Hi Umbra,
After reading your article on the amazing Thermos, coffee, and bicycle commuting, I thought I should alert you (if you're not already alerted) to the Xtracycle (or S.U.B.) as a means for everyday, super-utilitarian biking. I replaced my car with one of these about eight months ago, and find that meeting new "can I haul that on my bike?" challenges is great fun -- not to mention the sense of accomplishment and the general feeling of well-being that comes with pulling one's own weight.
Because the Xtracycle is always on my bike, I can haul odd things (and odd people!) at a moment's notice -- very important for an art student. It's terrific. I still get super happy every time I see my bike -- and most days, it's faster and more convenient than either public transit or driving.
Sara
Chicago, Ill.
Dearest Sara,
Thank you for writing in with this fabulous huzzah for biking. Look, everyone: Sara is from Chicago, with the famous wind and real winters, yet she was able to shed her car and replace it with a bike. She planned ahead and bought a bike in a design suited to her needs. It was expensive, yet certainly cheaper than a car in the long term. And handy: the rear tire on the Xtracycle is farther back and lower than on a traditional bike, configured for a long, hearty rack able to hold people, four panniers, musical instruments -- basically whatever you might imagine. Xtracycle offers a conversion kit for traditional bikes too. (Read our archived interview with company president Kipchoge Spencer to find out more.)
Photo: XtraCycle
The best news, though, is not that the Xtracycle exists and is apparently great, but that it is not the only specialty bike out there. Looking at cargo bikes reminded me that bike hauling is not a derivative of fast, distance cycling. Bikes are a form of transport, and bike hauling is its own established transport activity with appropriate technology to suit. It's not that we must weigh down our inner Lance Armstrong with unwieldy baskets and trailers; rather, we are updating the rickshaw. If you want to haul stuff on a regular basis, there is a bike or bike-expanding attachment for you.
As we know, the internet is a strange and wondrous place, and today it will help us view a few of the many crazily practical, human-powered wheely items ready to render their riders ridiculously happy. Many thanks to the lads at Cargocycling for starting me on this internet tour.
Let us first go to Holland. Remember the bicycle-powered ice-cream cart? Picture a large, low box where the ice cream would be, and you've got a bakfiets. These are Dutch-made cargo bikes, perfect for carrying an entire family, groceries for the week, your boyfriend(s) ... anything, really. There are bike and trike models, they have rain covers, and although I've never seen one in person (life can be unjust), they look great. Perfect for flat routes in paved towns and cities with a bike-friendly populace -- which is to say, if your home resembles Holland, these bikes are for you. Bakfiets are available at a few stores in the United States. A nonprofit in Eugene, Ore. seems to make a similar cargo bicycle, as do other European manufacturers. Whether you want to import a bike or not, garner some inspiration with this Dutch store's many photos of various cargo-carrying bicycles.
Photo: Bakfiets
What if you already love your current bike and were somewhat attracted to the Xtracycle 'Free Radical' bike attachment? Maybe one of the many cargo trailers out there is for you. The trailer will attach for Lance Goes Shopping, and then detach for our Tour de France moment (although I'm sure ye actual bike racers would not attach a trailer to your cycle). The list of tailored trailers you can get for your bike is exhaustive and exhausting: trailers designed for pets, for kids, for punks, for surfers, for campers -- in short, for real people. BOB, the baby stroller manufacturer, makes attractive open-bed trailers that attach to most any bike's rear hub. Here is a mini U-Haul type item and a variety of plans for building your own trailer.
If a new bike trailer seems out of your budget, look around for a used one. I see a lot of used kids' tow-behind bike seats at yard sales, which would be cheaper than a new bike trailer and handy for more than just kids. (The main brand is Burley, ye Craigslisters.)
Speaking of cheaper, this column started with Sara replacing her car. I ask us seriously, is it possible for a cargo cycle, or the panniers and baskets from earlier this week, to replace even a single car trip in our lives? Is there one regular errand we could do by bike, even in the summer? Give it some thought and put some effort into making a summer cycling plan. Maybe together we can lose some carbon weight, and when we examine our ecological footprint in the mirror, we'll like what we see.
Bikinily,
Umbra
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Comments
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Ineffable Posted 3:50 am
30 Apr 2008
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jedimomma Posted 3:52 am
30 Apr 2008
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AnnaCorgiHillFarm Posted 4:03 am
30 Apr 2008
http://www.rhoadescar.com/
We want one that we can haul groceries with or the dogs to the beach. Sort of a two person bike pickup not-truck.
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jedimomma Posted 4:06 am
30 Apr 2008
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sairen42 Posted 4:45 am
30 Apr 2008
Thanks for the heads up - I love it!
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Delay And Deny Posted 4:49 am
30 Apr 2008
I don't mean to be a wet blanket, but I would advise against any kind of child carrier on a bicycle except in the most restricted circumstances (low speed, and absolutely no cars -- bike only trails).
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jayohara Posted 5:21 am
30 Apr 2008
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rwelborn Posted 5:42 am
30 Apr 2008
Try just getting a run of the mill Trek, Giant or Specialized at your local shop for 300-500 bucks if you even need a new bike. Or get on Craigslist and buy a used one.
Am I wrong?
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jessimonster Posted 5:56 am
30 Apr 2008
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jdham137 Posted 6:18 am
30 Apr 2008
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gordo Posted 6:34 am
30 Apr 2008
It's a personal preference, but would be cool if people started using one or the other... if you are strapped for cash, start with a trailer.
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benoperrin Posted 6:40 am
30 Apr 2008
We use it to run errands, to carry tools or even a kayak. It's helping us lower our transportation expenses.
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rwelborn Posted 6:57 am
30 Apr 2008
Or, you could even buy both of your kids bikes and teach them how to ride, and you could all buy saddlebags to get groceries in.
Your 11 year old can't ride his own bike?
I was a peddling fool when I was 4.
Just trying to prove more practical ways around chucking that amount of cash away. But I guess if you have it, and a lot of it, buy on. Bikes in general rule.
Ride like this guy!
http://www.tensionnot.com/images/images/Weird_Pics604.jpg ...
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rwelborn Posted 7:31 am
30 Apr 2008
http://www.xtracycle.com/hitchless-trailers-kits-c-4.html ...
Only thing about this conversion that I would find a hassle, is if you wanted to not have it attached when you weren't using it.
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tucsonbiker Posted 8:20 am
30 Apr 2008
To the posters who have suggested that one start with a trailer, I say no. I started with a trailer and eventually ended up buying an xtracycle. Now I have both (and use both) but if I'd bought the xtracycle first, that might have been all that I needed. The xtracycle offers so much more than a trailer, in terms of convenience, in terms of safety, in terms of smoothness and (lack of) effort, and even in terms of carrying capacity. As the poster above mentioned, very few trailers can comfortable carry an adult passenger -- the xtracycle does it with ease.
I truly believe that the xtracycle is the best possible investment one can make for bicycle commuting. Within a few days, you will realize that they are well worth their price and that it is hard to imagine life before xtracycle. And I am not usually particularly impressed with 'gear', I just think that the xtracycle has a unique capacity for improving life and transportation options.
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rjl20 Posted 12:00 pm
30 Apr 2008
So, no, taking it off "when you don't need it" isn't really an option. But that's not an option I think you would ever want to exercise. The whole point is that you have the extra carrying capacity all the time, even if you don't think you're going to need it. A used trailer is indeed cheaper, but I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually bothered to get out and use the trailer I bought at a garage sale a couple of years ago, while I've put 2500 miles on the Xtracycle in that same time.
jdham137 is right: this really is life-changing. It's a pity there isn't a program set up for people who are interested to rent a cargo bike for a month, with the rental going towards the purchase price at the end if they decide they want to keep it. There are a lot of questions about these things where the only way to really understand the answer is to have one yourself for a while.
As for car carriers, I don't think that the kind that puts the bike in back of the car (attached via trailer hitch or straps on the hatch/trunk) will work. The kind where you take the front wheel off and put the bike on top of the car might work. Basically, I think you'd want a tandem carrier.
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rwelborn Posted 1:42 am
02 May 2008
I bike and ride a bus, I doubt a gigantic bike can fit on a bus bike rack. So, there's another reason those giant sized bikes aren't really that cool. To each his own, though. If you like it ride on.
I must say, you are really representing Xtracycle with passion, do you work for them tucsonbiker?
There are still great ways to not have to fork thousands up for commuting.
Heck for that price anyone could go buy a cheap plug-in electric scooter if you don't like the exercise...
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rwelborn Posted 1:55 am
02 May 2008
"While $450 is not inexpensive, I have definitely saved that much in gas over the six months that I have owned one."
You ride 500-600 miles a month to work/errands? That is really impressive. Hats off to you my friend, you must have legs of steel.
So if thats the case, and the Xtracycle is making this all possible, I will suggest people to go get one.
Kudos
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pumpkinproper Posted 2:33 am
02 May 2008
Check one out before you dismiss it out of hand.
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heatherbikes Posted 2:57 am
05 May 2008
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dbaecher Posted 1:53 am
07 May 2008
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dbaecher Posted 1:54 am
07 May 2008
http://www.konaworld.com/08_ute_w.htm
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Pangolin Posted 4:38 am
07 May 2008
Longtail advantages:Price: $450 gets you a fully functional unit that works with the bike you have. My fully rigged Townie/Freeradical combo, with footsies cost me less than $1000 including shipping and bike shop assembly. (more now)
Load: I load two 18 gallon rubbermaids in the freeradical and I can put a kid or another storage bucket on top. Try that with a trailer.
Ride: The ride is smooth and stable. It rides and behaves just like your bike with no crazy trailer behaviour. The single track ride means that you know where all your wheels are going.
Space: Longtail bikes average 1/2 a wheel length longer than your existing bike. Much smaller and easier to handle than a bike and trailer.
Freedom: I catch myself cursing at times when i take the car. Several times I have sat in traffic or circled for parking when I could have just slid up to my destination with the Xtracycle. Imagine cruising past the crowds coming back from your fourth of July fireworks easily carrying folding chairs, a cooler and blankets; I've done that. Ditto sliding right up to a parade fully rigged out with no parking hassles or going to movies in the park.
Class: I look like a balding Fozzie bear. I can tell you I get a LOT more attention on my Xtra with a load than without. I won't tell you what most bike trailers in my town are used for but it isn't classy. If you go for the fully rigged Big Dummy frame that $2k is going to get you the quad-cab pickup of bicycles. A bike that can literally go everywhere and carry anything that you can strap to it; comfortably.
I'm not advocating any particular bike or setup. There are other longtail cargo bikes out there than the Xtracycle and hopefully more will be put in production. I'm saying check out your options.
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jdham137 Posted 10:57 pm
07 May 2008
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bryantheresa Posted 9:28 pm
08 May 2008
The BOB is good but what I really want, though, is a bike to carry a queen-sized bed or plywood. Anybody have one they like?
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ecomommy Posted 3:23 am
09 May 2008
I bought a trailer initially, but I'm cursing having done it. It cost $200- and that is cheap for a bike trailer! I did so much damage to it in only 2 months of owning it that I doubt I'd get $50 for it now. I flipped it pulling it with no kids in it, damaging the cover. I bent the flag trying to get it in and out of my basement to store it. It was a PITA to get in and out if the yard- and you can"t back it up. Bike commuting with a trailer is a joke- which is probably why I never see anyone doing it.
Then I got an xtracycle- it is perfect! No more having to take the trailer on and off to get it in and out of the yard. No more worrying that someone will steal the trailer while the bike is locked up. Carrying the kids is WAY easier as payload than towing. I can still attach my trailer if I want- and carry an extra kid. (theoretically I could pull and carry 4, but I don't have the legs for it!)
Plus, if I'm just heading out for a quick errand and a kid says "I wanna come!" I can just say- "Hop on."
I saved $80 last month on gas- in my first month of owning my xtracycle. Yes, I used to spend $2-3 per day driving between home, school, and errands- all less than 5 miles away, usually much less.
As for the danger associated with kids on bicycles.
I keep on the bike routes
When uncertain, I use the sidewalk- something you can never do with a trailer
and
3. My kids are way more likely to die from the effects of inactivity- obesity, hypertension, etc- or the effects of global warming- famine, drought, armed conflict, extinction of all life on the planet- than they are to die in a bicycle accident.
One Irish study found that years of life lost to inactivity related disease outnumbered years of life lost to bike accidents by 20 to 1. And that is in a country with no helmet law.
I can see why not everyone would want one- but I'm LOVIN"IT!
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ecomommy Posted 4:01 am
09 May 2008
Most people who I think of as "bike riders" are young to middle age men. My husband is a good example. He has a fancy road/racing bike- which cost over $2000.
Furthermore, many of the "bike guys" I know own several bikes- mountain, road, racing, etc, several of which were not cheap.
These bikes serve to give the owners thrills, keep them looking good naked, and reduce their need for a car.
One the other hand- my Xtracycle cost $275 for my bike- a size small Giant Cyprus, $450 for the Free Radical, $100 for installation, $200 for the child seat for my 2 year old. So all told it's a little over $1000. It is my only bike.
My bicycle transports three people almost everywhere they need to go, and brings food, clothing, gardening supplies, etc. to our home, it also gives me and my kids thrills, keeps me looking good naked, and reduces my need for a car. Decent payback for the price, I think.
Any guy who thinks their wife should skimp on how they transport the kids and get groceries- because for the same price they could get an awesome new toy for just themselves- should be punched in the arm and forced to eat leftovers.
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SpeedEBikes Posted 4:14 am
29 May 2008
I haven't replaced it though because it wasn't perfect. When heavily loaded mine would wiggle and flex. It never broke or caused an accident but it was unnerving. I expect the custom bike with the integrated frame is much stiffer than a bolt on kit setup although the price is higher than I want to pay. Since I weld, one of my to do list things is to eventually build my own.
As for the comments regarding issues like not being able to get the bike on a bus or wanting to be able to sometimes ride an unencumbered bike both are potential issues, but one of the beautiful things about bicycles is there is almost no ongoing fixed costs of ownership, so if you have the space having more than one is not too big a deal.
I have several bikes and the Xtracycle was one of my favorites. The other favorite was a small Dahon folder which I use in combination with transit in foul weather. I could carry the folder easily on the back of the Xtracycle and once I discovered that I found good cause to do so on many occaisions. The folder was my favorite loaner bike for visiting friends and family because it could instantly adjust to fit most anyone. A typical scenario would be a friend or family member flying in from out of town. Since I don't drive I would pick them up at the local train stop by arriving on the Xtracycle with the folding bike. Unload the bike for them and then load up their luggage on the Xtracycle.
Recently I built a big cargo trailer that can haul multiple passengers and their luggage, sheets of drywall or plywood, or things like refrigerators and pianos. I also use it for the smaller hauling that I used to use the Xtracycle for so I don't absolutely need another Xtracycle. But I do miss it.
btw, I also live in Chicago and it is very flat here. Without hills one can haul amazing loads - and I've built bikes with electric assist which vastly exceed my own unpowered capabilities.
Anybody sitting on the fence regarding a trailer or Xtracycle I encourage to go for it. Being able to haul cargo vastly increases the utility of cycling. At the minimum, equip a bike with a sturdy rear rack and panniers, enough to do modest shopping. Get in the habit of doing that and you'll eventually want/do more.
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carfreedays Posted 2:21 pm
11 Jun 2008
I've told anyone who will listen that my Xtracycle has changed my life. You don't get that from trailer owners. I was so happy to say bye bye to my trailer when I got the Xtracycle.
As for safety, I ride on the road and in traffic and I'm not afraid for my children or for myself. We're way safer on a bike than we ever were in a car.
As for the cost, it was worth every penny. We bought 2 kits and my husband built them up mostly from parts he already had. I've saved plenty of money by riding my bike almost exclusively. The cost of the Xtracycle is trivial compared to that of vehicle ownership (gas, insurance, maintenance, parking etc).
Anne
http://carfreedays.wordpress.com
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