Nice looking pedicab from Germany
From what I can gather the “X-Hopper” pedicab has a Shimano 7 speed derailleur drive train, 26″ front wheel and 24″ back wheels, weights in at a mere 154 pounds, and costs 3,980 Euros. (approximately $5550 USD)
CORRECTION:
The price of 3,980 Euro includes the German VAT tax. When these vehicles are sold outside of European Union, the buyer does not pay VAT. When purchased fro mthe US or other non-EU countries the price is 3344 Euro, or approximately $4655 US Dollars.
Thank you Stefan for correcting the US sale price. And yes, Stefan did say that they will export the bikes to America.
UPDATES:
Stefan updated his site with English translations. See more here:
31. December, 2008 at 07:21
[…] Stefan, Your trike looks great. I posted a small blog article about it at the following address: Nice looking pedicab from Germany | Austin Pedicab Alliance keep up the good work. […]
31. December, 2008 at 10:47
Over $5,000 dollars? You can buy a trailer cab and a bike for less than half of what this thing costs! Don’t get me wrong, trikes are great, but are they really worth the money? I don’t see much written about the cost effectiveness of Trikes compared to T-cabs. I fail to see the common financial sense in investing in such a status symbol.
31. December, 2008 at 15:05
It’s been my experience that trikes are easier on the body. They tend to have lower gears, and thus you are putting less strain on your knees when carrying heavy loads up steep hills. I have been able to work longer shifts and make more money on a trike.
It has also been my experience that knee surgeries and doctor bills tend to be pretty costly.
While I have never known a pedicabber to blow out their knees on the job, anecdotal evidence (shop talk) suggests that pedicabbing can cause pain various parts of the body.
Most mid-range to high end mountain bike are set up with a “long and low” riding position that allows the rider to straighten his or her back. For competitive cyclists, this position is very important. Comparing it to a more upright position the (bicycle) rider is more aerodynamic. If a rider is positioned with a forward arching back their lower back muscles are not being used as efficiently, but most importantly their lungs are partially compressed and cannot bring in as much oxygen.
A “long and low” riding position would tend to make a cyclists a more efficient pedaling machine. With pedicabbing the rider will tend to spend a great deal of time in the saddle. The “long and low” riding position tends to put more weight on the rider’s hands, and strain on the rider’s back. In short the long and low position is hard to maintain for long periods of time.
Trike type pedicabs tend to have shorter top tubes than typical performance oriented mountain bikes. The trike type pedicab tends to put the rider in a more upright position.
I personally have shifted toward a more upright riding position over time. I came from the world of competitive cycling dogma. Relearning how to set up my bike to allow me to ride for 20+ hours per week was something that took a while. Costs associated with improved ergonomics are relitively inexpensive and pay for them selves quickly.
All that being said, it is easy enough to install a BMX stem and handlebar on most mountain bikes. This will give you a more upright riding position. Longer cables may be needed.
2. January, 2009 at 11:00
Good points Ken.
You really know your stuff.
A good pedicab will enhance your performance. A poorly constructed one could hurt your back. In theory. Of course. I wouldnt want to mention any names.
*<:)
$$$$$$Happy New Years$$$$$$$
2. January, 2009 at 14:33
If yr gonna lease trailers to riders at nearly the same price as a trike, yeah, trailers make total financial sense.
3. January, 2009 at 17:21
There is no doubt that both trikes and MTB trailers require an operator to assume different riding positions, however both also require a certain amount of common sense as well. I totally agree with Ken that assuming a wrong position can cause more physical fatigue, but going as far as to say that a rider will break their back or blow out their knee’s? That’s over exaggerating things a bit to far.
In my professional experience as a die hard MTB T-type rider, I have experimented on various kinds of MTB’s, and I recommend that anyone who wishes to pull a T-type to use a specific kind of MTB that does not feature shocks or other features found on, Hard tail, Soft tail, and Dual or Full Suspension Bikes. Using these types of MTB’s over time can put a lot of unnecessary stress on a riders body, and the longer a rider utilizes this ill suited equipment, the more susceptable their body will become to fatigue, stress and injury.
If your an inexperienced T-type rider, you will probably automatically assume that any MTB off the shelf will be perfect for the task at hand. When in fact it all comes down to what type of tools and equipment you use to do the job, you see not all MTB’s are the same when it comes to pedicabbing, if you use the wrong equipment (bike), your going to find yourself spinning your wheels, and unnecessarily punishing your body.
Specific MTB models are designed for off road riding, some are for all terrain, and some are more rigidly designed for street commuting. An MTB street commuter is the way to go, bikes with fancy suspension systems are not suited for street commuting or pedicabbing for the obvious reason that the suspension system itself can be harder on the riders body because suspension systems, not only absorb inertia impacts from the road, but they also absorb energy from the rider, which in turn forces the body to work harder. A FULLY RIGID frame with a solid fork would offer a more sturdy and controllable ride, without absorbing the riders exerted energy or inertia.
I have experimented with all of these types of MTB’s, in my experience with these various types of MTB’s, I have found that a fully rigid framed MTB T-type trailer can give a trike a run for it’s money. With the proper set up it is possible to out perform any trike on the market, even under load. A stand alone MTB attached to a T-type pedicab can give the rider the ability to exert more inertia and power and better control over their cab than a trike.
The secret that I have discovered is the importance of the platform of the bike itself, on a fully rigid frame I have discovered that the best operating stance is a standing position on the pedals, with extended handle bars and grip extensions or what I call “horn’s” mounted on the handle bars. This set up, gives the rider better control over his bike, and allows him to stand up on his pedals without leaning forward over the handle bars in the “long and low” position, or placing to much overexerted stress on his arms or hands. This set up allows the rider to use his body weight to exert more force down ward onto the drive train, which is more than adequate and suited to take any hill that a trike can, with competitive results.
I know, I used this set up numerous times… And I didn’t blow out my knees! If you find yourself huffing and puffing, if your arms and hands are sore, and your back is aching, more than likely you can blame it on your equipment because your bike has not been properly set up for the job.
Oh, and PJ, I don’t know what your talking about, but in Austin lease rates for trailers are far more inexpensively competitive than the current lease rates for trikes. ATX Pedicab has the cheapest lease rate in town with almost no special event fee’s, which means more money in our riders pockets! Whereas our largest trike competitor has the most expensive lease rate in Austin, and has been known to charge outrageous special event and other fee’s. Quite frankly I don’t understand how you guys can pay out so much in lease and still make a living, well, don’t quite your day job… After all, you get what you pay for!
3. January, 2009 at 17:35
comment deleted
-Ken Cameron