Every Day Adventurers

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Cargo Bicycles, Utility Bikes, Longtail Limos and other Xtracycle cycling chatter

Portland Pedal Power Tests New HD FreeRad

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!

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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.

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Safety in Lights (Updated)

Owning an Xtracycle means more real estate for fun gadgets like air horns, electric motors and lights. One of our perennial favorites is Rock the Bike’s Down Low Glow. Their dual tube offering meshes perfectly with an Xtracycle’s long wheelbase, casting a fun glow that is guaranteed to excite passersby.

On my own Xtracycle, a Surly Big Dummy, I’ve rocked out a Down Low Glow for over a year and love it. But, it does have its drawbacks. I have to charge the battery after two-hours of use, the brightness dims after about 75 minutes of use and The lights last a useful four hours on a full charge, with the lights dimming around 3 hours*. The only downside? The transformer/battery/cables add visual clutter to my already over-cluttered rig, but I don’t lose sleep over it.

I wanted to see if another option existed for sweet ground effects that did away with the cluttered look, gave me longer battery life and still made me visible to others on the street. I figured an LED setup would be the way to go considering their low energy consumption and bright light output. A couple Google searches landed me on Bike Brightz. Their lights feature 6-LEDs, three functions (steady, slow blink, fast blink) and come in a variety of colors. Would this compare and offer a good replacement for my Down Low Glows? Well, I had to get some to test first!
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A Radish A Day – Day 2

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!

Jessy Enjoying Her Radish LongTail
Day 2

I rode the Radish to my trainer’s studio for a kettlebell session, and when he opened the gate to greet me, he chuckled.

“What’s that?”

“It’s my new Cadillac! Isn’t it great?”

His wife stopped by to say hello and noticed the Radish parked out front.

“This is what I need for grocery shopping,” she said as she sized it up.

“That’s exactly what you can use it for!” In just two days, I have become Xtracycle’s newest Roots Radical.

We discussed how she is currently shopping for groceries, by slinging the bags on her handlebars. Her front tire gets wobbly, she can’t turn very well. Very unsafe.

I explained how the Radish handles (so smooth), how easy it is to turn (so easy), and how much it costs (so totally worth it).

I told her how I’ve used it so far and how I plan to use it in the future, and she was visibly excited. She wants one.

“I can really see this being a revolutionary urban bike,” she decided. I concur!

Later at the downtown Berkeley library bike racks, I pulled up next to a woman unhitching a bike that was longer than mine by a good twelve inches. She had a trailercycle attachment on her standard bike for her four year old daughter.

“Now that’s what I want,” she said wearily as I locked up.

Eager for more Xtracycle talk, I told her how much I’ve loved it in the two days I’ve been on it.

“I highly recommend it. It’s just so easy!” I said, as she struggled to maneuver out of a tight clearance area.

She explained that she had checked it out before at a Solano bike shop, but the Radish is just too expensive for her. My inner Xtracycle saleswoman kicked in.

“Oh, well you know they also have the Free Radical kit for your standard bike. It’s significantly less expensive.”

“Really? I didn’t know that. Thanks! I might have to check that out.”

In my Xtracycle conversion, I’m also trying to create other converts. And it feels good.

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