A couple of weeks back — July 3 to be precise — I finally got hooked up with an Xtracycle. Those who read my review of the Ute (meh) will remember that I was thinking about getting one of these cargo bikes. Back in February, they had a sale on a combo set of items, including the base kit, and so I got it with the intention of connecting to my beloved Townie.
Sarcastic cliches come to mind: “not so much” or “how’s that working for you?” Because it was a PITA. The size & shape of the Townie made the whole endeavor a little precarious, and set off a debate between me, C, and the bike shop guys about how to handle it. I know other people have done it, but I wanted something elegant. So there was much procrastinating. As usual.
Then C stopped at Joy Ride on the way home from an errand — he was looking for a rack for his bike — and spotted a complete Xtracycle + bike…on sale! He worked out swapping our (intact) kit for that part of the bike’s cost, and that very afternoon I was cruising on my new bike!
So I’ve had it for two weeks now. The verdict? Generally speaking, I LOVE it.
Handles delightfully well, smooth & stable. I also like being back closer to the ground after a year and a half on the Smoke-29.
Holds a crazy amount of stuff, which makes it easy to say, “oh yeah, and I also need a gallon of milk.” I will have pictures of the grill, and later all the stuff for Table for Olympia.
Matches my water bottle. 🙂
The downsides…
Two complaints about the bike part: godawful seat and not-quite-right handlebars. I’ve already switched out the saddle, after 4 days of uncomfortable (!) commuting. The handlebars are just too low for the way I like to ride, plus they make my upper back/shoulders unhappy. I’m probably going to get a stem with a steeper angle, but it’s not as urgent.
Definitely NOT designed for rain. I’ve gone through one downpour, much harder rain than we usually get around here, and things definitely got a little damp to say the least. I’ve already done a bunch of research online about Xtracycles & rain, and I think I know what I need to do in the next couple of months.
Kinda gaudy. (Huge Norco logo on the bike, huge Xtracycle logo on the bags.)
But generally: YAAAAAY Xtracycle!
Oh, and I’m selling the Kona Smoke-29. It’s a great bike, but since I can commute with the Xtracycle, and I’m keeping the Townie, I really don’t need it.
Update: Flickr slideshow…
