Every Day Adventurers

Congrats to Jason Crane, who’s photo was selected by folks like you as the best Fall Xtracycle photo for 2010. Jason won $50 to the Xtracycle store, which he plans to use to purchase a MagicCarpet to cushion the ride for his passengers this fall. Thanks Jason, and everyone who voted!

Fall Photo Contest Winning Photo by Jason Crane

I’m the executive director of the New York Bicycling Coalition, a statewide advocacy group based in Albany, NY. I also founded RocBike.com, a site primarily for urban utility cyclists. I got my Xtracycle in October 2007 and took it for its maiden voyage on October 6. I named my Xtracycle The Packet Boat because I purchased it using money from a freelance gig as a jazz writer for The (Hilton Head) Island Packet newspaper. My wife also has an Xtracycle. She got hers in 2008. I’ve used mine to cover jazz festivals for my show The Jazz Session, take my kids to school, go grocery shopping, ride to poetry readings, and to ride 45 miles in the Livestrong Philly ride, raising more than $2,000 to fight cancer. We’ve done family camping on our Xtracycles and just generally had a blast.

I took the photo in Albany’s Washington Park, a very picturesque spot in downtown Albany, NY. I actually took the photo in black and white and was about to ride off when I thought, “Maybe I should take a color shot, too.” Then along came the Xtracycle photo contest, and now my kids’ rear ends will be more comfortable thanks to my prize — a new Magic Carpet. Thanks, Xtracycle!

In the spirit of adventure and following the lead of other Xtracycle bikestars, Pebble Pedalers Seth and Parker Berling are riding from Prudhoe Bay to Tierra del Fuego. Their purpose?

raise awareness of and garner support for protecting the Bristol Bay Watershed from the largest proposed open pit mine in North America. Riding through 15 countries—from Prudhoe Bay, the northernmost point accessible by road in Alaska, to Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of Argentina—we work towards preservation, protection and the restoration of watersheds throughout the Americas in partnership with Trout Unlimited. Please join our fight by educating yourselves on this critical issue and taking action with both pen and pocketbook.

Check out their photos of the trip thus far.

Pebble Pedaler Website

Ian Ritchie, a chef in Louisville, KY, delivers homemade “soup by cycle” after his own experience losing his job. Now he delivers his culinary delights on his Surly Big Dummy Xtracycle cargo bicycle.

Ritchie says he started his one-man business after being laid off. “I had trouble finding a job, you know, with today’s economy not too many people are hiring,” he says.

So after doing a little research, he began his operations at the end of winter. He says, “I just decided to cook some soup one night and go around and deliver it to make a little money.”

He started by delivering to a few friends, then word got around. So he’s been delivering a few more bowls of soup each week.

His business is not yet profitable, but he hopes to make it so as cooler weather approaches and there is more demand for his product.

The name of the business is SoupByCycle. Customers can order on line at http://www.soupbycycle.com. Mondays he spends shopping for the ingredients, Tuesday he spends the day cooking, and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are delivery days — about 25 miles of cycling in the hot summer weather each day.

“Everyone I run into seems to like soup, and I love making soup,” he says.

Soup delivered by bicycle – FOX41.com Louisville News Kentucky Indiana News Weather Sports.

Over at the RootsRadicals garden, the ‘Rads have shared some knot tying information that’s pretty helpful for lashing your cargo bicycle load.

Fat Rob suggests,

I find the bowline and the truckers hitch to be most useful when securing a load.

The bowline ties the end of a rope to whatever, it can be loosened and untied easily when it’s time, yet it won’t let go before it’s time.

The truckers hitch will cinch down and tighten a load, giving a 2 or 3 to 1 mechanical advantage.

Learn the bowline and trucker’s hitch with these animated instructions courtesy Grog’s Index. Devian also suggested learning the complicated knots to slow a would-be thief down. Of course, a knife will end any frustration quickly, but most criminals are in search of easy pickings. When tying two ropes together the double fisherman’s knot is handy.

Other options outside knot tying are CamStraps with bungees falling behind due to their stretchiness for heavy loads (and that whole hook-flying-through-the-air-aiming-for-your-eye-thing*). That being said, cargo bungee nets are very useful, especially the ones that lock your gear.

Of course, let’s knot forget the ever useful buckle straps on the FreeLoaders. Here SpokenWord demonstrates the over-top method of securing cargo on top the deck.

Whew, it’s tough keeping secrets, but making new products kinda demands it. One of our latest creations, Hoodie, has kicked around our brains, design tables and bikes for over a year now.

Last June, I got to borrow our solitary Hoodie to put it through some every day adventure pacing. While I couldn’t fit it on my Big Dummy (this current version is not compatible with Big Dummy, if you’re spending that kinda cash, just get the full blown FreeLoaders (plus they’re new for 2010!)), I was able to rock out the company FreeRadical.

2010 Hoodie Color Comparisons, none of which actually made it into production. Hoodie comes in two colors - Redical Red and Graphite Grey

My mission: gardening supplies and sustenance for los gatitos (cats for those not Spanishly inclined). Retrieve and pay for said items, load and lash as needed to my Xtracycle and ride home, event free.

My initial thoughts: lovin’ it. The sleek profile, minimalist style and straightforward features all appealed to me. The install was easy, like a glove. It felt secure, taught and ready to ride. The webbing down the spine seemed a bit over kill. Might be useful to tie things down to, but I can CamStrap more securely off the frame members of my bike or the FreeRadical (Note: the webbing is not on the production version). I’m happy the logo is small and subdued, a nice touch.

This is the Hoodie that Rick tested. That's the understated logo Rick liked, though production Hoodies have even more understated branding.

I thought I may have some issues with the lack of straps a la FreeLoaders, but the large side pockets held my goods with grace and fortitude. I wasn’t a big fan of how low the upper lip came, so we raised the height of the pocket about an 1″+.

Cinching down the pockets was easy and smooth. They held super tight, giving me confidence that they wouldn’t loosen or slowly open.

Since my pocket space was gobbled up by my soil bags, but still had cat food, litter and a lock left, I was happy I brought a CamStrap with me. Attaching to the handle of the FreeRadical, I looped it through the litter handle and over the food bag. I attached the cam end to the rear horizontal bridge of the FreeRad and cinched everything down nice and snug.

The ride home was uneventful. I shook, shimmied and slalomed down the biggest hills I could find, took the long way home, hopped a curb and nothing budged. Me like.

Conclusion: Hoodie rocks. From it’s clean looks, simple operation, nice lock pocket, reflective webbing and other features, I dig it. I know that may be a biased opinion, but keeping it simple has its merit. Another bonus, it’s $75! That, coupled with a FreeRadical, and you’re looking at $364 to fly your every day skies.

Learn more about what Hoodie features and fits at XC.com.