28th September 2019 An interesting, LWB, carrier bike at the shops.

 *

Saturday 28th 55-60?F windy and cloudy with rain variously promised depending on your favourite weather service. Though no rain is shown on either chart until later this afternoon. 9.00 and it is raining. I left quarter of an hour later when the sky turned into blue patches.

The psychopathically selfish motorists made up for the lack of rain in spraying me liberally. Many of them never altered their course of absolute entitlement to THEIR right of way.

Rode to the shops. Headwind going. Crosswind on my return. 15 miles. This is becoming a habit! Lots of Hazel nuts and conkers on the cycle paths. They join the fossils and pine needles from before the last ice age. Cloudbursts and thunder at 2pm.

Two human powered alternatives for carrying light goods. The trike enjoys the free storage space between the rear wheels. While the long wheel base, Kona Ute, carrier bike, offers huge capacity on its extended rear rack and panniers. 

The loaded bike is easily as wide as the trike at the rear. The bike's 650 rear tyre and wheel are very heavily loaded. While the trike shares the load equally between two, rear, lightweight wheels with high pressure tyres. The trike remains upright when loaded. The bike needs a sturdy stand. The trike is limited to fairly flat surfaces laterally to avoid tipping over sideways. While the aluminium bike can go almost anywhere a normal bike might. 

My ancient Long John has only a coaster rear brake. Yet was once a common form of transport for the delivery of goods. Tradesmen would use them for carrying their tools and materials. 

Its very long wheelbase can be awkward on tight bends without practice. Yet they are ridden in style by many city dwellers. Slack in the long steering rod bearings adds to the excitement. These bikes are still made and are even sold in electric motor form. Modern, updated examples include the Bullitt.

I also have a bud cykel [Danish] in the shed. Once a very common carrier bike with a front rack over a smaller front wheel. A bud [Danish] was a delivery bike or person. The term is still used for van drivers including postpersons in a van. Bud cykler [Danish] are still popular with individuals who wish to carry shopping. Or, seemingly more often, a crate of beer. 

Some early posts from my blog. 

https://pedal-trikes.blogspot.com/2009/01/delivery-bikes.html

 https://pedal-trikes.blogspot.com/2009/01/delivery-trikes.html

My old Kynast folding, "mobility" trike with large rear rack, differential, coaster rear brake and front, rim brake. I bought it cheaply for shopping when I was desperate to own another trike. 

The layshaft design makes it heavier and means a longer wheelbase. I have never ridden it beyond a wobbly circle on the back lawn. One of the low pressure, rear tyres was punctured and I have never quite got around to mending it. It feels heavy and looks and feels exactly like an old mobility trike shouldn't.

Sunday 29th 54F, overcast and occasionally breezy. Rain forecast. A walk to the lanes. There were Roe dear resting at the base of a distant field hedge. It must be a favourite spot for sunbathing in the early morning.

The Danish news channel TV2 discusses how green Denmark sends thousands of shipping containers full of plastic waste to Asia. Where it will be land dumped or burnt without vital special equipment. Plastic waste is expensive to recycle and Denmark does not have the right facilities. Burning plastic waste at lower temperatures produces lots of extremely dangerous toxins. Including Dioxin.

Reporters found Danish language sweet and food wrappers amongst the waste on a Malaysian land dump. A worker at an illegal Indonesian waste burning factory tells how the waste is burnt at night to avoid the smoke being seen. Ill health is bound to occur amongst the local population as a result. A link to the illustrated Danish language story follows:

TV2 finds Danish plastic waste on dumping site in Malaysia. 

*