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.

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 17

I’m really getting the hang of riding with full FreeLoaders, and cherishing the ability to finally shop at Berkeley Bowl. Who has the patience to circle the parking lot for half an hour while looking for a spot to put the car? With the Radish I can park in front of the door and be out with a full load in that same amount of time. And that’s exactly what I did today, like a pro.

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 19

Today seemed like the perfect day to boulder with a couple of friends on a 30-foot hunk of rhyolite in the Berkeley Hills, also known as Indian Rock. I-Rock is about 2.5 miles uphill from where I live, and thus, “totally bikeable.” However the temperature on this day turned out to be 80 degrees by 11:00 a.m.

I’m going to admit something; please don’t judge. I staked out my proposed route in a car first. Then I decided not to bike it.

But here is my reasoning. Bouldering is a passion of mine, and it’s not often that I get to boulder outdoors with friends in the middle of a perfect day. In 80-degree weather, I couldn’t afford to be zapped of all my energy from biking before ever reaching the rock. It wouldn’t be safe for either activity.

And so, Indian Rock will have to wait for cooler weather before it gets to meet the Radish. It’s okay for the Radish to have high standards.