# Christianias



## danphoto (11 Dec 2010)

Anybody on here got one (apart from me)?


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## danphoto (12 Dec 2010)

Hmmm ... 23 views so far and no comment, so it's looking a lot like I'm in a minority of one ...


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## Theseus (12 Dec 2010)

If I knew what one was I would comment, but I don't.

I assume from another of your threads that they may be cargo bikes. If so, no I haven't got one or anything similar.


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## Arch (16 Dec 2010)

Touche said:


> If I knew what one was I would comment, but I don't.
> 
> I assume from another of your threads that they may be cargo bikes. If so, no I haven't got one or anything similar.



Google, man, google!

http://www.christianiabikes.com/

No, I haven't got one either. I have a colleague with a Nihola though, a similar layout trike.

http://nihola.info/en/nihola+bikes/cigar+family/

His newborn girl just sits in the front bucket, in a car seat. And apparently she's always either asleep, or looking astonished.

There's a chap in York runs a gardening business, I think it's a Christiania he has...


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## Beardie (19 Dec 2010)

Yes, I have one. Very clever design, they must have known to the millimetre how wide the door to my shed is, as it only just fits. I b ought it several years ago so I wouldn't have to get a car for visits to the garden centre, DIY store, etc. But now that's largely finished, it doesn't see much use. It has also seen service on Sustrans workdays.


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## danphoto (26 Mar 2011)

Sorry - been away for a while.

Beardie, has yours got the Bengal disc brakes on the box wheels?


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## Beardie (1 Apr 2011)

It has disc brakes, yes, but I can't see a maker's name anywhere.


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## MontyVeda (1 Apr 2011)

I've been to Christiania and there's a huge variety of weird and wonderful bikes to be seen... and a few other things too


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## danphoto (5 Apr 2011)

Beardie, when you apply your front (box) brake, is there a tendency for the front end to oscillate? 

Despite several tries, I've still not managed to get the front brakes adjusted such that the trike wants to stop in a straight line. At present I'm waiting for available time and suitable weather to coincide so that I can check properly if one of the discs is warped slightly, but after that I can't imgaine what the cause can be.

BTW, what do you reckon to the idea of a forum for Christiania owners? I've been thinking about starting one for ages but have held off so far because Andrea at Velorution reckons they're going to start one. 

Not sure how much longer I give them for their chakras to align ... 




MontyVeda said:


> I've been to Christiania and there's a huge variety of weird and wonderful bikes to be seen... and a few other things too



Quite. The trikes are now made on an island in the Baltic, but how much of Christiania they took with them when they moved, I have no idea.


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## Cush (5 Apr 2011)

Love the idea and concept of this thing. If I had the money/time/ room I would get one but put extra gearing on it so I could use it as tourer for the UK


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## Beardie (10 Apr 2011)

The front brakes have never given any trouble. They appear to have been properly balanced when I bought it and I can't recall ever having had cause to touch the splitter. Mind you, I tend to use the back-pedal brake more, and never go fast to start with, as they are known to be unstable at speed.
This latter point makes Cush's idea of using one as a tourer somewhat dubious, as well as begging the question of why anyone needs such an amount of luggage space, even for camping.


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## danphoto (11 Apr 2011)

I am obliged to you Beardie. Thank you.


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## funnymummy (11 Apr 2011)

I would have loved one of these when my Bubs were small, but at that time they were way out of my price range. Maybe I can get one for when I have grandbubbas!!


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## Hilldodger (11 Apr 2011)

Where just about to buy several for our bike hire club.


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## DrMekon (11 Apr 2011)

I have a trike too, but went for the Bakfiets.NL version instead, mainly because I am 6'3 and the rear end of the Christiania was too flexy for me with the post right up.







I think there is a fix for the Christiania brake problem - If you read bakfiets-en-meer, it's discussed on their every now and then.


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## danphoto (12 Apr 2011)

Thank you very much indeed for that reference, Dr Mekon 

Ref the Christiania frame flex, yep I'm 6ft 2" and although there's some flex noticeable on our steel-frame one, it's not something that concerns me. It was though somewhat alarming at first - until I realised that most of the problem was down to the slack rear wheel spokes ...

We love the thing despite its peculiarities, which, given the state of the roads round here, are actually irrelevant most of the time, but I'm the first to admit that if you're a bit anal about mechanical perfection in bicycles and things of that ilk, a Christiania might not be the ideal purchase.

What we're waiting for as we slide disgracefully towards a geriatric state is a pedelec version.


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## DrMekon (12 Apr 2011)

I should add, the frame flex probably annoys me more because of the ridiculous camber on some of my routes. I've borrowed the Christiania Extended box for a couple of weeks in total (the light is too small for our needs - has to be able to carry 2 kids plus 2 friends), and felt like I was fighting the steering. The bakfiets.nl version has a stiffer damper, and ridiculously large diameter tubing. Makes a big difference on stupid paths like that (although the biggest difference for handling is placing your kids / load at the front of the box - then it goes around corners like it's on rails compared to having the load at the back).

I've not tried the pedelec trike (hugh from dutchbike.co.uk has made a couple), but I've tried the Sparticle bakfiets short and the Azor ebike bakfiets long. Good fun. However, I like the challenge of keeping up a good pace with the box loaded up. It's a close to training as I do on a bike.

This is our 4th cargobike, having previously had a De Fietsfabriek 995, a bakfiets.nl cargobike long, and a Madsen kg271. This has been the most fun so far, but if I didn't have kids, I suspect I would have trouble resisting the charms of a Cetma Margo.

ps I did a write up comparing the Christiania versus the Bakfiets.nl some time ago. I deliberately tried to highlight the differences to make it more interesting. 

http://measured-resp...bakfiets/?p=529


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## Andrew_Culture (29 Aug 2012)

Sorry to bring this old thread back to life, but I've only just found out what these bikes are called! I cycled around Copenhagen a couple of years ago and fell in love with these bikes then, but the closest thing I could find back in the UK was the Bakfiets, which are way beyond my price reach. My wife is now wanting something more useful that her old MTB that she can cart our youngling and gardening gear about in and a Christiania bike looks perfect, assuming I can fit it down the narrow alleyway / tunnel thing that runs down the side of our house.

I'm wondering if I can raise and lower the seat easy enough I would also be able to ride this bike over short distances?

Hmm, not really a lot of questions, new information or entertainment in this post so I'll add a photo of me at Christiania for no particular reason:


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