Every Day Adventurers

My wife and I live in a small apartment with five of our bicycles living with us. The first moment of zen came when I realized I was tall enough to store my lighter road/mtn bikes horizontally against the ceiling, but my Big Dummy still took up a commanding amount of square footage.

We recently shifted the rooms around and need that precious footprint to be reduced. Problem was, I need to store the Dummy on it’s tail, but maneuvering a wheel-less Big Dummy like that was bound to scratch and damage the rear bridge tube. What I need were some casters to allow me easy positioning and storage of my Xtracycle cargo bike in a vertical position.

I sketched up a design diagram, chatted with Ross about some potential pitfalls, and dove right in. Was a bit hasty about the initial two prototypes, but finally ironed out my issues with the third version.

Now I can easily bring the bike inside, hold the rear brake, lift up the wheel, TailWheels make contact, and then I push on my MagicCarpet with my knee while still holding the handlebars to get it into full, mobile and upright position.

It’s also been a boon for use on BART and elevators. No more scratched paint or dented tubes!

Ride on!

View more detailed comments for TailWheels on flickr.

The Xtracycle platform’s coolest feature, IMHO, is its modularity and ability to customize the platform for specific tasks. Numerous Xtracycle riders have utilized the plug-n-play features of their X’s for years. Wes Trout, an Xtra owner for 3 years, has taken customizing his Xtracycle to an impressive level.

We’ve occasionally interacted via the RootsRadicals Yahoo! Xtracycle user group, but recent record snowfalls and his newest invention, the Snow Plow, caught my eye and I had to get more details on his projects. Read the full interview below about how Wes started his own business, Shifting Gears, catering to the needs of businesses seeking sustainable solutions for their needs, and his perspective on cargo cycling culture.

Wes Trout with his cargo bike snow plow

Read the rest of this entry »

From the Land Down Under comes another tales of Xtracycle happiness and utility. Take it away, Bruce!

Dear Cheeky,

The Xtracycle you sent me has been up and running for a few weeks now, and has become indispensable in our family transport options.

I’ve installed a 200w Bafang rear hub motor, which makes the steep hills around here manageable, even with big loads. It’s been particularly useful when the local roads have been damaged in the January flood rains. It carries loads of stuff, including our weekly Foodconnect delivery to Mt Nebo, 11km of steep mountain roads away, and transporting our 6yo to and from play dates.

It’s a good quality bit of gear. I’ve used the disk brake mount, which requires a 203mm disk which really gets cooking on the long steep descents around here. I think it will save rims and reduce the risk of heat blowouts. I’ll be interested to see how well pads, calipers and disks last, as I’ve never had a bike with disks before.

Thanks for getting it to me last year. I think if people knew how useful the Xtracycle was (especially with a motor), you would sell heaps more of them.

Emphasis mine

See more of Bruce’s Xtracycle cargo bike and explore more Cheeky(ness).

Kathleen is a PeaPod Pilot, turned mama-cyclist extraordinaire!

In her latest post, Kathleen shares 8 reasons to bike commute with your children. Her first reason is our favorite ’cause it’s true!

8 Reasons To Bike Commute With Your Kids | Utility Cycling.

Rider of the week: Longtail commuter Riley Merline | Tucson Velo

Riley is a longtime cyclist, loving and riding his Gary Fisher hardtail for over 12 years, but recently upgraded his utility by adding an Xtracycle FreeRadical conversion kit.

The impetus for the upgrade was the dreaded, “I wish I didn’t have to carry everything in my backpack,” syndrome. Now, Riley doesn’t have to fret about what he can/can’t carry during his commute.

Congrats on the lifestyle upgrade, Riley and thanks Tucson Velo for the profile!

Ride on!