If you take a bike, cut off the front wheel and move it forward four feet, then place what looks like a small bathtub in the newfound space, you have the bike I have been riding exclusively for the past four months.
I have a
bakfiets. For those who want the simple story...I HAVE A COOL FAMILY BIKE. For those who want a bit more geek information, read on.
Bakfiets, pronounced
bahk-FEETS. [
Bahk] like the musician Bach. [
Feets] like the plural of feet if that did exist. Draw out the AHHHH in "
bak"; the "
fiets" is quick and rises in tone. Bakfiets is (loosely) the Dutch word for a genre of work bikes that have a box for carrying. The
bak translates to "box" and
fiets means "bike", so you have a rough translation of "box bike".
As I write this post, there has been a bike builder's show in Portland
and plenty of press for Portland's own version of a cargo bike. Philip
Ross and Jamie Nichols are the visionaries behind this cargo bike they
call a
Metrofiets.
The allure to the Metrofiets is that it is handmade in Portland and the
frame, fork, and box are sourced from materials in the USA. Plus, they
will work with you to customize it form frame features to paint color.
I will eagerly watch their progress.
For those of you who are bothered by the unnatural sound of bakfiets in a sentence, undoubtedly brought on by the [s] sound on the end of the word, but referring to a singular (item), I give you this:
OX = one ox. ([x] has a slight [s] sound on the end and is singular)
OXEN = two oxen (that unique [s] sound at the end creates the unique word spelling for the plural)
It is similar with bakfiets.
BAKFIETS = one bakfiets. ([s] sound on end)
BAKFIETSEN = two bakfietsen.
Want to hear it? Go to
Loquendo and type in "bakfiets", make sure Dutch-Willem is chosen, and press play. A .wav file will be created with Willem, a fictitious Dutch male, pronouncing the word.
Marc, who left a comment on another post of mine, shares this information with me:
Een bakfiets = a bakfiets / one bakfiets
Twee bakfietsen = two bakfietsen
Bakfietsen (verb) = to ride a bakfiets / riding a bakfiets
As an English teacher, you have two loves here, bikes and grammar. How cool. Sure it is a bit tricky as the word "bakfiets" ends in an "s" so it visually will trip you up (numerous publications in America have it with the "s" missing). Perhaps this is why the bike is so often referred to as a "cargo bike", a generic term applied to many bikes, sort of like how "iPod" has come to represent all MP3 players.
Even when I am not transporting kids, I find that I reach for my bakfiets. Here is a list of features on the bakfiets that sold me: (1) big box in which to transport kiddos, (2) enclosed gearhub, and (3) generator for front and rear lights. The built in lock is a bonus. Go to the
Clever Cycle's (
coupon) web site to see a complete list.
This post is part one of a three-part series.
Part Two, A Closer Look from Front to BAK, will showcase the bike design with photos and video.
Part Three, BAK to Basics, will showcase the integration of this bike in my family.
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