6 Months With a Well Used Yuba Mundo!

My most fuel efficient vehicle at Pearl Brewery Farmer's Market - San Antonio, Texas 

I just came to the realization that I've had my used Yuba Mundo (Version 1) for a few days over 6 months and I thought this would be a good time to give an update and a more long term review of my well used (well used by the previous owner and myself) Yuba Mundo V1. 

I purchased the bike Oct. 8, 2011 by chasing down the owner of a version 3 at the grocery store to ask how much he liked his bike...in talking with him he mentioned he had a Version 1 he needed to sell. So I made and deal and took it home later that day but it needed work. The tires were flat, the rims needed to be trued and the headset was shot as well as the rear derailleur cable. 

Hank of Helotes Bicycle Shop

A few trips to Hank's bicycles in Helotes, Texas and about $100 the bike was road worthy. It didn't have a kick stand when I got it so I used a paint can for a while while I fixed it then I order a V1 double kickstand from Yuba's website. I learned from Hank how to replace a headset races (even though we carked one of the replacements now the bike has a mixed head set chrome/black).


I found that I really enjoyed riding the Yuba Mundo and it has become my primary bicycle since I took ownership of it. I've not ridden my other bikes more than 2-4 times but the Yuba sees weekly usage. This is because the utility of the Yuba. I regularly use it to ride to the HEB (grocery store) about 1.5 miles from my house and I can easily fit a week’s worth of groceries on the bike. At first I used ratchet straps and plastic containers but quickly learned that doesn't work well with the Yuba's rack which as diagonal supports, the straps fall and the box got loose quick. 

All Strapped In! 

Around the first part of December the Yuba company announced new Go-Getter bags which are a stupid white and light grey color (those are going to look ratty after a trip though a puddle!) the new bags also use plastic retainer clips to latch on the Yuba rack and that is a problem since my version 1 Yuba has a larger rack and a larger diameter tubing used in the rack. So I went on an internet search and called Yuba most dealers across America and didn't find any older style yellow go-getters. While visiting family in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex area at Christmas time I decided to check out Trinity Bicycles a Yuba Dealer in Ft. Worth. They had the yellow bags! So I bought them right then and there. They cost more than I paid for the used Yuba, but increased the functionality 316.97%. I can now easily get groceries without fear of the ratchet straps loosening and spilling everything on the road. 


Also the Go-Getter bags carry some things like a bike lock, rain poncho, and even a full sized floor air pump when I go on rides with large groups (who likes those small 6" pumps when you have a flat anyways!).  The bags also make the bike more grab and go friendly I just open my garage (where my car once was) and hop on the Yuba and ride! I’ve taken it on some extensive   trips, for a cargo bike, away from the house. I rode to a library (a hilly 10-12 mile round trip) to assist  with a lecture on using your bicycle for utility. I carried a multimedia projector safely in the go-getter bags.  

Utility Cycling Session at Great Northwest Library - San Antonio, Texas

Thanks to my extra sturdy Hollywood Sportrider 4  bike hitch mount rack I can easily take my Yuba on my Honda Element to different areas of town for various reasons like an occasional tune up, but most of all it goes on social rides. The Yuba has made many treks on the back of the Honda Element to downtown San Antonio for pub crawls and social rides. The Yuba works out good for party on wheels rides because I’m a photographer and I love to carry my SLR camera with me and once again the rack and the go getter bags come into play here. I can carry my medium format camera and my digital SLR camera with extra lenses in the bag along with my air pump, a jacket, a hat, even a tripod and even studio strobes! And I can have what I need and want to take photos while cycling in social groups and at events like the San Antonio Siclova event.  


The bags are not only useful in carrying camera stuff they are also nice because they keep honest people honest! I was able to leave my bike within eye sight at the recent Siclovia event with my camera gear left on the bike knowing that it would take some balls to go open up the go-getter bags and go snooping around. I realize the bags are not a metal trunk and that is why I kept it in eyesight and no more than 30-40 feet away from me like when I did the drum circle, but it’s still nice not to have to carry that stuff around my neck or just having it sitting in a basket where anyone can see it and be tempted to steal it.  

Siclovia Drum Circle - March 2012

“Enough on the bags…. What about other utility usefulness?” I’m glad you asked. 


The bike has had its share of cargo loads over the past 6 months primarily groceries from the grocery store.  Some of the rather odd things that I’ve carried were other humans, k-9s, hardware, and more! My wife and I rode on the Yuba to Sea Island Shrimp House and Half-Price Books on the bike. Carrying people is different than groceries because they can shift their weight and you’ll notice it as the driver of the bike. It took some getting used to but driver and passenger always felt secure. I even hauled my wife’s beach cruiser on the side racks just by putting the front tire in the side and strapping it in. I admit there was no reason to do this other than I saw other Yuba Mundo owners doing it on Flickr and I wantedto do it!  Being a verison 1 I don’t have a rear deck or side platforms but I think that side platforms would have helped with the towing of my wife’s bike since the straps holding the tire came loose and the front wheel started to slip down the rack.


 Another unique item that I hauled was an 8 foot grounding rod from Lowe’s hardware for a Ham Radio antenna I was installing. This was to longest item I’ve carried on the Mundo and it was easier than hauling the grounding rod in my Jeep Wrangler. It was fun using bungee cords to strap that on the rack and frome then using the red plastic flags to let people know that I’m hauling a large item…ON A BICYCLE! I rode the 2.5 miles back home without anything going wrong with it. Below are some pictures of the strange hauls so far, including the K-9 and the grounding rod. 

Yuba Mundo decorated for Christmas Light Bike Ride... complete with Tree

My Dog, Phoebe, as Cargo!

At Lowe's after loading 8 foot Grounding Rod

Yuba with my RC Airplanes ready to go to the flying area!

The Yuba mundo attracts a lot of attention. I’ve had people come up to me while I was loading the cargo and ask about it. One conversation that sticks out in my mind was a mother and her 12-15 year old son at HEB (grocery store). The exchange when something like this: She started by saying, “Hey cool cargo bicycle so you can fit all that in your bike?”  my response “yes, I do it all the time” Her response “Well I ride my road bike 20-30 miles at a time but I take my car 3 miles to the grocery store… I think I need to look into this Yuba Mundo.” 
That is what I hope I inspire-logical thinking about being green and living healthy. 


It’s amazing that people are so stuck in the Lance Armstrong idolizing spandex sport of cycling they don’t even realize the utility it can be until see me on the big Yuba Mundo. I love it when I see them realize for the first time that it is possible to ride a bicycle for errands especially when they pedal their road bike 20 to 100 miles just for fun. Believe me utility cycling is way more fun that riding just to ride because you get the joy of cycling and the coolness that comes from knowing that you are rejecting the social norm of thinking that bicycles are only exercise equipment. For me cycling for utility has a trill in it that comes when you return from a shopping trip with a load of groceries. If you search around the internet you will get some inspiration from fellow car-free/utility cycling people like Anne and Tim at Car Free Days. They have inspired me to make just about every Sunday a car free day! Thanks Anne and Tim. Y'all should check out their site CarFreeDays.com

Pre Go-Getter bag Yuba at Target in NW San Antonio

My wife and I rode this to get some sea food and we got the best parking spot too!

Barnes & Noble Via Yuba Mundo 

Starbucks break! 

My well used Yuba Mundo isn’t without it’s unique quirkiness due mostly to it's age. The previous owner used it as a daily commuter 10+ miles one way rain or shine and the Yuba Mundo shows its wear proudly with scrapes of paint and small rust spots. The head set had indexing when I got the bike so I replaced it. The front derailleur can be hard to shift into 3^rd sometimes. The tires are well worn but have enough grip but I’m thinking of replacing those soon. Somewhere in the rack there is a loose burr of metal because I can hear it rattling around at times then I’m parking the bike. The kick stand plate is warped and the kick stand continually needs tightening but thanks to those big bags I can carry a tool kit and tighten as needed. I wish I could use the wide loader kickstand that the newer Yuba Mundo’s have because my double kick stand is narrow and the when loading you have to balance your load or it will tip over. I could use the new wider one Yuba has but that requires welding and I don't want to deal with that and painting the bike once a new plate is welded on. 


The saddle is the original one from Yuba and is comfy enough but I’ve been thinking a Brooks Saddle would be nice to try. Some future plans include upgrading the shifters and possibly the front derailleur. I might get around to making a rear deck for times when I haul a passenger, stoker bar for the rear passenger and some padding for the rear passenger. I’ve also thought of adding disc breaks to the front but that means replacing the front end again but I feel safe the way it is. 

Yuba Mudo at 2012 Siclovia - San Antonio, Texas

Life with the Yuba Mundo is good! My version one has been useful and I enjoy owning it but sometimes I long for a newer lighter Version 4 with disc brakes, but then I remember the low cost I paid for the used version 1 which was comparable to a mid priced Walmart mountain bike and I’m happy. I’m sure the version one is here to stay at least for another 6 months. When I have children I might upgrade so I can use the integrated child seats on the rear rack (they don’t work with the wider V1 rack).  Right now this system works for me. 




Thanks for reading please leave your comments!


Ride on! 


-Matthew

Siclovia 2012 - Drum Circle

Siclovia 2012 - Drum Circle, a photo by MPR-Photo on Flickr.

Get your Hippie on with a Yuba Mundo and a Drum Circle at San Antonio's 2nd Siclovia Event... go play in the streets. I drummed after checking out the community garden and then after drumming we checked out urban knitting and the one street (complete street) bistro. Hippie was oozing out of my chaco sandals today!

Unloading the Yuba Mundo!

Yuba Mundo Visit Blue Star Bike Shop

Yuba Mundo Visit Blue Star Bike Shop, a photo by MPR-Photo on Flickr.

A Car Free Sunday...at least for me.

October 16, 2011:
I on Saturday night I vowed to sleep in on Sunday as I felt I needed it after a week from hell at work but my miniature poodle Phoebe had other plans. She woke me up at the crack of dawn to feed her her breakfast and as usual when I'm up I'm up. So I decided to check the weather. It was a nice calm October morning so I decided to fly my Parkzone Ember 2 remote control airplane. I wanted to try flying it at the stadium near my house. Instead of taking the car I was eager to ride my new (used) Yuba Mundo (Version 1) Bicycle especially since I just got it fixed the day before.




After about an hour of flying (and dodging birds trying to attack my RC plane). I loaded up to ride back home and once I got there I decided I wanted to ride the Yuba more. So I dropped off the RC stuff and took off to the Home Depot to buy some cam straps and bungie cords for the Yuba Mundo. Bicycle parking wasn't available at Home Depot but I found place to lock up right next to the entrance.



I needed some breakfast so off the McDonalds I went. Once again some improvised locking of the Cargo Bike. And while I ate I was in full view of the bike.



The day was going so well I didn't want to stop riding. In fact at this point I wanted to make a day of it complete with a stop at Barnes and Noble for some coffee. I called my wife, Tina, and told her I was going to do some shopping at Target, head over to spectrum sports to make use of the Gym membership by taking a shower and then head over to Barnes and Noble. Since, Tina is an English Teacher and a heavy sleeper she decided to drive over because books after a nice sleep in sounded good to her. We decided to meet at 11am. So I was off to Target. I really was happy to see that Target was bicycle friendly with a bike rack near each entrance. Thinking about it the bicycle rack is the best parking spot since it is literally right next to the door.



After shopping the clearance rack I and getting a nice Office Space t-shirt for $5, as well as some things we needed around the house I rode over to Spectrum to shower and change. I didn't take a photo but Spectrum had bike rack.Sadly Barnes and Noble didn't have a bike rack but a sturdy rail did just fine.



After sitting for an hour or so we decided to head over the a seafood place for some lunch. Tina hopped on the back of the Yuba and away we went to Sea Island (just through the parking lot).



Eventually, we rode over to 1/2 price books then I took Tina back to her car and pedaled home. It was a great day and really nice to see how accessible our shopping destination is. If I had an Ice Chest Strapped to the Yuba Mundo I would have hit up the grocery store for some deli meat and cheese....next time for sure!

Yuba Mundo V1- Update!

Well, It has been a little over one week since I've purchased my used Yuba Mundo Version 1 (18 speed). I purchased it in a non ride-able condition.I did some tinkering during what must have been the busiest week of my career to date:

• Washed and Waxed the Yuba Mundo's Frame
• Replaced Rim Tape on Front Rim 
• Fixed slow leak in Front Inntube
• Repacked the Front Hub
• Added Lightweights Stealth Tape (it's black) and I applied to various parts. 
• Added two ViewPoint Flashpoint Ultra Tail Lights
• Installed CatEye HL-EL220 LED headlight. (bought with store Credit at Performance Bicycle)
  
• Added a reflective yield triangle to rear also. 
• Adjusted Seat

This past Saturday, I decided to take my Yuba to Hank at Helotes Bicycle Shop. Hank is a collector of bicycles and has been working in the bicycle industry for 40 years. He is the best wrenches I've met. Here is a list of what Hank accomplished today to make the Yuba Mundo ride-able. Cost of shop repairs was a reasonable $30:

• True Rear Wheel
• Replaced rear derailleur cable and housing
• Check Chain (it was good) Just needed oil. 
• Adjust Breaks 

Here is still some quarks that need to be worked out but Hank didn't have time today to do it, but as it is it is rideable:

• Replace front derailleur grip shifter
• Replace front derailleur cable and housing. 
• Replace headset tracks/bearings...there is some brinelling a.k.a. index steering. 

Somethings to I still need to do:

• Touch up some paint
• develop some boxes for groceries
• Raise the seat a little
• Add Kickstand (waiting on package from Yuba Bicycles)
• Replace grips.

I'm still in shock I'm a Yuba Mundo Owner! Pinch me.. am I dreaming.

My Yuba Story:

Some followers of mine might know that I’ve been riding my Sun Cruz 3  speed to the HEB near my house (HEB is a grocery store for all ya’ll non-Texans). This started around August 2010. I mostly do it to save on gas and CO2 emissions. I’m a hefty sized good ol’ Texas boy and I’m already slightly exceeding the maximum load on my aluminum framed beach cruiser then add 30-40 pounds of grocery on that… well… no issues so far. 

One day in about April 2010 I said “I wish I could carry more on my trips to HEB…” so after some internet research I was very interested in riding a Sun Atlas Cargo Bike that just came out. It retails for around $550-$600. It’s a typical long tail cargo bike that is “xtracycle aware” meaning it uses some of the xtracycle accessories. After chatting with Sun dealers (JB Importers connected bike shops) a shop in Corpus Christi was going to order one for me at a cost of $500 unassembled… but it involved a trek of 200 miles by car to get it. So I never placed the order. After doing more research I was leaning toward an xtracycle conversion or a Yuba Mundo. Kona Ute didn’t interest me too much and the Surly Big Dummy was out of my price range. The xtracycle Radish was given some slight consideration. So I started to save my dollars.

In late July 2011 an ad popped up on Austin Craigslist for a used Xtracycle conversion kit for $250 with deck, bags, etc. I was in San Angelo, Texas at the time and called. I was just about willing to drive across the Texas hill country way out of my way back to San Antonio to buy it, but during the conversation with the guy selling it say he was selling it because he bought the Kona Ute (an alternative to the Big Dummy and Mundo). Considering this guy ditched the xtracycle conversion for a dedicated design spoke volumes to me. So I narrowed my list down to the Sun Atlas Cargo and the Yuba.

One day in June 2011 we decided to take a road trip up to Austin to visit my bro-in law. While there I stopped in at the Peddler’s Bike Shop and test rode a Version 3 Yuba Mundo… It was awesome and the only reason we weren’t smiling in the photos we took that day was the 110 degree temperature of that day. The Shop owner offered a great deal … $1,000 out the door with all the accessories he had in stock only problem was I didn’t have $1,000 for it at the time and still don’t! Wasn't about to go in debt either. Later that week, I requested some literature from Yuba Bicycle via their website but instead I got a personally call from the CEO of Yuba Bicycles. He had some questions about the blog I rode about my experience at Peddler. The fact that such personal attention was give to me meant a great deal to me; combined with the fact they they’re focus and purpose for the Mundo was to help developing nations it seems like they are on the right track.

I’m an elementary teacher so around August my attention was school. I’d my bike for more causal rides with friends but I started to notice more bike on my commute to work. So my interest was peeked yet again for a utilitarian style bicycle. This past weekend I was able to ride in 2 group rides. While driving home after the 2^nd ride I saw something I’ve never seen in San Antonio before a Yuba Mundo… heading the very same HEB I shop at! I was excited and followed the cyclist, saw what he looked like then found a parking spot and literally ran into the HEB searching. I wanted to see the man living my dream! How long has he been doing this? What was his thought and opinions on the Yuba? So many questions? I was filled with excitement. 

In chatting with Robert (the Yuba Rider) he mentioned this wasn’t his first Yuba and he had one that he wanted to put on Craigslist but didn’t want to deal with the annoying calls and emails from scammers (I know what he means). So I chatted with him and hear the price which was very reasonable so I told him to consider it sold providing it was in some what a good shape. He said it would be great if he could have it out of his garage that day and I was eager so I went and looked at it. Both tires were flat; some paint nicks were on it, etc. He used it as a daily commuter rain or shine! After looking at the Blue V1 Yuba I handed him the cash and loaded it up on my Hollywood Sport-rider 4 rack (yes it's a beast of a rack and can handle the weight of the Yuba and then some!)

So in what seemed like a whirlwind adventure I’m now a cargo bike owner. The blue Yuba needs some TLC but I think I’ll have it rolling soon.

Here is a list of things I’ve check over so far that need to be done and the cost was so affordable I can afford to do the repairs many of which I will do myself.

• 1. Order a kick Stand (contacted Yuba with some questions)
• 2. Grease hubs and freewheel (Yuba Freewheel Tool ordered!)
• 3. Install New Inner Tubes and Slime
• 4. Inspect tires and decide if I need to order some Schwable Big Apple Kevlar Tires.
• 5. Replace rear reflector/Install head light and tail light
• 6. True rear wheel and check front.
• 7. Adjust breaks front and rear… might put a disc on front if I think I want swap out the fork…
• 8. Clean Chain/possibly replace
• 9. General tune up.
• 10. Rear Deck
• 11. Straps for tie down
• 12. Remove surface rust and touch up paint.
• 13. Ride!

I’m happy. 

Talk about being at the right place at the right time!

Yuba Mundo Test Ride- Aug. 4, 2011 *Updated 8/7/11*

Yuba Mundo Ride, a photo by MPR-Photo on Flickr.

On Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011, my wife and I decided to take a drive up to Austin to try out a Yuba Mundo cargo bicycle at Peddler's Bike Shop. I've been researching Yuba's online for about a month. At first I wanted the Sun Atlas Cargo, a new bike by Sun Bicycles that is xtracycle compatible. The Sun Atlas Cargo is new and so there isn't much out there on the net about them and I've yet to see one and I bet I never will. Currently I own two Sun Cruz 3 speeds that my wife and I have been using for trips to the grocery store with a front basket and panniers. The idea of a cargo bike seems like a good one. First off, I'm a big guy (260 lbs) so I'm already exceeding the weight limits on my Sun cruiser bike...add groceries to that and you can see why I'm nervous. Good news is I'm loosing weight by riding more (down 14 lbs).

Internet reviews can only take you so far and before I decide to fork over a huge chunk money (or even budget for a purchase in the future) on something I want to check it out in person. The nearest dealer was in Austin, TX. They had a nice orange Yuba Mundo on their showroom floor but badly covered in dust and scratched up for a new bike. The owner of the shop made my a very tempting deal of $1,200 out the door for the bike with every Yuba accessory he had in stock (child seat, wide loader deck, passenger bad, bags, deflopaltor)... but I was STRONG... I walked away knowing that I need to stick with our budget even if that means paying more later that purchase would have messed us up for a month. Sure they offer 0% 6 month financing but I'm trying to get rid of debt so it will have to wait and an offer like that is a credit card based offer. I wish more shops offered good ol' fashion layaway at no additional cost (something I could just work into my budget). So even though I hate to pass on a good deal I will. But man does it hurt.

The shop owner said that he just wanted to get out from under the beautiful but dusty Yuba Mundo because it wasn't selling like he hoped and hasn't as much attention as he'd hoped it would have. So I don't know what the future of Yuba bicycles is in Austin, Texas doesn't seem favorable at least at the Peddler's Bike Shop. It really sounded like the shop wouldn't carry any more once this one sold, sad considering my purchase would have to be after months os saving for it.

The shop owner told me he gave the Yuba people $1,000 for the bike and accessories and all they have done was take up room in his shop so he was just trying to get out making a small profit.


So what were my impressions of the Yuba Mundo?

WOW it rides like a dream! It is amazing how straight the long tail rides. I could comfortably let go of the handlebars and it was straight as an arrow. The weight wasn't that bad. The rear of the bike was heavy but I could easily lift the whole bike. (note: I'm used to the lugging around a 150lb 16" Meade Lightbridge Dobsonian Telescope). The weight while riding reminds me of the old springer fork Schwinn Cruiser Deluxe only the Yuba has 21 gears that makes that weight more than dote-able and I seem to recall the Schwinn feels much more heavy when lifting by comparison, perhaps the Schwinn is just more dense. The seat on the Yuba Mundo was very comfy, and riding position was very upright. The handlebars had plenty of rise but seemed narrow compared to my Sun Beach Cruz 3. The grip shifts were nice. I believe it was a V3.0 and it had Yuba's beefy single kick stand that was nice and sturdy. This version had V-breaks and it stopped just as well as any other v-braked bike I rode. I didn't ride the bike with any load on it (I couldn't convince my wife to hop on the back).

So I hopped on rode about 6 blocks away from the bike shop and I didn't even want to stop I could have rode it all day even though a bank we passed on our drive to the Bike Shop said it was 107 degrees outside! The Yuba Mundo was actually FUN to ride this bike. It it was set up every comfortable. I didn't feel like I was leaning over at all like a mountain bike. The gears on the Yuba Mundo were welcoming as I turned to go back to the shop as it was a slight up hill climb. It took a bit of switching gears but I found a gear setting I was comfortable with and I was off. I even rode past the shop a few blocks without realizing it as was having that much fun! I've venture to say it rode more comfortable than my Sun Cruz.

I don't know how I feel about the bright orange colored frame. On one hand I really like it, it's eye catchy and people notice you. On my short 7-9 city block ride I saw people looking at me. Other cyclists in the bike lane across the streets did double takes. I liked the attention and makes me feel that cars would notice you on that orange bike. On the downside the orange draws attention to the Yuba and when locking it up to do some shopping I'd prefer to have it not stand out saying "look at me". Currently the Mundo comes in Black, Orange, and Blue. As to what color I would pick... I don't know. Only time will tell, that is if I order one.

The rear axle on this bike it THICK... and the 48 spoke wheel in the rear make the bike seem like a tank (in a good way). It seems it can handle anything you could throw at it (or on it). A sticker near the bottom bracket proclaims "400lb weight limit on rear rack"... that isn't 400lbs for the bike... that is the rear rack! To give you an idea a fully loaded Yuba Mundo with me being the rider tops out a 400+260= 660 pounds. The owners manual of my Wife's Honda Element SUV says total cargo capacity is 600 pounds that includes the weight of the passengers and driver...so actually the Yuba can haul more than my 2004 Honda Element! We've carried way more that that in my Honda but that has been a critical area that comes up in reviews on Honda Elements.

The Yuba Mundo rode nimble, my wife was able to do a u-turn and even able to navigate around utility poles on the sidewalk near the bike shop.

The Yuba we rode was fine the way it was set up but on mine I'd prefer to have it set up with disc breaks to know for sure that I'm going to have the stopping power when it counts. I'm impressed with the Yuba Mundo and I'm going to consider one in the future especially if we continue our shopping adventures via our Sun Bicycle Cruisers the Sun Cruz 3 and if our budget allows.

UPDATE 8/6/11: Friday night I attended the monthly SALSA First Friday bike ride here in San Antonio, Texas. It's a social bike ride of 250-300 bicycle riders though downtown San Antonio. I took my Sun Cruiser with 2 trans-it panniers on the rear rack. Inside those panniers where 3 reflective vest, 13ft cable lock cable, a Lock for the 13' cable, a 6ft cable lock, an On Guard U Lock, one bottle of water, kit of basic tools, my friend's purse, cell phone, and my Canon DSLR. By Sun Cruz loaded up like that was way harder to lift than the unloaded Yuba Mundo, but it was manageable. That said I think that with the Yuba I wouldn't have noticed the weight of these extra items because the frame is more robust than my aluminum framed, internal 3 speed beach cruiser. Lastly on this Update I thought about the Front Bike rack that one can get for the Yuba and how I read that it doesn't move with the fork.... that is utterly brilliant because I know that I hate to ride my Sun Cruz with the basket if it has anything in it over 4-5 pounds... it just makes the wheel unstable!

Video by Rock the Bike:


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