My lucky day happened this month at the bike swap.
With my daughter now grown out of the trailer and then the tag-a-long, she's now riding her bike to school. But I know there are days she will be unable to ride due to weather or whatever life dishes. Taking a kid to school and then picking them up is a four trip there, back, there, back routine many parents are familiar with. We used the car a lot in the winter but I've been trying to figure out how to pick her up from school on my bike, or how could I get her bike to her if she had not rode it to school.
I thought about building a bike-tow rack attachment for my bike and it got complicated and has not yet made it off the drawing page. Since I heard of the xtracycle, I have been looking for one I could afford. At the bike swap I saw a great rigid hardtail that would be a good option for the conversion. But I still needed the FreeRadical portion to build it. Imagine my disbelief and surprise to find the xtracycle free radical in the S&W clearance tent!
I still can not believe my good fortune. Yes! I bought the bike and the xtracycle. The last week has been filled with assembly and creative solutions to mate the bike and free radical. It came together Friday night and Saturday I spent the afternoon with my daughter on the back in Portsmouth.
The ride is fantastic and we both had a great time. We parked in the garage, rode to Prescott Park, Peirce Island, back downtown for lunch, to the info kiosk, to Papa Wheelies Bicycle Shop for some parts, back downtown to Annabelle's Ice Cream, to the new Public Library and back to the garage. Total 7.4 miles on the new rig and we saw all we needed to in Portsmouth for the day in about three and a half hours. Validated parking and one hour free - it cost us $0.75 for parking. All this on a rainy day too.
If you have cargo or kids to carry and you like to bicycle, I highly recommend you seek out an opportunity to try out a cargo bike. I'm certain I'll be putting on lots of miles on this rig and most of them for every day transportation while my car sits where it belongs - at home for short and medium trips. My other ride will wonder where I've gone and why after 502 miles so far this spring, it sits at home while the xtracycle rig gets the nod. I do love them both, but it's about livability with my kid that's most important - not which bike I ride.
I'll post photos at some point but for now you can enjoy other inspiring implementations of the xtracycle below.
May a bicycle find it's way into your life.
[Update 5/26/13
After you sample the xtracycle pics, below, head on over to totcycle to have a bit more fun with Why We Ride video and the High Occupancy Velo Manifesto. If these don't get you smiling and laughing, you better see your doc 'cause somethin's wrong with ya!][Update 2 5/26/13
Just finished my first grocery shopping trip with the xtracycle. Wow, this thing can haul. Had a cooler for the cold stuff and ice cream and two bags of the rest. Loaded most of the weight aft and it was a bit squiggly but overall a great workout for the food. Next time I'll load fore and see how that goes. Other than the fact the grocery stores in Concord lack bicycle racks to use, the trip went very well.
xtracycle sampler
Inspiring Rides
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