A Big Dummy frame set retails for $950 where as a Yuba Mundo frame set retails for $550. Is the Big Dummy frame really that much better? What are you paying for besides name, marketing, etc?
Big Dummy Vs. Yuba Mundo Frame Sets
- Thread starter gofearstan
- Start date
I've been riding (and loving) my Big Dummy for several years. Last year a friend of mine was looking to get a long tail cargo bike and asked the exact same question. Neither of us had seen a Yuba in person (nobody carries them in Hawaii), so I told her the things I read online that swayed me to pick the Big Dummy: frame weight, quality of components, frame geometry, frame material. In all aspects the big dummy is way ahead. In the end, price won out and my friend got the Yuba. She has been riding it for a year, and I can tell you that is is a fine bike - but the big dummy is much better. The yuba is HEAVY, and the front fork is nowhere near as strong as the Big Dummy. You don't notice it hauling kids or light loads - but throw an adult on the back and the fork flex will freak you out. Same goes for the brakes - the Yuba does not have disk brakes, and stopping can be terrifying with big loads. The components are cheap, and will need a lot of attention to keep them running smoothly. That said, if you are hauling light children on short trips, the yuba should be fine. I do feel that even though it is more expensive, the Big Dummy is a better value when you consider quality and long-term use.
I find that the dummy is sportier, like a mountain bike and the Mundo is more like a city bike. I have ridden a Yuba with an (total 250lbs) adult and a child on the back, and it was very comfortable, but the upright position is clearly designed for those who like to take their time.
Since the V3 Yuba frames, the Yuba is lighter than the Surly. I have not witnessed the flexing noted above and the one I have ridden extensively had disk brakes that were reasonably effective. I would rate the Yuba better for carrying heavy loads and the Surly better for general use.
In short, if you are a mountain biker, you will want the Big Dummy.
Since the V3 Yuba frames, the Yuba is lighter than the Surly. I have not witnessed the flexing noted above and the one I have ridden extensively had disk brakes that were reasonably effective. I would rate the Yuba better for carrying heavy loads and the Surly better for general use.
In short, if you are a mountain biker, you will want the Big Dummy.
One big plus I'd put in the Mundo's corner is the Bread Basket. So much focus goes to the rear cargo on these bikes, but I really appreciate the front cargo that you can handle with the frame supported basket up there. The new Edgerunners will have a similar frame mounted rack system too.
One thing I like about the BD is that the rear is built to the xtracycle dimensions, if I'm not mistaken. That means all the xtracycle accessories should fit. There is not one dominant standard in the longtail cargo bike world, but the closest thing to one is xtracycle. So a bike with those dimensions out back would be a plus to me.
It's super easy to remove/replace the wideloaders, etc, on an xtracycle. Takes seconds.
I agree with what a poster said above. The BD is probably a better bike more of the time. If you are hauling ultra heavy loads the majority of the time, I give the Mundo the nod.
Since you're building either bike with equivalent components, the end result price will only basically be the difference in frame cost up front. So is a complete BD worth $400 more than a complete Mundo? Yes, I'd say so. You're basically paying half the difference in what the bikes cost new, complete. A bargain if you build yourself and only have a $400 difference.
The Edgerunners look appealing to me. I don't know what a frame costs, assuming you can buy just a frame.
I don't necessarily buy bikes for resale value, but it is one small factor to think about. Selling a BD later would probably be a piece of cake, and you'd likely get good coin for it. I think you'd have a more limited audience for a Mundo and hence get less out of it later and have less people responding to your CL ad. But just my off the cuff opinion there, have not done the research to be sure. I think a BD build would be more desirable in my neck of the woods, anyway.
It's super easy to remove/replace the wideloaders, etc, on an xtracycle. Takes seconds.
I agree with what a poster said above. The BD is probably a better bike more of the time. If you are hauling ultra heavy loads the majority of the time, I give the Mundo the nod.
Since you're building either bike with equivalent components, the end result price will only basically be the difference in frame cost up front. So is a complete BD worth $400 more than a complete Mundo? Yes, I'd say so. You're basically paying half the difference in what the bikes cost new, complete. A bargain if you build yourself and only have a $400 difference.
The Edgerunners look appealing to me. I don't know what a frame costs, assuming you can buy just a frame.
I don't necessarily buy bikes for resale value, but it is one small factor to think about. Selling a BD later would probably be a piece of cake, and you'd likely get good coin for it. I think you'd have a more limited audience for a Mundo and hence get less out of it later and have less people responding to your CL ad. But just my off the cuff opinion there, have not done the research to be sure. I think a BD build would be more desirable in my neck of the woods, anyway.
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