Tips on riding a Long John (Will posted on April 16th, 2012 )

When I picked up the Cargo Cruiser I got a piece of sage advice from Tom LaBonty: ignore the bike and watch the horizon.

That’s because the front of Long John-style cargo bikes (ones with an extended front deck) move a lot more than you expect. If you stare at the front wheel of the bike when you’re first riding you tend to over compensate when you’re turning, resulting in a wobbly ride.

If instead you ignore the front wheel of the bike and focus on the horizon in front of you (and perhaps the handle bars of the bike) you’ll find it’s much easier to steer. Eventually you’ll get used to the feel of the bike and you can start looking down at the front wheel.

It was interesting to see that Tom’s not the only one who knows that a few simple strategies can help you adapt to a bicycle significantly different than one you’re used to.

Last night I found a video via Steve Vance’s Twitter feed of a gentleman in Cardiff, Wales who runs the city’s only full service bicycle delivery service.

The entire interview is worth a watch if you want to learn about how cargo bikes can be an asset to small businesses but right about 4:15 into the video he’s asked “How long did it take to learn to ride this bike?”

His answer: “It only takes someone a few hours…it’s just confidence and that only comes from riding the bike.”

Have a look for yourself:

See? It’s that easy.


This article written by Will Vanlue originally appeared on his blog, The Prudent Cyclist.

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  1. [...] a TRANSPORT/land writer, picked up his green Tom LaBonty creation a few weeks ago. He shared his thoughts on riding a long John-style cargo bike, and the sage advice from Tom to “ignore the bike and [...]

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