Every Day Adventurers

Almost 2 years ago, we profiled Jay Marlette, who had decided to make his home inspection business greener by adding an Xtracycle to the mix. As you can see from our photos and video, this wasn’t a small commitment.  The ladder is longer than the Xtracycle!

When people make a shift like this, it’s natural to wonder how things worked out.  So guess who I ran into the other day just as he was wrapping up a home inspection:

Two years later and he’s still going strong!  A lot of people can say they’ve gone green, but when you see Jay riding around town hauling that ladder, you know he’s walking the talk.

Some things need to be seen to be believed, so if you want to check out Jay’s geared-up Xtracycle and ask him about his experiences in going green via bike, both Jay and his ride will be at the Berkeley Earth Day celebration this Saturday, April 23rd (12-5pm, Civic Center Park).  As part of the Earth Day celebration, Jay will be fielding general home questions and can also offer advice on ways to make your home more energy efficient.

The Earth Day celebration will have free valet bike parking (which we love to hear). For complete event details, click here.

Jennifer Dederich, co-owner of Portland Pedal Power, talks about using the Xtracycle Heavy Duty (HD) FreeRadical for her bicycle powered delivery service and business promotion.

The HD can handle 350 lbs of cargo, mounts to most 26″ mountain bicycle frames, accepts rim or disc brakes and can fit a 29er rear wheel.

We’re looking forward to more tests from PPP and our other Heavy Duty FreeRadical cargo bike testers, the Stomparillaz!

Video and Editing done by Jon Garcia of Lake Productions with camera work by Lauren Pollock.

Check out some prototype photos on XtracycleGallery.com

Read the Riding the Spine review of their HD FreeRad.

the family steed

As most Xtracycle owners know, doing more with your bicycle and less with your car instills a feeling of independence like no other.

Your ability to tackle the day’s requests of errands, tasks and trips by using your bicycle and your own power instead of pollution causing, money draining automobiles builds a self-reliance that only grows with time.

So, I totally relate to Michael’s enthusiasm about his wife stating, “I think I’d like to get an Xtracycle.”

While I’m happy to hear that another American is thinking about using our cargo bikes, I’m more excited because I know what a positive impact owning one will have on her life.

Irene, Michael’s wife, I’m sure already knows about the benenfits of cargo bicycle ownership, her husband rocks out on a Big Dummy already. But, just as my wife knew of the benefits and utility of my cargo bike, she didn’t quite ‘get it’ until I built up her first Xtracycle this past fall.

Normally I’m the one who hauls her, our groceries, our laundry and other tasks of substantial size because my Xtracycle is easier to access and it’s what we’re used to. However, recently I went away for a trip to see my grandparents and Alicia, my wife, was stuck with laundry duty. Instead of lugging it piecemeal to the laundromat by short bike, she utilized her FreeRadical and finished the task without hassle or inconvenience.

On our nightly reconnect by cellular, she proudly informed me that she tackled the laundry using her Xtracycle. I asked how it went and she said, “Piece of cake!” :) She’s using her Xtracycle more and feeling empowered by the capability of her steed, and I’m excited to see her sharing the same sentiments that I felt in my first months of Xtracycle ridership.

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Read Michael’s full post on why they’re going car-light and upgrading their family to a two-Xtracycle family.

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).

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!