Hi all! Long time forum stalker, thought I’d finally post something about a little (big) project I’m currently working on.
The basic idea is similar to the Frances Cycles Mixte Haul or ginkgo cargo bike but taller for extra cargo space and weird factor. Using a 240mm dropper should allow the rider to still touch the ground at red lights, but elevate themselves above the masses when riding.
Construction has already begun so you can’t talk me out of it 
As of now, the front cargo bay is fully welded and I’m working on the rear. The idea is to build the two parts separately and then stitch them together at the end.
Some custom paragon-esque dropouts with extra hood width and radius to accommodate ultra chunky stays.
Chainstay subassembly
Top seat tube
Much more to come soon!
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This looks rad. I have thought about building a tall bike someday as well.
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This is way cool. I love weird bikes - Cargo Tall bike? Hell yea! looking forward to the progress
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A lot of late nights, but we’re getting close to rideable! As with any big project, a lot of small wins and losses along the way…
Rear Triangle:
Machined Linkages:
Whole thing on the table:
Two halves put together:
Bonus Badges:
Hope to have it rideable in the next week!
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Love the badge! I assume the upper BB is where the cranks will sit, with a sync chain to the lower BB as well? I’m not generally a big fan of tall bikes, but this is tall for a purpose and is actually very clever.
Yep! The chain line is pretty funky, almost like a high pivot but flipped.
Been riding this thing around for a few days, its an absolute blast. Very stable and controllable, and the dropper makes starting and stopping a breeze. It’s a perfect blend of fun and weird, but practical enough for commuting and grocery runs. Haven’t had the chance to weigh it yet, but it’s not overly heavy, especially for a cargo bike.
Unfortunately in the interest of time I had to forego the custom kickstand and fork. Ended up buying an omnium kickstand and an off the shelf bmx fork on which I welded an extended steerer. It’s going to remain raw for a bit while I ride it and look out for any potential issues cropping up.
Fork extension “jig”
Barely enough reamer clearance on the rear headtube. Definitely planned…
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“The chain line is pretty funky, almost like a high pivot but flipped.”
Thank you for sharing, I enjoy following this build very much. Why do you need the lower BB, wouldn’t it work to rotate the rear frame ends relative to the upper BB?
brgds /Jesper
The main reason for the lower bottom bracket is to allow the chain to clear the chainstays. Going straight from the upper bottom bracket to the derailleur would result in a collision in more than a few gears. There’s definitely other ways to get around this. A raised drive side chain stay could have worked, but I didn’t like the look. I thought about doing a funky bend on the chainstay to clear a direct chain, but it’s very difficult to predict the surface spanned by the chain in all gears.
Basically, just having a regular bottom bracket and sprocket on the bottom guaranteed that I wouldn’t see any major collision or shifting issues since it transforms it into a more standard drivetrain.
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