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What if bikes had been invented earlier?
(slrpnk.net)
A community to discuss solarpunk and other new and alternative urbanisms that seek to break away from our currently ecologically destructive urbanisms.
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This is great - I kinda want to build one for hauling groceries now. There are sidewalks all the way to the big grocery store here but they're so messed up that those collapsible shopping carts with their little wheels are more trouble than they're worth. I've thought about getting/building a cargo bike but I don't like my odds on that road, though it'd be useful elsewhere. Mostly we settle for just limiting it to what we can carry or driving once in a while. Might be a fun project though, I'll have to look up modern designs.
I guess on modern paved side-walks these Chinese wheelbarrows don't offer that much of an advantage, but I can easily see how great they would be on a typical well walked natural footpath.
Definitely agreed it'd work well on footpaths. I think given what frost heaves and the city budget have done to local sidewalks, it might still be useful (I'm not sure they count as modern or well-paved). If I can find some more square tubing, and some mesh or perforated metal for the guard around the wheel, I think it could be a fun bit of welding practice. It's too bad the larger bike wheel sizes seem to be very expensive.
Maybe look for a modern horse-cart wheel. There are some pretty lightweight ones that are very tall.
That's a good idea, I'll see what I can find!