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.

Elaine Nelson just passed the one year mark owning her Xtracycle. We’re happy to report that she’s still in love with her ride:

I love love love being able to carry whatever around town. A change of clothes to work? No problem. A gallon of milk on the way home? Sure! A big bag of library books? But of course, and why not the laptop, too? My personal maneuverability limit is way less than the weight limit, so I’ve gotten nowhere near that so far as I can tell. But that leaves a hell of a lot of stuff that I can carry.

You can read her full recap here. Thanks for taking the chance with our product, Elaine, we’re stoked and glad you’re able to enhance your every day adventure.

One of our custom Big Dummy customers, Scott of Washington D.C., recently wrote to RootsRadicals about his experience riding his longtail in the icy, slick and packed down snow. Take it away, Scott!

Another Xtracycle rider on a Radish embarking on a grocery store run

So if you haven’t heard, we have been suffering through the Snowpocalypse. Washington DC has had something like 30 to 50 inches of snow during the past week. I haven’t had much of a chance to take the BD out (no snow tires), but have gotten out twice and can give everyone a testimonial of winter longtail riding.

I can say with confidence that the longer wheelbase of my Big Dummy really, really helped in the slippery stuff. I rode once with about three fresh inches on the street and again a couple of days later after the streets had been plowed under much worse road conditions. On the second trip, I carried a small load back from my local package store (two sixers and a half case of wine). The extra weight in the back really locked down the rear end despite the ice, snow and slush. I had next to no tire slippage as I carefully tread my way back home (with bottles cheerfully clinking along the way).

I’m looking forward to getting back on the streets after this round of snow finishes. I think we’ll end up with only eight inches this time.

Scott
Washington, DC

FreeRadical + Surly Endomorph Tires = Fun in the Snow

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.