Madsen Soft Tops, Oh My!

Finally, the Madsen kg271/BUCKET covers (called Soft Tops) are Available for Pre-Order!  Woo hoo!

For those who do not know, these are covers for the Madsen Cargo/Bucket bike that fit over the bucket to protect kids and cargo from the elements.  They make the Madsen into more of an all-weather vehicle, comparable to a convertible car putting it's top up.  My initial impression is that the design looks like it will work well for us and keep the kids a little warmer and drier in the blustery and rainy conditions that we sometimes experience in New England.  I hope that these tops are tall enough for our kids, particularly as they grow.  I think they'll be perfect, but I have to see one in real life.  They are a little pricey at $350.  However, I can't imagine how much time, energy and money I'd spend trying to make one myself.  These look elegant, functional, get out of the way when not in use, and the folding action reminds me of those old fashioned convertible cars from the early 19th century.  Now we can ride around town with the top up or down.  Makes me want to bring out the Madsen for more cold-weather rides.  I predict there will be a few spectators yelling out "Awesome Ride Dude!"

Madsen also has their Black Friday sale this week.  This is one of the best times of the year to buy one of these bikes, if you're in the market for one.  If you've read this blog, you know we are thrilled with our Madsen cargo bike.  It works well for us.  We'd love to see more families transporting their kids and other random cargo around town with any cargo bike, although we are a little biased towards this one.  We consider it a fun long-term investment for our whole family.

Here are a couple more photos of the cover fastening process, which can also be found on Madsen's Web Site.  I believe Madsen will have a video describing this as well.

Now the only question is... should we go topless or covered up?  We feel so European!
 
All stock Madsen kg271/BUCKET bike photos courtesy of Madsen Cycles.