darksiderising

Hi all,

I currently use a trailer and/or panniers for my hauling needs but now I really want to build an XtraCycle. I am going back and forth between a few different options. First off, I am pretty sure, seeing past comments, that I want a 26" bike. However, I really like Cannondale's Bad Boy (Disc maybe) and wish they hadn't stopped making a 26" version after 2005. I also like Fisher's Cronus.
I typically ride more aggressive road bikes, so I am looking for something more sporty. I also am unsure, if I get a mountain bike, if I would want front suspension at all. Something with a lockout would be nice if I did get a front suspension bike.

I work at a bike shop and we carry Giant, Cannondale, and Fisher. I don't really like any of Giant's bikes for this purpose. It seems like I like the Cronus. What do you more experienced people think?

Thanks.

badmother

26" . Any "longtail" is a working bike, not an aggressive roadbike. Many say front suspension perform different on a longtail, so I`we decided not to try it. Fat tires and maybe springs in the seat for suspension. Low toptube makes it easyer to mount or dismount a loaded longtail. I used a "mixte" offroad frame for my latest.

sprockets

I love my Cannondale Bad Boy Disc. I'm pretty sure you can mount 26" rims on it. That being said, I think I'd rather have an old steel framed bike to make an xtracycle out of. I'm planning on doing this to my old Miyata Elevation 200. It's a good solid frame and has been consistently reliable and easy to maintain. It's also a very comfy ride. I like the 700c rims on the bad boy, it's great for getting around town, I have added fenders and a rack to it to make it a useful city bike, though I stil ahve to do something about those handlebars. That being said, I don't think I'd want 700c rims on an xtracycle, I'd rather something with bigger tires for extra cushioning

yes

Someone (stokemonkey guy's maybe) with lots of experience suggested that the best configuration for frame / xtracycle was a karate monkey paired with a 26" wheel in the back and a 26" disk wheel in the front.
Here is a write-up for this configuration.
https://bikehugger.com/2006/09/the_bettie_download.htm
You have plenty of room for 2.3" tires. This type of configuration (with the Cronus maybe) might lead to a low bottom bracket, so beware if you are planning on lots of offroad, but id doesn't sound like that is what you are doing. Maybe with a shorter fork, you could run it as a 69er without screwing up the geometry. That would just require a new back wheel for the Cronus.
I have no personal experience with this. It's just something that I have thought about.