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.
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.
3 comments:
The other reason? To slow down bike accessory thieves... but if they have an allen wrench, yer racks are as good as gone. I have an older xtracycle and mine have never come out either. I wonder if they work for the wideloaders as well? These seem to be more prone to slipping and it might be a better place for them...
Hmm, this is kind of interesting, for me the fact that the v racks are NOT a part of the big dummy frame are the top thing wrong with the big dummy. I think the whole, let gravity work and strap your bags down tight and they won't rattle is Xtra-cheezy. That might be fine for a conversion, but is really disappointing for a purpose built longtail. I am constantly tightening down my bag to keep the whole rear from rattling. I think they stretch/slip when well loaded and are rattly when subsequently unloaded. This is dumb and annoying, especially when riding off road. My first choice would be integral V racks on the BD frame, but a positive clamp is also a major improvement.
That's interesting Tarik as I never have had any rattling with the v-racks in my Big Dummy and I only have had to re-tighten the Freeloaders if I've removed them to get at the rear wheel.
I do use road bike inner tubes to cover the interface between the v-racks and the Big Dummy frame.
I agree that an integrated cargo rack would be nice for the Big Dummy frame - rather than all the separate pieces cobbled together. It would require a different bag design - like a one piece bag that slid over top the rear frame, but that wouldn't be too hard and would offer some benefits in being more securely attached.
The problem with the Whatchamacollars is you drop the $$$ on a Big Dummy frame, then you drop the $$$ on a long tail kit from Xtracycle and then you need to spend another $80 for these parts to attach the two together??? The costs just start to get a bit silly at that point and you really haven't got a complete system until you add in some wide loaders, at least one long loader and a centre stand.
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