was mainly done by
sketching with real materials, transferring
indeas directly into prototypes rather than on
paper, or 3D models. Material strengths and
properties, when recycled are unpredictable
and their application requires tacit knowledge.
Especially in the absence of similar
applications, structural properties of waste
materials necessitate physical testing in real
life.
cargo space is a key aim in adding to the
capability and flexibility of the vehicle. Having
the power of two cyclists is definitely an
advantage in terms of adding cargo capacity.
32
6.2.1 The Box Bike
The rear end of an industrial tricycle is
essentially identical to a traditional bicycle.
The aim of the first prototype was to examine,
how the frame could be extended using a
wooden beam. The idea was also to utilise as
much of the original bicycle frame tubing for
the construction as possible. Figures 22. and
23. show how the beam could be aligned to
reach a desired structure.
A great deal of the building was done in living
rooms, staircases and other limited facilities to
influence the direction of development
towards simple solutions.
Practicing tool and facility restrictions in the
beginning considerably helped sustaining such
methods. When working in a workshop
environment, it is easy to resort to the use of
specialist tools. There are many things, even
worktops and vices, one takes for granted in
good facilities.
Figure 22. Figure 23.
33
The first prototype was built in the living room
using a damaged mountain bicycle, waste CLS
timber from a window joiner, a shopping cart
found by the riverside, a steel frame from an
old school table and a pipe from a domestic
vacuum cleaner. The bearings and the steerer
tube were directly mounted to wood.
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36
The prototype was tested by using it to collect
more material for the next model. There were
issues with the frame flex and the poor quality
CLS timber, which was substituted with a
more substantial, slower grown pine fence
post. The timber was left untreated, and the
bicycle was kept outside throughout the
Glasgow winter to see if the structural stability
would be affected. One year later the timber
beam is still holding well. Steerer tube
mounting style was changed from a wooden
block to being clamped between tubing.
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38
A second prototype was constructed in
Finland, using a ladies’ mountain bicycle
frame to make tubing use more efficient. The
frame was more stable and easier to step
through. Laminated veneer lumber, a common
material used in house construction, was used
for the beam. A third cnnection point was
added by flattening the bottom tube stump
and bolting through it to the frame. Such
lamination increases the structural stability of
poor quality timber, hence making the
construction lighter. Lamination also
eliminates natural warping of timber in
changing humidity. An old school table was
used to build the front cart. M6 bolts used in
the cart construction were substituted for M8
to strengthen the joints and enable the use of
lower quality scavenged bolts.
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40
41
42
Glue lamination is used to build the woodenbeam of the most recent Box Bike model.Construction was inspired by WilliamGreensmith's and Robert Battersby's woodenbicycle project techniques.40 They constructrigid bicycle frames simply by glue laminatingold pallette wood. Glue laminating old oakfloorboards to a poor quality fast grown
timber core can produce a frame that is aseffective and as strong as a solid oak beam,without the natural warping, andconsiderably less weight. The strength toweight ratio of such a construction willsuperseed that of steel tubing.
Long- and short wheelbase models (Mark 3and 4) were produced in this fashion. The
43
boxes were built from 16mm costruction scrapplywood. Brackets and wood screws wereused to hold the sides together. The box wasstable enough, so that a handlebar couldsimply be bolted to the back panel.Thedifference between the models was the framelength and effectively the box capacity. In thelong wheelbase model, the bottom of the box
was additionally supperted with a casterwheel, an idea that was conceived by AlecFarmer. The Shifter levers were mounted to apiece of wooden doweling that fit in the toptube stump.
The function, handling and structural stabilitymet the set criteria for a successful model.
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6.2.2 The Doubler
The basis for development of the sociable
cargo bicycle; a large cargo platform module,
was influenced by bicycle cargo rear
extensions. Figure 24. shows such a
construction from 1945. A rear extension
increases the capacity of luggage that can be
transported in the rear of the bicycle.
A two-wheeled cargo module with similar
attachments can be used to combine two
bicycles together, supporting a large platform
in between. Figure 25. sketches were the basis
for this construction.
Figure 24. Figure 25.
Figure 3. A commercial extension from Xtracycle.
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The cargo module was built from old table
frames. Same material was used to make
struts to connect the bicycles together from
seat tubes and head tubes. Car exhaust clamps
(U-bolts) were used to connect the struts. The
10mm tubing steering linkage bar connected
to the stems with track rod ends. Common
bicycle handlebar ends worked as steering
arms, fitting perfectly around the stem shaft.
They were aligned to point to the middle of
the rear axle to create the crucial ackermann
steering compensation, and then connected
with a right length rod.
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Alec Farmer, a friend and bag maker in
Glasgow, was involved in building the second
sociable cargo bicycle from an old highway
sign frame. It was modified to suit his needs in
transporting a stall, which required a larger
platform. All together the bicycle was 1.2
meters wide.
Steering linkage was modified to be built with
simpler tools. A lower profile tube was used as
a clamp to eliminate chain drag when using
small chainring in the front. This allowed the
use of a wider range of gears, which
effectively enabled transporting even heavier
loads in hilly Glasgow.
This was an opportunity to follow someone
else at work and judge the ease of the tools
and techniques used. A lot of detailed material
was documented of the process of building to
help record the development and publish it on
the internet.
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The third sociable cargo bicycle was built in
four days by the Bike Station Glasgow staff
members Paul and John. Both were skilled
mechanics, who also had experience in
fabricating. The build purpose was to help
transform the process into a 'build your own
cargo bicycle' course that could be taught as a
service inside the Bike Station.
The process was closely documented to get
more information about the individual steps,
so that they could be used for creating
instructions.
Accuracy was paramount in this process to
ensure correct fit and bolt alignment. It greatly
helps to get these measurements correct in the
first place, so that nothing has to be force-
fitted.
The structural standard reach of the chainstay
clamp was shortened, so that it would not
obstruct pedalling.
55
Paul adviced about more reliable measuring
techniques and suggested building jigs for the
drilling process. It was agreed, that for in-
house productions, having jigs for the drilling
processes was crucial. This would considerably
speed up the production and make it more
viable as a service.
The buffered length taken for a workshop
offered to an inexperienced builder was
estimated to take a working week in any case.
Offering such a course would prove difficult,
as not many people have the time at hand to
give a week, or a couple of weekends to such a
project.
To make the course more accessible, in general
prefabricated parts should be used, so that the
workshop could be offered in a shorter
timeframe. It would then concentrate in
assembling the bicycle and user specific
mofifications. Already this would offer enough
confidence to the user to be able to maintain
and repair the bicycle at need. In-depth
courses could still be offered to organisations,
that want to manufacture the bicycles
themselves.
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6.2.3 The Barrel Bike
The challenge with the Long John typeform
was finding a suitable frame extension. Unlike
in the Christiania bike, the frame of the Long
John is subjected to the stress forces created
by the rider, as well as the dead weight of the
cargo.
An oil barrel was chosen as the cargo
compartment. A space frame would be
constructed to attach the barrel extension to
the bicycle, transferring stress forces three
dimensionally.
A working mountain bicycle was used for the
construction, with no permanent modifications
to the frame. The good thing with this
construction is, that like a module, it can also
be removed and the original bicycle can be
rebuilt as it was. A great amount of time was
spent at a Helsinki bicycle recycling center, to Figure 26.
59
determine how different standards and types
of bicycle components could be used to create
the steering mechanism. This was the most
complicated part of the structure, and very
crucial to get correct, in terms of the
rideability of the bicycle.
Having a large capacity cargo bicycle
considerably helped the logistics of the
scavenged material. Scavenged materials were
a destroyed children's bicycle frame, one
meter piece of 1" steel gas pipe, tubing from a
school table frame and an oil barrel. Garages
happily donate old oil barrels, as such waste
occupies considerable amounts of space and is
inconvenient to dispose of.
The barrel bike worked well from the
beginning on. It was finished in October and
stress tested by a friend, who rode it through
the winter. Later, he went on to build a new
model for himself, copying the structure by
looking at it and making his personal
modifications and improvements. The Mk 1
Barrel Bike is currently being used for
personal transportation in Helsinki.
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6.3 Instructions
When the prototypes have reached a
functional stage, technical drawings of the
construction, as well as step-by step
instructions have been recorded and published
on the internet. All vehicles were in hard use
several times a week for at least half a year,
before they were determined to be structurally
sound and fit-for-purpose. Technical drawings
are sufficient for experienced builders, who
are most often eager to use information just as
a basis and then modify it to their own needs.
Step-by step instructions suit the
inexperienced, and can give enough
information and confidence to commence the
first large scale building project. The
instructions were produced in slightly different
ways to evaluate the reception for further
development. The instructions have been hand
illustrated to simplify the visual appearance of
the process. This was done, not only to remove
visual disturbance, but also make it appear
more 'human', and hence easier to approach.
The figures presented in this section are the
technical drawings of the current stage of the
vehicles. They do not provide exact
measurements of the entire geometry, as the
donor bicycle measurements vary, but provide
accurate information about how the parts for
the conversion will be fabricated.
The full instructions are included in the
appendix.
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6.4
Utility Bicycles in Action
The prototypes have gone through rigorous
structural testing in practice and have been
stored outside, constantly exposed to the
elements. All of the bicycles are still on the
road. Three bicycles are currently on display at
the Glasgow Bike Station, where people can
try them and, if they want, rent them out. The
cargo bicycles built in Helsinki have been in
shared use. Locks with identical combinations
have been used, so that the bicycles can be
picked up at need.
This section presents in images, how some of
the vehicles have been used. It is a display of
the potential of human power, as it appears on
the streets.
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6.5 Outside Involvement
This section presents experiences of some of
the people who have been making utility
bicycles, using them, and the purposes they
have found for them.
Noteworthy credit for contributing to
expanding the scope of the development go to
Alec Farmer, Martin Campbell, William
Greensmith and James Ring from Glasgow,
and Jussi Peltokangas from Finland. Their
interest and support, assistance in problem
solving, prototype testing and new
development has been significant in terms of
the current results.
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"My name is Alec Farmer. I own Trakke
Messenger Bags in Glasgow. We have always
tried to run our business using bicycles
wherever possible. We ride to work, we use
bicycle couriers to deliver our bags locally but
the problem has always been moving bulky
items around the city - delivering large orders
to shops or moving stock and displays to
exhibition venues. We used to have to rent a
van for that kind of thing - until the Trakke
Cargo Bike came along.
Having seen a prototype of the Sociable
Tandem design by Uula Jero, it became clear
that this could be a perfect alternative to a van
for our company. We rarely cover large
distances, we don’t need the full capacity of a
van to move equipment and frankly, as a
startup company we don’t have the money to
spare to rent a van and fill it with fuel. A
cargo-bike solved all of these problems. We
could build the bike at very little cost, and it
runs using pedals, not petrol. Not only that,
but using the sociable tandem always attracts
attention - guerilla marketing at its best!
I headed down to Uula’s workshop and we
sketched out our design. I had requested a
few changes based on the kind of usage the
Trakke bike would get. Unlike the original
prototype, the Trakke bike needed a wider
load platform on the back to accomodate our
display system for exhibitions. It also needed
to be able to carry 2.4 metre poles, also for
the display system, so the platform needed a
longer platform to support this.
With a plan in mind, we set about building
the chassis that would connect the two bicycle
frames. Using a salvaged motorway
maintenance sign as the main body, we used
standard school table legs in 1” box profile to
create the extra metalwork we required to
fasten everything together. A bit of drilling,
bolting and a few coffees later, we had our
basic frame, and set about cutting the
platform from 18mm plywood. Before setting
up the bikes completely, we dismantled our
work and spray-painted the entire thing to
give a unified finish.
Once the paint was dry, we re-assembled the
bike and routed brake and gear cables
through the bodywork to make a functioning
bicycle. The only job left was the steering
connection. At first, this seemed complex due
The TRAKKE Mobile
97
to the differential system that Uula had
developed using mountain bike bar-ends.
However, a simple jig using string allowed us
mark out the correct angle to connect the
steering tube, and the bike was finished!
Since building the bike, it has been used to
ferry fabric across the city, deliver to shops,
move display systems to exhibitions such as
the Scottish Bike show and even been used as
a mobile shop display, allowing us to ride to
an event, step of the bike and begin selling
with no setup required. The kudos we have
received from the cycling community for
using a bicycle to run our business has been
amazing - reinforcing the ethos of our brand,
and creating some great dialogue between us
and our customers.
The beauty of the design really comes across
when it is in use. With two cyclists sat side-by-
side, enough power is generated to move
some really heavy loads, and yet you can have
a chat with your fellow cyclist the whole time.
The dual steering works exceptionally well,
allowing one cyclist to pedal hands-free while
the other steers - perfect for early morning
starts when coffee has to be passed back and
forth to fuel the riders! In many ways, the
sociable tandem feels like a close relative of
the car. When the platform is empty, you can
pick up friends en route - the can hang out on
the cargo platform while you do the driving.
We’ve been out with two people cycling and
four on the back - this bike can take some
serious weight, and with the right gearing,
pedals like a dream.
The potential for the sociable tandem is
endless. With a couple of seats bolted onto the
platform, it becomes a rickshaw. A table and a
blender makes it a pedal powered smoothie
bike. Fix some speakers and and amp on
there, and you have a portable soundsystem.
And the beginnings of all of this potential is
just some simple hand-tools, a bit of space to
work and someone else’s junk. It doesn’t get
more open source than that!" (Story by Alec
Farmer)
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William Greensmith is developing easy-to
build wooden bicycles from recycled wood
based on Robert Battersby's original wooden
bicycle prototype. The People's Utility Bicycle
Project and William Greensmith's Glasgow
Wooden Bicycle Project collaboration lead to
the creation of two entirely wooden Box
Bikes. Currently William is working on a
prototype for an all-wooden Long John-type
cargo bicycle. He writes about the
collaboration:
"I think the wooden bike and peoples utility
bike is a perfect collaboration - over the past
months I have been developing a bicycle
frame made out of scrap wood and through
collaboration with the utility bike project I
was inspired to make an all wood cargo bike.
The idea behind the wooden project is to
design a bike which can be easily constructed
with basic skills so it was great to try out this
construction method for a different kind of
bike - helping to refine the construction
method and show how it could be an
alternative to steel bikes. The only problem
with mark 1 was that the main beam (down
tube?) was not stiff enough. I have finished
number 2 now with a chunkier and shorted
down tube which seems to have sorted it -
more testing will show up any more problems
I am sure. I also plan to make a wooden sub
frame for the box and have started making a
wooden long john.
CI hope also the bikes I have made will
contribute to the utility bike project by
displaying more possibilities for utility bikes
and therefore making utility bikes even more
accessible. Since there are no mass produced,
cheap to buy utility bikes available yet i think
the peoples utility bike project is a great idea
and will show people that there is an
alternative to mass produced items which can
be cheaper and a lot more exciting.
I have used the bike loads for shifting material
around - back and forth from the workshop -
and also have had friends borrow it a couple
times for moving flats / moving around amps
and band stuff.
Thanks for having me be part of the project!"
(Story by William Greensmith)
The Wooden Cargo Bicycle
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James Ring built a long back cargo bicycle
using a modified half of the sociable cargo
bicycle construction. He needed more space to
transport his equipment and skateboard
around. This model is the first prototype of a
bicycle that he would like to use for touring in
the mountains.
The top platform was designed to be
replaceable with a skateboard. The slot in the
left side platform was made to attach a bicycle
front wheel to. This meant, that a bicycle
could be towed behind.
This bicycle is currently still at a prototype
stage, waiting for the Mk 2 build with better
components and lighter materials, to make it
more convenient to disassemble and transport,
for example in a train or an airplane.
James' Long Back Loader
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After test riding the Barrel Bike Mk 1 through
the winter 2011-12, Jussi Peltokangas built his
own cargo bicycle. He used the Mk 1 as the
istructions, replicating the construction using
his own methods alongside to modify the
outcome. Jussi reduced the dimensions and
improved the fit and quality of steering
components. He documented his process
carefully and published it on the People's
Utility Bicycle Project facebook page.
"I received the Barrel Bike built by Uula to be
ridden in December 2011. It was especially
useful in establishing the do-it-yourself bicycle
workshop. I transported for example tools,
storage drawers, a tool wall made from two
doors, other bicycles and spare parts. I made
my ten kilometre commute several times with
it on icy and snowy bicycle lanes. The bicycle
worked well.
Parts for my own bike, even rod ends, were
gradualy found in skips. The only things I
spent money in were a couple of bolts and
Jussi's Barrel Bike
107
drill bits.
I was wondering whether to weld the frame,
but the bolted structural joints that had
proven to work were easy to copy. The hardest
part was drilling large holes without a pillar
drill.
I used thinner wall tubing than what the
original Barrel Bike frame extension was made
of. I left out the support struts that connect
the barrel to the bicycle frame. For these
reasons, the bottom tube gave out a little."
(Quotes from Jussi Peltokangas) Jussi has now
fixed the initial structural problems, and is
currently actively using his Barrel Bike.
Jussi is running an open and free, not for
profit bicycle workshop in Helsinki called
Pyöräpaja Ry. Anyone can come there and
build themselves a bicycle, or fix one at no
cost. Currently it is operating with donations,
but constructing and selling cargo bicycles in
the premises has been discussed to generate
income as a part of improving the workshop's
self-sufficiency and hence securing its
existence.
"Pyöräpaja is public space for reparing and
building bicycles. No one is reparing other
people's bikes, so everyone does it by themself
(D.I.Y). There is help and advice available.
Pyöräpaja runs with volunteers and no one
gets paid, so all help and donations are
needed (tools, spare parts, money for rent)."
The vehicles constructed in Helsinki have
mostly been in the shared use of those
affiliated with the Pyöräpaja Ry. Some interest
is also gaining in Helsinki, and currently there
are two cargo bicycle projects under
construction at the workshop.
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One Box Bike was commissioned by Rachna
from Babu Kitchen. She saw the Box Bike Mk
1, the one with the shopping trolley, parked
on the street and left a note. She is running an
indian food takeaway kitchen, and wanted a
bicycle for delivering chilled food in tiffin
boxes around Glasgow.
Babu kitchen Box Bike was built with a
laminated frame, like the Mk 3 and 4. An old
refridgerator was used as the fron box. The
compressor had been removed, and it was
actually lighter than the plywood boxes.
Despite being old, the seals were fine and it
insulated well, making it possible to keep
transported food cold using frozen salt
solution blocks. The box was made lockable.
She could transport 50 tiffin boxes and some
extra indian bread in one run with this
bicycle. On a busy day she would normally
transport around one hundred tiffin boxes
around Glasgow, which she could fit in a car
boot in one go, but at a much higher cost.
The box was painted in Babu Kitchen yellow
to prepare it for advertisement illustrations
that would be added on later.
The Babu Bike
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6.6 Work with the Glasgow
Bike Station
6.6.1 The Vision of Glasgow Bike Station
and the Future of the People's Utility
Bicycle Project
Gregory Chauvet, the manager of Bike Station
Glasgow quit his career in business for moral
reasons soon after he was taught how to ride a
bicycle in the Edinburgh Bike Station. Whilst
riding his bicycle, he discovered another
perspective to operating in the society. The
traditional profit-based economy made less
sense to him, as it ran in an alarmingly
unsustainable manner. To Gregory, the model
of social enterprise seemed like a more
responsible and sustainable manner of serving
the society: rather than having paramount
interest in the shareholders and profit, and
consuming new resources, social enterprise
model manages existing resources respectfully,
and uses them to empower people in a more
efficient manner.
Gregory started ‘The Bike Shed’ from scratch
with Richard Kidd, the workshop manager,
with a boxful of tools and a couple of grubby
bicycles. It expanded rapidly, filling a void in
Glasgow: there were underlying unmet needs,
that the Bike Shed conveniently stepped in to
serve. Sharing the vision, the Bike Shed soon
united in strength with Bike Station and
became its Glasgow franchise. According to
Gregory, the key is in providing people with
quality recycled bicycles and services, which in
exchange improves the quality of the resource
base. Healthier resource base means healthier
ways of managing it. Supporting and
encouraging people to cycle and enhancing the
means translates to a more cycle-friendly
environment and more sophisticated ways of
serving in it. Social enterprises develop in
return for the service they give, not the profit
they take.
Gregory sees that the challenge of charitable
organisations is to sustain themselves. He says
this is exactly where a social enterprise can
succeed, as it can receive boost from grants,
but just to develop into a self-sustaining
service. Making profit is necessary for existing
without grants, as wages an facilities must be
paid for, but the benefit of such profit will
remain in the community and excess will be
used to extend its positive impact. Sometimes
the existence of the service is also its
responsibility. People come to rely on the
sheltering environments provided by charities,
and the threat of funding cuts is a risk of
leaving them abandoned.
Gregory sees the future mobility concentrating
locally in large cities, and hence cargo bicycles
could serve as an ideal tool for supporting
small-scale logistics, and especially personal
utilitarian transportation in such environments.
Population in cities continues to grow, and its
concentration will make proprietary motorised
transportation physically unsuitable, as the
traffic congestion in several cities already
drastically reduces its viability. Gregory sees
staying in the forefront of developing the
services around utilitarian cycling, as well as
the applications of human power in machines
as the very heart of developing the benefit of
the service. Pushing into such new frontiers
responds to the arising needs of the people.
Because of the scarcity of physical examples of
the potential of utilitarian transportation, such
solutions are still unrecognised. Displaying the
cargo bicycles in the Bike Station facilities, as
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well as on the streets has potential of creating
demand, and therefore expanding the scope
and sophistication of the service to the
community.
(Information based on an interview with
Gregory Chauvet)
6.6.2 The collaboration
A considerable part of the project was
conducted in collaboration with the Glasgow
Bike Station. The project has been tailored to
meet the demands of operating under such
structure: providing a service of prefabricated
cargo bicycles requires detailed cost estimates
and anchoring to the local resource base.
Educating the community by running do-it-
yourself workshops under umbrella of the Bike
Station necessitates also calculating such costs,
the development of functioning teaching plans
and estimating viable scopes for the length of
the course. The development through the
collaboration has lead to establishing the
People’s Utility Bicycle project as a part of
Glasgow Bike Station’s services, starting in the
cycling season 2012.41 Currently space for
fabrication and running courses is being
organised in Bike Station's new premises.
6.6.3 Fabrication
Fabricating is currently taking place in a
separate workshop, and is not working as
optimally as being in the same premises with
the Bike Station, and the material supply. For
offering prebuilt cargo bicycles as a service to
the community, the costs have been calculated,
so that it is financially viable. Such estimates42
have been produced with the presumption of
working in the same premises with the Bike
Station and do not take into account the
current problem of logistics. One custom-built
bicycle has been sold so far to a Babu Kitchen,
which delivers Indian food around Glasgow.
A fabrication space inside the new Bike Station
premises is currently being prepared. When
interest for cargo bicycles picks up, vehicles can
be efficiently produced in-house. If there is
enough demand, new employment
opportunities can be created around
fabrication. There is an overflowing resource of
used bicycle technology that is ready to be used
for such purpose. Not all bicycles will be
refurbished by the Bike Station, and a lot of
material still gets scrapped for metal recycling,
or sent to developing countries. The process
can be made more efficient by utilising a
considerable amount of this waste to build
utility bicycles. Currently what the People's
Utility Bicycle Project provides, is the
developing knowledge to create useful
solutions from it.
The calculated price for a utility bicycle
purchased through the Bike Station ranges
from £400 to £450. Price for custom orders is
calculated by an addition of £10 per hour of
extra work required. The cost estimate figures
take into account the possibility of having to
buy new square tubing, for example, if
sufficient quantities cannot be found recycles.
The Bike Station can currently provide for all
the needs of discarded bicycle technology, but
the resources for discarded steel tubing and
scrap wood are still to be secured. Such
connections will form over time, as more
people become aware of the project.
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6.6.4 Workshops
After test driving a vehicle at the Bike Station,
an interested customer can either commission
such a bicycle from the People's Utility Bicycle
Project, or sign up for a periodically arranged
workshop, that can take place when enough
interest has been gathered. A workshop, where
three bicycles are built can be supervised by a
single person. For this, three sets of necessary
tools will be required. Currently funding is
being applied to kickstart the workshops.
Workshops will be offered to people, who are
interested in learning more about their
vehicles. The purpose of such workshops is to
rekindle self-sufficiency and distributing
knowledge of sustaining such technology.
When the workshop and fabrication space is
ready at the Bike Station, such courses can be
offered at a cost of additional £200. This cost is
formed by the necessity for supervising staff
presence and the use of fabricating tools and
consumables. In the perfect scenario, such cost
could be eliminated and the bicycles could be
offered at a discount price to those who
fabricate them themselves. This would be more
encouraging for enrolling, but would require
first economic development or additional
supporting funding. Currently such an option is
more accessible to organisations, who want to
gain knowledge in producing and maintaining
such vehicles. Those who cannot afford a
course can still access the information provided
by the instructions, that are distributed for free
at the Bike Station.
The structuring of teaching plans was assisted
by the Bike Station workshop manager Richard
Kidd. He has experience in running courses and
workshops, and has acquired good knowledge
in planning lessons. A pilot workshop was run
at the Bike Station to help gain an
understanding of an instructed building
process. The results of time estimates and
mapped stages of the process was then formed
into a possible teaching plan43.
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7. Aesthetics and Visual
Communication of Values
Environmental and social factors, as well as
moral responsibility have been the main driver
for the development of the vehicles. Ornaments
add to the cost and complexity of the
construction, and are therefore left to the user's
discretion. There has been relatively little
emphasis put on the honing of aesthetic
attributes, other than what the material
honesty and functional appearance grant. The
vehicles are appropriate technology, and aim to
provide more of a 'blank canvas' for users' and
developers' decoration needs. Such approach
encourages involvement and deepens the users'
relationship to the products they use.
“[O]nly a small part of our responsibility lies in
the area of aesthetics.” (Victor Papanek,
198444)
With raising ecological awareness and longing
for long-lasting technology, there is a growing
appreciation and acceptance towards
imperfection in the objects surrounding
everyday life. Terms like 'shabby chic' and
rustic are more often considered synonyms of
beauty; indicators of unpolished honesty and
hidden stories. Objects that have 'grown up',
showing signs of appreciation and attachment
become more human and withhold a different
value than the perfection of objects that come
off the mass production line.
“[P]roducts must evolve alongside users,
sustaining value by revealing their true beauty
only through the slow passing of time…
Modern products are too precise, removing all
possible surprise, mystery and, perhaps above
117
all, charm from the process of engaging with
them.” (Chapman, 2005, pp. 48)
Some prefer not to polish off the patina, as it
signifies maturity, and value that accumulates
with age. When recycling and reusing is
considered a virtue, the reality of secondary
materials does not have to be hidden away.
All of the built vehicles consist mainly of
recycled materials which hold aesthetic value
in their own right. What has been done to
improve superficial appearance, is due to
practical reasons. Varnishing wood not only
protects the wood from the elements, but adds
depth and tone to the grain. The deep earthy
red coat of rust inhibitive primer does not leave
the colour disagreeable, and enables any coat
to be applied by the user afterwards.
Often just removing the plastic brand and
model decals, that had been added solely to
add imaginary trend value, off the old bicycle
frames makes them look much more functional
and agreeable. Consider, for example labels,
like “Apollo RAPID REACTOR 21 SPEED
SHIMANO INDEX SHIFTING” or “UNIVERSAL
RAMPAGE” written all over the frame. It is
advantageous to give the user an opportunity
to give their vehicles names that are more
appealing and easier to relate to, that express
their own values.
'Branding' stickers have been printed for the
People's Utility Bicycle Project, and they can be
applied on the bicycles if the user decides so, to
advertise and promote access to the open
source information on the internet.
Visual identity material, included in the
appendix45, has been produced for the People's
Utility Bicycle Project by illustrator Eva
Dolgyra. Logos and images used to
communicate the project employ the symbol of
a raised fist of emancipation, in conjunction
with a spanner that stands for returning the
tools into the hands of people.
118
8. Results
119
Produced vehicles:
Industrial tricycle type / 'The Box Bike':
Box bike Mk 1, Glasgow
Box bike Mk 2, Donated to Occupy Helsinki
Box bike Mk 3, produced for Bike Station
Glasgow. Used for testing, rental and Dr. Bike
mobile bicycle mechanic.
Boxbike Mk 4, currently a test / rental bike at
the Bike Station Glasgow
Boxbike Mk 5, a delivery bicycle made for Babu
Kitchen Indian food takeaway.
Sociable cargo bicycle type / 'The
doubler':
Doubler Mk 1, in shared use in Helsinki,
mainly by the organisation Pyöräpaja Ry.
Doubler Mk 2, Trakke bicycle built for Alec
Farmer's bag company.
Doubler Mk 3, Built in the Bike Station
Glasgow, currently there for renting / testing.
Long John type / 'The Barrel Bike'
Mk 1, produced in Helsinki. In use as personal
transportation.
Total: 9 vehicles
Vehicles developed and
produced independently:
William Greensmith's wooden Box Bikes:
Mk 1 and Mk 2, necessary information
gathered from instructions and replicated from
prebuilt components.
Martin Campbell Rag n' Bone Workshop Box
Bike, modified from the Mk 1 Box Bike.
One box bike under construction from
instructions, currently in Helsinki, at the open
bicycle workshop of Pyöräpaja Ry
Jussi Peltokangas' Barrel Bike replicated from
the physical construction of the Barrel Bike
Mk 1.
One Barrel Bike currently under construction in
Helsinki, at the open bicycle workshop of
Pyöräpaja Ry
James Ring's long back cargo bicycle.
Replicated and modified from the Sociable
cargo bicycle frame extension.
Total: 4 vehicles on the road and 2
under construction
120
Project exposure:
Web site traffic: (http://www.toolsforasimplelife.org)
5 361 hits between Oct 2011 – Oct 2012
(Global traffic, with United States the primary
source)
Facebook:
(http://www.facebook.com/ThePeoples
UtilityBicycleProject)
891 reached inside the first month Sept – Oct
2012
Project exhibited (two vehicles on
display) at the Scottish Bike Show
alongside The Bike Station Glasgow,
spring 2012
Scottish Television (STV Glasgow)
article:
'Can broomsticks, bolts and wood change the
way we travel?'
http://local.stv.tv/glasgow/magazine/98610-
could-a-broomstick-some-bolts-and-a-
broomstick-change-the-way-we-travel/
Featured at Pinso.co.uk:
http://www.pinso.co.uk/2012/09/bike-
builder-uula-jero/
http://www.pinso.co.uk/2012/09/build-a-
bike-instructions/
Featured on the Trakke website:
http://trakke.vaesite.com/article/july-20-
2012--peoples-utility-bicycle-project
Two bicycles for rent at the Glasgow
Bike Station. Fabrication service
advertised at the Bike Station, and on
their website:
http://www.thebikestation.org.uk/cargo-bikes/
121
122
9. Conclusion
The results confirm, that it is possible to
create fit-for-purpose utility bicycles
using the waste of this society, generate
collaboration in building and developing
them, and operate viably in the current
economic reality, within a social
enterprise framework.
The project has received considerable
interest locally, and globally. The
development has gained enough
momentum, that it can be considered
self-sustaining, without the necessity for
the input of the originator.
The process has thoroughly tested the
viability of the original hypothesis,
concluding that the potential of utilising
bicycle technology for personal
transportation under an energy crisis is
possible.
123
10. Bibliography
1. Arendt, Hannah, 'The Human Condition', (The University of Chicago Press, 2nd edition, 1998)
2. Bas Van Abel, Lucas Evers, Roel Klaassen, Peter Troxler 'Open Design Now – Why Design
Cannot Remain Exclusive' (BIS Publishers, 2011)
3. Chapman, Jonathan, Emotionally Durable Design, (Earthscan, 2005)
4. Corfe, Robert, Social Capitalism in Theory and Practice, Vol 3, (Arena books, 2008)
5. Crawford, Matthew B., 'Shop Class as Soulcraft – an Inquiry into the Value of Work' (Penguin
Books, 2010)
6. Cross, Nigel, 'The Coming of Post-Industrial Design' (Design Studies, Vol. 2, 1981)
7. Greer, John Michael, 'The Long Descent' (New Society Publishers, 2008,)
8. Morris, William, 'The Revival of Handicraft', (Fortnightly Review, 1988)
9. Papanek, Victor, 'Design for the Real World', (Thames & Hudson, 2nd edition, 1985)
10. Sennett, Richard, 'The Craftsman', (Penguin Books, 2009)
124
1“changes in oil market conditions have direct and indirect effects on the global economy, including on growth,
inflation, external balances, and poverty. Since the late 1990s,
oil prices have generally risen—notwithstanding cyclical fluctuations—and supply constraints are widely
perceived to have contributed to this trend. This has raised concerns that the oil market is entering a period of
increased scarcity.” (IMF, April 2011, Oil Scarcity, Growth and Global Imbalances, Chapter III, pp. 90-91,
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/pdf/c3.pdf)
2http://www.marad.dot.gov/documents/Modal_Shift_Study_-_Technical_Report.pdf, pp. 4
3http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~wggray/Teaching/His300/Illustrations/Limits-to-Growth.pdf
4http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/1_lpr_2012_online_full_size_single_pages_final_120516.pdf, pp.6
5http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/material-resources-and-waste-2014
6“EU waste management policies aim to reduce the environmental and health impacts of waste and improve
Europe’s resource efficiency. The long-term goal is to turn Europe into a recycling society, avoiding waste and
using unavoidable waste as a resource wherever possible. The aim is to achieve much higher levels of recycling
and to minimise the extraction of additional natural resources. Proper waste management is a key element in
ensuring resource efficiency and the sustainable growth of European economies.” (Being wise with waste: the
EU’s approach to waste management, pp.2, 2010, ISBN 978-92-79-14297-0)7http://www.mrw.co.uk/news/eu-resource-roadmap-will-propose-incentives-for-resource-efficient-
products/8613485.article
8http://www.mrw.co.uk/news/caroline-jackson-condemns-eu-waste-roadmap/8620315.article
9Karliner as quoted by Corfe, 2008, pp. 28 “the model of growth currently in force in the world economy is
creating, not alleviating poverty, and environmental destruction.”
10http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1394467
11The European Anti-Poverty Network, http://www.eapn.eu/en/news-and-publications/press-room/eapn-press-
releases/europe-2020s-poverty-target-will-not-be-met-with-current-approach
12Eurostat, Europe 2020 Indicators, http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/Euro_2020/E2020_EN_banner.html
13Wates: “Despite the recession, Social Enterprise (SE) saw strong growth in 2010 with 56% increasing their
turnover from the previous year, compared to only 28% for SMEsiii. This is a strong message, proving that SEs
can contribute to the economic growth of the UK and business, and the public sector needs to be encouraged to
work more closely with them.” http://www.wates.co.uk/thought-leadership/social-enterprise-can-drive-
economic-growth-668
14Social Enterprise London: “Social enterprises are at the forefront of this move towards a more
sustainable society. Over 7002 community businesses, social firms, co-operatives
and other social enterprises already deliver a growing range of sustainable
waste management services across the UK. This number is set to grow, with
125
new legislation and funding creating opportunities in every part of the country. ”
(www.sel.org.uk/uploads/Social-Enterprise-Guide-to-Recycling.pdf) pp. 4
15ACRR: “Recycling activities are labour intensive. For this reason, recycling is one of the most interesting and
important sectors in the development and growth of social enterprises, which main role is the reinsertion, through
work, of people affected by any sort of exclusion. Recycling becomes a source of jobs for unskilled or long-term
unemployed people.” (http://resourcities.acrplus.org/recycling/good_business.htm )
16“In "Creating Wealth from Waste" (1999) Robin Murray estimates that an intensive programme of recycling in
the UK could create between 10.000 and 55.000 new jobs, taking into account those who would be lost in the
process.” (http://resourcities.acrplus.org/recycling/good_business.htm)
17Paul A. David: “As the nature of new technologies changes, however, it has become evident that the familiar
legal contraptions of "patents" and "copyrights" are rather ill-suited to the realities of some of the situations in
which they are being put to work...They continue to be looked to as stimuli for the generation of useful
innovations, but, while enabling the private appropriation of economic benefits from new scientific and
engineering knowledge, the familiar devices for protection intellectual property are known to have a variety of
untoward side-effects that may be distorting and even impeding the progress of technology.”
(http://ecohist.history.ox.ac.uk/readings/ip/david1.doc) pp.6
18http://www.n55.dk
19http://www.openstructures.net/
20Meccano is a modular children's toy that enables building various devices from a universal set of components.
http://www.meccano.com/
21http://forums.makezine.com/
22http://www.instructables.com/
23Robert Paajanen & Janne Rastas, 2010, pp.15 “[In many high technology countries, it has happened, that crafts
education, or equivalent has changed into technology education...]” (Translated from Finnish,
http://www.doria.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/63089/graduPaajanenRastas.pdf?sequence=1)
24“The world is undergoing the largest wave of urban growth in history. In 2008, for the first time in history, more
than half of the world’s population will be living in towns and cities. By 2030 this number will swell to almost 5
billion, with urban growth concentrated in Africa and Asia. While mega-cities have captured much public
attention, most of the new growth will occur in smaller towns and cities, which have fewer resources to respond
to the magnitude of the change. In principle, cities offer a more favourable setting for the resolution of
social and environmental problems than rural areas. Cities generate jobs and income. With good
governance, they can deliver education, health care and other services more efficiently than less
densely settled areas simply because of their advantages of scale and proximity.” Source: UNFPA
(http://www.unfpa.org/pds/urbanization.htm)
126
25“In the US, 15-20 million bikes are purchased each year, and it's estimated that around 10 million bikes are
discarded. The figures are similar in other Western countries. Even if only half of the West's discarded bikes are
still usable it represents an enormous untapped resource.” Source: Bicycles for humanity (http://www.bicycles-
for-humanity.org/Solutions.php)
In 2000, the number of bicycles produced reached 104 million, in comparison to 40 million cars. Source:
Historical data series compiled by Worldwatch Institute, Vital Signs 1996, 2002, 2005 (New York: W.W. Norton &
Company, 1996, 2002)
26Source: Museum of Tradesman's Delivery Bikes (http://tradesmansbike.wordpress.com/working-bicycles-
tricycles-and-hand-carts/)
27 “In some cities, the role of the bicycle is being expanded to include certain types of hauling. Bicycles will never
displace trucks for carrying heavy freight, but the small loads and frequent stops required of some urban
deliveries often favor use of a bike. This was the experience of the largest industrial bakery in Bogotá, which
replaced 200 delivery trucks with 800 tricycles a few years ago—a move that substantially lowered the cost of
deliveries to its 22,000 daily customers. Similarly, a Pepsi distributor in San Salvador found that a bicycle and
trailer could deliver 900 cases of soda per month—as many as the previous delivery vehicle, a 5-ton truck, but at
a fraction of the expense.” Source: Gary Gardner, World Watch Institute: When Cities Take Bicycles Seriously,
1998 (http://www.worldwatch.org/system/files/EP115A.pdf)
28EU-funded project Cycle Logistics baseline study, http://www.cyclelogistics.eu
29“While the bicycle is still an essential form of transportation in China, the country has recently seen a rapid
decrease in bike ownership as its population becomes wealthier and turns to cars. From 1995 to 2005, China’s
bike fleet declined by 35 percent, from 670 million to 435 million, while private car ownership more than
doubled, from 4.2 million to 8.9 million. Blaming cyclists for increasing accidents and congestion, some city
governments have closed bike lanes. Shanghai even banned bicycles from certain downtown roads in 2004. This
deterioration in Chinese bike culture emerges even as the country’s share of world bicycle production continues to
rise: China now turns out more than four fifths of the 130 million bikes produced each year.” Source: J. Matthew
Roney, Bicycles Pedaling into Spotlight (http://www.earth-policy.org/indicators/C48)
30Credit Suisse Report (http://www.businessinsider.com/credit-suisse-chinese-automation-boom-2012-8?op=1)
31 UK Parliament data (http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/research/olympic-britain/transport/are-
we-nearly-there-yet/)
32 Source: The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/jul/25/majority-car-owners-struggling-costs)
33 http://www.raisethehammer.org/blog/2458/biking_saves_us_riders_billions
34 Research shows that cycling uses 35 calories per passenger mile compared to the 1,860 calories burned by a
modern car with an internal combustion engine. The energy used by cycling is nearly a thirtieth of that of public
transportation, and a third of the effort for walking. Source: Worldwatch Institute, Matter of Scale – Bicycle
Frame (http://www.worldwatch.org/node/4057)
127
35Source: Low Tech Magazine (http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2012/09/jobs-of-the-future-cargo-cyclist.html)
36 http://www.policy.rutgers.edu/faculty/pucher/Irresistible.pdf
http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/734/cycling/cycling-rates-by-country/
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5462
37 An example collection of recent articles:
http://gizmodo.com/cargo-bike/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2012/may/05/cargo-trailer-bikes-kids?INTCMP=SRCH
http://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/bikes-and-gear-features/coolest-bike-ever-made
http://momentummag.com/articles/the-cargo-bike-a-vehicle-that-will-change-your-life
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2012/may/02/cargo-bike-city-courier-truck
http://www.opb.org/news/article/cargo-bikes-could-play-key-role-crisis/
http://www.bikehub.co.uk/news/bike-to-work/cargo-bikes-can-be-last-mile-delivery-solution-for-cities-hears-
new-lobby-group/
38Ironwood bicycle is a design by the architect Robert Battersby, that has been developed in collaboration with the
Mechanical Engineering Department in the University of Strathclyde in Scotland. The purpose of the project is to
prove that wood is a viable and flexible material for bicycle construction. The bicycle itself is aimed for production in
developing countries, with simple tools and improvisation, where the use of non standardised components is
necessary. http://www.ironwoodbicycle.com
39Experiments conducted by the Japan Housing and Wood Technology Center, HOWTEC, documented in the book
`Timber and Japanese houses’ (http://structure.kes.ne.jp/KesTechnicalArchitecture/architecture/index.html)
40John Zabriskie, 1995: Tubing Selection for Recumbent frames (http://mnhpva.org/tech/frame_tubes.html)
41http://www.thebikestation.org.uk/cargo-bikes/
42 See appendix, iv: cargo bike cost estimate form.
43See appendix, v: sociable cargo teaching plan
44Source: Victor Papanek, Design ford the Real World Ebook, pp. 23
(http//playpen.icomtek.csir.co.za/education/Dr_Anvind_Gupa/Learners_Library_7_March_2007/Resources/book
s/designvictor.pdf)
45See appendix, i: People's Utility Bicycle Project visual identity material
Internet sources checked 15.10.2012
128
12. Appendix
129
People's Utility Bicycle Project Visual Identity Material
i
Main logo
Head tube emblem Stamp / small logo
Recommended tools and consumables:
D4 rated exterior wood glue/marine epoxy, yacht varnish, metal paint,
panel saw for cutting wood, saw for cutting metal, plane or surform plane,
sandpaper (coarse and fine), metal file, wood rasp, cutting fluid for
drill ing, 32mm drill bit for wood, HSS or cobalt metal bits: 10, 8, 6 & 4mm,
center punch, set square, measuring tape, side cutter pliers, pair of
adjustable wrenches, drill, clamps with at least 80mm reach, mallet and
hammer.
Tools for the project starting from the top, going left to right: D4
rated wood glue, yacht varnish, paint for protecting metal, panel saw,
hacksaw with 24tpi blades, surform plane (cheap tool for 'grating'
down wood surfaces), sandpaper (P60 and P150 grit), metal file, half
round wood rasp, cutting fluid (for using when drill ing metal, cools
down and prevents drill bits from wearing out when drill ing metal),
drill bits: 32mm flat bit for wood, 10, 8, 6, 3mm bits for metal (use
cobalt bits if you have the option), centre punch (for marking holes),
tape measure, side cutting pliers (for cutting and installing shifter
and brake cables), 2 adjustable wrenches (going up to 17mm, or a set
of spanners: 8,9,10,13, 15 and 17mm), drill, a set of clamps (or an
improvised clamp from wood with two bolts), plastic or leather mallet
and a hammer.
Parts and hardware for the bike: Two 20" wheels with 36 spokes and
10mm axles, a fork from a children's bicycle with 1" steerer tube (The
unthreaded section in the steerer tube should be no longer than
100mm, or alternatively the height of the wooden beam) and a full
set of fitting headset bearings. Hardware: Three M6 x 70 bolts with
two washers and a nylock nut each Twelve M8 x 60 bolts with two
washers and a nylock nut each Four M10 x 100 bolts with two washers
and a nylock nut each Two M10 x 150 bolts with two washers an a
nylock nut each Stem that fits in the steerer tube of the fork. (the
angle must be 90 degrees or less) Two rear-length (approximately
1,2m long) shifter cables and housings Two thumb shifters: front and
rear shifter (if the project bicycle does not come with them) Top
clamp from a kickstand Two front long reach calliper brakes (the bolt
must be longer 30mm) Two rear-length brake cables and housings
(approximately 1,2m long) Two wide riser handlebars (and brake
levers for one)
There are two options for the wooden frame. One is just to use a good
quality slowly grown timber beam, in size 3" x 4" or similar with
minimum dimensions of 75mm width, 80mm height and 1200mm
length. The second option is to glue laminate the beam using layers
of good quality timber on the surfaces with a core of lighter, poorer
quality timber. Such glue laminated beam will produce a stiffer and
stronger frame that weighs less than the first option. Skip the next
four steps if you are not glue laminating.
Glue laminating considerations: placing the boards in a stack should
produce a profile at least 80mm high, so choose the height of the
core board accordingly. Example: the floorboards are 20mm each, and
the core 40, which yields the required result. The width of the beam
should be no less than 80mm.
All pieces should be cut to a length of 1200 mm. For glue laminating,
sand or plane the joining surfaces even to prepare for gluing.
Use strong, preferably D4 rated waterproof wood glue.
With a brush, spread glue evenly to all surfaces that are joined.
If you don't have clamps, you can improvise some using scrap pieces
of wood that clamp together with 150mm long bolts.
Clamp the pieces together, applying pressure evenly. The more
clamps, the better the result. Recommended minimum is 6.
Strip a complete donor bicycle down. Both front and rear derailleur
can remain attached. The crankset can be left on if the extractor tool
is not available, but removing it makes the building process a bit
easier. Clean the frame and the components of dirt and grease to
prevent it from contaminating wood.
Mark and cut the the tubes as shown here, leaving approximately
100mm stumps in the top and bottom tube, and splitting the head
tube as close to the top tube as possible.
Flatten the bottom tube stump against a wooden surface with a
mallet, bending it parallel to the chainstays.
Drill a 10mm hole in the middle of the flattened stump. It is good to
file the end round like shown. File off anything that protrudes from
the bottom bracket shell and the chainstays. This includes cable
guides and the corners of the kickstand mount which are often folded
down. The bottom of the frame should be as smooth as shown in the
picture.
Taper down a 300mm section of both sides in the end of the beam,
narrowing it down to 60mm to facilitate crank clearance. If the beam
has been glue laminated, scrape off the extra glue and trim all
surfaces even.
Mark the outline for a round groove that is approximately 40mm wide
and 15mm deep. Leave a distance of 100mm from the middle of the
groove to the end of the frame. An indent will be made here to sink
the protruding bottom bracket shell into the frame.
To make the groove, a rough 'v' cut can be made with a panel saw,
and then ground round with a semi circular wood rasp or coarse
sandpaper around a piece of dowel or pipe. Once the frame can be sat
flush against the beam, project down the holes for the rear (where
the kickstand mount hole is, or approximately 20mm from the end)
and down directly from the flattened stump. It is harder to mark the
hole for the stump, so use an engineer's square (anything square will
do) to check that the alignment of the marking is right. Use the
square to project the holes to the opposing side and make sure they
align, too.
Drill one surface at a time, halfway through. When you drill the
opposing side, the holes will join. It will help in aligning the drilled
hole. First pilot drill with 6mm, and afterwards go through with a
10mm bit.
Use a 150mm M10 bolt and the top clamp of a kickstand to fasten the
frame down against the beam in the back. The front requires a spacer
block as shown. Find a suitable height piece of wood, cut it and drill
through with a 10mm bit. Fasten the flattened tube down, bolting
through the spacer block and the beam. Make sure the frame sits
straight on the beam.
When the rear of the frame is aligned and fastened, slot the cut
bottom tube over the top tube stump as shown. Rest the tube on the
side of the frame and trace its middle across the top face. Make
another line parallel to the beam its middle. Making these lines will
assist in maintaining the alignment in the hole to be drilled for the
strut.
Start by drill ing a 6mm pilot hole following the direction carefully.
Next drill with a 32mm bit, starting with a slightly milder angle as
shown to cut into the wood, and then slowly align it to the marks.
If the angle turns out squint, you can use a round wood rasp to adjust
and open up the hole a bit, so that the frame sits as straight as
possible. Disassemble the frame.
Measure 200mm from the end of the frame and mark a hole to be
drilled as shown. Project it to the other side again, making sure the
markings are aligned. Pilot drill halfway through with a 6mm bit, one
side at a time, making sure the drilled holes align. Afterwards drill
halfway through with a 32mm bit, again one side at a time.
Finish the wooden beam by sanding the all the surfaces smooth to
prepare it for varnishing. Round off sharp corners (except for the
drilled hole edges)
A minimum of 3 coats of yacht varnish will give an adequate
protection for the wooden frame when the bicycle is stored outdoors
throughout the year.
This drawing shows the placement of the holes. It is a top view,
meaning the holes marked with dashed lines are to be drilled through
from the side and the holes marked with dots are to be drilled from
the top.
The dashed lines are all drilled 10mm. The dots are drilled 8mm,
exept for the ones marked at 75 and 725: these holes are for
mounting the calliper brakes.
The measuring line on the top is for the two long tubing sections and
the measuring line on the side is for the four short sections.
Even furniture grade (at least 1.5mm wall thickness) 25mm tubing is
sufficient for this construction. Metal table frames are often a good
source for such material. Source and cut the necessary lengths: four
600mm, and two 800mm sections.
Each tube should have one perfectly square end. Use a metal file to
square them off. For accuracy, all the measurements should be done
from the square end, so mark it well in each tube.
Mark the tubing as indicated by the measuring lines. Do this identically on
the facing sides of the tubing. Also remembering to take measurements
from the same end. Be careful in getting the marks exactly in the center of
the tubing. Indent the marks with a center punch. It helps to align the drill
bit exactly, without it slipping off. Drill the holes, starting with 4mm and
drill ing larger 2mm at a time. Leave the indicated 10mm holes drilled to
8mm. They will be drilled larger later. Drill one face at a time (facing sides
should be marked identically), not all the way through to ensure that holes
do not go crooked. Take care not to drill the brake mounting holes larger
than 6mm.
Enlargin the 8mm hole, drill the marked 10mm holes in the four short
tubes that only have a single hole in the middle. The short tubes with
three 10mm holes each will be drilled later.
Mark a line through the middle of the fork crown brake hole, ensuring it is
perpendicular to the steerer tube. Do this identically on the opposing faces
of the fork.
Cut the fork legs off approximately 20mm below this line.
Drilling into a curved surface is a bit tricky. Center punch the marked holes
carefully. Align the drill bit against the surface as indicated top right. Drill
first on face at a time, and then afterwards once through the whole tube.
Drill these holes on the sides to 8mm, and the middle hole to 10mm.
Drill the middle holes of the two short pieces marked with a group of three
holes from 8 to 10mm. You will use three of the M10 x 100 bolts for this.
Clamp the fork between the two tubes, align the steerer tube exactly
perpendicular to the tubing, and fastening the 10mm bolt tight.
Next drill once through the 8mm holes in the whole assembly, going
through both of the tubes and the fork. This ensures the alignment is
right. Make sure that the steerer tube does not change alignment. Drill
through the assembly with a 10mm bit next, and bolt the sides.
Assemble the tubing as indicated, but do not bolt yet.
Drill through the pairs of overlapping tubes once to correct any
misalignment in holes. Bolt the prepared tubing together, only lightly
tightening and leaving two corners still unbolted as indicated in the next
step.
Mount the wheel axles through the 10mm holes in the middle. Clamp the
wheels by bolting the corners together. Tighten all bolts lightly.
Square off the assembly by measuring the diagonal length between corner
bolts as indicated. Tilt the assembly to correct the alignment, until both
measurements are identical.
Press the headset bearing cups into the 32mm hole in the frame. The order
of the bearings is changed in this case, so the bottom part of the headset
will now be on the top surface (right) of the wooden beam.
Attach the bicycle frame onto the wooden beam again and mount the front
cart on to the frame.
Tighten the bearings and trim off any extra length in steerer tube to fit on
the locknut.
Use a stem to make the mount for a stabilising strut underneath the cart.
Shorten the stem shaft as shown. There are two ways to make it. Use a cut
shaft as shown on the left to bolt the strut onto, or the stem itself with a
shortened shaft to hold the strut in place.
A large riser handlebar is good for making the stabilising strut. Cut it to
match the width of the cart as shown.
In this example the strut is bolted onto the mount. Align the strut and
mark holes to be drilled in the ends. Drill matching 6mm holes in the cart
frame.
Use the M6 x 70 bolts to secure the strut ends.
Attach brakes.
The box can basically be anything that is sturdy enough and you can
attach some sort of a handlebar to. An easy way is just to bolt a high riser
handlebar off a bmx bike or similar with 3 M6 bolts as shown.
Both brake handles will operate the two front brakes independently.
Altough it takes a bit of getting used to, so that the bike doesn't steer too
much when braking, it is an easy to build solution. Dual cable brake levers
and other mechanisms for splitting one brake lever to control two brakes
simultaneously are possible.
Gear shifters can be mounted in several places, like the seatpost or the
frame, but attaching them to the box may place the cables a bit in the way
of steering.
The rest is just sorting out the brakes and gears, which is pretty much
straightforward bike mehcanics. Enjoy!
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frgt \-,flcce tonetlt in9 trn dertte€r€r +qb€ io Pro P
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Cargo Bicycle Cost Sheet Produced for Bike Station
Cost sheet for cargo bikes 25/02/12
Frame materials Description Quantity Cost £
Numbers are for toolstation qotes
73604 High Tensile Set Screw M6 x 40 100 3.58
92971 High Tensile Set Screw M6 x 60 100 4.22
34018 High Tensile Set Screw M8 x 60 100 6.98
16878 High Tensile Set Screw M8 x 70 100 7.83
26426 High Tensile Set Screw M10 x 30 50 3.98
66816 High Tensile Set Screw M10 x 100 50 7.84
74965 Coach Bolt & Nut M10 x 150 10 2.08
21480 Nylon Lock Nut M6 100 1.98
73258 Nylon Lock Nut M8 100 2.26
30119 Nylon Lock Nut M10 10 0.54
14652 Heavy Washer M6 100 0.82
91738 Heavy Washer M8 100 1.1
83844 Heavy Washer M10 100 2.08
36mm U-Bolt 1 1
www.kartpartsuk.comM8 x 1.25mm Male Right Hand Rod End Bearing
1 3.42
Simpson Steel25 x 25 x 2.0 Box Section Steel Tubing (one length 7,6m)
1 12.5
Smith & Rodger Glasgow Titebond 3 wood glue 3,8L 1 35.3
iv
Screwfix, 48712 No Nonsense Red Oxide Primer 750ml 1 6.89
Screwfix, 23164 No Nonsense Yacht Varnish 750ml 1 8.49
Angle Iron for 25 x 25 brackets 0
1” Plastic Plugs 100 19.95
Cost for one box bike frame 29.5
Cost for one sociable cargo bike frame 23
Standard Box Materials Description Quantity Cost £
WISA Twin Plywood (Jewson) 2440 x 1220mm sheet 1 30.9
90230 (Toolstation) Garden Furniture Oil Teak (liter) 1 14.82
34919 (Toolstation) Angle Braces 19 x 19mm 10 0.33
12180 (Screwfix) 3,5 x 12 Turbo Gold Wood Screw 200 2.02
14617 (screwfix) 5 x 60 Turbo Gold Wood Screw 100 4.68
Material cost for one standard box £21
New bike parts for sociable cargo bike
4m brake cable cover 1.75
4 x brake cable 1
2,5m shifter cable cover 2.3
2 x shifter cable 0.5
3 8-speed chains 11
iv
Cost total 16.55
New bike parts for box bike
3m brake cable cover 1.32
2 x brake cable 0.5
2,5m shifter cable cover 2.3
2 x shifter cable 0.5
Cost total 4.62
Tools and Consumables Description Quantity Cost £
75018 Cutting fluid 1 3.26
65257 24tpi Hacksaw blades 10 19.06
16851 3mm Cobalt drill bit 2 1.32
42541 6mm Cobalt drill bit 2 2.72
70666 8mm Cobalt drill bit 2 4.04
77012 10mm Cobalt drill bit 2 5.98
21258 32mm wood drill bit 1 5.44
Consumables estimate for one bike 4
Labour estimates for prefabTime taken to fabricate / hrs (by a trained person)
Standard Box (box) 3
iv
Box bike frame preparation 6
Box bike frame assembly 3
Box bike mechanical assembly 2
Sourcing materials 1
Total time 14
Sociable cargo frame preparation 5
Sociable cargo frame assembly 3
Sociable cargo mechanical assy 2
Sourcing materials 1
Total time 11
Total costs for complete bikes Material costs £ Labour hrs Total £
Sociable cargo bike w/ box 60 15 450
Sociable cargo bike without box 39 12
Box bike w/ box 77 14 400
Box bike without box 56 11
Additional options
iv
Steering damper 30
Dual pull brake lever 30
Powder coating 96
Box ordered 60
iv
Worshop Plan Prepared for Bike Station
v
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