Tim's full review is reprinted from his shop's website, with his permission. Click 'Read More' below to read the review, or hop over to Practical Cycle's site.

I commute rain or shine year round 10 miles each way from my home to work and I have been doing this daily since we opened the shop in March, 2010. I accumulated several thousand miles on Pedego electric bikes until I started riding the 3G Venice XtraCycle in mid November. I have added a larger chainring on the front and an 11 cog freewheel on the back so enjoy cruising at 18 to 20 MPH without the frantic pedaling it took before to maintain that speed. They are both fine machines but I find myself choosing the smoother ride and cargo capacity most of the time.

On November 17, 2010 we added the BionX electric assist drive system to an XtraCycle that was installed on a 3G Venice bike we have on on hand for demonstration rides. Since then I have been riding this bike home daily, a 20 mile round trip, and for a variety of other trips such as grocery shopping weekly, office supplies, hardware store runs etc. On 7/21/2012 the odometer went past 10,000 miles so now seems a good time to write a few words about this cargo cruiser. Unfortunately the BionX odometer doesn't have enough digits to count above 9,999.9 miles so it goes to 0000.0 instead of 10,000.0. I snapped a picture when it was at 9947.0 but just missed getting a shot of the 9,999.9 so we have to settle for one at the 0000.0 point.

Smooth ride and upright posture.

From the start I like the amazingly smooth ride that the long wheelbase provides. Because the seat is now more or less centered between the wheels, and there is a long space between them, bumps are much smoother while handling isn't compromised at all. After a few thousand miles I added a Thudbuster seat post and switched from a cushy Cloud 9 saddle to the much smaller Easy Seat so that now this is surely the most comfortable bike I have ever used. The 3G Venice has geometry that puts the riders feet further forward than traditional bikes and this combines with the Royal handlebar to enable an upright riding position. I don't get a sore neck from being hunched over the handlebar and enjoy a safer all around view.

Cargo Space

The XtraCycle extension provides room for 4 grocery bags or can carry a passenger up to 200 pounds. I have used it weekly for groceries and what a joy it is. For years I have been using my Worksman tricycle for this task and could carry just 2 bags of grocery in the rear basket plus a few things in the front basket. I have hauled everything from rolls of Christmas lights to furnace repair parts and office supplies on this XtraCycle with only one small problem so far. When a buckle on the XtraCycle broke I learned it is better to attach the straps together over the top of the deck when carrying a heavy load to prevent this problem. This cargo capacity has enabled me to be car-free for over 2 years now!

Power and ease of use

Perhaps the best part is the BionX Intelligent Mobility system. This is the best electric drive system available on the market plus it is made in North America. The system amplifies my effort by a factor I control with the console that is mounted on the handlebar. The console also shows my speed, distance, battery level and much more. The BionX is silent and has plenty of power to make riding a joy no matter what the terrain or conditions are.

After riding over 10,000 miles on this bike I remain impressed with the practical usefulness and super performance. I'm using it as both a commuter and a cargo bike and find it quite luxurious and functional. I replaced the Planet Bike 1 watt front light with a 3 watt Xceon Music Light and still use a Planet Bike super bright blinky rear light. I also added an Origin8 handlebar coffee cup holder and tapered insulated coffee cup that works great for hot coffee in the winter and cold water in the summer. I'm still using the original XtraCycle FreeLoader bags that I started with and have added their padded "Magic Carpet" and "Stoker Bar" for passengers on the rear deck. I have hauled furnace repair parts, a color TV, a toaster oven, shop supplies and other bikes among the variety of things we use it for.

Mechanical performance and issues.

There have been some mechanical issues. During the rainy winter of 2010-11 I got caught in a flood in Discovery park and learned the system is not submersible. After riding through a waist high body of water the motor failed and a few months later I replaced the battery. In February of 2012 the rim split at the wear indicator line, which turns out to be a known issue and BionX sent a replacement at no cost. I am on my third set of brake pads, which is remarkable given the miles and can be credited to the very effective BionX regenerative braking. I have been using Schwalbe brand tires and at 6,000 miles replaced the first pair of 26x1.50 Citizens with 26x2.35 Fat Franks. When the rim split it ruined one of the Fat Franks so I installed another pair of 26x1.50 Citizens as I decided I like the thinner tires better anyway. In all this time I remember just one flat that was caused by a hunk of glass that embedded itself in one of those first Citizens. I have replaced the pedals with a more robust pair to keep my shoes from slipping in the rain and I lubricate the chain often. The cables have all stretched now so there have been no need for adjustments since I got it all dialed in after a couple thousand miles.

I'm still riding this bike because I haven't found anything better and it still works great.

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.

Xtracycle has spent the last few weeks finishing our first dedicated retail showroom. Open every Saturday from 10am - 4pm, and by appointment during the week, the Xtracycle retail showroom offers you a chance to test ride our bikes, learn about accessories, check out products in production, or just sip a coffee brewed for you, on us.

On Saturday, August 11th, we'll be hosting a party where you can do all of the above, plus, get a free gift, and enter to win a FreeRadical bolt-on cargo bike extender. We'll be serving coffee, tea, & food from 10am - 4pm. Check out the invitation above.

As part of a story on San Clemente's efforts to make the city friendlier to both cyclists and pedestrians, Xtracycle recently made the cover of the San Clemente Times. Brenda Miller, founder of the bicycle/pedestrian advocacy group PEDal also appears on the coveralong with her dog Foxy.

It sounds like Mayor Jim Evert is on the right track:

I think if you have better transportation, a lot of local people will make the daily bike ride and end up in downtown where some may not currently venture because of parking.

You can read the full article here.

We have teamed with Xtracycle Dealer, MadDog Cycles, and Zac Whitmore, local Xtracycle super user and chair of the chair of the Provo Bicycle Committee to giveaway a FreeRadical bicycle extender and a $50 gift certificate towards accessories.

In the Provo area and want to win the FreeRad? Here are the terms of the drawing: Everyone who attends and tests out a cargo bike will receive a raffle ticket which will be entered into the drawing. The drawing will take place at 12:15pm.

Good luck cargo bike riders, and thanks to Zac and Randy at MadDog for organizing this awesome event.

Now that Xtracycle has 'cornered' the market on increasing cargo capacity 'down south,' along comes the Xtracycle of the 'north.' Unfortunately, as the instructor in this Instructables post confesses, this setup doesn't lend itself well to actual cornering, which we found early-on in developing the Xtracycle concept, is critical for broad acceptance within the marketplace.

Step 1. Gather Materials

You will need:

A bicycle, Shopping cart, Socket set, Hex key set, Dremel tool, Utility knife, Zip ties, Screwdriver

A note on shopping carts: Please don't steal them. This one happened to be floating around our downtown area for over a week before I grabbed it. The bicycle is almost ten years old and still works fine but I just bought the bike shop in town so suddenly have access to plenty of cycling materials.

Step 2. Remove the handlebars and shopping cart handle

Hey look, is that Matt Damon on a Big Dummy? No, it isn't! Because Matt Damon ISN'T THIS COOL.

Evan, pictured above with his daughter in tow, clearly knows how to keep cool on warm summer days in NYC - on an Xtracycle of course.

"I'm rockin' my NYC Big Dummy where I take my daughter to school most days on the back and the Big Dummy at the summer house where I haul both kids around with the double Chariot. Makes for good days of kickin' around by the water with toddler gear in tow."

She's riding great. Made our second playground excursion today, and was able to impromptu pick up dinner veggies as we passed a market. Earned the nickname "The Great Equalizer" since I'm a cat 1 on the road and now my wife merrily drops my on the slightest rise :-)

If I were describing the picture I'd say something like just biking to the park with the family, with a full dinner, a ukelele and the songbook naturally.

Not quite as photogenic perhaps but what I'm really looking forward to is making a low emission / high pointing-at-things-and-giggling contribution to the daycare commute schedule.

-Mike

SUB Camera Dolly Driver pictured: Elly Blue
Cameraman pictured: Joe Biel

Profiles of all riders and their rides here: http://transportland.org/category/cargo-bike-writers/

A brief interview with our team rider here: http://www.xtracycle.com/blog/side-car-saves-the-world/

Now in it's sixth year, the Bicycle Music Festival, organized by our friends over at Rock the Bike, is the world's largest human-powered music festival, and that means bikes. Lots of 'em. As you might expect, with all the gear to haul, cargo bikes play a big role in the event. The bands use them, the roadies use them, the people powering the stage use them... Here are some photos from last year's fest to give you an idea what the day is like. We're definitely going to be there, and if you're in or near the Bay, you should consider doing the same.

We like the idea that this event can inspire people – whether they see it in person or just hear about it – to explore what is possible by bike. If a concert can be hauled in, powered, performed on, and hauled away by bike, it makes you wonder what other adventures are possible when you and your bike join forces.

]]> Mon, 04 Jun 2012 22:46:27 +0000 http://www.xtracycle.com/blog/43-trips-and-100-miles/

Steve Boyd, General Manager - North America, for Tern Bicycles has this to say about his Xtracycle equipped Tern Joe, after about a week's worth of riding:

As you can see in this photo I'm getting really into this! Something like 43 trips and 100 miles since I got it. Taking the kids to school everyday, about 1 mile and it takes less time than in my Prius! Parents are saying to us in the parking lot "we saw you at the light back there and you beat us".

What makes a great bike to pair with Xtracycle's FreeRadical Bolt-On Bike Extender?

• 1. Wheel Size:
• 2. Frame Material:
• 3. Chainstay Bridge Style
• 4. Dropout Style
• 5. O.L.D. - Over Locknut Dimension
• 6. Brakes, Especially Disc Brakes
• 7. Internally Geared Hubs, Singlespeeds, and Fixies

1.Wheel size:

The FreeRadical is designed for 26" and 700c wheel size bicycles.

26" wheels are recommended! 26" wheels give you most tire size flexibility with the FreeRadical and are inherently stronger than the larger 700c standard. When running 26" wheels you can fit a tire up to 2.35" wide: The FreeRadical is not compatible with fat bikes like the Surly Pugsley.

700c wheels will work, but will limit you to 35mm tires (in rare cases up to 38mm), and you will need a 700c Brake Adapter to use v-brakes (linear-pull brakes).  Disc brakes will not require that adapter.

Do I need heavy duty rims/wheels? Number of spokes/ultra strong rim only applies when you are doing extremely heavy load carrying or long-distance touring. We do recommend that you get your rear wheel properly tensioned and trued by a professional mechanic: this will greatly improve the longevity of the wheel.

Can I put the FreeRad on a small wheel bike?The main reason a FreeRadical cannot be used on smaller than 26" wheel bikes is that the length of the FreeRadical frame that inserts into your existing bike frame, and bolts near your bottom bracket, is too large for 20" or 24" wheel bikes. However, in rare cases, it may work. See dimensions below to check for yourself if the FreeRadical tongue will fit in your smaller-wheel bike frame.

2. Frame Material

Different people have different perspectives on material, but some like the pairing of the stiff aluminum bike frame with the more forgiving cromoly Xtracycle FreeRadical. Cromoly bike frames paired with FreeRadicals are very popular. Generally, we advise folks to stay away from carbon fiber, and butted, super-light, aluminum road bike frames. Simply put, these materials may not be ready for the added stress of a longer wheelbase and heavier loads. That said, bike frame failure due to Xtracycle installation is exceedingly rare.

3.Chainstay bridge

Ideally, your bike has kickstand bridge (sometimes called a chainstay bridge), which looks like the green frame below, once the FreeRad is installed.

Use first image under bullet number 1 above to help determine if your chainstay bridge is in the right location for the FreeRadical. Ideally, the chainstay bridge center is between 13.5" and 15" from the center of the rear dropout/rear axle of your bike frame.

If it doesn't, never fear, just get an additional FAP - Front Attachment Plate and use it and the included longer bolt to sandwich the chainstays.

4. Dropout style

Below is a picture of Xtracycle friendly, flat profile dropouts:

The sculpted/recessed dropouts shown below can pose installation problems (found on Moots, some older Breezers, and other bikes as well):

Remedying sculpted dropouts issues often requires removing material from the bike dropout or FreeRadical to get the two to 'mate.'  This can void the warranty of one or both items, and is only recommended if you feel confident about assessing the strength of your modified bike frame/Xtracycle FreeRadical.  For some bikes, this issue can be a showstopper, sad to say.

Some touring/trekking bikes are coming with longer derailer hangers than standard. As you can see above, the horizontal tube of the FreeRad runs within a few millimeters of the derailer hanger on a stander bike, so this added length can interfere with attaching the FreeRadical. If the distance between the center of the derailer mounting hole and the center of the dropout is greater than 30mm you will likely have fit issues.

The best option is to remove the hanger and replace it with a shorter one if it is available. This maintains the dropouts width and avoids voiding the frame's warranty.

5. O.L.D. (over locknut dimension)

OLD stands for over locknut dimension - basically it's the width of the wheel (not including the axle). FreeRad is designed for bikes with an OLD of 135 mm (which is common in modern mountain bikes). FreeRads can work with narrower OLD bikes (like older 10 speeds, some road bikes, or bikes set up for internally geared hubs). Sometimes this requires stretching the rear stays of your bike to reach around the Xtracycle - which is less of a concern on a forgiving steel frame than for a less bend-friendly aluminum frame.  If you are facing this - consider contacting your nearest dealer, or call us.

Here is a picture of someone measuring the OLD on their frame (which would be between the inner-most margins of the rear dropouts).

The image above comes from Sheldon Brown's website, which has more helpful explanation of this topic.

6. Brakes, Including Disc Brakes

The FreeRadical is designed to work for V-Brakes or linear pull brakes. Disc Brakes work great, though require special setup.

Cantilever brakes (also called center-pull) are not suitable for the FreeRadical - the FreeRadical doesn't have a cable housing stop required for use with cantilever brakes.

Road-style caliper brakes are not suitable for the FreeRadical - there is no mounting point for caliper style brakes.

700c wheels require a 700c Brake Adapter to use v-brakes (linear-pull brakes).

Disc brakes require a special arrangement of caliper adapter and disc brake rotor. Why is this the case? Disc brakes were adapted to the FreeRadical after it's initial design. Because of the unusual nature of the FreeRadical stays - using the ISO standard disc brake mount wasn't possible. The only placement of the disc brake mounting tab required the following arrangement: use a 160mm Rear Disc Caliper Adapter with a 203 mm rotor, as shown in the picture below. Also pictured is the Disc Brake Caliper Protector which we recommend for use with Disc Brakes.

7. Internally Geared Hubs, Singlespeeds, and Fixies

The FreeRadical can be used with 135mm spaced internally geared hubs, singlespeed hubs, and fixie hubs. In the case of internally geared hubs a tensioner (or old derailer) should be used to maintain chain tension and allow clearance for the KickBack. If you're converting a fixie, chain tension can be adjusted by sliding the FreeRadical attachment back in your (presumably horizontal) dropouts to achieve proper tension: DO NOT USE A TENSIONER.

Here's the scoop from Henry Kellogg of LionTail Cycles:

I was planning on sending you all a description of the project, but it looks like you found me out first! Yep, I teamed up with a couple other mechanical engineering students and entered a student design competition as LionTail Cycles, and we built a electric bike kit that integrates fully with the XtraCycle and incorporates a high efficiency solar array.

The battery enclosure is made out of aluminum and has snaphooks on the bottom. Inside there's a controller, a 10 amp hour, 26V LiPO4 battery, and a BMS to manage the current to the battery cells when charging.

The enclosure is topped by 6 of these panels, meaning that in ideal conditions this solar array will output 20 watts -- and charge the battery in a breathtaking 13 hours! :) In Seattle's less than ideal conditions, we measured that 5 hours out in the sun (with a few clouds) charged about 25% of the battery -- which is ~ 6 miles of assist. So while solar technology isn't quite up for the task yet, this not just a toy.

For the full article from which the photo above came, click here.

Questions about this technology? Submit your comments below for responses from Henry.

The cargo bike sector is longing for a great apples to apples review of the cargo bike offering on the market. Reviews that crop up in periodicals big and small continue to be cursory (hey! look at this!) and apples to oranges (comparing a 10′ long Bakfiets to a 3 wheeled Zigo to a bike with a basket). These reviews are really just page filler, and do little to increase ridership of this new and growing class of bikes.

Readers please be aware, this is a long diatribe – not for the faint of heart, or those of a fleeting Facebook-sized attention span (like myself at times). Please feel free to move along if this isn’t your scene or the right time – no hard feelings. If you are intrigued, please read on! And share.

Here’s what’s in this letter:

1. Bicycle Magazines are capable of more than an agnostic ‘survey’ of cargo-bikes couched as a ‘review’ – Bicycling already did this 1 yr. ago, with little effect on the market.
2. Regardless of style of cargo bike, what makes a cargo bike great?- Xtracycle designs around three characteristics that make all the difference.

1. Hear me reviewers! Reviews that explain, contextualize and invite people to consider cargo-bikes are possible and necessary.

If we believe in bikes, and we believe in the power of cargo bikes to transform our lives, neighborhoods, cities and culture, you owe it to our readers to do more than broadly recommend the sector without helping people understand what makes sense for what purposes when it comes to loaded bikes. Bicycling has written two stories about cargo bikes in the last year – one in May that profiled a handful of bikes with no apples to apples comparison. Each individual reviewer took their own approach to a ‘review,’ resulting in a diverse round of perspectives on a diverse round of bikes. The net effect of that review, from the perspective of someone new to cargo bikes – was the notion that cargo bikes are heavy (Mundo at 83 lbs), big (Cetma frame ships in 2 huge boxes!), may need more wheels (i.e. Kangaroo Thing). Most of these bikes are unusual even in their home turf – Europe. Walking through the streets of Europe’s cycling hubs, one is struck by the incredible proliferation of fairly regular bikes – slightly longer than those here in the States – with racks front and back, and people and stuff draped about. To promote full-blown ‘cargo-bikes’ here as the logical next step for the average intro-level utility bike consumer is absurd.

We have all ridden a Bakfiets-style bike – how many of us own one? Or will own one? They are great in limited circumstances, but for so many, they are impractical. Being cargo-bike style agnostic actively prevents people from making educated choices about bikes that might actually fit within typical North American bike preconceptions about weight, cost, size, convenience, ability to portage on a car, etc. To overlook these critical factors and how they might impact the average rider does cargo-biking and urban biking a disservice, just as it would if Consumer Reports recommended the Hummer as the perfect family car in 2012 – after all it has all the necessary qualities in spades: weight, safety, cabin room, amenities, saying nothing about cost, fuel efficiency, convenience, impact on those around you, etc. Yes, the Hummer is a great SUV, but probably not one to be recommended as equivalent to a fuel efficient and safe Toyota or something similar for a North American audience.

Think about the Oregon Manifest that billed itself as a cargo bike competition. The word around town was that the competition was already won by cargo-pants. Seriously – the challenge for these world class designers involved the portaging of a 6 pack. Hell, I’ve carried a 6-pack in my teeth while riding no hands talking on my cell phone. This is not a valid challenge! For more on that, enjoy this similarly cantankerous rant from one of my heroes.

Bicycling’s second story was by a renown writer (Nat’l Geographic, Outside, etc.) Tom Clynes and his personal experience riding a bike and profiling the sector. As he began to unravel his own relationship to biking – some truly wonderful realizations came to the fore the offered up some legitimate entry points for a large number of people to embrace this new sector of biking as a car-alternative. He spoke to bike people unable to bike because of their busy/family oriented lives – this to me is the jumping off point for a great review that forwards the conversation. Here’s a link to the Xtracycle-specific portions of that Bicycling Mag article. Here’s the full read.

Here’s how to start a review that will be incredibly useful to consumers:

Profile your reviewer and their needs clearly, then have them rate the bike on how well it meets/doesn’t meet their needs defined before riding it. Like,

• I live in the suburbs and want a safe easy to ride bike to carry kids and groceries, or pool toys to the pool.
• I am a commuter that struggles to get everything I need in my panniers – I need weather proofing, a bike that doesn’t slow me down, a bike that’s safe to park outside my office.
• I am a into bike-adventure touring, I need capacity and quality!
• I need to ride my bike more! My kids keep me behind the steering wheel too much! I need to cover some real ground! I can pay for electric assist!
• I am a community bike organizer – I need a bike that can haul a stereo for community events. Parking is not an issue – this is a bike I use once a week and park in our office as a conversation piece in between.

(you get the picture)

Help your readers, help us as manufacturers open up this sector. The bicycle press have developed such a great megaphone – now use it to get people on bikes, not marvel as this and that new gadget presented by gear heads not people with real-life problems they need solved.

2. Xtracycle’s criteria for great bikes (applies to all bikes, and especially cargo bikes).

1. Ride quality. The bike must ride GREAT! You must want to ride it. If the bike presents significant ride quality challenges, parking challenges, riding on busy street challenges, we are failing our customers and hampering the transformation we are committed to. What attention has been paid to ride quality? Does the bike ride like a bike? A tank? A boat? A stroller?

2. Cargo capacity. Cargo capacity is often linked to weight. Frequently consumers are misled to believe more capacity = better. (Dude! My bike can haul 500 lbs!) Unfortunately, more capacity = more weight, which often makes the bike less fun to ride even when you’re not carrying a 1/4 ton (which we have found is about 99% of the time). So, the key is the best cargo-capacity to weight balance. How efficient is the design? For every extra pound of bike, how much additional carrying capacity do you get? How flexible is the carrying technology – can you carry long stuff, bulky stuff, kids?

3. Affordability. Like cargo capacity – affordability, or value, is often overlooked – cargo bikes of wildly different price ranges are compared frequently (how fair might it be to review a consumer grade Jamis road bike with trek’s new full carbon?). We believe that affordability is key for our consumers – they are value driven smart consumers that are weighing options – sell our second car, join a carshare, move closer to work, get a cargo bike. Like any investment, the keys to value are

• quality – how well made? what materials? what components?
• expandability – will this bike grow and change with my needs? will my family/I grow out of this bike or cargo accessory (i.e. trailer, stroller) in a few years?

I hope some of the above perspectives help you to think about your upcoming cargo bike review. Clearly, I have spent some time thinking about this in light of recent reviews.

3. Turn the tables. Give us a challenge – that’s what we’re all about!

We at Xtracycle are excited to put our products to the test in your reviews and I would end on this question – Xtracycle has the widest array of cargo solutions of any US manufacturer – we can meet the most number of needs with an exciting array of products. What challenge would you put our products to? Who (i.e. your reviewer) has a problem we can help solve? We would love to meet the challenge, and we’re excited to send you a combination of bikes + accessories that help your reviewer find biking more fun and useful than ever before.

– Nate Byerley, Xtracycle COO, 3/27/12

Bike shops are about people, not bikes. Here are the people that will be helping Xtracycle riders get equipped this year. We’ll feature three new folks each week.

These dealers not in your area? Visit a full list of our dealers on our site.

	Holland’s Bicycles, CORONADO, CA Tyler Rowden • 619-435-3153 • Web Site Before working at Holland’s, Rowden was a cyclist. “I was always riding bikes,” he says, but he got seriously hooked while serving with the Army in Germany and doing some two-wheel touring. When he returned to the States, he did a ride from Salt Lake City to San Diego.
	Beehive Bicycles, SALT LAKE CITY, UT Greg Steele • 801-839-5233 • Web Site We love bikes, all bikes. Beehive Bicycles loves the simple feeling of riding a bike, a little wind in your hair, your heart pounding in your chest, and the childlike freedom that cycling provides. Every choice we make is geared towards helping you find that little bit of bliss.
	Boot Doctors, TELLURIDE, CO Becky Reimann • 800-592-6883 • Web Site The BootDoctors is an award-winning family owned and operated small outdoor retailer originally founded in 1986. In summer BootDoctors store transforms into an outdoor adventure outfitter with rafting, mountain bike tours and rentals and fly fishing.

Xtracycle has spent the last 14 months developing the next generation of Long-Tail Cargo Bike and, true to our nature, have partnered with several noteworthy industry leaders.

As we thought about the future of the cargo bike, no one could deny the role that electric assist would play. We are captivated by a vision of transportation that is bike-centered, but we acknowledge the role that pedal-assist technologies will play in bringing more riders of all ages, rider strengths, and ambitions to the table.

We’d like to introduce one of our partners as the first in The EdgeRunner Series: The Future of the Cargo Bike. Introducing…

Nearly every cargo company is now offering an electrified version of their cargo bike, but none seem to be taking into account the fundamentals of e-assist technology currently on the market. Most are slapping simple hub motor systems to their bikes and calling them e-cargo. While this is technically true, it’s far from ideal. Cargo makes special demands on the system and asks the most of an electric system to be efficient in high torque, low-speed scenarios (i.e. cargo bike well loaded coming to speed from a stop). As well, cargo bikes offer incredible capacity when it comes to on-board batteries. As anyone who’s seriously invested in electrified cargo-bikes knows, battery capacity is everything.

What we’ve found in prototypes is that when these different factors are optimized, an electric cargo bike begins to feel like a true car alternative – able to traverse vast distances even when loaded, ride comfortably, keep the bulk of the load low and centered, and offer amazing value (think 1/8 – 1/10th the cost of a car, with essentially no fuel costs).

We couldn’t have done this alone. We teamed with long-time Xtracycle rider and cohort in transforming biking in North America, Justin Lemire-Elmore. Just as we carry a long history of cargo-biking experience and knowhow, Justin provides a deep body of knowledge about electric cargo essential to creating a groundbreaking solution. While we will forever look back to Justin as our inception into the e-cargo biking world, I would think that Justin looks to his trans-Canadian adventure by bike as his moment of true inspiration around becoming the foremost expert on electric assist bikes in North America.

This video details his trip. This is not a punchy 1-minute video to post to your friends on Facebook. This is an inspring tale of how Justin accomplished this remarkable feat, and may be best watched in bite-sized chunks. It’s like a great lecture, told by an authentic source.

Suffice it to say, we think of Justin as a true genius in the e-biking world. He’s more than an e-bike geek, he’s an avid e-bike rider (see video above), and developer of e-bike technologies designed based on long-distance, loaded, riding, not merely recreational jaunts to the park. He sells the stuff himself and he knows intimately what works and doesn’t. His manufacturing partners in Asia are some of the most groundbreaking e-bike developers alive.

Given the above, we were pretty flattered to hear Justin’s unsolicited thoughts about the Xtracycle platform:

When I reflect about why I ride an electric Xtracycle to the exclusion of pretty much any other 2 or 3 wheeled bike, it’s because:

a) The flexibility for accommodating different load shapes/sizes is genius. With the wideloader and a few extra straps, I almost never wonder “can I fit this on the bike”, nor do I need to plan in advance if I might or might not need to carry cargo. The capacity is always there with me.

b) It’s narrow and nimble enough that on the road I never think or feel like I am taking up any additional space. I can still zip between rows of idle traffic, or hop up on shared pedestiran/bicycle sidewalks. Doing either of these with trikes or boxbikes is precarious, and makes me feel like I’m driving a semi in a lane full of smart cars.

c) It locks up in conventional crowded bike racks without hogging any additional space.

d) It lets me take on passengers on a whim and provide them with a cozier seat than mine. I find myself doubling up all the time.

e) It looks great. You notice that it’s different, but there is different in a “look at that funny thing” kind of way, versus different in a “wow, that’s pretty awesome where did you get it?”. The look of Xtracycle Longtail is in the latter class of different. Something about it just looks right.”

Thanks Justin. We’re excited to partner with you on this incredible endeavor.

Look forward to the next installment of The EdgeRunner Series: The Fastest Man Alive Builds the Finest Cargo Bike on Earth

image credit: Michael Brand

TED Active bills itself as “a four-day program featuring TED’s famous 18-minute talks, plus music, comedy, dance, short talks, video and other surprises.”

NOTE: More Saucy Xtracyclicious TED Photos here.

One of the surprises this year was a full fleet of Xtracycles available for attendees to ride, along with entertainment by none other than Ross Evans, founder and CEO of Xtracycle. We are not 100% sure what Ross is doing in the photo below, but it is comforting that the man in the foreground is smiling.

image credit: Michael Brand

Sister lifestyle bicycle brand, Electra, attended as well with an array of insanely stylish cruisers and comfortable bikes. Electra posted about TED at their blog.

There’s more to share about the surprises and adventures from TED Active, but we’ll save that for a future post.

For now, enjoy an amazing TED talk about the bicycle from a local TED event in Copenhagen (no surprise).

Of course this weekend’s proceedings could not be filmed or photographed, and any and all napkin doodles were incinerated. Below is an artist’s rendition of what the scene inside the Fremont Hilton may have looked like this weekend.

Oh, the elegant internal rhyme, the staccato pentatonic of single syllable words, the gentle imperative of the leading ‘Do’… Please, sit down if you are feeling faint. Needless to say, it’s got the whole company wearing our logo emblazoned polo-T’s to the office once again.

But seriously folks, this tagline truly is why Xtracycle exists. To help you ‘do more with your bike.’ The only thing that’s really funny is how long it took us (er, the think-tank) to find this beautiful last line of a Haiku we call a tagline. In so many this discovery echoes the other ways we’re finding that, here at Xtracycle USA, time just reveals what was there all along in perfect clarity and balance. With that, please, open your Bibles.

“Do more with your bike, said the Lord. And then there was a bike to do more with. There was, Xtracycle.”

-Cargo Bikes 03:2012, New Testament

Thus, it truly is too bad the world is prophesied to end this year. Without going into the details, let’s just say the mood around here is: may we make the most of this last year on earth and great tagline, coming not a moment too soon!

And as we have also learned at Xtracycle over the last 15 years, when all you have is lemons you make (sour) lemonade. So in that vein, XT3 has teamed with DT3 (Doomsday Tagline Think-Tank) to test-market this exciting new tagline for 2012:

Amen!

To kickoff the Eve of Destruction 2012 festivities, we have created this fun and easy quiz that also pre-qualifies you to become eligible for admission to the Xtracycle Tagline Think-Tank.

Name the only Xtracycle tagline that can stand the true test of time! Has the ThinkTank done it? Will ‘Do More With Your Bike’ last until the end of the world…or beyond? You decide:

• 1. the bike that hauls
• 2. every day adventures
• 3. the original longtail
• 4. bringin' the good life!
• 5. do more with your bike

[Editor's Note: Voting has since closed on this post, however feel free to let us know your thoughts in the 'Comments' section below.]]]> Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:00:00 +0000 http://www.xtracycle.com/blog/longtail-standard-makes-everything-more-useful/ Thanks to our amazing user group, the RootsRadicals, we stumbled upon this mockup of a LongTail equipped motorcycle.

Inspired me to create a few others based on our most popular cargo bike configuration kits: Eco, Family, and Trucker.

Xtracycle has you covered. Why? Because we put the Sport in Sport Utility Bicycle.

Exhibit A: Kill Two Birds With One Bike

Check out this great video from an outfit called More Badasser – highlighting the the solution to the ‘grass is always greener dilemma’ mentioned above. Xtracycle allows you to enjoy the race and the beer, at the same time. Go ahead, pop one open and enjoy the ride.

Exhibit B: Seriously Now, People Do This.

This just found on our popular users forum. For serious enthusiasts only.

observations from racing a mtb longtail conversion
Posted by: “A” andyboote@yahoo.com.au
Mon Dec 19, 2011 7:08 pm (PST)

Not sure how many of you are interested but the other night decided to
race the ‘ute’ at one of our shortcourse twilight mtb meets.
It was one sprint lap of a very technical, rocky and sometimes steep 7
km course. It mainly singletrack with a few switchback sections. The
bike is an alloy mtb frame, salsa chromoly fork and xtracycle unit. I
swapped the big apples for a 2.1 maxxis ignitor on the rear and a 2.35
specialized all mountain knobby on the front. I rode to the race for a
good solid warmup also took the freeloaders and racks out to lighten it
up (a touch).
Anyway hear a few of my observations / tips

* run air pressures pretty low to increase grip
* run big bag tyres for better compliance and a little suspension
* get up the front of the pack because its a sluggish start
* on rocky sections the longer chain can start oscillating and throw
the chain off the ring
* (also high cadence pedalling on the trail and sudden coast can do
the same thing)
* be tactical with gear selections, as there is a slightly longer
delay in shifting and you might be battling extreme chain flap
* the beast seems to climb ok but grip is diminished because of less
weight over rear wheel
* caution rolling over rocky mounds as longer wheel base can lower
bottom bracket height / bash rings
* longer wheel base seems to handle roll off ledge sections a bit
better – like normally i have to hang over the back wheel (altho note
above caution about pedal and chainring clearance)
* corner entry / apex needs adjustment, wide entry on switch back and
hover on seat / hold higher gear to keep grip on uphill versions
* deore level v brakes are ok but need applying a bit sooner
* the long tail will do spectacular sliding skids into flat open
corners
* caution of chain slap when running knobbies – the chain (especially
when running high on the cluster / chainline closer to the rear wheel)
can catch on the tyre and inadvertantly get lifted / thrown
* try and be smoother in general (as a result of above factors seems
to be more put pressure/ leverage on the chain)

Anyway i made it 4/5 off the way round before snapping the chain and
running the bike to the finish.
regardless of the result it got lots of attention and questions from all
the other spectators and competitors, so I guess its a win for the
awareness of the versatility of the longtail. All in all a very
interesting experience.
(PS Will let you know how it compares when i finish building full xt /
disc equipped surly BD ?!?!)
Andy

Exhibit C: LongBikes Soar Further

Certainly one of the top 10 Xtracycle photos of all time. Hardcore Xtracycle rider/racer/evangelist, Max Cooper stuns the field with a flying LongTail leap past the short bike competition. Do that on your Bakfiets folks!

(R)evolutions Per Minute is a documentary about the growing cargo bike movement, or what we at Xtracycle refer to as the ‘cargo bike boom.’

Check out this exciting trailer for the video and learn how you can become a co-director by shooting and supplying footage for the film from around the country and the world.

Like much of what we do at Xtracycle, this film intends to be a DIT project. DIT stand for Do-It-Together.

More info about this project can be found at Liz’s website:

http://www.lizcanning.com/Liz_Canning_Creative/Cargo_Bike_Documentary.html

"Years ago at a red light I looked into the car beside me and saw the frowning driver’s hair blowing into the back seat as though she were leaning into a mighty storm. But her windows were up. The gale was coming from her air conditioner — on a beautiful day when an open window could just as easily cool and refresh. Then I coughed, and looked back at her tail pipe spewing out toxic exhaust. I was on a bicycle, and loving the day, except for the coughing. And that’s when the simple realization hit me.

Everything we do, every choice we make, has consequences. And no matter how seemingly simple, they can be profound. We can choose to be and live problems — or solutions.

I realized every time I drove (or mechanically cooled myself) I was directly poisoning air, water, soil, and myself. However, every time I rode my bike, my exhaust was never worse than a flatulent. When I drove my car, I fueled it with toxic gasoline from a distant corporation. When I rode my bike, I fueled me, often with a burrito made from locally grown tepary beans and cooked in my backyard solar oven. A burrito I would’ve eaten anyway now tasted even better."

>>read full post here