Participants in a cargo bike building
workshop in Texas led by Portland resident Tom LaBonty.
(Photos: Tom LaBonty)

There are few things I love more than to see bike culture spread. It happens so frequently, I think, because people are passionate about bicycling and they can’t help but share it with others.

For southeast Portland resident Tom LaBonty, his passion is cargo bikes, and he just got back from Texas where he gave two-day workshop on how to build them. LaBonty was invited to Texas by Bike Friendly Oak Cliff (BFOC), a group of advocates based in Dallas (as part of their Cyclesomatic event). They learned about LaBonty after viewing “One Less Truck,” a documentary by Portland-based filmmaker Joe Biel.[Read more…]

The Hydrofiets is an artistic and functional cargo bike.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

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Alistair Williamson, the man behind Kinn Bikes, standing with a final prototype of his Midtail Flyer back in February.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

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Tom LaBonty
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland

Portland-based filmmaker Joe Biel (Cantankerous Titles) has released the trailer of his latest project: a documentary about cargo bike builder Tom LaBonty titled One Less Truck.

LaBonty is the 41-year old tinkerer (and baggage handler at PDX Airport by day) who builds affordable cargo bikes (they start at around $500 if you provide the frame) from used parts in his garage in the Lents neighborhood. When we profiled him back in August 2009, he was just starting to make a name for himself around town. Now, thanks to his website, his Flickr photostream, and Craigslist, he’s built and sold 55 bikes to customers around the country.[Read more…]

Learn how to make one yourself.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Remember Tom LaBonty? He’s the Lents Neighborhood resident who builds home-made, “hillbilly-type” cargo bikes in his backyard. Since we profiled Tom back in August he’s picked up a few customers, launched TomsCargoBikes.com, and now he wants to share his methods with the world.

Tom has launched a do-it-yourself cargo bike building guide. The guide features a slideshow with instructions on how to take two used bikes and convert them into a front-loading, bakfiets-style cargo bike.[Read more…]

One of Tom LaBonty’s creations.
-Slideshow below-
(Photos © J. Maus)

Portland is truly a cargo bike lover’s paradise. Whether you want the legendary “bakfiets” from Holland, a less expensive version from China, a high-end custom version made in Portland, or a myriad of other locally available options, this town is a veritable cornucopia of cargo bikes.

New to the offerings are the whimsical creations of Tom LaBonty.

LaBonty — whose previous hobby was restoring muscle cars — now pours his passion into building custom cargo bikes out of found materials and garage sale bikes. A baggage handler at PDX Airport by day, the 39-year old Montana native was intrigued by a Worksman trike he saw being used by airline maintenance crews at the airport — so he decided to try and build one himself.
[Read more…]