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.

Riding an Xtracycle is a magical thing.

Sure, it’s practical, helps you exercise, invigorate your life and find an independence you may have thought never existed, but Marya hits the nail on the head with her initial impression of using and riding an Xtracycle:

A couple weeks later, Marya was sold. “This way of getting places just gives you something back”, she proclaimed. “When I drive I feel like I’m wasting my life away.” After just two weeks of pedaling my intellectually superior spouse was able to articulate what I had not after seven years. She also reported that when my son rides on the back of the Xtracycle, he likes to sing. “He’s my little radio”, she said. Can It get any cooler than that?

family biking and sharing the ride

Read full post at B-Town Biker Wants You To Bike More.

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.

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.

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.