Skip to main content
Home
  • Contact
  • Guide
  • About
  • Search

The rise, fall and rise of the bakfiets

  1. Home

Sat, 01/22/2011 - 14:45 by herb

Sat, 01/22/2011 - 12:21 - My uncle's father (Ome Jaap's father) had a bakery in The Netherlands. Here's a photo of his father on the bike.</p>
<p>Jaap says: 'die bakkerskar komt me erg bekend voor. Hierbij een oude foto van mijn vader op zijn bakkerskar tijdens het brood venten.</p>
<p>Dit was ook ons vervoermiddel naar verjaardagen; de jongste in het voorste bakje en de rest in de grote bak met het deksel half open en mijn vader fietsen.'</p>
<p>Translation: 'This 'baker's car' is very familiar to me. Here is an old photo of my father on his bread baker's car while peddling.</p>
<p>This was our transport to birthdays; the youngest in the front compartment and the rest in the big box with the lid half open and my dad bikes.' ©Bakker Nooy and his bakfiets / bakkerkar
14 years ago ago at , Noord-Holland, Nederland by herb i am.

My uncle's father (Ome Jaap's father) had a bakery in The Netherlands. Here's a photo of his father on the bakfiets / cargo bike.

Jaap says: "die bakkerskar komt me erg bekend voor. Hierbij een oude foto van mijn vader op zijn bakkerskar tijdens het brood venten.

Dit was ook ons vervoermiddel naar verjaardagen; de jongste in het voorste bakje en de rest in de grote bak met het deksel half open en mijn vader fietsen."

Translation: "This 'baker's car' is very familiar to me. Here is an old photo of my father on his bread baker's car while peddling.

This was our transport to birthdays; the youngest in the front compartment and the rest in the big box with the lid half open and my dad bikes."

Thu, 08/06/2009 - 08:05 - Taken by my mother at a recent trip to The Netherlands. Bakfiets have made a big resurgence in NL. ©Brood bakkerij bakfiets - bread bakery cargo bike
15 years ago ago by herb i am.

My mother took this photo during a recent trip to The Netherlands. She knew I had some fondness for these ungainly bikes. This bike was used by a bread baker, and has been gathering dust for some time.

Fri, 05/07/2010 - 06:10 - Enclosed medium sized bakfiets with hinged lid.</p>
<p>www.workcycles.com ©artis-bakfietsen-workcycles 6
14 years ago ago by Henry@ WorkCycles.

Bakfietsen made a resurgence in The Netherlands long after bicycles hit their second wave. About ten years ago manufacturers like Workcycles started building updated versions of these bikes, but geared not just for carrying lots of cargo (like the one in the photo by Workcycles) but also for young families who needed to ferry their children around. Now, not only are they quite popular there but they've created a mini-revolution in North America.

Tags: 
cargo bikes
bike culture
bakfiets

Comments

Mr. S. (not verified)

The dutch ones look great

Sun, 01/23/2011 - 03:12

The dutch ones look great quality, but that's money I can't spend to ride on salt half the year...

The Birota bikes are cheaper, though the build may be too. Interesting to see them use the NuVinci hub, as this is probably its best application.
http://www.birotabikes.com/taylor.html

More information on choices in Canada here:
http://cargobike.ca/

Seymore Bikes

These are available in Canada

Mon, 01/24/2011 - 20:22

These are available in Canada - a friend told me they look just like the ones former used in Sweeden to deliver the mail.

http://usa.batavus.com/fiets/bike.aspx?formatId=4&collection=2&bikeGroup...

Larry (not verified)

I think a bakfiets would be a

Tue, 01/25/2011 - 09:55

I think a bakfiets would be a pretty good solution for mail carriers, instead of a big heavy shoulder bag and a van that needs to be parked!

Ben

Great article, Herb. People

Tue, 01/25/2011 - 10:36

Great article, Herb.

People have a tendency to want to be able to carry ridiculous amounts of cargo at a moments notice. It must be what led to the preponderance of enormous SUVs on the roads. I don't understand the appeal. Larry's right that it would be a good solution for a mail carrier, but it's not uncommon to see people riding around town on one of these with nothing in the box. What a waste of effort.

A nice aspect of bikes is the simplicity; if you're concerned about carrying cargo, but know you won't be doing it every day, just get a trailer.

Larry (not verified)

Good point, Ben.

Thu, 01/27/2011 - 10:41

Good point, Ben. Traditionally, bakfietsen were used by bakers, milkmen and other delivery businesses, even window-washers.

Search

Recent comments

  • Yeah it's completely mind 5 years 10 months ago
  • It is so depressing that we 7 years 4 months ago
  • So Honest Ed's and Mirvish Village weren't a draw? 7 years 7 months ago
  • I think you called it a 7 years 11 months ago
  • Yup, that's the one. I can't 7 years 11 months ago

More ads

Links

  • About
  • Contact
  • Feeds
  • Login