This blog is moving....

I'm moving this Big Dummy Blog to a new location - here. It will be combined with my other bike blogs for a one stop bike blogging experience!

If you just want to read about cargo biking and the Surly Big Dummy - no worries. When you jump to the new blog you will see at the top right a section of links titled "categories". If you click on Cargo Biking you only see the cargo bike related posts and this is essentially the content from my Big Dummy Blog just in a new location/format.

Also note that if you only want to read about the Big Dummy you can do that as well. Just look near the bottom of the right side of the screen on the new blog and you'll see a section of links called "Tags". If you click on "Big Dummy" you'll only see posts about the Big Dummy. You can click on "Rohloff" and only read posts about this fine German IGH.

I will be moving all the content from this site over to the new blog - although that process may take some time. This site will remain active until Blogger sees fit to get rid of it so until the transition is complete you can use this site as an archive and the new site to read any new content.

This is officially the last post on this blog. All future posts will be at the new location.

Don't forget the oil...

I was talking to a rider whose Rohloff didn't get any oil added when built and has been ridden dry [gasp!]. I thought I'd just post a reminder that Rohloff's are shipped dry so you need to add that small bottle of oil they provide in the box that the hub came in.

Take care of your Rohloff and it will take care of you!

Devo & the Dummy

Photo: Devo

I posted above Devian's Asana Cycles Blog earlier and thought I would share a link to a long Big Dummy thread he has going on over at MTBR.com. He talks about everything from the environment to tire upgrades and Big Dummy mods to spirituality and documents his bike camping adventures. I mean where else can you read about a Big Dummy going on a road bike group ride???

Riding the Spine PT2

Photo: Riding the Spine

The Riding the Spine crew have been taking a break from their Panamerican offroad cargo biking adventure to raise more funds for their trip. They are now back on the road and started the second part of their trip in fine fashion by getting around the infamous Darien Gap by sea kayaking with their bikes from Panama to Columbia.

I'll be keen to follow this group of riders as they continue to south on their interesting collection of Big Dummies, Xtracycles and of course the beastly Chupacabra...=-)

Xtracycle Pricing

Maybe a cargo bike is better than a car?...=-)

A member of the Bike Forums Utility Sub-Forum asked if the Xtracycle was over priced and after typing out a mondo response I decided I'd post it her as well.

" I've made some posts on my Big Dummy Blog that were critical of the pricing of some of the new Xtracycle accessories that came out in late 2008. The president of Xtracycle commented on them and although I think he was a bit annoyed he was polite and constructive. I've tried to see it from Xtracycle's point of view as well as from my own as a consumer and someone who has been responsible for being new products from scratch.

Here are some things I think we can agree on or at the very least I feel solid about:

- the Xtracycle folks are not trying to get rich or charging more just to gouge the market
- the Xtracycle product works pretty well and is a very flexible cargo bike solution
- Xtracycle put time and money on the line developing the Xtracycle when it wasn't popular or clearly going to be a successful product
- Xtracycle has inspired a whole slew of cargo bike new products
- designing new products can be expensive and getting them built can cost more than anticipated
- Xtracycle's new open source project is a progressive idea that seems to have the best interests of the cargo bike market in mind

From this I definitely think we need to be appreciative that some guys years ago decided to invest in a crazy cargo bike add on contraption that probably seemed really far out at the time. I don't question Xtracycle's motives or intentions and I think the product they produce is, for the most part, pretty nice.

So is the cost reasonable?

- a free rad kit is $490
- 2 wideloaders are $108
- 1 long loader is $49
- a set of footsies $59
- a kickback centrestand is $139

For a total of $845.

This represents to me the stuff you'd need to fully use your Xtracycle. You can off course spend way more if you buy the rest of the add ons like a bike carrier, snap deck pad, cargo bags, stoker bar, security collars or pannier kit.

I think there are three ways to answer the cost question:

1) some people compare the functionality of the Xtracycle to a car and therefore suggest the way to evaluate the price is to compare it to what a car would cost you to operate. In those terms the Xtracycle is relatively inexpensive.

2) you could look at what other products of similar manufacturing complexity and raw materials are being offered for by other companies that get their stuff made in Taiwan. Interestingly RANS' new Hammer Truck is a similar cargo bike system and parts will be made in the US and/or Taiwan. This should provide a pretty good comparison, but individual part prices are not available yet from RANS. The over all bike is priced at ~$2K similar to an Xtracycle spec'd Big Dummy.

3) You could evaluate the cost from the perspective of a cyclist who is interested in an Xtracycle, but who is part of the majority of the cycling market and isn't going to drop $2K on a bike without flinching. Clearly Xtracycle and Surly with their Big Dummy are doing brisk business [based on lack of stock in 2008] with those folks who routinely spend $1K+ on a bike. These are folks that wouldn't be shocked by $845 for a complete Xtracycle kit or $2K for a Big Dummy. The problem is that there are a limited number of these people and eventually that part of Xtracycle's market will get saturated. The majority of the bike market thinks $1K for a bike is crazy talk. Will they see $845 in value in an Xtracycle kit to add to an old bike they already have? I'm not sure.

One of my friends who got a ride on my Big Dummy and then saw it in action wanted an Xtracycle. I got her a smoking deal from a shop I know - keep in mind this was back in the early part of 2008 before the prices went up. Even with the lower prices, the discount I got her and the fact I was going to lend her any add ons she needed [wideloaders, bike carrier, etc...] the cost was still so high I ended up paying $50 of my own money to take the sting out of it for her. She is solidly middle class and has some disposable income, but $500CDN+ for something you add to a bike kind of blew her mind. If the cost was $600, $700 or more she just wouldn't be interested. With the current cost of an Xtracycle I haven't bothered trying to get other people I know interested as the price point wouldn't work for them.

Obviously everyone has to draw their own conclusions as to how much value they place on an Xtracycle and what they'd be willing to pay for it. If you really can replace your car with it and use it regularly [taking kids to school, getting groceries, hauling recycling, etc..] I can see it being worth the money for sure. For more occasional use or for those who think $300 for a Walmart bike is a lot I'm not sure they'll be able to justify an Xtracycle.

From my perspective I appreciate the fact that selling bike products can be a tough business and Xtracycle has to make enough $$$ to make it worthwhile. Two things I'd like to see are:

1) better discounts on complete kits so that people are rewarded for buying accessories - perhaps even an additional discount if you buy stuff with a Big Dummy or Xtracycle Freeradical. Yes they do have some packages at the moment, one I checked offered ~15% off buying a la carte, but I'd like to see even deeper discounts at time of purchase of a BD or Xtracycle kit. This will help overcome the sticker shock when people price out a complete Xtracycle system and they can still charge the normal rate for accessories purchased down the road.

2) better interoperability between Xtracycle accessories. I was keen on a KickBack centrestand until I found out they are not compatible with the footsies I already own and my passengers like plus they make adding/removing wideloaders a chore. This seems really odd for a company that makes and sells all these parts to not make them more cross compatible. As an example an aftermarket centrestand option for the BD and Xtracycle uses a different set of mounting points and is totally compatible with the footsies and wideloaders. It's ironic to me that the stand made by a third party is more compatible with Xtracycle's own accessories then their in house design.

I guess we'll find out what happens. If Xtracycle continues to sell strongly as they did in 2008 then their prices were acceptable to the folks that were interested. If their sales start to slump perhaps we'll see costs come down. Time will tell. "

Efficiency of a Rohloff Hub

This article by Rohloff talks about the efficiency of their hub, some issues involved when measuring efficiency and provides some test data that might be of interest to Rohloff owners or potential customers.

Some things to consider:

• This article was written by Rohloff and could be biased, but keep in mind the test results of the independent researchers that Rohloff quotes at the start of the article only vary by 1-2% from a derailleur system. So the differences are small and the discussion on how to setup efficiency tests seems worth considering.
• The Rohloff hub used in the previous tests referenced was new and not broken in whereas Rohloff used a hub that had seen some use for their tests.
• I thought the point about efficiency of the human body was interesting. So that having an optimal gear available was an important and unmeasured variable.
• Both the Rohloff and derailleur drive train tested were clean.

Big Dummy Therapy

I've been in a cast for the last few weeks [hence the lack of posts] and wanted to start some rehab on my gimpy leg getting the full range of motion back and strengthening it without putting too much stress on it. I decided to throw my Big Dummy on a fluid trainer as the top tube on the BD is quite low and the seating position is upright. This allows for easy mounting and dismounting.

Hopefully I'll be back in action fairly soon!

How to make old Freeloaders work with the "New" Freeloader bosses..

How to make your old FreeLoaders work with the FreeLoader bosses from Xtracycle on Vimeo.

Using Wideloaders with a KickBack Stand

Using WideLoaders with KickBack - Xtracycle from Xtracycle on Vimeo.

Xtracycle KickBack Centerstand or Footsies, but not both...

All Photos: Xtracycle Inc.

The one product I was most interested in from Xtracycle's newly released accessories was their centerstand called the KickBack. At $140 the functionality of having a robust stand that would make my Big Dummy more stable when loading/unloading seemed like a worthwhile investment.

The first hiccup was that the stand came with a bracket [small black piece top center in photo above] that fits the Freeradical frame tube, but would not fit the much larger oval tube on the Big Dummy. Xtracycle has since come out with a Big Dummy specific bracket so make sure you order the correct version of this stand. I was pretty happy to see Xtracycle quickly resolve the issue as I was not prepared to take the chance of damaging my Big Dummy's frame.



My renewed enthusiasm was dampened when I realized you can't use the Xtracyce Footsies and the KickBack at the same time. My passengers really like the stable platform provided by the Footsies so I'd hate to give them up. The Xtracycle site notes that passengers can put their feet on the stubs that stick out horizontally when the KickBack is mounted, but that doesn't seem like much of a platform when compared to the Footsies.


So I'm back to looking at what other options are out there for a centerstand for my Big Dummy. Val Kleitz is selling a very nice centerstand that will work with either the Surly Big Dummy or the Xtracycle Freeradical. His stand will not interfere with mounting any Xtracycle accessories so you can have Footsies as well as a centerstand. The downside to Val's stand is the cost of nearly $400.00.

Update: Jeff's comment to this post reminded me that I should mention that you can use Wideloaders with a KickBack installed, but one person who has tried using them together has said installing the Wideloaders is a bit of a PITA and suggested that removing/installing them frequently would get old fast. I could probably live with that if that was the only issue.

LA Times Cargo Bike Review

Photo: LA Times

The LA Times has an article reviewing cargo bikes posted online here. I don't agree 100% with their comments, but it's good to see these bikes get some airtime in the mainstream press.

Rohloff Exploded View

Click on image to enlarge.

Rohloff Manual Online

Portions of the Rolhoff Manual are online here should you need some Rohloff info and not have your printed manual close at hand.

RANS Hammer Truck Specifications

RANS has put the Hammer Truck up on their website with specs. Sounds like production models will hit the street in early 2009 so we'll have to wait a bit to see what owners are saying, but the concept looks promising.

Rohloff shifter on drop bar

If you want to run a Rohloff shifter on drop bars and aren't happy with the other work arounds like the Hubbub Adapter or the Thorn Accessory Bar you can get this two piece drop bar from Germany and use a standard Rohloff shifter. Click on the image for more details.

Xtracycle Open Source Info

Photo: Xtracycle Inc.

Xtracycle has placed a lot of material about their new open source concept here. I haven't read through it all, but wanted to get the link up. I'll be updating this post in the next few days when I've had time to digest it.

I really do hope this inspires other companies to adopt the same standard for cargo bikes so we get a number of different sources all making products that work together. Congratulations to Xtracycle for an innovative move like this.

RANS Hammer Truck PT3

RANS has posted an article providing more details on the Hammer Truck spec and pricing on their website here. I like that this bike and accessories are made in small batches in the USA vs. overseas.

The real test will be how it rides with a heavy load. I'll be looking forward to reading owner's impressions when it hits the street...=-)

Rohloff Oil Change

Surly Big Dummy Complete Bikes

Photo: Xtracycle

Surly announced that they will be selling a complete Big Dummy for those folks who don't want to build one from scratch. No word yet on the parts/spec or cost, but you can be sure it will be a lot cheaper than building the same bike a la carte. It will be interesting to see how it compares to the complete Big Dummy being sold by Xtracycle. Hopefully Surly will make some different parts choices just so folks can pick from two different flavours of Big Dummy.

Updated Specification:

Here's the specs.
Headset- Richy Logic Comp
Handlebar- Surly Torsion Bar
Brake levers- Avid Speed Dial 7
Brakes - Avid BB7
Crankset/BB - Surly Mr. Whirly 48/36/26
Saddle - WTB SST
Cassette- LX-M580 9 sp 11-34
Hubs - Surly front, XT rear
Rims- Salsa Gordo 36 hole
Front der.- LX
Rear der. - LX
Shifters - LX
Spokes DT Swiss 14g
Tires -Schwalbe Big Apple 26 X 2.0
Pedals - not included
Xtracycle kit, Snapdeck, left and right V-racks left and right freeloader bags.
Price- TBA

Rohloff Trigger Shifter

Photo: MTBR.COM Thread

Apparently a trigger shifter is in the works from Rohloff. I'm guessing it won't be made with wood triggers...=-) Personally I like the twist shifter because you can dump several gears at once, but I welcome some choice in shifters.

Tune Aftermarket Rohloff Shifter

Photo: MTBR.COM Thread

Rohloff 100,000 hubs and counting...

Photo: Jerk Chicken

Rohloff Equivalent MTB Gear Ratios

Image: MTBR.COM Thread

Click on the image above to see the equivalent MTB gear ratios for a particular Rohloff chainring/cog combination. This will help you choose the chainring you'll drive your Rohloff with. Remember the Rohloff will ship with a 16T stock cog and they won't warranty a hub used on a single bike with a chainring smaller than 38T.

Thorn's "Living with a Rohloff" PDF also shows some MTB drivetrain equivalency info on the last page.

The Big Dummy Project

Jim is riding across the US on a Big Dummy towing his dog Elke in a trailer. He has a nice site called The Big Dummy Project and he is trying to raise awareness about diabetes. Drop in and post an encouraging note if you have a moment.

RANS Hammer Truck PT2

Photos: Nanda Holz @ Spin Cyclz

I've got a bit more info on the new RANS Hammer Truck. It will haul up to 500lbs - which is 2.5 times the capacity of the Xtracycle/Big Dummy and more than even some of the serious heavy duty cargo cargo bikes like the Yuba Mundo. The accessories you see that are similar to the v-racks and wide loaders from Xtracycle are not compatible with the Freeradical of Big Dummy.


RANS has suggested that a future version of the Hammer Truck may be compatible with the Xtracycle/Big Dummy or at least that RANS may develop some accessories for the Xtracycle/Big Dummy.


Given RANS' track record for high quality innovative products it will be very interesting to see what comes out from this new player in the cargo bike market.

The RANS Hammer Truck should be available for delivery around January 2009.

Xtracycle Bling @ Interbike

Photo: Xtracycle Inc.

RANS Hammer Truck

Some info on the new RANS Hammer Truck from the Commute by Bike Blog:

"Rans is known for their recumbents and low seat upright bikes. Rans designer Randy Schlitter schleps around Hays, KS but he didn’t the cargo capacity he needed, so designed the Rans Hammer Truck.

The Rans Hammer Truck is the Rans unique take on longtail cargo bike. The 35 lb bike can carry up to 500 lbs of rider and cargo, with huge bags to carry cargo and optional running boards to support the weight. The Rans Hammer Truck will retail for $1895 beginning in November."

Not sure yet about the details, but it looks good. I hope it will compatible with all the Xtracycle accessories so you'll have loads of flexibility.

Small Wheels + Big Rubber

Photo: Clever Cycles

Todd Fahrner of Clever Cycles in Portland posted the info below on Bike Forums and I thought it was worth capturing here for those of you with cargo bike builds on the go. I haven't tried using small wheels with large tires, but it's a concept which makes a lot of sense and Todd has loads of experience with cargo bikes. I'd be keen on hearing some feedback from anyone who tries it.

"For Xtracycles including Big Dummy, I greatly prefer 24" wheels with 2.35" Big Apples to 26" wheels with either high or low volume tires. High volume tires provide the only suspension to be had for the dead weight of your cargo, and improve braking and comfort. 24" lets you have it while still keeping the bottom bracket in the range of road bikes, so you can get a foot down to stabilize at stops, and mount/dismount easily without leaning the bike. This matters with a heavily loaded bike, particularly if your load is precious and mounted high, like a kid. You need disc or drum brakes to swap wheel sizes like this.

A similar trick is to start with a so-called "two-niner" frame (designed for 700c rims with poofy tires) and fit 26" wheels; e.g., http://clevercycles.com/?p=136 .

This advice doesn't apply if you intend actually to jump logs and so on with your cargo bike, or if you insist on pedaling through high speed sharp turns, such that you risk striking a pedal. Both Xtracycle and Surly do tend to promote the concept of these bikes being MTBs, and optimize ground clearance accordingly. I'm more urban/pavement oriented, excluding curb-hopping."

Adios Taifun

I sold my Challenge Taifun recumbent and had to get it to the UPS Store to ship it. Naturally I didn't use my pick up truck.


Using a wide loader combined with a long loader I was able to easily strap the box to the side of my Surly Big Dummy. The weight being all on one side unbalanced the bike a bit when riding. Not terribly, but I should have picked up a couple cases of beer to balance out the right side of the bike...=-)


My cheap kickstand took a beating when I was loading the box. I'm actually surprised it didn't break. I'll be shopping around for a centre stand over the winter. The Xtracycle stand is the front runner at the moment.

Rohloff Hub - The Inside Story

Jay's Big Dummy

Wow - you can tell the new batch of Surly Big Dummy frames is in stock at QBP with all the cool Big Dummy builds hitting the street. Jay got his Big Dummy rolling with the help of the fine folks at Revolution Bike Repair in Arcata, CA. Sweet ride Jay - congrats! Click here to see more photos of Jay's ride.

Sean's Big Woody

Sean Ralph's Big Dummy looks stunning with custom Woody fenders and matching Snapdeck & Footsies. It almost looks too nice to ride..=-) Great work.

Simply amazing.

Cut out on right side of fenders for chain clearance.

Dirk Leas' Big Dummy

Dirk's been wanting a Big Dummy for a while now and finally got his baby rolling and hauling. Congrats Dirk...enjoy your Big Dummy.

Xtracycle Dealer Agreement

Photo: Xtracycle

The message below was posted on the Roots Radical Yahoo Group. Apparently there are some changes happening with how Xtracycle products are distributed. Not sure what the ramifications will be, but if you were planning on getting one you might want to either pull the trigger now or confirm with your supplier what impact these changes may have on your particular situation.

"As of now, the new Xtracycle Dealer Agreement will not allow bike
shops to sell you a Free Radical Kit. The agreement states that all
bike shops that stock Xtracycles must install it and cannot sell you
a FR kit otherwise.

You must either have the shop order it from Quality Bicycle Products
in order to avoid the requirement. QBP sells at a much higher price
than Xtracycle does, Don't ask me why!

Also, the new Xtracycle Dealer agreement is designed to only favor
the highest volume shops. (Performance anyone?) In fact, they have
even put their highest volume dealers out of the loop. I sell many,
many, many per year but cannot come close to the number they expect!
It is crazy. Xtracycle was founded on the small guy. Now you can
enjoy you going dealer direct as I do not expect many IBDs
(Independent Bicycle Dealers) to be able to stock them at a price
that is competative with Xtracycle direct.

Good luck!

Signing off, Aaron's Bicycle Repair, the former #1, now apparently #3
Xtracycle Dealer in the USA.

Not Feeling the Flavor of the Freedom....."

Rohloff - Bent EX Gear Mech

Photos: Mugtree

These photos were posted on the Thorn Rohloff Forum. They show how the external gear mechanism can be bent inwards and rub against the disc rotor. Since this is the same position the external gear mechanism would be in on a Big Dummy it's something to be aware of. Not a huge risk and not something I'd lose any sleep over, but at the same time you want to keep this in mind when riding/transporting/storing your Big Dummy if it has a Rohloff.

BTW - the hub still shifted okay like this and the external gear mechanism could likely be bent back somewhat until it could be replaced.

2009 Xtracycle Catalogue

Photo: Xtracycle

The 2009 Xtracycle catalogue is available for viewing online. There are a number of new products shown - some of which I've talked about in previous posts. One that I hadn't mentioned is a centre stand [see page 12/13] for sale at $139.00. I'm doing okay so far with my $10 kickstand, but I'll be giving this new centre stand some thought. I can see how it could prove quite useful. If you get one let me know what you think about it.

Nonconform Cycling Blog

Dennis over at the Nonconform Cycling Blog has a very cool gas-assist Xtracycle rig and a nice DIY centre-stand.

Xtracycle talks about pricing and going open source...

I rec'd the comment below from Xtracycle and thought it deserved to be a post on its own rather than buried in the comments section. It's great that the company has taken the time to talk about important issues like pricing and I'm excited that they are going open source with their cargo system standard.

"Greetings from Xtracycle.

Wev'e gotten some feedback lately regarding the raised pricing on several of our products, as well as a window into some of your inspired discussions about this. First and foremost, we want to say, thanks for your thoughts. We definitely strive to balance all the factors that go into the pricing of goods: materials and manufacturing costs; buying in huge quantity to drive down price vs. managing cash flow and keeping quantities low; compensating our suppliers and our team well; building in opportunities for distributors/dealers to make a living selling our stuff as well.

Perhaps you've heard the adage from the bicycle industry: "What's the best way to end up with a million dollars selling bikes? Start with two million." Bicycles, like most commodities, suffer from a great deal of externalized pricing, whether it's the artificially low (now rising) cost of fuel, the artificially low (now rising) cost of Chinese labor, the artificially low (now greatly rising) cost of raw materials, or the fact that the bike industry has never had enough self respect to ask for what the products are worth to grow the market share of bicycles to cars. Seeding a revolution in transportation and quality of life won't be free. It will however, be way cheaper than owning a car.

Todd's right that we've put nearly 10 years into carving out the niche for longbikes in the broader bicycle market. It's been a wonderful, if at times, fiscally challenging journey, and we're not making a profit yet. Never fear, no one's getting rich off of Whatchamacollars (or FreeLoaders or Footsees or Pea Pods). We're not opposed to making money, mind you, but it's been proven out over 10 years that the reason we do this is because we love the product, the lifestyle, and the opportunity to present a true transportation alternative to the world. It has been our number one goal to keep the Xtracycle as affordable as possible while making sure that our products are well built, long lasting, well designed, and attractive.

What I'm clear about from some of the latests discussions is that our customers need more information about why our new products are useful and what value they offer. We trust that each person will decide for themselves what products will help to expand their Xtracycle lifestyle. We'll be adding that content to our webstore in the weeks to come.

Furthermore, we're excited to announce that we are officially open-sourcing the Xtracycle Long Tail Standard to encourage other players to make Xtracycle-compatible platforms and accessories. Surly has been a fantastic lead partner, and has aptly demonstrated a concept not altogether understood by the bike industry at large: that collaboration and partnership, built on trust and passion, lead to great solutions and a shift in the bike industry at large.

By "open source," we mean that you don't have to pay licensing fees or royalties, or get permission to make a product that works with our system. We want to lift those barriers to encourage a fertile environment for ideas, innovation, and partnership.

We're looking at sharing our standard right now with independent US fabricators of Xtracycle compatible SnapDecks, fabric bags, new Footsies, etc. Wanna play along? We welcome your input, your products, and your thoughts about pricing. We will publicize the Xtracycle LT Standard developer kit on our website and within our online communities (Facebook, Myspace, Flickr, Rootsradicals Yahoo group, etc.) in early October, so keep an eye out.

Will these items be Walmart cheap? No way. Likely they'll be competitively priced with our products, but in buying them you can feel great about supporting creative individuals and a movement dedicated to innovating something truly new and valuable within the bike industry.

Will there be Xtracycle knock offs in years to come, competing with us on price and quality? More than likely. Such is the way our economic system works. We feel that competition will only help us to refine our offerings and to better meet your needs, so as nice as it feels sometimes to have built an amazing platform and community, we realize that in order to be truly excellent at this, we have to give it away."

A Long Walk to Green

Photo: A Long Walk to Green

A Long Walk to Green is a great blog with such cool Surly Big Dummy tidbits as a custom centre stand and the dual custom kid's seats shown above. I wish I had 25% of the DIY skills this family has!

Update: if you thought the kid's seats pictured above were cool they are going into production soon and will be available as kits. Click here and here to get more info.

Adventure Racks

All Photos: Xtracycle Inc.

The Xtracycle Adventure Rack allows you to attach two standard bicycle panniers per side instead of your v-racks and Freeloaders. That's a nice option, but the cost is on the high at $75 each - plus you also seem to need a $39.99 set of Whatchamacollars for each side. That's $229.98 for both sides plus the cost of any panniers.


Being able to attach regular bike panniers to your Xtracycle is a nice idea. Given the cost though I'd stick with the stock v-racks/Freeloaders and use some sort of dry bags to haul your cargo.


I'm trying to figure out where the bottom hook on my Ortliebs will clip into? Hopefuly there is some allowance for this as having the panniers just hanging from the top hooks swinging around wouldn't be ideal.

TekDeck

All Photos: Xtracycle Inc.

Another new Xtracycle product is the TekDek - an aluminum Snapdeck replacement. It looks sweet and I'd appreciate having the built in tie down slots. It's a bit pricey at $89.99 compared to say a Tubus rack that seems to require more effort to fabricate.


Price not withstanding it looks like an improvement over the old wooden Snapdeck and should be quite durable.

Whatchamacollars

All photos: Xtracycle Inc.

This new product from Xtracycle called the Whatchamacollar sells for $39.99 a pair and they are supposed to hold your v-racks to your Freeradical/Big Dummy. The part I don't get is that a set of 4 will cost you $79.98 and as far as I can tell aren't really needed. Besides gravity and friction my v-racks and Big Dummy are held together because I have a strap at each end of my Freeloaders that securely connect the v-rack to the Big Dummy frame. People have lifted the back end of my Big Dummy by grabbing the v-racks and they haven't budged.

Update: seems like these may be needed for use with the Adventure Rack since the Freeloader bag isn't used to hold the v-rack in place.

Monkey Bone

Not needed for a Big Dummy, but this Monkey Bone adapter is a cool work around for a frame that has ISO 160mm disc mounts that you'd like to put a Rohloff on. Normally you'd need an OEM2 axle plate and Speedbone.


The Monkey Bone replaces your 160mm disc caliper mount and aligns the OEM2 axe plate so that wheel can easily be removed from dropouts.

Nivea's first Big Dummy ride...

Checking out the Big Dummy at the park near the weir along the Bow River, Calgary, Alberta.

Phil's Big Dummy Blog

Phillip lives in Austria and has a nice Big Dummy blog. His latest post details a family hiking/camping trip with lots of Big Dummy action.

Mike's Big Dummy

Mike just finished a nice Big Dummy build and posted some photos online to document the process.

Trek El Ranchero & Kona Ute

Looks like Trek is following Kona into the cargo bike game. Should be interesting if all the major players invest in one or two cargo bike models. So far I haven't seen any Big Dummy killers, but competition is a good thing.

Fahrner Family Longtail Camping Trip

Photo: Todd Fahrner

Todd Fahrner [Clever Cycles] recently completed a ~200mile camping trip in the mtns with his family using two Stoke Monkey equipped longtail bikes. He has a write up here and photos here. He used the two electric assist systems to help get these big bikes up some very steep mountains. This allowed a family tow tackle a challenging ride that would not have been possible if they had to pedal the entire way. For folks that have partners who aren't hardcore cyclists this might be just the solution to get your other half out on the road with you.

Trying to be green...

Ottocat has some info about his Kona Jake + Xtra build posted on his blog. I'm quite amazed how easily the Xtracycle Freeradical installs on so many different kinds of bikes.

Titec H-Bars Redux

My ulnar nerve injury on the Dempster motivated me to revamp my Big Dummy's bar padding. The primary new addition is a set of modified Ergon Grips. As you can see I had to chop off quite a lot of the right grip to allow it to fit on the bar with the Rohloff shifter. I also added a double layer of cork tape [camouflage of course!] to the other portions of the bars. Time will tell if this solves the problem, but I'm hopeful.

Maxwell's Big Dummy Adventures

Photo: Maxwell

Maxwell posted some fun Big Dummy pics on Bike Forums here. It's nice to see all the cool stuff Big Dummy and Xtracycle owners are doing with their cargo rigs...=-)

RJ's LHT + Xtra

Photo: EcoVelo

RJ's nice looking LHT + Xtra was posted on EcoVelo. The LHT is a great bike and I've now seen a few Xtracycle conversions which look quite nice. I'm wondering how the fully loaded rig handles with drop bars. Although I'm going to try and make the Titec H-bars work for my unpaved touring adventures my fallback is a set of drops. If you've tried drops on a Big Dummy or Xtra I'd love to hear what your experiences were.

Freeloader Surgery

I got around to fixing the torn mesh at the end of my Xtracycle Freeloaders. I haven't done anything about the holes that have worn through the inside of the bags where they rub against the Big Dummy's frame. I think the long term solution will be to get a second layer of more durable material sewn on to the bags where they rub against the frame or perhaps just use Shoe Goo to glue on patches in problem areas.

Given how much damage they've sustained in a short period of time I'm not sure what the lifespan of these bags is.

Dempster Highway Photos

I've posted my Dempster Highway Tour photos on Flickr here.

Dempster Highway Report Card

I'm back early from my Dempster Highway tour due to a hand injury. I'll write a trip report as my hand gets better, but I thought I'd post a quick analysis of how the Big Dummy performed on this demanding tour.

Just to give you a bit of an idea what the Big Dummy went through the road surface was quite variable from rocky, to gravel, to sand...with lots of potholes and washboard. About half of the 449kms I cycled was dry and half was really wet. When that road got wet it was a total mud fest.

The Good:

• the Big Dummy handled the rough roads very well
• the long wheelbase was both comfortable and confidence inspiring
• the wheels handled the pounding they rec'd without complaint
• the Marathon XRs were nice on the dry road and awesome once things got soft
• the Ortlieb panniers and Old Man Mountain front rack were great
• the Titec bars provided a ton of control when bombing downhill or dealing with mucky conditions
• the Selle Anatomica saddle was the most comfortable saddle I've ever used
• the Rohloff was flawless handling both dust and mud without any change in how it shifted

The Bad:

• the way I routed the rear brake cable put too much pressure on the housing and it broke where it left the brake lever. I could still use the brake, but I had to push the lever off as the spring couldn't overcome the added friction.
• the loaded bike was a bit slower than I would have liked due to a combination of a lot of gear, heavy bike and wide tires. OTOH I used just about everything I brought and the heavy parts/tires were welcome when things got EPIC.
• the front disc brake pads are more than 50% worn after 2 days of muddy roads. I'd have to change them at least once a week on a longer tour with similar conditions.
• the front disc brake also req'd lots of attention to keep it working in the wet/muddy conditions and braking performance suffered.
• transporting the Big Dummy and dealing with it when off the bike was more hassle than a typical touring bike. I needed a lift down the Dempster and my options were limited due to the sheer size of the bike.
• the Xtracycle Freeloader bags are a very versatile design, but they are quite fragile. I managed to wear several holes in them from rubbing against the Big Dummy as well as tearing the mesh at the end of the bags in a couple places. By comparison my Ortlieb panniers have seen much more hard use and look almost new. A pair of Freeloaders costs $178, but when you compared them to other bags sold for outdoors use [panniers, backpacks, dry bags] in that price range their materials and workmanship aren't even close. I hope someone like Ortlieb makes a higher quality version of the Freeloaders.
  

The Ugly:

• something about the ergonomics of the Titec H bar and my left hand didn't work as I ended up with an acute case of carpal tunnel syndrome. These bars hadn't given me any troubles on previous tours, but I think I was simply riding longer each day on the Dempster and the rough/wet conditions made me grip the bars tighter and change positions less often.
  

What I'll change:

• I'm adding Ergon Grips to my Titec H-bars as well as adding lots of padding to the rest of the bars. Hopefully this will solve the problem. The H-bars work so well I'd hate to have to get rid of them.
• I'll keep my eyes open for an aftermarket replacement for the Xtracycle Freeloaders. Hopefully something more robust. Given the cost of the stock bags an aftermarket company should be able to make something much nicer at a similar price.
• I'll carry less on my next tour. If I can get one or two other people out we can split up group gear like tents, stove, fuel, pots, etc.. Not only will there be less for each person to carry, but it will be lots of fun to have company.
• I'll rework the front and rear brake cables so they don't bind and have enough slack not to put any unnecessary pressure on the housing.
  

Wet

Bike Forums Question

I rec'd this question on Bike Forums, but for some reason can't get my posts to work there properly. With time running out I'm putting my response here so I can link to it and save myself the effort of what is going won't on that forum.

"Vic, thats the problem ... with world touring, especially in countries with unsealed roads, we are bound to run into some very bad weather and very bad touring conditions. We are also going to experience some extreme descents. That is why I wanted a disc braked, "rohloffed" Big Dummy (which Surly doesn't make in a small enough size). If I do go DF I still want the Xtracycle, rohloff and discs.

I'm not so concerned about cost, this will be my only vehicle, and I want it to be safe, comfortable and sturdy for 2 to 5 +, non stop, years of touring. I am also not concerned about speed, I want to take a few years and enjoy the ride!

So Vik, if I Xtracycled an LHT frame and used a more upright fork for discs, would I get a Big Dummy ride?"

Here are some options:

LHT + Xtracycle

If you want discs I'd just skip the LHT frame entirely. The main benefits [long wheelbase, geometry & fork] really aren't being utilized with discs + Xtracycle and the frame isn't suspension corrected for a taller front fork. Of course you could just forget the disc brakes and then adding an Xtracycle to a LHT would make loads of sense. I would suggest 90% of world traveling bikers are using rim brakes and doing just fine so I don't think that it's a show stopper. That's why Thorn, Surly, Trek, Koga Miyata, Cannondale, etc..are all selling rim brake touring bikes.

MTB + Xtracycle

If you are adding an Xtracycle to a bike I'd just make sure the donor frame was very strong..such as a Surly 1x1 or even better a Surly Instigator. Then use either the stock rigid fork or get a suspension fork. If you go the suspension fork route with some fat tires [say 26 x 2.0" Marathon XRs] you'd have a very comfortable touring rig....the tires, suspension & wheelbase would combine to make the equivalent of a touring Cadillac!

If you are touring for that long stuff will wear out so just plan for it and have stops scheduled en route in nice places where you can receive parts/supplies for maintenance. If you got a simple coil/oil fork you could overhaul it once a year and then replace it after 2 years....that wouldn't be a bad service life for hard use. You'd be able to run disc brakes on a suspension fork without issue.

Custom Bike

Given your requirements [small frame, Rohloff, discs, Xtracycle, long world bike trip] maybe you need to get a custom bike built??? Certainly seems like a trip worthy of one and then you could specify anything you liked. No reason you couldn't get a smaller Big Dummy made. If cost isn't an issue this would be the most satisfying option with the least compromises.

Big Dummy vs. Xtracycle

Although I think the Big Dummy has some advantages over a MTB + Xtracycle [stiffer/stronger integrated frame] the obvious downside is shipping/transport. The MTB + Xtracycle can be split into two pieces which will both fit into a normal bike box for travel. To get the same effect with the Big Dummy would require expensive S&S couplers.

Packed for the Dempster Highway

After lots of futzing around I finally got my Big Dummy loaded for the Dempster Highway. I've got quite a lot of stuff, but it isn't too heavy as I've got clothes to deal with +5 to +30 deg C weather including rain, sleeping bag, thermarest & tent. All of which is bulky, but light. The unfortunate part about touring solo is that you have to carry the same group gear that would serve 2 or 4 bike tourists and you can't enjoy the economy of scale that a group can.

Here is what I ended up taking:

Big Dummy
• Fenders
• Marathon XR 26 x 2.0
• Bike computer
• BMX pedals
• kickstand
• Xtracycle V-racks & Freeloader bags
• OMM Cold Springs front rack
• Ortlieb Bike Packer front panniers
• OR Dry Bags x 3
• Mirror [attaches to glasses]
• Bell
• Water bottle cages + bottles x 4
• bike lock

Spare Parts/Tools
• Marathon XR 26 x 1.75 folding tire
• Spare brake cable x 1
• Spare shift cable x 2
• Spare disc brake pads – 2 sets
• Patch kit x 2
• Tire levers x 3
• Spare tubes x 4
• Bike multi-tool [w/ chain tool]
• Mini - Leatherman
• 8mm box wrench
• 10mm box wrench
• Fibre-fix spokes x 4
• Chain lube
• Rags
• Zip ties
• Mini-duct tape
• Straps x 4
• pump

Clothing
• Rain Jacket
• Rain Pants
• Gore-tex socks
• Long warm socks x 1
• Short cool socks x 1
• Baseball cap
• Toque & fleece gloves
• Shell gloves
• Ferrata Jacket
• MEC fleece sweater
• Long underwear top & bottom
• Capris
• TNF black long pants [converts to shorts]
• Ex-Offico boxers x 3
• Performance Ts x 3
• Sun Shirt
• Tech Amphibians
• Bike gloves
• Buff
• Bug shirt
• Bug hat

Camping
• Tent
• Sleeping bag
• Thermarest
• Sil Tarp and guylines

Cooking
• Stove [gas]
• Fuel bottles x 2
• pot
• Spork
• Lighter
• Water filter
• MSR Water bag
• Collapsible basin

Toiletries
• Toothbrush & paste
• Floss
• Tweezers
• Bio-soap
• Hand sanitizer
• TP
• Bag balm
• Vitamins
• Ibuprofin
• Towel
• Lip balm
• Nail clippers
• Eye drops

Misc
• Headlamp
• Sunglasses & cleaning cloth
• Credit card & bank cards
• Copy of documents
• Health insurance
• Digi-cam x 1
• Notebook & pen
• Accessory cord
• Ear plugs
• Bear spray x 3 [one old one to test fire]
• Bear bangers
• F/A kit
• Maps
• Bear Canister
• Ziplock bags
• Reading book
• Trowel
• Tennis elbow brace
• Bug spray

Food
• Camping Dinners x 7
• Dried fruit
• Beef jerky
• Nuts
• Chocolate bars
• Cliff bars
• Oat meal
• Granola bars
• Fruit
• Tea

Feeling Radical

I've hauled all manner of things with my Big Dummy the last couple weeks. More often than not the cargo was not an easy size/shape to strap on my Big Dummy, but the Xtracycle Free Radical bags came through every time for me. I'm pretty amazed how many different ways you can configure them - smart design.

Val Kleitz - Cargo Bike Interview

Spotted on EcoVelo and originally posted on Cargo Bike. Val talks about bikes + life while getting his Xtra on...=-)

My favourite longtail quote from the interview:"...once I started riding it there was no going back!..." Amen.

Would I Rohloff again?

Galen dropped me an email asking: "...I actually have an Xtracycle set up on a Specialized stumpjumper, and I'm considering moving over to a Big Dummy so I can have my mountain bike back... I've found your blog very informative, and I'm wondering if you were to set up the BD again, if you'd still go with the Rohloff Hub? It seems like a big investment, but I've read nothing but good things about it... Is there anything else you'd change?"

Great question so I thought I'd answer it as a blog post instead of replying by email.

The simple answer is yes I'd buy another Rohloff if I was starting from scratch with a Big Dummy. Nothing that has happened so far has changed my interest in finding out what a Rohloff is like. It has performed flawlessly and has not needed any attention once installed. However keep in mind that one of the reasons that I bought it is to see what they are like in the long haul. So in part this is an experiment for the sake of field data.

In comparison to the MTB/trekking drivetrain on my LHT the Rohloff really has not added anything significant into the mix so far. In other words had I built up my Big Dummy with a inexpensive deore/LX MTB drivetrain I think I'd still be completely happy and have $1000+ in my pocket. That's not a slam against the Rohloff as much as it is a testament to how well a normal MTB drivetrain works and how cheap you can get them for. As the miles accumulate on both my LHT and my Big Dummy I'll compare how they are both aging and what pros/cons come up with them.

To be fair the Rohloff does have 4 benefits over the MTB drivetrain and 1 potentially serious con:

• The first benefit is that you can shift at a stop with the Rohloff. This isn't life altering, but when you've got the back end of your cargo bike heavily loaded it's a very nice luxury when you've stopped at the bottom of a steep hill in high gear.
  
• The second benefit is that it's immune to sand/mud/dirt/rain with all the important bits inside and no springs to clog up it will shift and work for you as long as the chain can go round.
• The third benefit is that drivetrain maintenance is minimized and once you wear out your chain/cog/chainring on one side you can simply flip them over and wear them out all over again. How important these last two benefits are really depends on where you ride. If dirt roads and offroading in the rain are part of your life this could be key. If you live someplace where it's raining all the time and you don't want to futz with your drivetrain a Rohloff and Scott Oiler could mean zero maintenance until the chain skips 'cause you've worn everything out - cool.
• The fourth benefit is the rear wheel is zero dish. That makes it very strong. Now Rohloff kind of screws up this benefit by then only offer 32H hubs. So instead of using a 36H or 40H standard hub you use a zero dish 32H hub. That makes it pretty much a wash. Although 32H rims are ubiquitous and so far easier to locate should you suddenly need a replacement.
• Well now we come to the serious con. It's simply that if something does goes wrong with your Rohloff that needs parts and/or servicing you are screwed. During my Big Dummy build I forgot to order a couple small parts for my Rohloff and my build stopped in its tracks while they were ordered and shipped from the US. It took 3 weeks to get things going again and that's from the US to Canada - with email/fax/cellular phone at my disposal 24/7 - plus I was ordering some common Rohloff parts. Imagine if I was in Peru and I needed an obscure part or worse still I had no idea what I needed and my hub wasn't working. Even something as simple as replacing the cog on a Rohloff takes a special Rohloff tool that nobody has. The gamble with a Rohloff is that nothing will ever happen to your hub. It seems like Rohloffs, by and large, work for years trouble free for their owners, but one read of the Thorn Rohloff Forum tells you that problems do occur and in many cases the solution is shipping the hub back to Rohloff or a major Rohloff dealer like Thorn Bikes. Contrast that with a problem you have with a normal MTB drivetrain in rural Mexico. Your derailleur is toast so you ask around the small town you're in for someone with a cheap MTB, you buy their rear derailleur and install it. You flip your bar end shifter to friction mode and you ride away. Problem solved 2hrs. There is something to be said for using parts compatible with 60-80% of the bikes in the world.

I guess another way to answer this question is would I buy a second Rohloff if I was building up another cargo bike? No - I'm happy to have one and I want to see how things go with it, but at the same time I don't have another $1000 to invest in a specialized internal gear hub. I'd just use a MTB drivetrain [I've got at least one spare one I could throw on] and I'd accept that in a few situations I'd have been better off with a Rohloff.

Who knows give me a few years of Rohloff happiness and I might change my tune. Instead of being "the cat lady" I'll become "the Rohloff Guy" with Rohloffs as far as the eye can see on all of my bikes...=-)

Shipping the Thorn Sherpa

Since my Big Dummy essentially pushed my Thorn Sherpa touring bike out of my fleet I guess it was fitting that I hauled the Sherpa to the post office with the Big Dummy.

I warn you be careful of those longtails...once you've gone long you'll never go back....hahaha....=-)

The lure of the longtail...

James, the manager of Campione Cycles [my neighborhood LBS], took a spin on the Big Dummy. When I stopped in to ask for an empty frame box. He remarked how smooth the ride was. Maybe we'll see a Big Dummy as their shop bike sometime soon?...=-)

Mosquito Creek Tour Photos

Photo by Anna

I went on tour with some friends this weekend including Joel the other Big Dummy owner in Calgary. We had lots of fun and the Big Dummies got a good work out hauling beer and the group camping gear. I've posted some photos on Flickr.

Joel and I are planing on taking our Big Dummies on the Canadian portion of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in August. The Dummies should be ideal for that dirt/gravel road & double track ride.

The Big Dummy goes on tour - again & again!

I had so much fun riding my Big Dummy on my spring Bow Valley Tour that I've decided to take the Big Dummy to the arctic for my Dempster Highway tour. In fact I liked the BD so much I sold my Thorn Sherpa touring bike since I can't see myself taking it on tour over the Big Dummy. Beware the Big Dummy she can be a home wrecker!...=-)

To make sure the BD is dialed I'm taking it on a 2 day tour in the mountains this weekend with Joel [the other Calgary Big Dummy owner], Anna plus our new Korean Bike Friday buddies Eddy & Mir.

Enjoy your weekend!

Shipping an Xtra Rig

Andrew came out for our weekly Wed Night Coffee Ride on his electric Rocky Mountain w/ Xtracycle. He was a nice guy and his bike was pretty cool. One thing he mentioned that I thought I would share was that he was able to pack his MTB and the Xtracycle in a normal sized bike box. Very nice! That makes touring with an Xtracycle so much easier as you'd only have to deal with the normal sized box for getting on a plane or shipping. As Rob notes below the weight of an Xtracycle is in the same ballpark as 4 panniers and 2 racks. So without any shipping hassles and at a similar weight an Xtracycle becomes a very interesting choice for a touring rig.

Big Dummy Cost Increase

From the Surly Blog:

"The good news is that we managed to squeeze in another run of Big Dummy frames. That's one whole production run more than we had originally planned. It is much easier to type about adding another production run of frames than to actually implement such a thing. We did it because of demand, because you people have embraced the Big Dummy and other bikes of its ilk instead of simply buying a somewhat more fuel efficient car. There are not enough thank yous to express how gratifying that is. So more BD frames are coming in a few weeks, and then late this summer we should get even more. The bad news is that steel prices and transportation costs have increased significantly of late, which means our costs are going up and so are yours. While the price increases will be felt across the line, there are a lot of people waiting on Big Dummy frames who may have paid a deposit already. If you are waiting on a Big Dummy, or if you are a shop that has quoted a price to a customer for a Big Dummy (or Long Haul Trucker for that matter), check in with whoever you need to and update your agreement. MSRP for a Big Dummy frame and fork is now $1050. It was $895. We've actually factored into this number another impending and definitely happening price increase so that we won't have to do this again anytime soon. So that's that. Again, this will affect the prices of everything we sell, but it should be of particular importance to those of you who have been waiting and budgeting and maybe even paid some money down at your local bike shop in anticipation of your beautiful new whatever... Big Dummy, Long Haul Trucker, what have you. Sorry to get all business but sometimes cold got to be."

Hauling Soap

Celeste uses her Big Dummy to haul soap for her home based business and to hit the beach. Click here to read about her bike adventures.

A sign of things to come?

Spotted on the Surly Blog...a new colour for the Big Dummy?

Joel by the Bow River

Xtracycle Grin

Stairs MKII

Don't try this at home...

Joel's Big Dummy

Joel is the other Calgary Alberta Big Dummy owner. We ran into each other on the bike paths downtown by accident and last night he came out for our weekly Wednesday Night Coffee Ride. He was a really nice guy and his Big Dummy was a sweet ride. It felt a lot faster/lighter than mine when riding it??? I'm not sure if that is cause I always haul a ton of crap in the Freeloader pockets or in my Marathon XR tires are just slow compared to his Big Apples? I'll have to ride his Big Dummy more and figure that out...=-)

Joel rolls with the foder posse.

Joel riding my Big Dummy

Joel checks out my footsies.

Getting the most from Joel's snap deck...=-)

bombing downtown

Joel's Big Dummy

Thumbs up

A tale of two Big Dummies

Got Bike Rubbish?

Bike Rubbish is simply the finest source of Big Dummy & Xtracycle porn I know of. If you don't frequent the site go there now and prepare to drool uncontrollably.

Going XTRA

Another Bike Forums member [Puppy Pilgrim] has made the switch to an Xtracycle. I'm glad to see another Canadian cargo bike rig born and on the road. His compact Brodie MTB looks like the perfect donor bike for an Xtracycle kit.

Gweedough's Big Dummy

Gweedough posted his new Big Dummy on Bike Forums. It's nice to see BD's and Xtracycles popping up everywhere. It seems like the time of the utility/cargo bike is upon us.

On my ride home yesterday evening. I was stopped by a girl who wanted to know where I bought my Big Dummy. Her BF rides an Xtracycle and wanted to make the switch to the integrated longtail frame.

RANS Stratus Xtra

If you thought the Big Dummy was long check out this Xtra-fied RANS Stratus touring bent from Angletech. I'm not sure you can build a more comfortable smoother riding bike. If you love bents and want an Xtracycle as well here is one option.

Big Dummy

Longboard Towing

Big Dummy assisted longboarding

Stairs

YMCA Eau Claire, Calgary, Alberta

Street Surfing

Russ' Bilenky Tour

Russ Roca has posted some great photos from a recent bike tour with his Bilenky cargo bike. He also has a nice blog about his bike enabled photography business that I enjoy reading. His front loading Bilenky is a neat bike and Russ also has an Xtracycle in his fleet that used to be his main work ride.

Riding with Karen & Dwayne

Riding through Mount Royal, Calgary, Alberta

On our way to Planet Organic to restock the cupboards.

Karen's Xtracycle

We had a cold wet weekend here in Calgary Alberta so what better time to build up Karen's Xtracycle. The Xtracycle went on fairly easily. The only snags involved her fairly old 80's drivetrain. Other than the drivetrain her rigid Trek made an ideal Xtracycle donor bike. It's strong, light and wasn't seeing much use as a MTB since she got a full suspension MTB.

The finished product looks awesome and rides great. I am pretty amazed how versatile and complete the Xtracycle kit is. If you were installing it on a newer bike you wouldn't have any issues getting everything working nicely. We added some Planet Bike Cascadia ATB fenders, Super Flash Blinky, Brooks saddle and replaced her cantis with XT v-brakes.


I had some issues getting the really old Gripshifter working with her rear dérailleur. She'll take it to a LBS to see if they can get it working better. If not we'll swap in a new drivetrain. Unfortunately we couldn't install the new BMX platforms she bought as the pedals were seized into the cranks. That will have to wait until we deal with replacing the drivetrain.


Karen threw her heavy backpack into one side of the Freeloaders and was concerned it would throw off her balance, but after a few pedal strokes she was off without any issues and a huge smile on her face. Welcome to the longtail revolution Karen...=-)


We do have a few tweaks to make to get her Xtracycle rig fully dialed:

• adjust the rear dérailleur shifting better [LBS?]
• replace drivetrain and build up heavy duty rear wheel [end of season if she can get by with stock setup]
• de-squeal her front v-brake
  
• fabricate a mount to lower her front fender so it doesn't interfere with the V-brake and so it looks nicer
• install BMX platforms whenever new cranks go on
• add some Egron Grips
  

Aaron's Bicycle Repair Xtracycle Page

Photo: Forrest's Big Dummy from Aaron's Bicycle Repair

I was poking around Aaron's Bicycle Repair's Xtracycle page and found some really fun photos of all the Xtracycles they have sold. Just click here and scroll towards the bottom of the page. It's great to see all the Xtracycle rigs that people are riding as well as the proud owners. These photos really demonstrate how versatile the Xtracycle is.

Val Kleitz's Center Stand

I've been looking for a good kickstand solution for my Big Dummy. Val Kleitz's center stand looks bombproof and is available from Aaron's Bicycle Repair for the not inconsiderable sum of $374.99. It looks nice, but I am going to try a lighter & very inexpensive kickstand to see what I think. I thought I would post it in case someone out there was interested.

If you have one of these stands I'd love to hear your impressions of it.

Commute by Bike's Big Dummy

Photo: Commute by Bike

Tim Grahl from Commute by Bike just came back from a Big Dummy camping trip and has written some interesting posts about the Big Dummy:

First Impressions

How it handles

Carrying Loads and Living by Bike

Beth's Xtracycle

Photo: Beth [bikelovejones]

Beth has posted a step by step of her Xtracycle installation on her blog. This was useful and very timely as I'm going to be helping Karen build up her Xtra this weekend. It's great to see another longtail on the road - congrats Beth...=-)

Beth's Posts:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

Bow Valley Bike Tour

I set out with my friends Anna & Kurt for some bike camping fun this past holiday weekend. Since Kurt was a novice cycle tourist and Anna always complains I climb like a goat I rode the Big Dummy loaded with all the group gear. Normally I tour on a lightly loaded Long Haul Trucker so the extra gear and heavy duty bike would be quite a change. I'm not sure how much I ended up carrying exactly, bicycle weigh scales being absent on the highways we traveled, but I'm guessing it was in excess of 100lbs with our car camping tent, tools/spares, double set of stoves and cookware, food, more food and snacks! Did I mention all the water, beer, more beer and wine???...=-)


By keeping the mileage low and choosing a beautiful route along the Bow Valley Parkway we ensured everyone had a lot of fun. Riding a heavily loaded Big Dummy evened out the pace nicely and meant I always had a welcoming committee at the top of the steepest climbs...=-) We had intended to take a jaunt up the Icefield's Parkway, but heavy rain in Lake Louise and a grim forecast persuaded us that riding to higher elevations was not a great idea. As it turned out the worst rain fell when we were outside the bakery in Lake Louise. A clear sign that we were in the good graces of the Cycle Gods!...=-)

Although I had checked on campground status with the Banff Park Office on the Wednesday prior to leaving for the tour only one of the campgrounds I had confirmed would be open was actually open. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise as we were able to ride around the locked gates and have some prime camping spots all to ourselves on a long weekend...=-) We took a primo spot by a partially frozen creek in sight of a small waterfall. The sound of running water was very peaceful in our empty campground.


The Big Dummy handled the load with aplomb. After about a block I was able to get a handle on the slower steering due to the heavily loaded front panniers. The BD proved to be completely stable and the long wheelbase made fast descents super fun. It was a bit like riding in a softly sprung Cadillac. Riding with all that gear and 2" wide Marathon XR expedition tires made climbs slow & challenging. I had a 40T chainring installed with a 16T cog on the Rohloff. This provided a reasonable gear range on all, but the most ridiculous pitches. I will probably use the 38T chainring for any future heavily loaded mountain tours, but around town the 40T is perfect. The Titec H-Bar provided several hand positions, but I didn't find them as comfortable for touring as drop bars. They are great for hauling heavy loads around town so I'll play with the bar height a bit to see if I can adapt to them for long days in the saddle. Interestingly I was getting numb hands with a pair of old gloves on that have served me well for thousands of KMs, but the combo of these gloves and the H-bars was not a happy one. As soon as I removed the gloves the numbness disappeared.

As expected I received a lot of attention riding the Big Dummy. Many double takes and several astonished comments about how much gear I had on my bike. Every time we stopped and bought more supplies the Big Dummy had no trouble finding space for a few more bottles of beer or some extra snacks! Tour with a Big Dummy and your traveling companions will love you...=-)

I have to admit I had a hard time mentally adjusting to the loaded Big Dummy. I'm used to being pretty fast on tour and zipping up climbs. Gearing down and slowly grinding my way uphill was a change of pace for me that took some getting used to. Watching my companions zoom away when the road turned skyward made me yearn for my Long Haul Trucker and ultralight camping gear.

All in all it was a wonderful trip filled with lots of laughs and it reminded me I live in spectacular spot on the planet. I'll definitely be hitting the road with my bike and my tent a lot this summer!

For my Flickr photos of the trip click here - for Anna's Flickr photos click here.

If anyone wants help planning a bike tour in the Canadian Rockies around Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper - feel free to contact me. I can help you with super fun routes from 2 days to 2 weeks long through some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever had the privilege of laying my eyes on.

Ursula's Townie

I ran into Joel [the other Big Dummy owner in Calgary & a Bike Forums member] on my way back from Bow Cycle with Ursula's Electra Townie. I was amazed anyone even knew what a Big Dummy or Xtracycle was let alone be the owner of the other Big Dummy in town. I'm looking forward to checking out his rig and going for some longtail coffee rides....=-)

Hauling things like a bike are so easy with the Big Dummy my truck is going to sit idle even more than usual this summer.

Anna's Banff Park Tour Report

Photo: Biker Annie

Hauling all our gear, food, water, wine and beer across the Rocky Mountains has made me really, really, really tired so I didn't get around to sorting/editing/posting my photos. That will have to wait until tomorrow. In the meantime enjoy Anna's post about the trip.

Towing Kurt Uphill

Testing out the gearing on my Rohloff - this was much steeper/harder than it looks!

Hauling a Chariot from Bow Cycle

This trip would have required my truck before my Dummy arrived. Now it's an easy cycle 30kms round trip to grab a kid's trailer/jogger for Jeff & Jo-Ann.

Big Dummy Info Cards

I made up these cards so instead of answering a billion questions I can just point folks at this blog when they want to learn about the Big Dummy.

Free Radical Load Limits

Josh's Paint Magic

I'm not really sure what to say about Josh's Longtail kit painting wizardry - wow! FREAKing amazing....great work Josh...=-) Click on the pic to see more of his Big Dummy porn.

I particularly like the powder coated V-racks and Wide Loaders. I may strip mine in the winter and get them powder coated - if I'm not too lazy!

Xtracycle Unboxed

Resistance was futile. I had to see what was in Karen's Xtracycle box...=-) The kit looks straight forward and quite complete. I had a read through the manual and the installation should be reasonably easy.

The contents include:

• Free Radical sub-frame
• V-racks
• Free Loader bags
• Snap Deck
• Kickstand
• long shift & brake cables + housing
• extra chain links
• all necessary hardware
• manual
• some cryptic business cards to promote Xtracycle with

Karen also bought some Footsies, but these are not part of the stock Xtracycle kit.

Since Karen wants to do most of the installation herself I really do have to show some restraint and just put all the Xtracycle goodies in the closet until next week.

Karen's Xtracycle is here...

I picked up Karen's Xtracycle today...=-) She ordered it from Rarified and they were nice enough to arrange for Xtracycle Canada to drop ship it to me. The only trouble is Karen is away on a work trip so we won't be able to install it until next week.

I'm sure she won't mind if I just open the box and admire her new Xtracycle! It will be fun to see how it installs on her mountain bike and compare her Xtra-fied rig to my Big Dummy.

One more biker has joined the longtail revolution...=-)