The Donkybike urban cycle is the reliable result of problem-solving design. It has two cargo shelves at the front and back that can be used to carry not just baguettes or onions, but significant (ie. useful) loads around when you need to. It allows you to fully enjoy the convenience, cheapness, health and Eco-friendliness of city cycling and to carry more than just the essentials.
The look is one that echoes the Brompton or other specialized city bikes, with small wheels, simple gears and a thick-set frame, but with the addition of a horizontal cross-bar that gives strength to hold loads.
The cross-bar is set below the usual height of a cross-bar, so you have a low center of gravity when riding it fully loaded. This helps nipping in and out of traffic. The seat is set below the handlebars (i.e. more Dutch than fixie or road bike) so you can look outwards for traffic and keep your back straight.
The real win of this bike, though it may not be elegance, is that it ‘hangs’ loads from the bike but on a platform. This gives the physical benefit of a low weight center (like panniers) rather than but allows you to carry far bigger and more fragile loads without squishing them.
The design, by Ben Wilson, is totally functional, without any of the bike-snobbery elements you might expect from an urban cycle innovation. What’s more it is small any tidy to carry upstairs when you get home
The Donkybike is available in one size, in lime green or black, it has 20” wheels.
share with friends