Bikes of Burden

My last post about U.P.S. drivers got me wondering: How plausible is it for people who lack superhuman strength to transport goods, in mass quantities, via bike? Come to find out, people are doing it in Portland, eschewing moving trucks for pedal-powered transit-to-and-from their new pad, with personal belongings in tow.

This kind of mass-moving of large quantities of goods is even more popular in the East, and has been since the bicycle first hit the streets in the early 1800’s. (The bicycle was invented by Baron von Drais, a German, in 1817.) There’s even a book, entitled Bikes of Burden, by Dutch photographer Hans Kemp, dedicated to photographs of the Vietnamese zooming around with pigs, poultry, refrigerators, and other unimaginable (at least, to most) items strapped to the back of their (motor)bikes.

 

In Oaxaca, Mexico, vendors bike around the city, transporting mobile shops (including ice chests and beach umbrellas) and selling their wares on the street.

Check out an earlier post on Utilitarian Pedaling, and see Bikes at Work, Inc. for directions on how to haul your own heavy load. If you’re ready to carry your baggage by bike, Xtracycle sells hitchless trailers that transport everything from groceries to surfboards, to stowaways. Some models even have seatbelts. Xtracycle sells other gear, too, including a FreeRadical Kit to help you convert your bike into a veritable “S.U.B.”—or, Sport Utility Bike. Eat our dust, 4wd.

Photo via flickr by sfbike.