Cargo Bikes, Trikes, Tandems and Recumbents
Here at Rapid Wrench, we don’t just service these bikes as our job, they are our lifeblood! We ride and work using cargo-bikes ourselves, so we perfectly understand how enabling they are. For starters, our mechanic Fin comes out to his mobile service jobs on our LarryVsHarry Bullitt cargo bike with a custom trailer attached.
We’re very proud that we can have a green inner-city service vehicle option. Both Mike and Nello also ride cargo bikes to carry kids, do pickups, shipping and deliveries, general commutes across town, moving people around festivals, and even the casual beach couples rides down in St Kilda.
What is a cargo bike?
Cargo bikes are one of the best inventions we know of. We love seeing them riding around the city, getting it done! Whether you use your cargo bike for transporting goods for work to carry your kids to school in the morning, shop for groceries, move house, or just the everyday A to B commute, they are simply an awesome bike style to ride and own.
Cargo bikes come in many shapes and forms. The most common style is a front-loader, these bikes are pretty standard in the back but the front of the bike is extended by 2-4 feet and there is some space for cargo. There is a bar linking the steering from the main handlebars to the front fork. It’s usually some kind of box with a deep bucket or walls, or it could be just a flat deck where you can place things or people can sit. There are both bikes and trikes with this kind of setup. The other main style is a rear loader, in this style the front of the bike is very standard and the rear has a cargo area where kids and groceries can be carried.
Many people buy cargo bikes to enable them to ditch owning a car, or ditch the 2nd family car. This enables huge savings of $10,000 or more yearly on average compared to owning an extra car. You also get social benefits, physical activity, time not spent sitting in traffic, easy parking, and a green method of transport. Another benefit of cargo bikes is that it shows your children that physical activity and exercise can be fun and enjoyable.
Why won't my local shop service my cargo-bike/trike?
Lets face it, these bikes are bigger, heavier, and often oddly shaped. If you have ever had your cargo bike turned away from a bike shop it is usually because of the complexity, and the unwieldy nature of the bike itself. This is usually because the bicycle stands used by mechanics to work on bikes are not made to hold a bike of this kind and the mechanics don’t want to work on the floor.
Most bike shops also don’t see these bikes often, so they aren’t trained to deal with how these bikes work. There are so many little differences in how to access parts of the bike that are covered, or knowing how fittings and accessories are installed. Shops often just lack the training and experience.
Our mechanics have special training accessed throughout the industry, including working weekly as an Accredited Service Partner for Dutch Cargo Bike shop. We have dealt with most cargo bike brands imported into Australia, and are capable of working through minor and major service aspects of most brands. If we haven’t worked on one before, we’ll be the most ready to have a look and try.
Our service vehicles are also equipped with heavy-duty workstands, some with electric lifts, which allows us to hold cargo bikes and trikes up off the ground with no problems.
How can a mobile mechanic make cargo bike servicing easy and practical?
Most people use a car to transport their bike to a shop for service, and then simply drive home. Well, cargo bikes definitely don’t suit this use case! They’re too big and heavy to be loaded in a car, unless you have a van.
Our service is perfect for you because we come to your location and service your bike there. Our electric lifted work stands easily hold the bikes up for us, and we bring all the parts, tools and experience required. All you have to do is make a booking, and then relax while we work our magic.
At no time will you be stressing out about getting your big mean machine to the store, and back! Do you ride your cargo bike to work? Well, why don’t we do the service outside your workplace?
What is different about a cargo bike service from a normal bike service?
Here are some of the common differences and complexities:
- Additional size and weight require more special equipment and manoeuvring to be placed in a work stand.
- Cargo-bike e-bike specific, and belt drive tools may be required.
- The length of the chain and the cables used can be a special tandem length, or we may need to join two chains together, with an additional quick link.
- There is usually more disassembly required to access the working parts of the bike. We often need to remove:
- Bags, panniers, and racks
- Protective shielding which is made to stop little hands and feet from entering the wheels.
- Chain gliders or chain guards.
- Bolt-on wheels with chain-tensioners.
- The added torque from electric motors wears down your bike’s drivetrain components faster, and can result in your bike wheels needing to be trued more often. We include wheel truing where required.
- We put a huge emphasis on the additional items that require safety checks. After all, extra passengers or kids are usually on-board. We check the safety of your
- Steering link arms, cables, and rod-end bearings.
- Seat belts
- Cargo-holding baskets/racks
- Rain-proof accessories
- Adjustable handlebar extensions
- Dual stage seat-post clamps.
We offer all levels of servicing for cargo bikes, from a basic or routine service all the way up to a major overhaul. So you can still have just the basics done, or we can turn your bike inside out to service every moving part once the time comes.
Not every cargo-bike costs extra to service. There are a handful of bikes that fall in to the cargo-utility segment, however they’re neither more complex nor take more time to work through a service.
Cargo Rate Bikes ($180)
- LarryVsHarry Bullitt
- O2Feel Equo
- Riese and Muller Load, Packster, Multitinker, Transporter
- Omnium classic and Minimax
- Bakfiets.nl eCruiser bike and trike
- Nijland all trikes
- i:SY Cargo
- Yuba Fastrack, Spicy Curry, Kombi, Mundo, Supermarche
- Babboe all trikes
- Butchers and Bicycles all trikes
- Tribe all trikes, Evamoss
- Urban Arrow Class/Family/Shorty/Flatbed
- Tern GSD
- Nihola trikes
- Kona Ute
- TrioBike all trikes, cargo
- Christiania all trikes
- Muli cargo
- Dolly Bikes cargo
- Moustache Lundi
- Kettler Familianno
- Aventon Abound
- Xtracycle RFA
- Trek Fetch
- Cube Cargo Hybrid (bike/’trike)
- Krankie trike
Non-Cargo Rate Bikes (General Service - $150)
- Tern HSD, Quickhaul
- Carla Cargo trailer
- Benno RemiDemi, Boost with rear derailleur
- Omnium Mini
- Riese and Muller Multicharger, Tinker
- Orbea Katu-e
This list will point out some bikes that are charged at the cargo-bike rate, and some bikes that fall in to standard bike pricing. We’ll try to keep this updated, call us if you have something different, or you’re unsure.
Ensure your bike lasts for as long as it should: smooth, clean, quiet, and safe. In addition to General servicing, we check all the extra complexities and equipment featured on your cargo bike.
What's Included
- Wheel Truing
- Safety check of steering linkage bolts, arms, or cables.
- Safety check of cargo holding baskets, racks, seat belts, rain-proof accessories, handlebar extensions, dual-stage seat posts, etc.
- Disassembly of bags, panniers, and racks, Protective shielding, chain gliders or guards.
- Chain or belt tensioning.
PLUS Everything in the General Service
- Full frame, fork and wheel clean
- Check drive-train for wear
- Chain and chain-rings degreased on-bike
- Cassettes are cleaned in our parts washer
- Replace gear and brake cables as necessary (new cables $5)
- Derailleur hanger alignment – Gears adjusted to run smoothly
- Lubricate chain, cables, derailleur’s and brake pivots
- Brakes adjusted for maximum power and feel
- Disc rotors checked for wear & alignment
- Brake pads are changed if needed (new pads $30 per end)
- Check and adjust headset
- Check and adjust bottom bracket
- Tires checked for cracks, holes, wear, then inflated
- Tighten all bolts to correct torque
- Road test
Recommended Frequency
Recommended every 6-12 months, or every 3-6 months if ridden multiple days per week.
*There may be an additional charge for 3x, 4x, 5x tandems
A great option before long bike tours, or after muddy rides. Ensure your bike lasts for as long as it should: smooth, clean, quiet, and safe.
What's Included
- Check second chain, chainrings, and bottom bracket.
- Degreasing and lubricating additional drivetrain components, especially if stubborn debris is found.
- Safety check additional seating and handlebars.
- Servicing a third brake setup.
PLUS Everything in the General Service
- Full frame, fork and wheel clean
- Check drive-train for wear
- Chain and chain-rings degreased on-bike
- Cassettes are cleaned in our parts washer
- Replace gear and brake cables as necessary (new cables $5)
- Derailleur hanger alignment – Gears adjusted to run smoothly
- Lubricate chain, cables, derailleur’s and brake pivots
- Brakes adjusted for maximum power and feel
- Disc rotors checked for wear & alignment
- Brake pads are changed if needed (new pads $30 per end)
- Check and adjust headset
- Check and adjust bottom bracket
- Tires checked for cracks, holes, wear, then inflated
- Tighten all bolts to correct torque
- Road test
Recommended Frequency
Recommended every 6-12 months, or every 3-6 months if ridden multiple days per week.
Minimum Spend and Callout Distance Fees
The minimum labor charge is $99 inc GST. We travel anywhere in metro Melbourne. The first 10km from Richmond, Footscray, Surrey Hills, and Oakleigh are free, and additional distance is charged at $4 per km in one direction.
We can also do small jobs – please see our Minor Jobs page for information.
Our Setup
All work is carried out in our service vans on the street or your driveway, not in your lounge room.
We keep it clean and easy – we leave no trace and require no water or electricity to operate. Rainy days are no problem.
Spare Parts
Spare parts for the common jobs on most bikes are carried on board, such as cables, pads, chains, cassettes, chainrings, tires, tubes, bar tape, grips, and so on. All work and replacement parts will be carried out following your approval.
Payments
We accept Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, bank deposit and PayID (0416177802).
Group Discounts
Good discounts are available for servicing three or more bikes at a time. See if you can get some friends and colleagues together at work and have a corporate service day.
Want to know more? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions or Get in Touch with us.
