Originally Posted by
jabantik00
my rigid mtb with free radical, long travel kit, and snapdeck weighs 40 lbs. i don't think it is much heavier than racks and panniers. it does shift the weight towards the rear quite a bit, which makes it difficult for me to get my bike into my workstand (seatpost clamp) when the clamp is at its normal angle.
i got a couple questions, which hopefully don't derail this thread too much:
to those who have owned both free radicals and xtracycle platform bikes such as the big dummy, what is it about the big dummy/ute/radish/etc that you prefer over the conversion?
one of my concerns is security while shopping or otherwise leaving my bike unattended. i think it would be too easy for someone to pop off my snapdeck, undo the long travel kit straps, and take the long travel kit, flight deck, and cargo. how do you folks lock up your x?
I use my Big Dummy as a commuter in San Francisco and so far nobody has ever tried to steal any of the Xtracycle components. My guess is that bike thieves come in two different types around here - the "crackheads" and the "professionals". The crackheads have no idea what an Xtracycle is so they ignore it and steal somebody's unlocked wheel instead. The professionals know what it is, but they go for the easier to sell bikes. If you are worried about it, adding "watchamacollar" clamps to the V-racks would slow somebody down and prevent them from just lifting the rack off.
I had a conversion a few years ago. The Big Dummy is more solid and doesn't flex as much as the conversion. It also handles a little bit better.