Thursday, April 16, 2009

Thinking about getting a new SUB

Yes, it's a major purchase, but I find that I need haul things, you know? Oh.... you're perhaps thinking that as I have a spelling problem that I'm trying to say, SUV. Nope, I mean SUB: Sports Utility Bike.

I live close enough to everything in town to ride or walk, but I find that bringing things home is a problem. Besides I'm enough of a klutz that last summer I struggled to ride safely with a swinging bag or 9 lb laptop.

I like to read the folks over at Homegrown Evolution and have been in love with their bike since this post on taking their newly published book to the P.O.

The bike is by Xtracycle. Sunset Mag. called it a bike that thinks it's a station wagon. You can haul 4 bags of groceries in the panniers, or haul another adult, and there is an attachment that can take long loads like lumber, ladders...

Now, I could either get it as a complete bike from xtracycle (this is a radish - the frame for people between 5' and 6':


Or, I could convert an existing bike or buy a new bike and add the xtracycle kit onto it. That's really the first design. In this case I'm thinking of getting a 7 speed beach cruiser and add the free radical kit.

For a complete car replacement, an electric assist is available for heavy, long rides or rides with big hills.

Don't forget the fender blender for a smoothie mid point in the ride.

Do any of you have one of these bikes? How do you like it?

7 comments:

Chile said...

We like ours. Hubby's is the free radical kit on a used mountain bike. Mine is the free radical kit on a bike my hubby built custom for me. He's hauled an interior door, over a hundred pounds of oranges, 5 gallon water bottles, boxes of books, and even my (regular) bike on his Xtracycle.

For photos of our, click on the Xtracycle tag in the sidebar or click here.

Unknown said...

I don't have one but have seen a lot of them lately. The people I've talked to LOVE them(:

Robj98168 said...

The only bikes I have are old used bicycles. One i got on Craigs list for $20, the other someone left in the dumpster at mom's apartment. I need the assist. LOL I prefer to use the vespa scooter or the honda scooter.

CoCargoRider said...

We have the conversion kit and would never go back

Connie said...

Thanks for your comments. I'm going ahead with the cruiser bike and the xtracycle. I'm adding disc brakes to the cruiser.

Robyn M. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Robyn M. said...

I mis-worded my earlier comment. I meant "I want, I want, I want... I'm in total consumer lust over xtracycles."