Cargo bikes. Are you on the 0cc band wagon?

Yep, I have been thinking about doing a similar thing and fixing up a small trailer. I have a few bicycles but one is a good steel frame cruiser with seven gears. Getting a trailer would be just the ticket for things that don't work on the cargo racks.

I think you need to have a serious use for a dedicated cargo hauler bike to justify the large expense. Otherwise, a simple quality cruiser with racks (front and rear) and center stand will do most anything, and then get a trailer for pretty much anything else. Gotta be serious: if you have five hundred pounds of stuff to haul, you're gonna use a car.

Edit:
As to the original video, I mean seriously. It's good to see people learning that they don't need a car for everything, but it's not like they just invented cargo bicycles. The entire nation of Holland and a decent proportion of northern Europe just rolled its eyes, yawned, and said "nice work copying our shit".

Don't get me wrong...I made the decision to simply stop using cars to the extent possible several years ago after moving to Europe, and my life is better for it. But they're not doing anything that people all over the world aren't already doing...but somehow when you're rich, you act like you're being revolutionary. It's strange. The video reminded me of a recent article in the BBC which was gushing enthusiastically about a new company's idea to use modern technology to build wind-powered cargo ships. And they basically said, "It's so amazing, nobody ever thought about using wind to power a cargo vessel before now!" Yeah, weird nobody in the course of human history ever thought about a so-called "sail-boat".

Just my 0.02, much of that electric stuff just gets in the way anyway. I don't think you'll miss it. I'm sure that it would be nice on heavy ascents and certainly Helsinki (where I live, but I'm an American expat) doesn't have too many of those, but I think you'll get a LOT more longevity out of something more utilitarian. Simplify, man!

My cruiser bike is a Finnish made Helkama. It is a military bike frame but outfitted with a more comfortable seat and seven speed internal hub gearing. I love the internal hub for round town cruising. You can shift even without pedaling (like at a light) and the internal hub reduces the maintenance in comparison with a cassette. The thing weighs in at about 40 pounds but damn is it smooth.

Mine has traditional cruiser geometry but with steel racks and I added a front setup. If you want cargo hauling ability I recommend finding a center stand, as opposed to a side stand. Not only will loading onto a side stand cost you money (because you'll break those kickstands pretty often due to over-stress) but the bike loads easier and stands on its own. Many companies make nice center stands.

As I mentioned above, a dedicated cargo bike isn't worth it in my case, so I'm looking for a trailer. Surly makes a pretty nice looking one...

This is true! Sorry for my mistake, I had thought you were talking about one of these full dedicated cargo bikes that come in at a couple grand; more of the Bakfiets or WorkCycles heavy duty cargo bikes (or similar brands, obviously), and not the conversion. Certainly for the conversion you are definitely talking similar money. The conversion is a pretty cool little setup too.

For me personally, I think it comes down to the issue that I would only need the cargo capacity for a fraction of my riding miles, and so the conversion wouldn't make as much sense as a trailer. Then I just pull that trailer off the bike and have a normal geometry ride for most days. So in my personal case I would want the versatility.

But to each his own...either way, biking is great. You feel like a kid again every time you ride and when I do, I feel happier all day. It's not just saving money or not using gas or whatever...there's just something so damn nice about being on a bicycle.

Simple is beautiful, and less is more. Most often that is the case, anyway.

Now that thing is cool! I need the trailer mainly for going to the market square on weekends for food shopping, and that would be the ticket since it seems I could actually detach it and then take it inside with me. I could then wait and see if a flatbed type trailer is needed in future, but honestly I am not so sure I would have use for one, more than once a year...

As an aside, today I was at the bike shop picking up the Marin. I got a new wheel on warranty since the thing was breaking spokes left and right and the bike was only 5 months old. (shop did right by me and did the work under warranty, and put a nicer mavic rim on it)...anyway, spying a Bakfiets brochure I thought of this thread and, ahem, took one home. Well, if I do decide to blow a bunch of money on yet another toy, at least bikes are cheap compared to motorcycles...

Good point about turning and how it mounts. Based also on the size of the wheels, you're clearly not mounting that thing for speed, either. In my case it would (if I bought it) go on a cruiser that never gets much above 12mph, and luckily we have no serious hills here in town.

I found out that my local bike shop I do my business with has one in stock...might go take a look anyway. If not, they also have flatbed trailers. I really like the Surly flatbed, but that brand is harder than hell to come by in northern Europe.