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Ute-tastic

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Started 13 years ago by crowriver
Latest reply from Instography

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kona ute cargo utility longtail bike

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crowriver
Member

The previous thread has gone all temperamental and thinks I'm a spam bot, so I had to start this new one.

The Kona Ute finally arrived today after its tour of the UK courtesy of Parcelforce. I'm pleased to report it is intact, and undamaged (apart from some minor scuffing on the front fork paintwork, no sign of any structural damage). I assembled the bike and test rode it this morning with some stuff I need to transport.

It's surprisingly light and nimble given the bike's length and sturdy appearance. Quite an upright position, smooth and comfortable. Big Continental City Contact tyres cushion the bumps very well. Gearing is high enough not to be too slow, but with a low bottom gear for that cargo hauling. The Kona panniers are fantastically roomy and quite versatile.

Basically I'm pleased as Punch and can't wait to pick up my son from school this afternoon!

Posted 13 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Photos please!

Posted 13 years ago #
recombodna
Member

yeah photo's of the smugness floatilla in action please!

Posted 13 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

Yes I too would like to see this pick-up truck of a bicycle!

Posted 13 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Generic pix

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Sorry folks, didn't get a chance to do snaps today, too busy hauling cargo and giving a lift to No.1 son. Will hopefully get time tomorrow.

Unlikely I'll make it to Arthur's Seat tomorrow, as I don't have powerful enough lights (apart from nerdy head torch). Have a 3W LED front light on order...

Posted 13 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

I HOPE IT'S THIS ONE!

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

BTW I can confirm that the mudguards work, the big panniers are waterproof, and the stopping power of the disc brakes is awesome.

Slight issue however with clearance for the chain on the big bipod kickstand: has come perilously close to chain slap/rub there, clearance just a few mm!

Otherwise it's a dream to ride.

Posted 13 years ago #
recombodna
Member

Load it up with beer and bring it to hilly tuesday! You don't need lights f you've got enough beer.

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Certainly you can get a whole heap of cans/bottles in the huge panniers. Maybe mulled wine might be an option in these (relatively) chillier evenings?

Oh aye and the front disc brake is rubbing a bit. I probably just haven't quite bolted the wheel on straight, or maybe the brake needs adjusting slightly.

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

Kapps - strangely that is the exact one I was going to pick. I love that 16 bottles of beer are secure yet available [I have bottle opener on my keys -came in packaging from wiggle when I used to fall for their shtick. Plus still space for panniers on the sides.. I thought I spotted you [wrong thread] last Friday/Thurs turning left from Broomhouse Drive to Stenhouse Drive on blue ridgeback. But no yellow. Have you given up on swedish colours? Swapped the yellow mudguards on to another bike?

Posted 13 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

If it were me (as is possible, sounds like my route home) but would definitely have been on dark blue Dawes Audax with yellow tape / cables. Looks very much like a lighter-weight version of the Ridgeback, without a rack. It has chromoplastic guards and bright light up front.

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

No yellow so I didn't bellow - knew it to be your route and looked like you [sorry this is spotted thread]. Kapp-alikey was standing on his pedals going round the corner

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Did a two runs on the Ute today. First was to Bike Station this afternoon to pick up bars and a stem to make a stoker setup. Alas by the time I had shimmed the stem onto my seatpost (bits of Barr's cola can works fine) it was dark. I forgot to photograph the beast during daylight.....tomorrow maybe.

This evening, while various hill climbing escapades were unfolding, I was trekking out to Barnton for a very cheap (fiver!) Halfords/Hamax child seat. I am going to rig up something so I can fix it to the Ute deck. Some surgery will be required on the seat: maybe wood saws or a mini electric saw for cutting bits off. I will also cut a bit of wood to shape to bolt the seat to. This will then be clamped to the deck. Probably need some metal straps for underneath the deck. I picked up four seat post QR bolts from the Bike Station to do the clamping. Another possibility is coach bolts and butterfly nuts on top. Whatever it is it needs to be quick to remove when required.

Photos from after the run below. Sorry they're a bit dark: my cameraphone flash couldn't quite cope. Close up shows the child seat in the Kona pannier: those bags are huge! Blue thing on top is an inflatable mat to make the deck more comfy for No.1 son.

Kona Ute at night

Kona Ute at night

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Finally, some daylight photos of the Ute. Peruse flickr to see more. Note the stoker bars.

Kona Ute

Kona Ute

Kona Ute

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

Nice - do stoker bars work without stoker pedals? - is it a relay system with front and back alternating on the pedals?

Posted 13 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

That is one very handsome looking bike, Crowriver

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

@kaputnik, thanks, I like it a lot too! Damned handy for lugging huge bulky items around the place (not too heavy though, load balancing is an issue). The squeaky front disc brake is proving a pest to adjust, but that probably reflects my lack of experience in this department. I do find the bike quite elegant overall compared to other longtail designs I've seen. The Surly Big Dummy is quite nice too but much more expensive. I note the heavy duty Yuba Mundo v.4 has redesigned the frame and now looks much more similar to the Ute than previous iterations.

@gembo, stoker in spirit only. Pillion passenger might be a more appropriate term, but then they do have bars to grab onto. I'm waiting on some folding footrests to be delivered, they will clamp onto the seat stays for No.1 son to rest his pins. I understand adult passengers are feasible too.

I think as well as a round town utility vehicle, the Ute may make a great cycle camping steed for family trips.

Posted 13 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

I'm not sure what it was but we passed a very similar looking machine pedalling it's way out of Holyrood Park towards East Preston Street on Saturday. It had 2 kiddie seats in tandem behind the captain's seat. Step through frame and a large plastic box mounted on a "butcher's bike" type rack over the front wheel.

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Might have been a Ute. Or maybe a Yuba Mundo, or maybe a Surly Big Dunny, or an Xtracycle. There's also a Trek Transport, but never seen one in the flesh.

At some point soon I'm planning to fit a front carrier in a porteur style to help balance the load on the bike.

Posted 13 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Gorgeous bike!!

Posted 13 years ago #
DaveC
Member

Like, I'm surprised your not doing wheelies all the time?

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Haven't carried anything extraordinarily heavy yet: though yesterday I managed a box of books on one side, tools and bag of tiling grout on the other. Steering was a bit lighter but otherwise fine. To be honest, I hardly felt the weight in the back at all.

It's much better than trying to carry heavier loads on a normal bike! Next I'll have to see how it copes with a supermarket run...

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

I ordered one of these for my Ute, it arrived last week and I had a go at fitting it today:

Problem is, it doesn't fit. They have changed the design from the one in the photo. Here's my rough sketch of the changed handlebar fitment:

Basil front carrier sketch

(Camera phones do weird things to hand drawings...)

Anyway, the handlebar mounts won't go low enough to fit the rack on my bike comfortably. Simply drilling holes lower in the steel strips on the carrier won't take them low enough either. I suppose it might be possible to drill holes in a strip of steel/alloy profile, then bolt this to the mounting points to enable the bar mounts to go lower (and the carrier, relatively speaking, higher) so it can fit.

Pity though to spoil the simplicity of the design. However I need this carrier on the front of the Ute one way or another.

Anyone have any other ideas?

Posted 13 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

@crowriver drop Tam Noon at Sean's Bike Shop in Portobello a line. He can probably re-work the mountings or custom make some appropriate bits of metal to allow you to fit the rack to your bike.

He replaced the threaded portion of my fork for me and machined some sleeves to allow a standard sized fork crown race to fit comfortably and safely on a non-standard steerer tube.

12/15 Bath St Lane / 0131 669 3688 (m-f 9.30-5) / seans-bike-shop@hotmail.co.uk

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Thanks for the tip. I reckon I'll try my home made effort first, if it doesn't work Sean sounds like a handy fellow.

Did my first supermarket run with the Ute yesterday, late afternoon. The panniers coped comfortably with four large bags of shopping (large fabric bags for life, quite heavy: filled a 'half-size' trolley). Heavier stuff near the front: wine, milk, oil, tins, etc. Obviously load balancing very important at these weights, and the bipod kickstand very handy meaning that the bike doesn't have to be propped against a wall. Do need to keep a hand on the saddle/deck to steady it while loading/fastening panniers mind. I was grateful of the waterproofness of the panniers as a downpour erupted on emerging from the supermarket.

No problem to ride the bike loaded up like that, amazingly nimble in fact. The steering was very light though, rather skittish. Definitely need a front carrier to dampen that down a bit.

Later on carried a disassembled bedside cabinet/chest of drawers in one pannier, and a big bit of hardboard strapped to the other side. I was expecting the sail effect to be a problem in the winds, but surprisingly not really noticeable.

The Ute is definitely a good car replacement for those shortish utility journeys for picking up bulky stuff. Once the weather improves I'd like to test it over a longer distance, with camping gear...

Posted 12 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

How is it going in and out of the (inevitable) nursery and school gates which require to be closed behind one?

This is my main frustration with the helios, as one has to push the bike forward through gate, then either put stand up (difficult if baby etc still in seat), or try to hold it steady while closing gate behind.

Those familiar with this tricky manoeuvre on a normal bike will appreciate the difficulty that extra length brings.

Posted 12 years ago #
crowriver
Member

How is it going in and out of the (inevitable) nursery and school gates which require to be closed behind one?

Only tried the local primary school so far, which has two entrances: the back gate is accessible from the road and is a big iron railing type thing. No.1 son just jumps off and opens the gate. I wheel the Ute through, prop it on the bipod stand, then close after us.

If I have to manoeuvre in a tighter space (eg. turning the bike at bottom of a stairwell) I just lift up the front end so it does an 'extreme wheelie' (not while seated on the bike mind), then turn the bike. Clearance from the ground for big rear rack seems fine.

Haven't rigged up No.2 daughter carrying seat as yet. That's the next project! Definitely need a front carrier on before that goes into operation though.

Posted 12 years ago #
crowriver
Member

@SRD, did you ever consider the cargo-carrying rack for the Helios? That would make for a very versatile machine!

Posted 12 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Yup. Planning to get one for when K. is keener on cycling on her own bike than being a stoker. Then I can carry the copilot seat and the panniers.

Posted 12 years ago #