Geoff had a big bike camping trip planned for the summer, which included a wife and two daughters.  No worries, Geoff was able to hook his Chariot  Cabriolet right to the back of the Xtracycle, which he says works like a charm.  On their camping trip Geoff was able to carry almost everything for the four of them on the Xtracycle.  From the looks of things they dont travel light either, but then again with two parent and two kids its kinda hard to travel light, good to know the Xtracycle and cabriolet were up tot he job.

Geoff likes his Xtracycle so much that he gives his wife rides to the subway station in the mornings, what a guy.  Great job with the setup Geoff, keep it roll’n.

This is a great Xtracycle conversion, using low cost materials that can be found at the local hardware store.  Many extras can be added to the Xtracycle to customize it for almost any need.  Tom is using this for three kids now, in a few years, two, then maybe just one will fit on there, but for now it works great for three, and I love the roll bar look.  Thanks for the photos Tom and great job!

Brand Name Boards, which is based out of Durango, Colorado, makes custom snap decks to use on an Xtracycle.  They make a beautiful assortment of boards from the surfboard version (shown on our Radish below) to a cushioned board for comfortable sitting.  Check out the video below to watch the construction of one of these boards in action.

Here at Bike Trailer Shop, we have the one and only surfboard Xtracycle deck.  The deck is complete with the proper surfboard parts, including the pointed tip, tail, and bottom fin.

The racing stripes on our Brand Name Board perfectly match the color of the Xtracycle Radish, which makes for a beautiful, eye-catching, and well crafted accessory for an Xtracycle or Radish.

We decked ours out with some Jandd Grocery Bag Panniers, and it is one good-looking, load-hauling machine.

Brand Name Boards can make any kind of board your heart desires, so let your creativity flow.  To contact them, please visit their website: www.brandnameboards.com.

Xtracycle FreeRadical Kits on Sale through October 31

Don’t have an Xtracycle to install your new Brand Name Board on yet?  Well now is the perfect time to get one!  FreeRadical kits are on sale for a great price of $399 through October 31.  Take advantage of this great offer while it lasts and then spice up your new ride with a custom board.

Versatility:

The first thing to consider when choosing to go with an Xtracycle over a bike trailer, is that you are choosing to turn a standard bicycle into a longtail cargo bike. While it is possible to take the Xtracycle on and off the bike, it is not very convenient and I am not aware of very many Xtracycle owners that use their Xtracycle in this capacity on a regular basis.

For cyclist that don’t want to dedicate a bicycle to being used with an Xtracycle, bike cargo trailers offer much more flexibility. Bike cargo trailers can be installed and removed from a bicycle in seconds. This offers versatility for cyclists that prefer using their bicycle in multiple capacities. For bike touring, bike trailers are very nice in that within a few seconds, you can remove your load from your bike for a quick ride in the area you are visiting.

The negative side of the versatility of narrowing the use of a bicycle with an Xtracycle has a strong flip side.  A wonderful thing about using an Xtracycle is that the option of carrying cargo or a passenger is always there.  There is no need to think ahead of time whether or not you will be picking up groceries, bringing some stuff home from work or carrying home an interesting piece of junk that you find on the side of the road.

Carrying Cargo, Passengers and Specialty Uses:

Xtracycles offer the ability to carry large awkward loads as well as passengers.  There are several accessories like the WideLoaders and LongLoaders that offer even greater capacity.  Xtracyle has recently introduced the Adventure Racks which allow four panniers to be mounted on the Xtracycle.  This is a great setup for bike touring or simply using the organization advantage of multiple panniers.

Another note about Xtracycles is that 2-wheeled bike cargo trailers can be added to the back of them to increase their capacity like in the photo above.

In comparison, bike trailers are much more specific in their uses.  Flatbed style bike cargo trailers can carry larger awkward shaped items as well as normal items in a bag strapped on board.  Enclosed bike cargo trailers offer large enclosed protection. Overall, bike trailers are generally more specific to their use.  While an Xtracycle is a great do-it-all machine, an arsenal of bike trailers will do a better job at handling some of the specific tasks.

Handling & Usage Characteristics:

Adding an Xtracycle to a bicycle changes the ride and feel of the bicycle. Have a look at our previous post, Living with Xtracycle.  Once used to riding an Xtracycle, riding it feels as natural as riding a standard length bicycle. A big advantage of an Xtracycle over a bike trailer is that everything is all together.  You do not have to be concerned with maneuvering and storing a separate item.  On the other hand for traveling and limited storage space, a large Xtracycle can be a bit unwieldy and a bike trailer which can be quickly removed may be advantageous.

Putting a bike trailer on a bicycle also changes the feel of the bicycle, but mainly in the sensation of pulling extra weight.   Bike trailers affect the ride of your bicycle differently depending on the style of bike trailer.  The biggest difference in bike trailer styles in how they affect the ride of a bicycle is whether they are 1 or 2 wheeled trailers.  1 wheeled trailers offer the best handling off-road as compared to both Xtracycles and 2 wheeled trailers.  That being said, Xtracycles do perform fairly well in off-road conditions.  2-wheeled trailers have the toughest time off-road due to their large berth and should generally not be used on single-track.  Two wheeled trailers offer advantages over both single wheeled trailers and Xtracycles in that the weight of the load does not sway with the movement of the bike.

Xtracycle or bike trailer?  We think getting setup with both is the best way to become less reliant on cars and have the capability of dealing with the largest variety of load carrying challenges.

Dilemma #1

Last summer, I purchased a new cyclocross frame in anticipation of the upcoming cyclocross season and assembled it at a local bike shop with the help of my boyfriend.  Once the bike was completed, we realized that we had no easy way to bring the bike back to our house, as we had ridden to the shop.  Fortunately, one of us had ridden there on the Xtracycle.  Problem solved!

The Xtracycle loaded down with a cyclocross bike

Dilemma #2

School’s out for summer!  So what does that mean?  That means it’s time for a BBQ in the park.  And as we all know, any good BBQ in the park is made better by bicycling to the BBQ.  However, summer means that the temperatures are rising, so a cooler is necessary to keep the food cold.  But how to get a cooler full of goodies to the park?  Once again, Xtracycle to the rescue!

Xtracycle loaded down with a full cooler!

So next time you find yourself in a dilemma, consider the Xtracycle and what it can do for you!

Ride on!

A quick mention of some great Xtracycle Specials.

The Xtracycle Cargo Van Special for $499 includes the following items:
FreeRadical Kit, 1 WideLoader,1 Longloader, 2 Whatchamacollars, and 2 CamStraps

The Xtracycle Family Van Special for $499 includes the following items:
FreeRadical Kit. Magic Carpet, Footsies, and a Stoker Kit

+ Get an Xtracycle KickBack for only $99.

Xtracycle had a booth at Interbike after being absent in recent years. They had plenty of reason to be there as they were debuting a range of exciting new accessories for their Xtracycle FreeRadical.

At the top of the list was their long anticipated kickstand, the Xtracycle KickBack. It took a while but it was worth the wait. The new kickstand appears to give very solid support to the Xtracycle. This will be great for loading and unloading as well as using the Xtracycle as a seat, table, handing out pamphlets, blending or anything else that a mobile platform is useful for. The kickstand folds back and is held up and out of the way with a built-in ratching system.

With a nod toward the touring/adventure set, Xtracycle has come out with a new style of their vertical racks.  The Xtracycle Pannier Racks are setup to take two bike panniers on each side. While the Xtracycle Freeloader Saddlebags offer great convenience for local use, they are not ideal for touring. Now you can easily mount fully enclosed, waterproof panniers such as these Ortlieb panniers. These new Pannier Racks include an additional horizontal piece of tubing that is the same size as standard bike racks and can interface with pannier mounting systems.  Xtracycle CamStraps hold the bottom of the panniers against the Adventure Racks.  A set of CamStraps are included with the Adventure Rack.

A lighter version of the Xtracycle SnapDeck was introduced as well. This aluminum fender styled SnapDeck, the Xtracycle TekDek, can replace the heavier wooden SnapDeck. The aluminum fender weighs in at about 1/2 a pound as compared to the 2 pound wood SnapDeck. It is not as wide as the wood SnapDeck leading to a narrower overall profile of the Xtracycle. This does result in the vertical racks not being held in place as firmly. A set of Xtracycle Watchamacollars are available options with the TekDek to hold the vertical racks in tightly.

All of these new adventure ready Xtracyle components, the TekDeK, 2 Adventure Racks with CamStraps and 1 or 2 sets of Watchamacollars are available as an upgrade kit, the Xtracycle Adventure Kit.  Additionally, the Xtracycle 26″ or 700c base Frames are offered standard with either the Xtracycle LongTail Kit for $489 or with the Xtracycle Adventure Kit for $499.

A nifty little adapter will allow you to take off your bike messenger bag and sling it onto the side of the Xtracycle. This adapter kit consists of two knobs that are mounted onto the messenger bag and two rubberized receiver sockets for locking the bag into place for the ride. The messenger bag can be set in place with or without the freeloader saddlebag in place. Your messenger bag can sit on top of a load in the freeloader if necessary.  Note: this item is not yet available.

Finally, additional accessories for using the Xtracycle in its passenger carrying capacity will soon be available. A padded seat, the Xtracycle Magic Carpet, for the Xtracycle SnapDeck and an Xtracycle Stoke Bar to mount to the seat post will work nicely together with the Xtracycle Footsies to make a comfortable ride for your passengers.

All these Xtracycle accessories are now available at the Bike Trailer Shop.

The Xtracycle is something that you have to spend some time with. When you first start riding around town with it on your bike, it can sometimes seem like the thing is a bit of a nuisance, that it is in the way of your fast-paced-cool-biker-life. It seems as if you are always riding around with the extra weight of the Xtracycle on your bike but you never have anything to put in it.

But of course you do begin to use it. Mostly to pick up groceries at first. You learn how to strap a bunch of grocery bags in the Xtracycle Freeloader Saddlebags. You learn how to park it so it stays upright when you are loading it up with groceries. You begin to learn the nuances of riding with a long bike, taking turns a little bit wider and going over curbs a bit more gently.

Once you learn the basics of the Xtracycle, you start thinking of more ways to use it. If you have a bike delivery to take to UPS, you might realize you can do it with your Xtracycle. If you have a job where you have to carry around tools or a change of clothes or a bunch of whatever, you start stuffing it in those big freeloader saddlebags. Then you start really getting into it. You get some Xtracycle WideLoaders, or you set up your own side runners.

You start to ride effortlessly with your long bike. You get used to the grins and waves as you ride by. You carve turns, ride down trails, hop up curbs with grace and confidence. And everywhere you go you’ve got all the things you need tucked away in the saddlebags. You learn clever ways to strap big boxes on the Xtracycle Snapdeck. You set up your rig with extra lights, put a repair kit and a lock in the saddlebags, get new big cushy tires, and keep a stock of extra straps for odd loads. You get a set of footsies for picking up your friends.

The Xtracycle is integrated into your life once all your travel is efficiently timed within the potentials and limitations of doing it all by cargo bike. Sometimes that’ll mean taking your other bike when you don’t have any loads, but more often than not you’ll find your trips have some use for carrying an extra load or two along the way.

Ride On Xtracyclists.

The latest emerging design in cargo carrying bicycle is the Long Haul Bike. This bike design has its roots directly in the Xtracycle movement and in fact most of the long hual bikes that have been built were designed to utilize the Xtracycle’s modular rack system.

Xtracycle denotes themselves as the makers of “the hitchless bike trailer”. Rather than defining what the Xtracycle is, this explanation has more to do with Xtracycle’s competition with BOB Trailers, Burley Trailers and others for the emerging bike cargo carrying market which is mostly made up of bike trailers. The Xtracycle could be more specifically defined as a long haul bike conversion kit. Essentially a bike with an Xtracycle installed could be considered a long haul bike. The Xtracycle is a very convenient kit that converts a standard bike over as opposed to manufacturing the complete long haul bike frame.

Whether or not the Xtracycle is defined in reference to the emerging long haul bike, it has proved itself has a viable product. Long Hual Bikes are just now emerging in a production format with the debut of Surly’s Big Dummy at Interbike 2006. The market potential is yet to be proven for this exotic new frame type but Surly’s confidence in the path that Xtracycle carved must have convinced them to make the leap to a production model.

Custom built long hual bikes have been popping on the internet over the past few years. The most notable of these bikes is the Xtravois, the frame built by the designer of the electric assist devise for Xtracycles, the Stoke Monkey. Here are some custom long haul bikes as well.

The Surly Big Dummy is a great looking bike with its dark grey finish and clean design. Watch for it rolling into a local bike shop this spring.