I’m always extremely curious about other people’s bike set-ups; I like to see what works for other people, particularly stuff tested out by other biking families. When Jesse and I first considered diving into the world of kids-on-bikes, I went into an internet-searching frenzy. Unfortunately, we don’t have any bike shops that carry cargo bikes and there’s no Consumer Reports for cargo biking. Along this mode of thinking, I thought I’d post about our bikes. First up is the Radish!
The Xtracycle Radish
This is my primary and, honestly, my preferred ride. I am really happy with this bike. The ride is smooth and I find the bike to be very easy to handle. I love my road bike, a vintage Terry Isis, but I’m finding I prefer the way my X rides–it’s like going around on a cruise ship. It’s been great for hauling kids, groceries, and Christmas trees. I honestly don’t have any complaints about this bike.
Xtracycle Add-ons:
KickBack Kickstand: If you are hauling your kids, this really seems like a “must” to me. I can’t imagine trying to get my kid settled with the standard kickstand. This stand kept the bike perfectly secure even when loading the bike up with 150 lbs. of camping gear.
Magic Carpet: If you are hauling your kids without the PeaPod seat, I think this accessory is well worth it. My daughter says it’s perfectly comfortable and has yet to complain about riding on the X.
Stoker Bar: I really wish they had the smaller version in stock when I got my bike. I’m seriously thinking about shortening my stoker bars. On the one hand, I like that the wide stoker bar serves as a good visual for drivers. On the other hand, it’s really a pain when trying to lock the bike to a rack or get the bike on the bus. They’re also always getting caught on the door when I’m trying to get into my office. The stoker bar does not come with grips.
After-market Accessories:
Surf to Summit Kayak Back Band: I had set out to find a canoe seat to make something along the lines of this set-up when I stumbled across this seat. What I love about this seat is that it serves as a secure and comfortable seat for my daughter, but it is completely removable. This comes in very handy for hauling. I coveted the PeaPod, but my daughter is already at the very top of the weight max. I really wasn’t comfortable having her hold on with no other support, so this was the perfect middle ground. The straps run over her legs (adding security) and clip to the bottom of my seat. It’s not a five-point harness, but I wasn’t sure I even wanted something like that on my bike. It comes off in seconds and stores easily. This is not a solution I would use with my two-year-old, but it’s been perfect for my oldest daughter. All-in-all, I’m really happy with this set-up.
Brooks B67 S Saddle: After hearing so much about them, I sprung for the B67. It’s too early for me to be able to sing any praises, since I’m still in the breaking-in stages.
Cygolite Rover II Headlight: So far, I’m very happy with this light. I was using a basic Target bought headlight and quickly found it to be inadequate; plus, I got sick of running through batteries. I paid about $100 for this light and I think it is an excellent value. Lights are expensive! It has an output of 255 lumens and I have found it to be sufficient even in pitch black riding. Everyone that has seen this run at night has commented on how bright the light is and it’s visible from quite a distance.
Planet Bike Superflash: I love these lights and have two on the back of the bike. These are obnoxiously bright and I generally run them even in the day. I keep a basic light at the bottom of the back just for added visibility. My only issue is that I have knocked them off quite a few times getting my X on the elevator at work–guess that proves they’re durable, though!
Misc.: I like to keep bungees and lashing straps with me at all times–you can pick these up pretty cheap either at Xtracycle or Autozone. I also added an Electra Bell. Not only is it cute, but I’ve found it to be quite useful in getting a motorist’s attention. I also made my own waterproof bag to put inside the Freeloaders. I used a bag from Ikea ($1.50) and sewed a little nylon strip to the front. I like to run the clips of my Freeloaders through this little strip to keep the bag from moving around.
Wishlist: I’m still in search of a good solution for footrests for Sofie. Searching online, it seems that many people found the Footsies to be too low for little kids. I bought bike ends, but haven’t been able to figure how to get them on yet. I’m also pining for Down Low Glow. The more I ride in the dark, the more I become convinced that DLG is as valuable a safety tool as it is cool.
Angie: If you would like to try out a shorter stoker bar, you can borrow mine.
You can see it in this shot:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14177773@N07/3497383224/sizes/l/in/set-72157603007726830/
Actually, yes – I think I’d like to take you up on that! I like how your stoker bar is also more straight. The piece connecting mine to the tube (sorry, I’m not good with actual technical terms) is angled, which makes it hard to get my seat as low as I’d like it. It would be great to see how it works for Sofie before I take a hacksaw to mine. Thanks for the offer!!
Our first stoker bars , ordered independently of Xtra, were too wide as well & they would get in the way often. A bikey friend handed off a different set that are more U-shaped (I don’t know technical terms either) & curve up so the older guys can sit upright comfortably & hold on, & the width of the bar no longer causes hassles. Before the twins were stooped over & looked like they were leaning forward like on a motorcycle. The funny thing is that we haven’t bought the Magic Carpet & I keep pushing my guys on it, but they swear they like the wood of the snap deck just fine. The canoe seat is an interesting addition. We have no back support just two simple webbed seatbelts that we looped under the snap deck.
Sara,
What do your guys do with their feet? I have no idea why, but it vaguely bothers me to have her feet in the bags. If she has them hanging out, she ends up kicking the back of my feet.
That’s great that the deck doesn’t bother them! I honestly never tried it without–I just preemptively ordered it. Interesting to know that you don’t necessarily need it!
You asked about what to do with your kids feet (besides putting them inside the freeloader bags. After an online search, I found several options. You can use the handlebars from an old Razor Scooter and actually insert them into the ends of the kickback. You can find some cheap mountain bike bar ends with the right diameter. In my case, I found some old BMX fork pegs on eBay and put them on. The diameter of the v-rack tubing is pretty small, so I needed a whole lot of shimming to make them secure. However, they’re really nice and they fold up vertically against the v-rack tubing when not in use.
If you want to see a shot of my rig, check out the Yahoo Roots Radicals group. My photos are under “Scott”.
I’m thinking of getting an xtracycle, I have a few questions if you have a minute:
1. Do you ever put both kids on the bike?
2. Do you have a PeaPod?
3. How do you secure your older child on the bike? I have a 3 year old and a 5 year old and am thinking of configurations. I think the 5 year old might be too big for the peapod, but I was wondering if there are straps for the “Magic Carpet”?
Thanks! Craig
Maybe I should real the WHOLE blog entry!
Ha!!
I think I may get a Madsen, those look awesome!
Thanks locus! We ended up putting handlebar ends on there and so far it is working great!
@craig – I have not ever put both kids on the bike. I just really don’t feel comfortable putting my two-year-old on the X yet. We knew I wouldn’t ever be carrying her, so I didn’t get the PeaPod; however, had my five-year-old been small enough, I definitely would have gotten one.
I feel like my five-year-old is pretty secure. She is secure enough that it would be pretty difficult for her to just fall off for no reason (i.e. were she to space out or not hold on correctly), but she is not strapped in super tight. If we were to crash, she would likely eject from the bike. I am okay with this, but of course everyone has different needs, comfort levels, etc. I don’t know of any straps for the Magic Carpet, but I’ve found that the straps on my kayak seat back set-up do a nice job of holding her in.
We love the Madsen – I plan to do a post about it in a few days. Having both, I don’t think one is better than the other. It just really depends on your needs and living situation (getting a Madsen up stairs would be quite a chore!).
Hope this helps!