Every Day Adventurers

My wife and I have been riding cargo bikes in New York City for the past three years . Typically we are shopping for groceries and transporting our children to/from school or the gym and carrying all of our miscellaneous bags. We do not own a car and we ride year round unless there is ice on the street.  We own two cargo bikes, a Kona Ute and a Yuba Mundo. The Kona came with two grocery type bags and we had each been using one of those. The Kona bags are not great, but are basically functional with limited capacity. I have been searching for a bag that would fit these over-size racks and that could be left attached, so the idea of being able to take an Xtracycle bag and use it on our bikes was welcome. Since the Freeloader bags are not designed specifically for use on these frames it required a little trial and error to make it work. But I am happy to report that the bags can fit on both frames and have increased our carrying capacity tremendously.

The installation on both frames was similar, with the Kona requiring a little more work. I had to loosen the screws that hold the Kona deck to the frame in order to position and install the bag. Initially I had the bag installed in a more forward position, but I quickly found that I was kicking it with every revolution of the pedals. I moved each frame clip back one space and that has worked well. Tighten the screws holding the deck when you are happy with the position of the bag. The deck I built on the Yuba does not cover the entire width of the rack so this did not interfere with installation of the bag. There are four remaining clips and brackets that are designed to attach onto the Xrtracycle frame. Here I used heavy duty wire ties. On both bikes the front most clip is extended and attached to the seat tube.

On the Kona the two bottom clips are tied to the chain stay, On the Yuba I attached one clip to the chain stay and the second to the sideloader bars. The rear clip on both frames is wrapped around the rear rack stay and clipped back into the bag.

Using wire ties will prevent easy removal of the bags. This is not a problem for us since we leave our bikes locked on the street and it prevents someone from walking off with the bag. If you anticipate having to remove the bags I think you could fashion some additional clips and velcro them to the frame.

One note of caution that does not really have anything to do with the use of the bags on these specific frames: The straps that tighten the bag around your payload tend to hang out and flop around a lot. My wife actually got caught on a loop of metal sticking out from a barricade when the flapping strap got stuck. We have been trying to tuck the straps in since that happened. The bags have not interfered with our ability to carry a passenger comfortably. My wife frequently carries both children on the Yuba and they report having adequate space for their feet. In general we have found the use of the Freeloader bag to have made it much easier to carry our stuff on a daily basis. They are well designed, easy to clean, and made to last. We have been using our baskets less and started carrying heavy bags in the back. They carry the weight lower on the frame which makes the bike easier to ride.

Editor Update: This is a semi-permanent solution for getting Footsies to work with KickBack. If you want to use WideLoaders, you’ll have to remove the bolts holding the Footsies on, so only do this mod if a) you’re fine voiding your warranty and b) don’t use WideLoaders.

KickBack is all the rage these days regarding our DIT tutorials. Our most recent tutorial focused on extending the peg platform of KickBack by using the handles off a Razor scooter. You can read up on that post here.

Taking passenger appeasement a step further, I wanted to explore a fast, simple solution to get your Footsies to play nice with KickBack. This mod will void your Footsie warranty, so proceed with caution (and if not installed properly, may void your KickBack warranty, too). Let’s begin!

Read the rest of this entry »

A customer recently outfitted his Xtracycle Radish with a BionX (pronounced by-on-ex) electric assist motor. Powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, the motor wheel provides acceleration assistance with your pedaling.

They’re pricey ($1200-$1700 depending on the battery size and range), but if you’re consistently hauling heavy cargo, or just live in an area with lots of hills, electric assist may be the ride you’re looking for.

On of our Xtracycle dealers,Cycle9, has a wealth of knowledge regarding electrified bicycles, and is a great place to start exploring if you’re interested in electrifying your ride. They’re also certified longtail experts with tons of experience installing motor assist on two wheels.

Here are some details of the BionX system:

• The BionX kit includes: a spoked wheel with motor, console, battery mount with cables, battery pack and charger.
• Wheel sizes: 700c, 26″, 24″, 20″, 18″, all with a standard 135 mm rear drop-out.
• Gearing installation is easy with threaded freewheels.
• The Bionx system can be installed on a Xtracycle tandem, folding bike or recumbent; any bicycle with a standard shifting system.
• The Bionx control console includes a programmable anti-theft alarm and a thumb throttle for instant acceleration.
• The Bionx motor wheel is compatible with disc or rim brakes.
• Variable-speed thumb throttles are included with all Bionx 350 and 500 watt electric conversion kits.

Courtesy of Greenspeed.us

Here’s a video of Rick’s test ride:
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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!

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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!

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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.