Context
-  cargo bikes overview, a "longjohn"-type cargo bike
- has 2 wheels (1st column) and the load is placed in front of the rider, as low as possible, with the front wheel further forward
 - all types of load are known to have been successfully transported with longjohns (therefore there is one longjohn icon in each not-empty cell of the 1st column)
 
 -  longjohns are probably the most common type of cargo bikes
- they are described and discussed at the following pages: en.wikipedia, de.wikipedia, longjohn.org
 -  they tend to benefit from the following advantages: 
- low center of gravity
 - good handling and moderate weight
 - moderate length and especially width
 - load is easily visible by rider
 - transmission is the same as for a normal bicycle
 
 -  they may suffer from the following drawbacks: 
- steering is achieved through a mechanism that adds complexity (and price) compared to cargo bikes types such as long tail
 - load size is somehow limited
 - load weight is limited compared to vehicles with 3 wheels or more (due to resistance and also to the lack of inherent stability)
 
 
 -  Werkstatt Lastenrad is a German organisation:
- "Knowledge common around the subject of DIY cargo bikes"
 - these pages may be partially translated at some point: FAQ, What it's about
 - André Frieboese, a member from Berlin, is the Long André's father (you can see him on pictures, he has long sideburns)
 
 - This is not a typical Hackerspace project, but more a typical project for the very young UCmakerspace.
 
Description
-  Building a long john-type cargo bike according to these (links from werkstatt-lastenrad.de):
- illustration-rich "A6 cards" PDF document "Werkstatt-Kärtchen zum Bau von Long André" (German)
 - original construction manual (German)
 - French description, translation ongoing (content is roughly that of the "A6 cards" PDF document)
 
 - Making roadworthy vehicles is delicate enough not to improvise too much at first. Hence, this project is currently being led in a spirit of carefully following existing documentation.
 - The first thing to build is not the bike itself but a BikeBench (see below under Components)
 
Goal
- make a 1st working prototype of a Long André
 - organize Long André manufacturing workshops
 
Obstacles
- documentation must be translated first (pending)
 
Component
- BOM & list of needed tools are the first things that will be translated
 - Documentation has almost the status of a component...
 
BikeBench
A BikeBench is a jig / workbench for bicycle-based creations, designed and implemented by Thomas Viebach from Werkstatt Lastenrad.
Links:
- Werkstatt Lastenrad's wiki pages: original (German), French (translation ongoing)
 - this wiki's page
 
Long-André: description en français
Schedule
- Opening: May 2015
 - Ending: ?
 
Participants
- Léonard (Leader, UCmakerspace guest)
 - Marc Wettstein (UCmakerspace boss)
 - The Werkstatt Lastenrad people in Germany, with whom emails are being exchanged: Christophe Vaillant, André Frieböse, Tom Hansing, Thomas Viebach