Looking at some options as I quite fancy one in the near future (new baby on the way = excuse for a new bike obviously). I like the idea of bunging a child seat on the back and taking the littl'un off for a ride, but also running down to the village shop to stock up on groceries etc.

Would love a Big Dummy but too damn pricey, so an Xtracycle conversion might be more realistic…maybe wangle a cheapish hardtail/hybrid and Xtracycle 'accessory' via Cycle to Work?

Show me your interpretations! 🙂

I've not updated it for a while, but there are pictures of my Yuba Mundo at http://miketually.posterous.com/

Got it on bike to work scheme from http://www.practicalcycles.com/ – great service from Zaynan. Mine (with extras) came in at £999.99 🙂

Looks good mike! Really like the idea of being able to carry almost anything on em!

Am thinking the Electra cruiser with Free Radical from Practical Cycles isn't bad – similar to the Xtracycle Radish, the Mrs would be more likely to ride that one as well.

I was toying with a longbike for carrying Ojnr to nursery – it would put his weight infront of the rear axle and maintain the ability to carry panniers.

I don't have pictures to hand, but in the end I bought a cheap tandem off Ebay, removed the stokers saddle and pedals, and mounted a second rack above the rear top tube. Ojnr's child seat goes on that, and the standard rear rack has panniers perminantly mounted. If I want to carry bigger loads there's room for 4 panniers (without child) on the two racks. As a bonus, I'll be able to convert it back to a tandem when he's big enough to pedal…

It's obviously not quite as adaptable for large, awkward loads as a Yuba, but suits me perfectly.

Total cost: £200 for the bike plus another £100 for the rack and childseat.

🙂

Here's some pics of mine (including the build)

That's my Brompton being carried by the Xtracycle 😀

I can beat a Brompton 🙂

Video here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_mc/3572597413/in/photostream/

I've also towed bikes:

And done the weekly shop:

I tried using it to take my MTB and a weekend worth of camping stuff (including food and beer) from Darlington to Dalby, but the hills were a bit much with that much weight on and only a single chainring.

Go to flickr and search "big dummy" or xtracycle or the like. loads of stuff on there.

oh and I see your towed bike raise you a canoe:

(not mine)

I'm sure BigDummy will be along in a bit with pics of his eponimous bicycle. I cna't find the link to his flickr page at the moment.

In standard stuff-shifting mode:

and as the family estate vehicle for the weekly shop…jr loves it.

based around my old inbred frame and some parts from the classifieds/eBay.
Now fitted with a bodged DMR chain guide wheel to keep the chain in the right place on this 1×9 build (30T x 11-34) for the Malvern hills.

Stoner, not sure if it'll fit (with the Freeradical mounting to the chainstays behind the BB shell), but a bipod stand makes a huge difference on my Mundo for loading and unloading stuff. Ditto for my wife's 'normal' bike with the kiddie seat.

Sorry, not sure why it took me so long to get here! I had an Xtracycle conversion for a few months while I was waiting for Big Dummies to get to the UK. The conversion is great, it works really well. The Dummy is better in terms of reducing flex in th frame when you're carrying big loads, and it ought to be more durable. But I think it's probably marginal. I'm a massive fan of the Dummy, and I don't have a car so it is really good every time I do a job on it that I otherwise couldn't do. But it isn't stunnign value compared to the Xtracycle conversion. A few pictures, and a link to my Flickr set:

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3270/2604011462_4a6480756d.jpg[/img]

mt – cheers for that. I have seen those bipod stands on practical cycle sbut they're eye-wateringly expensive at £40 for a sprung leg!

I just tell Jr to sit VERY still while he's on the stand 😉

I ponied £140 for the Xtracycle kickstand… It is absolutely rock solid in fairness to it. If you look at my last garden centre picture, that's bags of sand and compost on both sides of it. 🙂

I got my bipod stand at the same time as the bike, so didn't really notice the cost.

Mine's now got a front rack on too, that'll take 25kg 🙂

Here you go:

Electra Townie Balloon 8i (Nexus 8speed) with Xtracycle Freeradical thing. Built by Revel Outdoors in Newmarket (A quality bike shop who couldn't be more helpful) and purchased on the cyclescheme.

Couldn't be happier with it, it is a joy to ride 🙂

Nuts… don't think the pics came through (else it is the work feds filtering them)

Just in case:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/97388319@N00/3897497511/

Link to picture, not page (right click, properties on the flickr pic

Ah… I see, thanks 🙂

http://www.xtracyclegallery.com/

Cracking examples guys! Was looking all last eve through the Flikr galleries.

One thing that slightly concerns me is that I'd much prefer discs, and the Practical Cycle Townie conversion is has V brakes. I know Vees set up well would generally be fine even if quite heavily loaded, but much prefer the power of discs. Guess an option could be to replace the fork with a Kona P2 fork or similar although don't know if that would affect handling in any way?

Was also slightly concerned about flex in the frame/Xtracycle link but if Big Dummy (the Oracle!) says it's alright then that's good enough for me 🙂

Stoner – is that the Xtracycle Peapod child seat?

Orena, I discounted the Practical Cycles townie for that reason (they also charged 10% for the Cyclescheme). I went for the Balloon 8 Townie as it has hub brakes which although aren't as powerful as disc brakes they will at least be as consistent.

no – just a £20 cheapo from Halfords until Jr is old enough to sit on the snapdeck and be guaranteed not to let go of the stoker bars and fall under a bus.

I use shimano disc brakes and had some spare calipers lying around and some uncut hose so could fit them too the rear. HOWEVER in order to make them fit the xtracycle frame I needed to use a 203mm rotor on the back which is no bad thing when laden.
pic of caliper and rotor:

go here to zoom in http://picasaweb.google.com/northmalvern/Stockpile#5327814013260464498

Regarding brakes, I've always had at least a front disc on mine, but I'm not sure it's a massive issue.

The bike is heavy, doesn't much like accelerating on the flat and encourages a rather easy-going way of getting about. You tend to cruise. If you're heavily laden, the handling is peculiar enough that you don't start hooning about, and if you're carrying a passenger you worry enough about their safety that you just don't take risks. That being the case, the scenario in which you are going sufficiently fast down horrifically steep hills that you really need big discs to avoid crashing and burning has never struck me as very likely. As I say, I've got discs, but they strike me as a want rather than an absolute need.

🙂

Stoner – any troubles with the Halfords child seat jobbie or has it attached fine and used without troubles?

Martinw – good choice on the Electra upgrade. Just looked at prices tho and that bike with the Xtracycle now comes in at over the £1K limit. Did you manage to speak nicely to your LBS to get it under the limit? 😉

Big Dummy – guess you're right, it's not like you can go balls out on cargo bikes. Likewise tho, discs offer peace of mind when that BMW driver pulls out of a junction right in front of you on a downhill road lol!

Forgot to mention the Kona Ute. £650, 2010 version has discs front and back…wonder if a child seat would attach to that ok? Doesn't have the accessories of the Xtracycle but I think the snapdeck design might be a bit more 'open' now so a wider range of panniers would fit. Hmmm, looks good.

How about this!

ok not what you were looking for 8)

This thread inspired me to take an up-to-date photo before riding home from work. Now with added front carrier. Obligatory bungee cords, random reflective stuff and old inner tubes.

Hmm. Wish I'd bouhgt that BD frame off Mocha now.

Oh well.

😥

Yes, of course it was under a thousand 😉

Well observed <ahem> top up <ahem>…

Ahem, still technically for sale…
🙂

The halfords seat is OK – the leg parts splay around the front end of the snapdeck. This puts the edges of the leg protectors in the cranking circle (if you have big feet like me) so I trimmed them to keep them out of the way.

Bit of a bodge but no problem now.

What do you reckon you should look for in a donor bike to add a free radical to?

Pretty much any MTB frame will be fine for an Xtracycle, but is must have a chainstay bridge really. Mines based on an old Steel Trek 830

This is where the front of the Xtracycle attaches (bike upside down) and you can see that the Xtracycle effectivly 'leans' on the chainstay bridge

I've got XT V's on mine and never had a problem stopping. Even locked up when loaded when a car driver aimed at me. How they didn't see me on the hulking great thing I'll never know

There is something to be said for low standover height I think if you ahve a choice. Xtracycle's Radish is a dropped top tube job, while the Big Dummy top tube dips bends down in front of the seat-tube. It's helpful (but not essential) because swinging your leg over the back of the seat is tricky when you're laden.

Cowled dropouts are a problem as well I think.

Good points BD. Cowled dropouts can be countered with spacers – or a file!

Probably

oh, and as BD said to me, you will need a front mech or chaindevice regardless of your drivetrain as the very long chain has quite a lot of momentum so when you stop pedalling there's enough force to keep the chain going forward on the top enough to fall of the ring if you're unlucky.

Guess I've just been lucky then Stoner!

maybe you have enough tension in your rear mech – my old deore one is a bit flaccid 🙁

Bakfiets Cargo Bike
Plenty of carrying capacity – recently used this to carry toddler + 6 metres of pine planks and assorted bits and pieces back from B&Q. There is also a long wheelbase version.
http://www.dutchbike.co.uk/

I've never had a problem with dropping the chain off the front ring, even when I took the Mundo on a local group MTB ride. I do keep meaning to sort something out though.

I'd agree with BD on the low top tube being a big help when the bike is loaded.

I know there's been some positive feedback on the Ute on here. The cargo weight limit on these is stated as 7.5 stone, but I'd guess there's a reasonable margin on that. How do those that have them find it with an occasional adult passenger. Does it start getting very flexy or is it OK.
I tried an Xtracycle, but on my set up it seemed a bit too flexy, whereas the Yuba I had could take 2 adults no flex at all, but at 67lbs before adding myself or any cargo it's not something I'd use on a day to day basis without an electric assist. A Big Dummy is out of budget. Whereas the Ute at 37lbs seems like something that would make a fine commuter / day to day ride and potentially be more useful when necessary.

Taking an adult passenger now and again (or not) isn't necessarily a deal breaker as main use will be commuting, shopping and taking 5 year old and her bike places.

Your thoughts appreciated.