Have you ever struggled with balancing the shopping on your bike? Or overloaded your backpack and wished for a reprieve? An alternative bicycle design might be the answer to your woes. From commuting to touring, longtail bicycles have a lot to offer.

For a start, these bikes have a long wheel base - with the rear wheel shifted further back - to provide a stable rear carrier. The frames tend to be quite robust, also to support additional cargo weight. Compared to bike trailers and panniers, longtail bikes have easier handling and lower centres of gravity.

Different bike manufacturers offer longtail designs. Yuba Mundo is a steel-frame German bike that can handle up to 200 kilograms of cargo. It is available in 1-speed and 6-speed models. Sideloader bars allow passengers to rest their feet out of the way. The US-made UTE, made by Kona, offers a long rear rack that can hold four panniers and several passengers. The Bilenky cargo bike is another option, with the potential for accommodating more speeds with a derailleur.

A similar effect can be obtained using a frame extender. Essentially, this consists of a kit that includes moving the rear wheel, providing racks and cargo straps. The Big Dummy made by Surly is a bike frame designed to hold an Xtracycle extender. It also offers perks such as integrated foot supports for a rear passenger. Xtracycle carried the first North American longtail bikes, and they have been available about 10 years. They make the Free Radical conversion kit, which should fit most bikes, as well as a wide range of related accessories.

There are more specialized variations available. For example, Bakfiets makes a traditional Dutch cargo bicycle that can also fit two small children. Some bike stores carry this model in the US and Canada.

There are some significant drawbacks to longtail bicycles. For one, they require substantial storage space at home. And street parking needs a strategic approach, with about 8 feet of bike with which to contend. Conventional car and bus racks will not work well with these longer models. In addition, the size and weight of the bikes makes them a little more work - at first. Other new tricks must be learned: parking upright for loading, wider turns, handling curbs,and so on. In fact, these all become second nature in no time.

The benefits of longtail bicycles are clear. They offer extensive cargo and passenger potential, with the convenience and zero-emissions of a bike. People who ride them extol the virtues. One minor point: it might be worth considering the legal implications of carrying passengers on the road, at least in Canada and the US. At the very least, bike helmets would be smart ...