Every Day Adventurers

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!

Challenge Summary

My quest to drastically alter my lifestyle in 30 days by riding an Xtracycle instead of driving a car was predictably challenging. I expected to have a tough time sticking to this goal, but made up for it with a strong conviction not to give up.

Yes, I suffered a few lapses by driving bikeable distances, and while I expected to be able to ride to Indian Rock with climbing gear, I did not make it (although the bike is very well suited to carry said gear, including a 2’ x 3’ crash pad).

But what I learned and came to appreciate about the challenge was my gradual default to the bike over the car. Any time I can hop on two wheels instead of four, whether to save time in traffic, money in parking expenses, or the environment in cutting down on my emissions, I do. And that’s a start.

I keep trying to invent a reason why I don’t need this bike; I’m a young(ish), (almost) married person with no kids, I don’t shop for groceries more than three times a month, and can carry most of my necessities in a small purse. Maybe I don’t need the Radish, but it sure has made my life healthier, more convenient, and more fun. And who couldn’t use more of that in their lives?

Whereas I used to ride my bike for leisurely rolls with friends, now I ride my bike with more of a sense of purpose. And the greatest thing about this gradual default is that it wasn’t contrived. I don’t tell myself to hop on the bike. I just do it.

And I guess that’s what this challenge was all about: teaching a person on the fringe of the bike culture to embrace the lifestyle not just for the novelty and the political correctness, but for its truly redeeming rewards.

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!

Week 4 Recap

This week I experimented with comparing the Xtracycle experience with the rusted vintage Specialized experience. Having no cargo to haul for once, I hopped on my old bike and went for a ride around the neighborhood. Instantly, I felt a major difference. My handlebars didn’t seem as sturdy. My turns were noticeably more challenging. My shocks were nonexistent and bumps in the road popped out everywhere. My seat was not nearly as comfortable.

I want my Radish back! Even if I don’t have anything to carry, the ride is just so much more superior. And who needs twelve gears? I get by just fine with eight on the Radish. Chalk up another ten points for Team Xtracycle.

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!

Day 21

With a friend in town, it was another perfect time to give someone a ride on the Snap Deck. Having flown out from the Midwest and not knowing what an Xtracycle is, much less ever seeing one, it was an excellent virgin introduction to the Radish. She swung onto the SnapDeck with apprehension, but was willing to give it a try for the five blocks to the barbecue.

It was a bumpy start; I was on the phone as we pulled out of our driveway, but hung up and focused on the road. All the while, my passenger screamed while doing this. Not knowing what to expect, she wriggled on the deck, trying to adjust her balance, and the Radish pedaled along beautifully. I silently thanked its perfect sturdiness as we pulled into the drive of the ‘cue in two whole pieces.

And it’s a good thing we took the Radish, because I ended up with quite a heavy box full of kitchen gear and DVDs to take home with me from the host’s house. My house guest elected to walk home, and I started to walk with her and a friend, but with the weight of the box on one side of the bike, it was a little challenging to keep the bike upright as I walked. She encouraged me to hop on and ride, and relieved, that’s exactly what I did. Another day ends with my gratitude for the Radish.

Footsies have an image problem. Not only did KickBack relegate Footsies to second most popular Xtracycle product, KickBack also kept Footsies from coming along for the ride.

RootsRadical, Josh Larios, not content to let his passengers use KickBack’s foot posts, modified his well-loved Footsies to play nice with KickBack. Here’s his advice and info should you want to get Footsies back on their feet:

Footsies and KickBack, Happy At Last

Using 7/8″ OD aluminum pipe salvaged from a broken jogger/stroller I found at the side of the road, I’ve modified my Xtracycle’s Footsies to be compatible with the Kickback center stand.

If I had any decent plywood, this would have been a completely new build. As it was, I reused the platforms from the original Footsies and fabricated everything else. I have plenty of tubing left over, though, so I may build a new set later, completely from scratch. There are some elements of this prototype that I’m not particularly happy with (spacers, loose tolerances leading to difficulty attaching/removing).

Note: Due to the farther standoff caused by KickBack, the heels of your existing Footsies will need to be angled in to reach the FreeRadical chainstay to properly velcro in place.

Visit Josh’s flickr page for all his build photos and share-away your own Footsie DITs!

Ride On!

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!

Day 15

Riding downhill to my trainer’s studio this morning, I felt a sudden shifting under my pedals. The Radish was hopping gears on its own and I felt a slight panic. Aside from putting air into tires with my brand new pump, I really don’t know a thing about bicycle maintenance, and definitely don’t roll with a tool belt to fix things like fallen chains. I pedaled—gently—after my session to Mike’s Bikes to get a diagnosis.

Mike’s Bikes is my go-to shop for gear, mainly because it’s near my house and they play great music in the store. An added bonus, the employees are friendly and knowledgeable, and I always get helped right away. Standing in line at the maintenance shop in the back of the store, a guy in front of me asked about the Radish.

“How does it handle?”
“I just carted a load full of groceries and it handled awesome. Didn’t even feel the weight.”
“Really? Looks like a cool bike.”
“I love it. I’ve gotten a couple of people on the Snap Deck too.”
“Oh yeah? (really checking out the Radish now) Like bike surfing? That’s rad!”
“It’s Rad-ish. That’s what it’s called. The Radish.”
“Hilarious. That’s perfect.”
“I totally recommend it. It’s a lot of fun.”

The guy who helped me explained that since the bike is brand new, the chain was likely “stretching” a little from the usage. He showed me a small adjustment I could make on my own on the brake cable, but offered to take it for a quick spin in the parking lot to adjust it for me. A couple of minutes later, he returned on the Radish, cruising slowly through the store while pedaling quickly in first gear amid cat calls and whistles from his fellow coworkers.

Dismantling from the Radish like a cowboy (or girl) from his (or her) horse, he told me the adjustment should fix the problem. I was welcome to ride around for a few minutes to test it out, and if all was well, I could just ride on. Sweet! Problem fixed at no charge. Next time I have a bike issue, Mike’s Bikes will have my business all the way.