V3 Mundo Cargo Bike

The Mundo’s chain guard mounts to a steel bracket that is between the drive-side crank and the bottom bracket. To keep the box small, this bracket is rotated 90 degrees so that it is parallel to the ground. Before installing the drive side crank, this part must be rotated so that it is perpendicular to the ground. The second image shows the correct orientation.

The Mundo rear carrier includes a plate on which you can install a rear-light. The fork has a plate where a dynamo can be attached. Fenders also.

The Mundo frame and fork comes standard with fender eyelets. You will need fenders wide enough to accept 2.3″ tires.

If you’re like a lot of Rock the Bike readers, you’ve been building up a base of stength in your legs over the course of 5, 10, or even 20+ years. Sure, you may not measure your electrolytes or enter the local Sunday morning races, but you’re certainly an athlete, and you can’t be blaimed for wanting to show off now and then. We all do. (more…)

The build of the V3 is quite easy and would take a bike person with medium bike mechanic skills 45 minutes to an hour and a half.  Whereas the previous model has a rear rack that bolted to the main frame, the V3’s rack is totally welded –  making the build much faster and the [...]

The Mundo comes with a 48-spoke, tandem-strength rear wheel that has a 14mm axle. Most mountain bike wheels, internally geared hubs. To adapt these smaller axles to the Mundo’s frame, you can use an axle adaptor. Veteran Mundo rider and mechanic Mike Cobb writes: BMX kids often use 3/8″ (9.525mm) axles in 14mm dropouts by [...]

The Mundo can be shipped 95% assembled. The tools required are basic: allen keys and an adjustable wrench. You are required to complete the last few steps of assembly: Straighten handlebar — 5 minutes Install pedals — 5-10 minutes Install rear carrier — 10-20 minutes. Please note that we charge a $80 build fee in [...]

A few Mundo riders have successfully used front wheel electric assist systems and they seem to be quite happy about them. We recommend the eZee hub motor: light weight, high torque, 400 watt motor kit with lithium battery.

At this time we won’t be selling the Yuba frameset. We would encourage you to start with the stock parts and upgrade as you see fit.

The Mundo is 50 CM (22.5″) wide, with the rear side racks. The side racks are removable.

The 5-speed option for the Mundo will probably not be available in 2008 in either the US or Europe, based on our conversations with the manufacturer. While we’re on the topic of internally geared hubs, here are a few pieces of info you might find useful. Even with an internal hub bike you still have [...]

The Mundo’s rear carrier doesn’t have pockets. It’s just a chassis that’s ready for you to customize for your carrying needs. In order to carry small things like notebooks, fruit, toothbrush, etc., you’ll need to bring a backpack or messenger bag and strap that to the Mundo using cam straps or bungees. One of the [...]

With its stout frame and tandem-strength rear wheel, the Mundo can carry over 400 pounds (rider weight included.)

One of the key questions to ask yourself about purchasing a long-wheelbase bike is whether you need a true cargo bike, or whether you’re in need of a solution for bike commuting, or something in between. You probably have certain images in mind of what you’re going to do with your long-wheelbase bike. If your [...]

Source: Bike Hugger, January 29, 2008 The Yuba’s an integrated longbike style cargo bike, promising lateral stiffness and lots of capacity (220 kg total load). Built in horizontal racks for hauling the stuff that won’t fit in a pannier or two. Nice touches: chain guard, choice of kickstands, bikes in Africa. The Yuba is rolling [...]

Utility bicycles are the pickup trucks of the cycling world. Newsweek Utility bikes are the pickup trucks of the cycling world. Made to carry big loads that would normally require a car, they are popular abroad and are now catching on here. Imported from the Netherlands, the Bakfiets brand is like a pedal-powered minivan for [...]

The large panels not only waterproof the load, but allow advertisements on this delivery vehicle. -Ken of Portland Pedal Power May 4, 2009

Here are a few more Mundo shots for you.

It's about two miles to the coffee shop and a little bit of a grade. I was very surprised at the speed of 12mph I was able to travel with relatively little effort. [My girlfriend] was surprised that she could keep up with me on a bike that outweighed hers by 35 lbs. She later rode it and loved it.

The Mundo has been great for towing other bikes. Riding with the tandem rack on the back was pretty awkward. For regular bikes, I can just attach the front tire and let the rear tire track behind the bike. This is the best (but not good) shot I have so far of the technique www.flickr.com/photos/gregraisman/2583440115/ in/set-72157... I've brought bikes to people who needed to borrow a bike or to bring to a bike shop for repair. I also rode my city bike to pick the Mundo up originally, then towed my old bike home with my new bike. Actually, the photo above is from my trip home from picking up the Mundo. You can see I picked a couple of other things up along the way on that trip. Pretty sweet.

Here's a few from my 3-day outing.

It is easy to categorize the Yuba Mundo as a cargo/utility bike, but what founder Benjamin Sarrazin and others involved in the production of the Mundo remind us is that this is, in fact, an expression of the elemental functionality of a bicycle.

The load, at 80 lbs, was quite a bit heavier [than the last photo I sent]. I was just thinking about the possibility of putting some high friction tape or coating on the rack so that stuff would be a little less prone to shift around.

This is the Mundo loaded down with approximately 150 lbs of samples. Notice the long roll on the top too. You can't see the bag in this pic but it's packed full.

Solid, simple execution of the cargo-bike concept.

Mike sent this picture of a nighttime cargo run

Stuart Harrod, 44 of Frankfort, sits on his cargo bike during the second annual Going Green: Frankfort Climate Action Festival on the Old Capitol lawn Saturday. The bike has an electric motor attached to the front tire and is used for picking up groceries and running errands around town, Harrod said. The motor helps along the hills and it is good exercise, Harrod said.

Cargo or sport utility bikes are an emerging category. These two-wheeled pickup trucks feature oversized, reinforced racks and an extended wheel base for strength and stability. “Cargo bikes allow you to carry heavy loads without starting your car,” says Benjamin Sarazin, founder of Yuba Bikes in Sausalito, Calif. The fledgling company sold out its first [...]

Brad of Sustainabuilt tricks his Mundo with Bamboo running boards.

Brad installed wooden running boards and a seating surface on his 6-speed Mundo.

Check out the ‘zip deck’, our new passenger deck. The painting was done for the benefit of my three girls, who are my usual cargo. The wood was originally part of a very old Javanese dowry chest that I have disassembled and repurposed in a variety of ways. lots ‘o good karma there. Link to [...]

absolutely loving the ride. Most comfortable bike I think I have ever ridden.

(The Mundo is) a benchmark product, especially for the heavy-duty end of the longtail market. Here you have a heavy-duty hauler, which really can carry loads and people in a way that was previously simply beyond a normal bike at all costing under £500. And that’s quite some achievement. Velovision The Yuba Mundo was developed [...]

Hope you are all having as much fun with your Yuba Mundos as I am.

Take the “car” out of cargo. Rock the Bike has been selling, customizing, and designing Cargo Bikes and Sport Utility Bikes since before we began in 2002.  We noe focus on three models of cargo bikes, and we can help you find the best one for your needs. We currently offer the V3 and V4 Yuba Mundo, the Mundo 500 (electric cargo bike and generator),  and the Xtracycle FreeRadical, which you can use to convert your existing mountain bike or city bike.

What’s Great About Our Cargo Bikes?

Carry large loads and passengers.
 

Offer handling, stability, and comfort superior to standard bicycles thanks to the long wheelbase.

Highly Customizable to the needs of your family, business, or project.

Body Position Analysis: We fit your bike to you at our shop, give you a test ride, and make adjustments as needed.

We know commuting, take our bikes on Public Transit and can offer specific tips on how to fit a load-carrying bicycle into your lifestyle, and enhance it! Read Paul’s analysis of taking a Mundo on BART or using a BART elevator to get the Mundo to Berkeley.

We focus on cargo bikes.

Most bike shops focus on ‘performance’ categories like road biking and mountain biking. We focus on load-carrying bikes, always have. We are constantly attaching loads of various sizes, riding in the rain, testing, improving, selling, customizing, and sharing our Cargo Bikes. We use them to make our deliveries. We use them to haul our gear to our Pedal Powered Stage music events. A shop that sells all styles of bikes won’t know the particular strengths and weaknesses for each and will speak from brochures.  We use our products and speak from experience. 

We got skill.

– We recently hired a dedicated mechanic, Spencer, in 2011
– We offer all customers a tune up 30-days after purchase, and you can always stop by to make adjustments on your bike
– If you choose to convert the bike you already have into a Sports Utility Bike by buying the Xtracycle FreeRadical, our build includes a tune up on the donor bike.
– Get your creative juices are flowing, let’s customize your cargo ride!

We’re part of the community.

• Rock the Bike includes a co-founder and the lead product engineer of Yuba since 2007, and we’ve been part of the Xtracycle community since 2000.
• We co-founded the Bicycle Music Festival, which uses cargo bikes to transport all music and festival gear.
• Regularly suggest and test new features for Yuba and Xtracycle products
• We’ve been part of ground breaking bike tours, such as the Pleasant Revolution Tour
• Founder Paul Freedman was a co-founder of Worldbike.org, an international nonprofit developing low-cost cargo bikes for developing countries.

So You Want A Cargo Bike … Please ask yourself a few questions:

If you simply imagine carrying a laptop and lunch to work, then a cargo bike is overkill for your needs. We can share options and accessories for regular city bikes with a rack and panniers. If you imagine yourself dropping off two kids at school, then a long-wheelbase bicycle is a must. Both the Xtracycle and Mundo are good options at this point. Cost may be the deciding factor.  The Mundo is a cheaper solution if you are looking for a complete bike. The Xtracycle FreeRadical is less expensive if you already have a mountain bike or city bike you are willing to convert.

above: Surfing on a Mundo and XtraCycle SUB

When investigating our Cargo Bikes, here are some of the many things to consider:

• The loads you’ll be carrying
• What type of use: Daily commuting? Distance touring? Deliveries? Vacation use?
  
• Terrain. What does your local terrain look like?
• Body issues: Do you have any special considerations like back pain, neck pain, that we should know about?
  
• What’s your bike parking situation like where you live, work and hang out? Will you be lifting this bike alot, carrying it up stairs?
• Do you already have a bike that fits you well? If so, can you bring it with you when you visit Rock The Bike?
  
• Color. Have you checked out the colors available on the bikes we sell? 

The Mundo’s chain guard mounts to a steel bracket that is between the drive-side crank and the bottom bracket. To keep the box small, this bracket is rotated 90 degrees so that it is parallel to the ground. Before installing the drive side crank, this part must be rotated so that it is perpendicular to the ground. The second image shows the correct orientation.

The Mundo rear carrier includes a plate on which you can install a rear-light. The fork has a plate where a dynamo can be attached. Fenders also.

The Mundo frame and fork comes standard with fender eyelets. You will need fenders wide enough to accept 2.3″ tires.

If you’re like a lot of Rock the Bike readers, you’ve been building up a base of stength in your legs over the course of 5, 10, or even 20+ years. Sure, you may not measure your electrolytes or enter the local Sunday morning races, but you’re certainly an athlete, and you can’t be blaimed for wanting to show off now and then. We all do. (more…)

The Mundo’s long wheelbase and low top tube allow riders of all sizes to enjoy the ride. Most mountain bikes can’t accomodate a wide range of riders, because they tip backwards on hills when a tall rider extends the seatpost. However, the Mundo’s long wheelbase allows tall riders to set the seat height where they like it. When you ride this bike hard, even on steep hills, you can’t pull the front wheel off the pavement, because the rider’s weight is distributed between the wheels. This also makes the Mundo a safer bike, as your front wheel, the steering wheel, always has enough weight on it to make safe turns.

Smaller riders, down to 5 feet, will appreciate the low standover height on the Mundo’s frame.

Rock the Bike presents this fast moving video touting the benefits of the Mundo Utility Bike.