 |
| Pedego Stretch |
 |
| Yuba Bicycles Spicy Curry |
Santa Monica is now home to six local bike shops who carry brands like Xtracycle, Yuba Bicycles, Gazelle, Virtue, Pedego, and Taga. Most only carry one model of one brand. Comparatively speaking Santa Monica Bike Center has an expansive selection of two or three options. The choices around town range from longjohns, longtails, and front loading trikes.
 |
| Xtracycle Edgerunner 9E |
 |
| Taga Bike, an interesting ride to say the least. |
The west side has always been the home of the beach cruiser. Now there is a real bicycle renaissance happen. People are looking to do more without cars enjoying all of the social and financial benefits that choice brings. Urban dwellers are making room for a bike that can move more than just you and a cold one.
 |
| Photo by Kroozercups.com |
When these two become more concerned with baby bottles than beer bottles, there's a bike for that!
In the U.S. the Pacific Northwest is still the hub of carfree transit and the cargo bike for now. With the combination of weather, popularity of Ciclavia, and a changing tide in transportation politics hopefully Southern California can be the other bookend to a growing bakfiets culture on America's West Coast.
Please check back soon for detailed reviews and opinions of five of the six cargo bikes available here locally.