Electric installer LionTail Cycles in Seattle WA sent us this snapshot of an electrified Xtracycle they built as part of a clean-tech competition.
Here’s the scoop from Henry Kellogg of LionTail Cycles:
I was planning on sending you all a description of the project, but it looks like you found me out first! Yep, I teamed up with a couple other mechanical engineering students and entered a student design competition as LionTail Cycles, and we built a electric bike kit that integrates fully with the XtraCycle and incorporates a high efficiency solar array.
The battery enclosure is made out of aluminum and has snaphooks on the bottom. Inside there’s a controller, a 10 amp hour, 26V LiPO4 battery, and a BMS to manage the current to the battery cells when charging.
The enclosure is topped by 6 of these panels, meaning that in ideal conditions this solar array will output 20 watts — and charge the battery in a breathtaking 13 hours! :) In Seattle’s less than ideal conditions, we measured that 5 hours out in the sun (with a few clouds) charged about 25% of the battery — which is ~ 6 miles of assist. So while solar technology isn’t quite up for the task yet, this not just a toy.
For the full article from which the photo above came, click here.
Questions about this technology? Submit your comments below for responses from Henry.
Sean, a Big Dummy owner, sent us some helpful advice regarding roof racks that work well with long wheelbases. His rack is ATOC’s BT-63 (BT = Bike Topper; 63 = 63″ tray length). Sean was looking at other options on the market, including DIY hacks, but found the price and fit of the BT-63 to match his needs perfectly.
Whew, it’s tough keeping secrets, but making new products kinda demands it. One of our latest creations, Hoodie, has kicked around our brains, design tables and bikes for over a year now.
Last June, I got to borrow our solitary Hoodie to put it through some every day adventure pacing. While I couldn’t fit it on my Big Dummy (this current version is not compatible with Big Dummy, if you’re spending that kinda cash, just get the full blown FreeLoaders (plus they’re new for 2010!)), I was able to rock out the company FreeRadical.
2010 Hoodie Color Comparisons, none of which actually made it into production. Hoodie comes in two colors - Redical Red and Graphite Grey
My mission: gardening supplies and sustenance for los gatitos (cats for those not Spanishly inclined). Retrieve and pay for said items, load and lash as needed to my Xtracycle and ride home, event free.
My initial thoughts: lovin’ it. The sleek profile, minimalist style and straightforward features all appealed to me. The install was easy, like a glove. It felt secure, taught and ready to ride. The webbing down the spine seemed a bit over kill. Might be useful to tie things down to, but I can CamStrap more securely off the frame members of my bike or the FreeRadical (Note: the webbing is not on the production version). I’m happy the logo is small and subdued, a nice touch.
This is the Hoodie that Rick tested. That's the understated logo Rick liked, though production Hoodies have even more understated branding.
I thought I may have some issues with the lack of straps a la FreeLoaders, but the large side pockets held my goods with grace and fortitude. I wasn’t a big fan of how low the upper lip came, so we raised the height of the pocket about an 1″+.
Cinching down the pockets was easy and smooth. They held super tight, giving me confidence that they wouldn’t loosen or slowly open.
Since my pocket space was gobbled up by my soil bags, but still had cat food, litter and a lock left, I was happy I brought a CamStrap with me. Attaching to the handle of the FreeRadical, I looped it through the litter handle and over the food bag. I attached the cam end to the rear horizontal bridge of the FreeRad and cinched everything down nice and snug.
The ride home was uneventful. I shook, shimmied and slalomed down the biggest hills I could find, took the long way home, hopped a curb and nothing budged. Me like.
Conclusion: Hoodie rocks. From it’s clean looks, simple operation, nice lock pocket, reflective webbing and other features, I dig it. I know that may be a biased opinion, but keeping it simple has its merit. Another bonus, it’s $75! That, coupled with a FreeRadical, and you’re looking at $364 to fly your every day skies.
We’ve always been awed and inspired by the creatives in the cycling world. From Tom Ritchey to Joe the Frame Welder, someone, right now, is out there tinkering on the next new, cool cycling thing.
TerraCycle is one of those inspirational creatives. They design and manufacture a multitude of recumbent parts and accessories. Then they decided to adopt the Longtail Standard to make recumbents more cargo friendly and made a longtail extension that utilizes Xtracycle accessories and gear.
‘BentRider managing editor, Bryan J. Ball, recently installed a CargoMonster on their recumbent and are smitten with what they can do with it:
What cannot be denied is how amazingly useful the Cargo Monster is. It’s a technically brilliant solution that begs to be used. I could always manage to go get groceries on a standard trike but having the Cargo Monster made me WANT to go get groceries. In the cycling world, the only thing more hip right now than a fixed gear is a longtail and in my cycling-centric neighborhood, the Cargo Monster completely removed the TerraTrikes leaper status. It’s just… Cool. And there are so many Xtracycle options available that it’s easy to sit in front of the computer for hours and dream of things that you can carry on your Cargo Monster. (my emphasis)
Recent Comments