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Utility Cycling Want to haul groceries, beer, maybe even your kids? You don't have to live car free to put your bike to use as a workhorse. Here's the place to share and learn about the bicycle as a utility vehicle.

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Old 06-21-08, 06:14 AM
  #251  
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Yes that was me. I did see your xtra parked there with a frame strapped to the top. Hopefully I'll bring some stuff to the next swap, stop by and say hi.




Originally Posted by mastershake916
Hey, I've seen you before, at the bike swap at the bike kitchen. You had a bike frame strapped to the top.
I too had an xtracycle with a frame strapped to the top at that time.
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Old 06-23-08, 11:14 AM
  #252  
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this is me...
big dummy... i live in Monterey, Ca
no car for a number of years now
i quit my job last august, to do whatever it is i feel like doing...
so its a bunch of bike riding, touring, etc...

lately i had gone to the top of Cone Peak (Ventana Wilderness)
the following weekend i was in LA for my nephew's b-day
all dummy action
https://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=391518&page=5
peace...d
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Old 06-23-08, 04:56 PM
  #253  
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Finished for now:

Last edited by RoadRanger; 06-25-08 at 03:52 PM.
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Old 06-25-08, 09:36 PM
  #254  
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Mum's old Nishiki Oro Hybrid with big Wald front basket, fenders etc. and a Bob Trailer. Very very practical, but not stylish enough. The new Noah's Arc bar helps though!

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Old 06-25-08, 11:38 PM
  #255  
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Originally Posted by RoadRanger
Finished for now:
One of my favorite setups. How is the front basket working out? I'm thinking of adding one to my bike. Looks like you may actually be able to carry more in it than the rear baskets.

Very practical and utilitarian!
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Old 06-26-08, 12:08 AM
  #256  
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Just finished the build tonight...





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Old 06-26-08, 04:46 PM
  #257  
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Originally Posted by Juggler2
One of my favorite setups. How is the front basket working out? I'm thinking of adding one to my bike. Looks like you may actually be able to carry more in it than the rear baskets.
I only installed the front basket yesterday. It is just big enough to hold a 12 pack of Bounty paper towels and yes, it has about the same capacity as both the rear baskets combined (it is freakin' huge!). I had that up front and 10 frozen dinners and 6 2-liter soda bottles out back yesterday. The front basket isn't mounted off the handlebars - there was a small u-bracket holding a reflector off the front fork fender bolt and I used that. It's way over-strong for its original purpose of holding the reflector but I don't know how it's gonna hold up to a real load up front? If it bends I'll fabricate something stronger. I was going to clamp the basket to the stem somehow as I wanted it as low as possible (it is 1/2" over my fender now) and my handlebars are too high to easily tie into, but this seems to be working. It looks much cleaner than the "stock" mounting hardware but I don't know if I will have a problem with side-to-side sway when I load it up. I think I can fit 50lbs (12 2-liter bottles) of soda bottles in it so might try that next. That should be good max test-load anyways. My back basket assembly is touching the top of the fender presently so I might end up raising it a bit. I made the mistake of cutting off the ends of the support arms before I was sure it was going to stay where I first put it. I had to move it back as I was getting "heel strike". Oh, and the front basket required me to change out the "quick release" axle for a solid one, which I wanted to do for security anyways - got rid of the seatpost QR at the same time. I'm hoping I can load up the rear baskets and sling a 50lb bag of dog food across the top without bending it - about 80 lbs in the rear and 40 up front total capacity? Woo Hoo!
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Old 06-29-08, 11:07 AM
  #258  
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My Raleigh One Way

Two Carradice Shopper panniers in the rear + two Lone Peak shopping baskets upfront. That makes 25 gallons of cargo space so I can concentrate on buying my groceries & not thinking whether they'll fit in. The weight distribution is low & the bike is very stable under heavy load. This bike was also converted to SA three speeds & I use it as it as a regular commuter/fitness bike (it's only 30 lb with the racks & all) for bad weather after the panniers are taken off (under one minute all four of them).
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Old 06-30-08, 09:00 PM
  #259  
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This from me... also unbolts into 2 tallbikes, yes yes.



Dunno, do you call this a utility bike??



All of this and more on the Rat Patrol website: www.rat-patrol.org/RPOz
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Old 06-30-08, 11:13 PM
  #260  
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Loaded up for the bike festival...

[IMG][/IMG]
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Old 07-01-08, 05:42 PM
  #261  
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Sixty Fiver, I can't remember if if I asked you, did you weld, braze, or bolt that beauty together? It looks very nicely done!
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Old 07-01-08, 07:00 PM
  #262  
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Top speed (so far) 47.4mph


I like it!
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Old 07-01-08, 07:23 PM
  #263  
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Originally Posted by Lamplight
Sixty Fiver, I can't remember if if I asked you, did you weld, braze, or bolt that beauty together? It looks very nicely done!
Bolted now but my neighbour will be doing some welding on the bike once I've dialled in the ride height.
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Old 07-01-08, 10:15 PM
  #264  
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Originally Posted by weed eater
My Kogswell is designed to carry heavy front loads, but didn't do so well with loads both front and rear. After a lot of adjustments failed to correct the problem, I thought adding an Xtracycle might smooth things out. So far it seems to be working.

I have seen this bike in RL pre-Xtracycle and it was a real beauty. I'm blinded by it now.
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Old 07-02-08, 08:41 PM
  #265  
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This bike doubles as my daily commuter, but it's also my grocery gitter, my Best Buy buddy, my movie theater mover, my trivia night traveler, and my date night transport.

I give you "Sally Swobo"



The rack is by Bontrager. It's aluminum and wasn't cheap. I'm satisfied with its performance.

The rear basket is made by a German company called Kettler. I bought it on Amazon. It's a small basket, but has an ingenious design. Four spring-loaded clamps grip on each side of the rack. I've loaded up to 30lbs of groceries in the Kettler rack. As a bonus, you can carry it into the store with you.

The discarded basket not shown in this picture (because it's banished to the corner of my garage) is a Trek basket designed for the Bontrager/Trek rack. It secures to the rack with a slide-in plastic "tongue" on the front, and a small plastic clamp on the back that ostensibly is supposed to keep the rack, and all your goodies, secured to the rack.

Except over speedbumps

or big potholes

or when you're going fast up a drive way

or when you corner too fast

The only reason I haven't lost it somewhere is because of a cheap cargo net I secured to it and the front of the rack.

It is, in a word, unreliable junk. And I can't recommend it to anyone.
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Old 07-02-08, 09:53 PM
  #266  
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What's that on the front wheel already?
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Old 07-02-08, 10:31 PM
  #267  
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Originally Posted by Limp Jimmy
What's that on the front wheel already?
It's a MonkeyLectric m132s POV spoke light. https://www.monkeylectric.com/m132s.htm
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Old 07-04-08, 11:23 AM
  #268  
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Originally Posted by donnamb
I have seen this bike in RL pre-Xtracycle and it was a real beauty. I'm blinded by it now.
Thanks Donna. Unfortunately, I have found that with large loads, the Kogswell still has the same handling problems that it had pre-xtra. I am going to migrate the Xtra over to my old MTB, who will enjoy the renewed attention, I am sure. But until I do that, this thing is great with medium loads, bulky things, and so on, and it rides a peach!
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Old 07-10-08, 09:04 AM
  #269  
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Here's my xtra with a few changes.
I painted the snapdeck and added slicks for the city.
Shown here with a few weeks worth of recycling.
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Old 07-10-08, 11:06 AM
  #270  
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Here´s my workhorse: Van Andel, A filibus-type bakfiets.
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Old 07-12-08, 07:51 PM
  #271  
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Prototype finally finished

After dreaming for nearly two years, I've finally found time to build my cargo-bike prototype.







The rear triangle and fork were salvaged from existing bikes, the rest built by me. All cro-moly, with a temporary wheel-barrow bucket for a box. I hope to built a more appropriate wooden box soon.

I've already successfully carried a ton of stuff including 50 pounds of steel, garage sale finds, and my friend Erik. No problem.

Next step: Beat the hell out of it, try to break it, strengthen the weak points, modify, powder-coat, make more...

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Old 07-14-08, 07:16 AM
  #272  
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Looks good! nice work




Originally Posted by lancekagar
After dreaming for nearly two years, I've finally found time to build my cargo-bike prototype.







The rear triangle and fork were salvaged from existing bikes, the rest built by me. All cro-moly, with a temporary wheel-barrow bucket for a box. I hope to built a more appropriate wooden box soon.

I've already successfully carried a ton of stuff including 50 pounds of steel, garage sale finds, and my friend Erik. No problem.

Next step: Beat the hell out of it, try to break it, strengthen the weak points, modify, powder-coat, make more...
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Old 07-14-08, 10:26 AM
  #273  
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Originally Posted by lancekagar
After dreaming for nearly two years, I've finally found time to build my cargo-bike prototype.

[IMG]snip[/IMG]

The rear triangle and fork were salvaged from existing bikes, the rest built by me. All cro-moly, with a temporary wheel-barrow bucket for a box. I hope to built a more appropriate wooden box soon.

I've already successfully carried a ton of stuff including 50 pounds of steel, garage sale finds, and my friend Erik. No problem.

Next step: Beat the hell out of it, try to break it, strengthen the weak points, modify, powder-coat, make more...
That's fantastic. May I see some images of your steering linkage?
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Old 07-14-08, 05:28 PM
  #274  
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Me on bike towing bike:

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Old 07-14-08, 07:08 PM
  #275  
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Originally Posted by Kimmitt
Me on bike towing bike:

That's a very satisfied expression. As we would expect!
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