Mmmm, coffee. Anytime we find the two combined, we stop. Fortunately this fine young lady was pressing some amazing espresso and capuccinos. Once properly rejuvenated, the bike came into clearer focus. The frame was built by Nicolai and incorporated a Bosch motor at the crankset, angled to maximize ground clearance. From there, it used a nifty mix of Nuvinci Harmony internal gear box, chains and belt drives to put the pedal power to the rear wheels.
Pour your own cup and dive in for other great bikes…
A 1:1 gearing carries the power from the cranks to the gearbox. Nuvinci’s uses a continuously variable planetary gearing system that runs smoothly from easy to difficult with no discernable steps. That box then drives an axle out to the Gates Belt Drive, which turns the rear wheel and delivers fresh ground goodness.
Not sure who makes this one, but the coffee theme is painted across the frame. A kickstand bar fold down from the front rack to keep it stable when parked for delivery.
This one keeps the front rack more open to allow any size package. It’s made by Baltik Vairas, an Italian manufacturer that makes custom bicycles at production scale for others.
Patria makes a wide variety of commuter and city bicycles, but this cargo bike is their first concept for the category. When fully extended, the front platform can carry up to 100kg (220lbs). When you don’t need that capacity, the telescoping beam allows the front wheel assembly to retract toward the bike, folding up the platform and drastically reducing the wheelbase. That makes for normal handling and turning radius in town and easier stowage in the garage.
It’s a clever design, particularly considering the steering mechanism works regardless of wheel position.
Pelago makes far more normal bikes, made with the urban rider and commuter in mind. The frames are durable chromoly and have generous tire clearance with geometry tailored to bombing through the city streets.
This one checks all the right boxes for a city bike: rack, fenders, disc brakes, chainring guard and upright riding position.
It even had a tough, textured paint that should hold up to a few locks and poles.
Accessories like lights, upgraded grips, etc., let you customize the bikes to suit your needs.
The QU-AX mini-tandem is back. It has a reinforced steel frame rolling on 6″ wheels. It has an eccentric bottom bracket to adjust chain tension between front and rear cranks, just like on a real tandem. Here it is in action:
