Utility Cycling - Xtracycle and Homebrew Longtailers

Hey all, I am doing a bit of freelance work for Xtracycle an am coming up with a survey for the longtail crowd to do help them better understand the people that rock a longtail and help determine how they can improve future products. There are a few other side projects in the works that I can't discuss in public yet but this survey will help lead to get more people out of their cars and onto a cargo hauling bike as well as impove some of your options for making your bike more useful.

If you would like to participate please leave a reply in this thread with the following:

Your bike (year/make/model if known)
Your longtail (stock, freeradical, homebrew)
How long you have had it
Average miles per month

I will be sending out private messages to everyone within te next couple days with the survey with some more pointe questions.

Many thanks!

I don't have one (yet) but I am sitting on the fence. I think one thing that does worry me a bit is security when locking up in an urban environment. I would love to use one and see a lot of potential-but the petty vandalism stuff gets to me.

If xtracycle is looking for some tips on improvement, maybe having an option (pitlock type thing) for a more secure attachment to the donor bike and possible make the bags themselves a little more permanent. I may be off in my assessment-just having that option might give me a bit more reassurance.

I'll likely be having a future survey for people on the fence about going longtail and will ve sure to include you in that one. If you have any other ideas/suggestions feel free to post them, I know rthe Xtracycle crew will be watching this thread, too.

-1991 Trek 820 for the last year. (first build was a Kona Humuhumu nukanuka apai)
-Xtracycle
-2.5 years- first Xtra frame broke after 1.5 years.
-150 miles per month.

Marin Novato kit (back when they sold them together off the website)
Freeradical
About 6 months (bought used)
100 miles/month

Parent frame: extensively modified Specialized Hard Rock
XtraCycle FreeRadical (also modified & reinforced)
Built 11/01
Mileage varies - has been as much as 150/week; now about 50/week (last 6 months or so)
Original build images: http://phred.org/~alex/pictures/bikes/dreadnought/
Current chic incarnation: http://tinyurl.com/ncsnvm
Longtails rule!

Unknown Korean hardtail frame
Stock longtail
11 months
250 miles per month.

Your bike (year/make/model if known)
Your longtail (stock, freeradical, homebrew)
How long you have had it
Average miles per month


Giant Twist 2004
Freeradical
4 years
250ish miles/month

http://homepage.mac.com/awcg/.Pictures/XtraLite/XL1.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/awcg/.Pictures/Bike/Giant/Sidecar1.jpg

I don't know if you want input from non-long tail types.....but hear is mine....use or ignore at will :)



Your utiliyt bike (82, nishiki, Olymipic 12, rebuilt to be a "Japanese 8 spd")
Your longtail (None...don't need quite the load and size) but they are cool
How long you have had it: N/A
Average miles per month: 200

What I would look for is not a long tail, but a more hefty, lower centry of gravity rack/basket combo. I use some generic rack and wasl folding baskets...but have thought that a heavier duty rack and somewhat bigger, lower center of gravity baskets would be useful

Another potential item of interest would be a utility bike, not as big as a extracyle, more of an english 3 speed on steroids, with a hefty rack and basket

squirtdad

sounds like you just described the workcycles FR8:

http://www.workcycles.com/workbike/bicycles/fr8-freight/fr8-uni-frame-city-bike.html

me: yuba mundo
about three weeks
150 miles a month (averaged out)

while you're surveying: best thing i'd like to see: some kind of lockable box, secure enough to stop any opportunist theives, for valubles and extras left on a bike. My scooter has a lockable compartment under the seat - something like that.

80's specialized street stomper
Xtra with wide loader and long loader
I live in a small town so the mileage isn't large but I use it almost everyday for my remodel/handyman/woodworker/artist work
I would like some waterproof cover that goes over the freeloader bags and then folds open more when it needs to cover a load. When I go to a town that has a fabric store, I will be making one.

Main Bike: '96 Skykomish Marble Point
Longtail extension - Homebrew style.
Its been functional for about two weeks.
Probably have 30 miles on it already.

I'll likely be having a future survey for people on the fence about going longtail and will ve sure to include you in that one. If you have any other ideas/suggestions feel free to post them, I know rthe Xtracycle crew will be watching this thread, too.

Count me in as being on the fence before commiting to a longtail. I've got some of the same concerns about being able to park/lock it without losing bits and pieces if I'm out of sight for more than a few minutes. I also have to consider cost (which is the main reason I haven't already jumped in). I've been hoping to find one used, or a factory return but there just aren't that many available (must be some indication of the demand and/or customer satisfaction). I'm sure I'll pull the trigger at some point, but its hard to say when that will be.

Count me in on your future survey.

CMC

Giant Twist 2004
Freeradical
4 years
250ish miles/month

http://homepage.mac.com/awcg/.Pictures/XtraLite/XL1.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/awcg/.Pictures/Bike/Giant/Sidecar1.jpg

Cool side car trailer on your longtail.

Thisis the present (homebrew) longtail, before it was made long..

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk51/badmother-bikes/Cresentroad.jpg

198? Cresent

Now converted into

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk51/badmother-bikes/NewDogbike2.jpg

personally I want a shorter bike since I want to transport it on the car a lot. Therefor the next one is going to be made from 20" bikes. Also gives lower center of gravity.

Not riding far but often. Maybe 5o km a week? Did a 70 km tour this summer.

Use it mainly to give the dog aride when we go places to far for him to run all the way. Also for shopping and taking my sons stuff to his fathers place, transporting bikes and other stuff.

Not sure what I would change. Maybe long narrow plastic container on each side instead of bags?

Early to mid 90's rigid specialized hard rock.
Freeradical with snapdeck and freeloaders.
I've had it for a little over a year.
I ride it a bare minimum of 50 miles a week, and probably more like 100.

2009 Electra Amsterdam Balloon "ladies" (step through)
Xtracycle
Had it about 7 months
About 200kms (124.27424 miles apparently) a month - averaged out. More in the summer months. It's winter here. Wait. First day of spring!

Sorry for the delay folks, surveys will be going out tonight! Any other longtailers? I'll he watching this thread so feel free to pop in with your stats!

mid 90's giant iguana
xtracycle free-rad
owned it going on two years
about 250-300 miles a month

If you want input, design some more kid friendly stuff. There's a ton of homebrew stuff out there (I've made some myself) but some official stuff would be nice. Specifically a way to attach a trail-a-long bike, and an extended snap deck that holds kids. Also it would be nice to offer a vertical hitch rack.

The longtails have always intrigued me. I have a 1968 Columbia Roadster single speed ($10). Would it be a good candidate for a longtail or should I just do a light restore on it and keep it stock.

I also wonder if I could use my Dahon Mariner 26 as a donor bike and make it a longtail folder? I am not sure it it would put too much strain on the hinge.

Maybe I should take one of my 16" Dahons and rig one of them to a 26" rear. Hmmmmm. Comments, Insults, encoragement???????

1990 DiamondBack Apex
Xtracycle free-rad
9 Months
200+/month

'08 Kona Fire Mountain
Xtracycle freerad with wideloaders and long loader
1 year,3 months
240 +/- month

Xtracycles are the best thing since sliced bread, I use mine for everything all year round.

I have two-

early 90's rockhopper comp
xtracycle with home built v racks, stock freeradicals, tek deck
I've had it roughly 1 1/2 years
probably about 125 miles a month on average

my new commuter bike
early 90's specialized hardrock
xtracycle base kit, home built v racks, homebuilt bags, skateboard deck for snapdeck.
ezee electric assist with 48 volt battery
Ive had it about 1 1/2 weeks
so far about 140 miles per week, that number should go up to about 200 per week pretty soon.