Partially sponsored by Xtracycle

Bikes are not TOYS!

A page dedicated to the use of bicycles as USEFUL objects!

Partially sponsored by Xtracycle!

This is the Xtracycle! I have taken the liberty of copying a photo of what you can carry on an X and as soon as mine arrives, you will find these replaced by photos taken by me. But for the moment, this will have to suffice! My apologies to Xtracycle for taking the photo for my use. It will be changed soon!

I have long been a fan of bicycles that are designed to perform a useful purpose, and the Xtracycle is a huge step in that direction. While it may not be perfect, it certainly has some wonderful ideas and engineering behind it! Owners of Xtracycles seem to be radically in love with the bike and the occasional review that does not fully agree with them is often attacked! Well, at least, "corrected!" Also, the people at Xtracycle appear to have their heads on relatively straight in relation to their ability to change the world through helping others! A part of their profits go toward helping third world nations through setting up cargo bicycles for those who need them.

But in reality, the concept of the cargo bicycle is very good. A bicycle is a useful device and is badly limited by the design of standard bicycles. There is very little cargo capacity on a standard bicycle and even those designed to "tour" on are often more akin to road racers than to the actual need of a touring rider to carry useful items and equipment. Most bike carrier racks are limited to about 40-50 lbs capacity and the heaviest items are often placed on top of the rack, which is the WORST possible place. Then again, there are front panniers as well that carry a load on the FRONT wheel which makes the bike sluggish and heavy as well as stressing the front of the bike. So why not put the weight low and between the wheels? Because the frame is too short, that is why! There have been several different solutions that have been carried out over the years.

A few years ago, I found that the Greenspeed company was producing a trike that was designed to carry cargo. This was an offshoot of their tandem line and simply replaced the rear seat with a cargo box. This intrigued me as I was interested in the utility of a bicycle more than the apparent aim of nearly every other cyclist I knew, and that was emulating Lance Armstrong. A worthy goal in reality, but hardly useful in the broad scheme of things as this buys into the "Bikes are Toys" mindset. Even "serious" cyclists have succumbed to the idea that a bicycle is some sort of recreational device or toy for children who want to be able to go faster than run. It used to be that bicycles were fairly utilitarian and local school bike racks were packed with bikes of every size and description. Today those bike racks are nearly deserted, and virtually every bicycle sold is simply an advanced form of treadmill!

I would argue with this point and the Xtracycle is the most convenient and cost effective means of setting up a bicycle for cargo carrying. the concept is not only well thought out, but well executed through extensive testing and it's popularity with people who like a "bicycle lifestyle" as they call it. Personally, before discovering the X, I had looked at other forms of cycling transportation for cargo. The Long John or "Bakfiets" bicycle which has a cargo container on the front between the rider and the front wheel has some wonderful ideas behind it, but at the same time, it is a little expensive for what you actually receive. The cost is over $1000 for a simple version which, while well worth the cost, is likely to be unusable in anyplace BUT a flat country such as the Netherlands or possibly Florida! Single speed, or a few modest gears does not make hauling a couple of kids or a bunch of heavy objects a great idea except for very short distances. besides, importing one from Denmark, The Netherlands or having one custom built in Oregon simply did not enter into my ability to pay for one or worse, wait 6 or 8 months until the bike was shipped to the USA from wherever it was built!

The Xtracycle is a bolt on accessory unit that extends the frame of the bicycle that you already own, or that you can purchase already set up. the basic X is a frame that moves the rear bicycle wheel rearward by about 15 inches (around 1/2 meter) and incorporates a set of large cargo bags that can swallow several bags of groceries or items such as a tent and sleeping bag, even such items as surfboards or ladders will fit! the unit is reportedly very stable and easy to ride. The most common remark on the handling is that it rides like a tandem with no one on the rear seat. The best point is that the bicycle you attach to the Xtracycle is one that you already own so the cost is much less than it might be under normal circumstances. This also eliminates the problem of having to buy a specific bicycle for cargo/commuting, although this is not necessarily a problem. The bike with the X on the back is certainly not inappropriate for general usage by any means!

The advantages of a cargo bike!

One of the advantages of having such a bicycle is that you have the capability of picking up items and carrying them conveniently and safely on your bicycle at a moments notice. Back when I was a youth, bicycles commonly had either a front basket or a set of rear ones, and occasionally both. The carrier baskets were always there and allowed the rider to carry books, bags of groceries, or other items on the bike easily. Yes, the baskets rattled and all but if you had to pick up a loaf of bread for mom at the store, it was easy to do and you did not have to balance the bag on the bike cross tube or carry it in a bag in one hand.

Some time back, I was test riding a trike that had a cargo pod between the rear wheels when my cell phone rang and my wife asked me to pick up some items from the grocery store. The list included milk, bread, a couple of melons, some orange juice and other items that were necessities for the afternoon's meal. The cargo pod on the trike was perfectly suited to the job. Heavy and bulky objects were no problem! If I had been on a standard bicycle, I would have had to go home and hook up my small cargo trailer or simply take the car to the store.

The advantage over a trailer is also apparent in that a cargo trailer is NOT always stable. I have been riding when I misjudged my distance to a curb and flipped my little cargo trailer onto it's top and destroyed the blinker light that graces the rear of it for night riding. It was relatively lightly loaded at the time containing only my backpack and a few other items such as a small cooler and a half gallon water jug which bounced around, but were not damaged. a cargo bicycle would have negotiated the corner easily with no difficulty. Note the photo here that shows a bicycle equipped with an Xtracycle that was used for a surfing trip that required a stay overnight. The bike was easily ride able and carried the owner and his equipment easily on the trip. The point being that a bicycle can carry as much as many cars easily.

The advantages of such a system is readily apparent. The cost is modest, the adaptability of the bicycle to the use is quite good and any kind (within limits) of bicycle can be used with very little problem. Some manufacturers have actually decided to produce a bicycle frame that fits the Xtracycle attachments so that the frame is one contiguous piece which makes it more strong and sturdy enough to carry nearly anything you can comfortably move by human power.

The X is not the only style of cargo bicycle available however. The other style shown here is the Bakfiets or "Long John" style bicycle. This is a Dutch style of bicycle with either 1 or 3 gears. Although the ones imported to the USA are equipped with 7 or 8 speed hub gears, and one company, the Center for Appropriate Transportation in Eugene Oregon, makes a version that is built on a Mountain bike and has the requisite gearing that implies.

Aug 7 2007

I have been riding the Xtracycle equipped Jamis Mountain bike for about a week now and my first impressions are that it is possibly the most bloody minded cargo hauling bicycle ever produced. I suppose that the Surly "Big Dummy" may be "better" in some ways, but getting one is problematic at this point because they are unavailable at the moment. also they are $800 for the frameset alone!

Taking a look at the photo that I added here for your enjoyment, I submit the idea that the bike is a super carrier! In this load is a 25 lb bag of charcoal, as well as several bags of grocery items, including a couple bottles of tonic water, a bottle of gin and a couple of loaves of bread. unfortunately, immediately after this was taken, I removed the charcoal from the Freeloader and the whole bike flopped over on the right side! Note to self....Self: make sure to unload the NON kickstand side FIRST, then the kickstand side!

Sept 3 2007

Having used the Xtracycle for over a month so far, I have discovered that I believe that the Xtracycle is the single best accessory ever designed for a bicycle. It appears to make the bike more stable, and smoother riding. More importantly, it is able to deal with life's little surprises. to me, the most significant event for me was not dragging home 9 or 10 bags of groceries from the grocery store, it is the incident where I was at the farmers market and decided to buy a dozen ears of sweet corn, then without thinking about it, opened one of the freeloaders and stuck it inside, buttoned it up and left! there was no, "I wonder if I can fit this on my bike?" or "how will I get this home without killing myself somehow?" It was a perfect "unencumbered by the thought process" moment. The situation was not even apparent to me until I stopped at the local library to pick up a few books and realized that I had room to pick up any number of books that I wished within reason! The bike could carry more than I could!

Oct 13 2007

Well, this has been a revelation! The Xtracycle may well be the most important single advancement in transportation cycling that there could be. the Xtracycle allows you to carry nearly any reasonable load. The Electric assist also makes a huge difference. The bicycle with an Xtracycle can allow you to easily replace your car with a bicycle.