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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Many folks have inquired about the new bags pictured with 2010 Radish here.

Here’s an initial post to satisfy some of that curiosity, though it is by no means the definitive and final product information for these products. That is to say, there is more to come.

2010 Hoodie

For as long as I’ve been here at Xtracycle, I have longed to be able to offer a more reasonably priced Xtracycle package that does most of what the current FreeRadical + LongTail Kit offers. We sought a way to maintain super high quality and utility, but also how to make a big dent in the price (currently $489 for the kit most folks purchase). Hoodie came about as we considered ways to simplify/reduce cost on what are three separate items (SnapDeck, Right FreeLoader bag, Left FreeLoader bag). The name Hoodie, and the function of this simple system, evokes the integrated sweatshirt-hat-gloves that’s an ever so comfortable and simple way to stay warm.

Simultaneously, we were seeking a different aesthetic than the FreeLoader/SnapDeck combo - something more sleek, unified and integrated. Less of the straps-a-plenty look and feel, and more of the wheel fairing or engine cowling look. A true cover, hiding all the mechanical intricacies, and leaving only a pure form - function and fashion. Okay, so no one would say that a Hoodie sweatshirt is the essence of form meets function, but there is something casual yet cool about wearing a Hoodie out to brunch.

Hoodie Features:

• Hoodie has two bags that open out to accept objects large and small, soft and hard (max box size seems to be a case of 24 bottled beers).
• Hoodie has an integrated ABS frame sheet that acts as a deck for light passengering, and carrying items on top of the Xtracycle
• Hoodie is made of 600D polyester, and reflective webbing.
• Hoodie will work with V-Racks and P-Racks
• Hoodie has a U-lock pocket, which could also be used for keys, cell phone, tools, etc.
• Hoodie has a 6 point attachment system to secure it to Xtracycle
• Hoodie is not compatible with Big Dummy
• Hoodie has a small silkscreened Xtracycle logo at rear bottom, and 2 Xtracycle tags on either side.
• Hoodie is compatible with all FreeRadicals produced by Xtracycle
• Hoodie, though not yet tested, should be compatible with Terra Cycles Cargo Monster
• Initially, Hoodie will come in two colors - Charcoal and Redical
• Hoodie is not compatible with any Xtracycle decks or PeaPodLT.
• Hoodie Kit (1 Hoodie, 2 V-Racks) estimated retail price: $125
• Buying an Xtracycle FreeRadical and Hoodie Kit estimated retail price: $364

NOTE on Big Dummy compatibility: The Hoodie was not intentionally designed to be BigDummy non-compliant. The design of the BigDummy (with one large boom style seat stay coming down from the seat tube) is fundamentally different than that of a bike + FreeRad. To make the Hoodie work with BigDummy, we would have had to alter the design, losing our beloved LockPocket, the easy install, and full fairing coverage. Furthermore, we were focused on making the Hoodie an entry level solution. BigDummy customers we felt were already stepping out of ‘entry-level’ sphere, looking for something more, so we ultimately resolved that the Hoodie would not work with Surly’s product, by circumstance not by design. Much love to the BigDummy! We made some new FreeLoaders that you Big Dummy customers are going to love! Hope to post info on those tomorrow…

Hoodie Pictures:

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Owning an Xtracycle means more real estate for fun gadgets like air horns, electric motors and lights. One of our perennial favorites is Rock the Bike’s Down Low Glow. Their dual tube offering meshes perfectly with an Xtracycle’s long wheelbase, casting a fun glow that is guaranteed to excite passersby.

On my own Xtracycle, a Surly Big Dummy, I’ve rocked out a Down Low Glow for over a year and love it. But, it does have its drawbacks. I have to charge the battery after two-hours of use, the brightness dims after about 75 minutes of use and The lights last a useful four hours on a full charge, with the lights dimming around 3 hours*. The only downside? The transformer/battery/cables add visual clutter to my already over-cluttered rig, but I don’t lose sleep over it.

I wanted to see if another option existed for sweet ground effects that did away with the cluttered look, gave me longer battery life and still made me visible to others on the street. I figured an LED setup would be the way to go considering their low energy consumption and bright light output. A couple Google searches landed me on Bike Brightz. Their lights feature 6-LEDs, three functions (steady, slow blink, fast blink) and come in a variety of colors. Would this compare and offer a good replacement for my Down Low Glows? Well, I had to get some to test first!
Read the rest of this entry »

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Jessy Clonts, our neighbor in the Bay Area, test rode a Radish for 30-days this spring. This is a journal about her expectations, experiences and feedback. Enjoy!

Everyone talks about living their lives more “green,” and reducing their carbon footprint, but beyond taking reusable bags to the store in the City CarShare Prius and composting the recyclable compact fluorescent light bulbs, who truly walks the walk?

When a friend challenged me to forgo driving for riding an Xtracycle for 30 days, I secretly panicked for a moment, then accepted enthusiastically. Like many Californians, I enjoy an active lifestyle that includes biking for fun.

But this challenge required me to run all of my errands on bike, and the Midwest in me couldn’t imagine hauling groceries on two wheels. I know people do it everyday, but I am notoriously clumsy; my last bike crash was about three weeks prior to the challenge and I’m still nursing a sprained wrist.

I’m determined to prove not only that I can rise to the challenge and do well, but that I truly can modify my lifestyle in a positive, healthy, responsible (and less expensive) way. Anyone can try anything for a month, but I want to want to embrace a bicycle lifestyle permanently.

I don’t expect this 30-day challenge to be easy, but I do expect it to be interesting. And so it begins.

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Day 1

I have to admit I was nervous to convert from a “regular” bike to an Xtracycle. I worried about the safety, the handling, and whether or not I could be trusted not to crash it. As I took it for a test spin I worried about my turn radius; could I cut sharp corners if I needed to? Could I brake hard and fast? What if I needed to bail off the seat? In the midst of my concerns, I had somehow turned into some sort of danger-wielding stunt master. But once I rode it around a parking lot a couple of times, I realized it actually handled better than my “regular” bike.

For the inaugural trip out, I loaded the Free Loader saddlebags with my heavy backpack, climbing gear, a change of clothing, and a water bottle. I put my U-lock in the handy hidden pocket and off I rode to the gym. Cruising down the bicycle boulevard, I got nods and smiles from nearly everyone I passed. Was that normal? Having rocked a rusted vintage Specialized for the last year, I felt like a million bucks on my shiny new Radish.

Pulling up to the bike rack at Berkeley Ironworks, I worried that I wouldn’t be able to lock up the bike as I normally would. But my U-lock did its job. The back end of the bike protruded an extra 15 inches further than the other bikes, and I couldn’t help but smile to myself when I looked back at my Radish parked alongside the rest of the bikes.

My friends were intrigued. They wanted a ride on the back. We jetted to an empty parking lot where we took turns giving each other rides on the Snap Deck. One friend managed to give both 115-pound girls a tandem ride; the triumph of the evening.

When I got home, my landlord was pulling in the trash cans from the sidewalk.

“Nice bike. It looks like a station wagon!”

“Thanks,” I said. “That’s sort of the idea!”

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