Every Day Adventurers

I’ve been wanting to find a great rear light for my PeaPodLT for months now. Unfortunately, nothing seems to clip well to the various openings on the back of the seat, so I’ve come to terms with the need to modify.

This post details the modification process, but I’ve only just put it on, so I can’t necessarily recommend this product for the long haul, yet. Will add to this post as I learn more about the light itself. My main concerns are, as with all LED lights, battery life, and then with this particular install, gradual rattling of hardware such that the light becomes loose or falls off.

The light is a German rear seatpost light made by Sigma.

First, you need to disassemble the light mount probably intended for the seat post and rescue the two plastic parts - one of which accepts the light, the other as a kind of wedge to orient the light more or less perpendicular to the ground (very nice on the sloped back of the PeaPod).


Using a 3/8″5/32″ bit, drill a hole through the PeaPod shell that emerges below the level of the seat pad on the other side (to cushion your little rider’s back from the minimal hardware we will use to attach the light to the seat.


After a good while of searching for a nut that would work on the existing screw that held the seatpost mount assembly together, I finally just switched to a slightly larger diameter screw and nut combo I had in my hardware bin. The nice thing about this, is that the screw bound a little to the plastic of the light mount and the seat, acting as a kind of built in loctite to prevent excessive rattling. Additionally, the nut I found was very flat, and the overall length of the hardware was such that there was no sharp screw end poking through the nut. Screw + nut were flush (well, pretty much) under the pad.


The light has a nice feature that it can be mounted horizontally, for that KnightRider effect, or vertically. This light has a few different patterns, some of which are intermittent enough that they won’t likely draw down the two AAA batteries too fast.


More to come!

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Here’s where to get replacement SpringPins for your WideLoaders, or any other Xtracycle DIT project you’re working on:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#pins/=6397fh

But wait, that link doesn’t get you all the way there - here’s the exact part number: 92988A730

Enter this number in the “Find” search bar - and it will take you right to the part you need!

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One of our custom Big Dummy customers, Scott of Washington D.C., recently wrote to RootsRadicals about his experience riding his longtail in the icy, slick and packed down snow. Take it away, Scott!

Another Xtracycle rider on a Radish embarking on a grocery store run

So if you haven’t heard, we have been suffering through the Snowpocalypse. Washington DC has had something like 30 to 50 inches of snow during the past week. I haven’t had much of a chance to take the BD out (no snow tires), but have gotten out twice and can give everyone a testimonial of winter longtail riding.

I can say with confidence that the longer wheelbase of my Big Dummy really, really helped in the slippery stuff. I rode once with about three fresh inches on the street and again a couple of days later after the streets had been plowed under much worse road conditions. On the second trip, I carried a small load back from my local package store (two sixers and a half case of wine). The extra weight in the back really locked down the rear end despite the ice, snow and slush. I had next to no tire slippage as I carefully tread my way back home (with bottles cheerfully clinking along the way).

I’m looking forward to getting back on the streets after this round of snow finishes. I think we’ll end up with only eight inches this time.

Scott
Washington, DC

FreeRadical + Surly Endomorph Tires = Fun in the Snow

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ingenious!, originally uploaded by xtracycleinc.

Low budget days, er months, getting you down? Want to reuse something destined for the dump? Wrap your V-racks with a used road tube (30-35c) and receive a variety of benefits. Keep your buckles from sliding on the racks, prevent water from seeping into your uprights and look ninja.

Spotted outside Artcrank SF poster show.

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After living in temperate climes for the past five years, I’ve lost a little of my Nor’easter edge. But those RootsRadicals and Tweeters living in winter’y zones are chatting about riding tips regarding cold, wet, icy riding. Nice thing about a longtail, you’ve got a longer wheelbase = more stable.

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