The fact that you ride a Surly one-legged inspires me and gives me hope that I can ride much longer as I age. (It also will shame me a bit when I’m tempted to wimp out from commuting on my bike when I see a few rain clouds gathering.)

I think cargo bikes in general, and the Big Dummy especially, are important pieces of the world wide transportation puzzle as we look for ways to protect our environment and pursue a healthy life style. Cargo bikes are probably the single exception to my belief that recumbents are the perfect commuting bike: a cargo bike is MORE perfect if you need to tote a lot of stuff.

Oh, and thanks, Alex, I missed your complement over the busy holidays. I guess that English degree I got thirty years ago paid off at last, eh?

check out the article we talk about who the bike is for..or any others in the series

http://commutebybike.com/tag/group-build/

thanks for your response

With all that said, this is an interesting experiment.

Oh, and jamesmallon? You got an answer for Sailfast?

And here I thought ‘bent riders were chill people!

Take it easy, he was just poking fun… and he left you plenty of material to poke fun back if you put your mind to it.

Walt had the right approach.

Example: the common soldiers who have actually fought in Afghanistan, for BOTH our countries, haven’t been a part of promoting this “imperial adventure” you mention; rightly or wrongly, they have simply been trying to do what they believe is right. Unlike you, who’s goal is simply to denigrate something without any real substance to your argument. That being said, your rant reveals your real personal problem doesn’t have anything to do with bicycles, and their suitability for a task, but has EVERYTHING to do with the fact you just can’t stand anybody disagreeing with you and demonstrating to you, and everyone else, that your arguments are groundless.

I ride in the city, too, for most of my riding. Everybody seems to notice my recumbent, unlike other bicycles which seem to be invisible to motorists. Two other reasons I feel much safer on a recumbent than on an upright bike are that in a crash on a recumbent, (1) it’s a lot less farther to the ground, and (2) the riding position on a recumbent means you’re much more likely to land on your butt than on your head (Hmmm, maybe I have a whole new take on things which have, and haven’t, “crossed your mind.”)

An “abomination”? Sounds like you have yet ANOTHER personal problem fella: you can’t distinguish between a mere alternative bicycle configuration and a religious movement. Maybe you’ve crashed on your head too many times, James? Too much pavement has “crossed your mind”?

As for the vet/injury/disabled thing. Hadn’t crossed my mind, sorry. Here in Canada we haven’t been very involved in your imperial adventures, though reaping the benefits to our GDP, until we got conned into Afghanistan, so we don’t see too many war injuries on our streets. I’d wager most of your weapon-injuries are sustained domestically: thank god for the NRA.

That spew aside, I do regularly see a dude on a low-trike with something that appears like spina-bifida. Despite his slow pace, he has all of my respect as I know he’s working a hell of a lot harder than me. He has an excuse for the abomination he rides.

I ride in the city. I can’t see hopping curbs, locking my bike to the racks we have, getting it inside my house or office, posting over the crappy pavement here, or weaving among and staying out from under Toronto’s witless cab and suburban drivers on one of your abominations.

I’d have played nice with you, but you raised the stakes. I’ll give you this: at least you’re not an electric-bike.