One for BigDummy – utility bike content

I had a Yuba. Magnificent machine. 2 x 14 stone people on the back no flex at all and completely practical on the flat.

But I found the 67lb weight, including plywood deck and foot boards and mudguards pretty daunting and I let it go and got an electric assist bike which, because the assist drives through the gears, is excellent for load carrying, though not capable of big Dummy / Yuba loads without a trailer.

If the Clevercycles Stokemonkey electric assist had been available for the Yuba at the time I’d probably have gone that route. Exchange rate has of course pushed up prices a lot now.

A Yuba + decent hub motor kit would be about same price as a built Big Dummy and whilst not as ideal as a through the gears motor system it would be a very potent practical load carrier.

But I found the 67lb weight, including plywood deck and foot boards and mudguards

The newer frame/bike is a lot lighter than the older ones, and doesn’t have the plywood deck, etc. any more.

Xtracycle Question: How long is your Extracycle from front tyre to the back of the free radical tail?

Im plannng on building a bike “garage” and need to plan for the xtracycle on an inbred frame that’s going in it 🙂

That’s an interesting Yuba review Mike. I have waaaay too much invested in the Dummy to admit that I could have had a better bike for less wonga, so I’m not going to. 😉

Stoner – I’ve got an Xtracycle tail in my shed. I’ll try and get you a decent measurement on that and the Dummy tomorrow if no-one obliges sooner.

Stoner, IIRC an Xtracycle kit adds about 14″ to the length of the bike.

doesnt seem a lot mike.

doesnt seem a lot mike.

Looking at this picture (http://radio.weblogs.com/0128644/images/2006/aug/050806_xtracycle3.jpg), the front edge of the rear wheel’s rim looks to be two inches to the rear of the dropout. That means the back of the tyre is about 15″ further back than normal. The Xtracycle kit looks like it adds another couple of inches too?

cheers mike. So I should allow 1/2 a wheel diameter + 2×3″ or so.
thanks

Just got back from Travis Perkins with the wood. I feel a photo story coming on.
The Xtracycle shed, Grand Designs on a smaller scale 🙂

So I should allow 1/2 a wheel diameter + 2×3″ or so

Might be better off waiting for BD’s measurements – measure twice, cut once and all that…

Ha! He says. Measuring is for girls!

The Xtracycle garage is underway…250cm long, should be long enough…:)

The wood:

The frame

The cladding

and first felt. Need a hand from a mate to finish felt tomorrow. Then build the door.

Now, what’s the ground anchor and motorbike locking chain of choice?

I always use two different chains. Oxford can be had cheap from fleebay, mind you.
The anchor – ask your local motorbike shop, mine weighted a tonne and required hammering bearing balls into bolts once fitted in concrete. You can also get one of those sound alarms – riffle and shock granades they’re called.

i dont need it to go off like an armoury alarm 🙂

“Oxfords” is it then?

off to google go I….

cheers hair. Quick eBay trip and that’s security sorted.

Stoner…isn’t that garage a bit low!? Or you planning on removing the front wheel to make it fit?

Its 120cm clearance.
Plenty for handlbars on inbred & pompino. can drop saddle on QR.
Didnt want it too proud of the wall.

Good…was afraid you’d spent so long measuring the length you’d forgotten the height 🙂

Nice work, though it does look a bit low. Are those bricks not going to be awkward when putting the bike away?

🙂

Ive been running back and forth to t’other shed to check everything several times 🙂

The other problem is since everything in malvern is on the piss, building a level shed always looks odd 🙂

What with this and the plane thread, I should have a couple of entries in the popular threads thing in the newsletter!

Love the lean-to, Stoner!

The slabs are set proud on a concrete deck to allow drainage. The garage section has 15cm of gravel on it. The bricks stop the gravel “draining” under the slabs, but the whole lot drains rain water really well into a storm run off. The bricks are only 2cm proud of the slabs.

All Im going to do is push a bike or two back into it, and maybe store Jrs trailer at the back so I can have the sapce back in my shed. WIll be a doddle to wheel the xtracycle or pomp out without the hassle of getting it up from the big shed now.

I’ll tell you waht, tomorrow I’ll take a photo with a Pomp in it for all you hightists.

🙂

Manchester-based people interested in cargo bikes, might want to go to Chorlton Green Festival (http://greenchorlton.org.uk/) this Saturday, where there will be a bunch of cargo bikes in the bike parade, and demo rides available too, with bikes from http://www.practicalcycles.com/

Great shed, Stoner, I like that a lot. I once sketched up plans for a custom shed but it was a little bigger than that!

Personally, I think the Yuba and Xtracycle/Big Dummy are probably aimed at ever-so-slightly different markets. Yuba for serious load haulers where this is the norm and Xtracycle/Big Dummy for people carrying ‘normal’ day-to-day loads with really heavy loads being occasional.

That is a great review of the Yuba though. One of the commetns notes that Yuba are looking to significantly increase the range of accessories available, which can only be a good thing. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s on offer because that is where Xtracyle has things sorted (especially the kickstand).

The xtracycle accesories though are painfully expensive. Once Ive got the free radical kit, I shall look to fashion my own accessories to minimise cost.

Shed completed this evening. Fits the bikes a treat.
I am now sitting here with a well-earned beer in one hand, two balls in the other and a self-satisfied man-smile on my face. 🙂

Just waiting on Fort Knox Supplies to deliver and then I can introduce my little darlings to their new digs.

Looking good, and taller than it looks in the photos, obviously.

If you fastened the side of a cut-up bin to the inside of the door, it’d look like a bin store – covert bike store 🙂

Cheers

If you fastened the side of a cut-up bin to the inside of the door, it’d look like a bin store

Its for my pompinos and an inbred: it will already look like a dump. Bdum tish! 🙂

Nice one Stoner… that looks the business. I am looking to do the same for my Ute which finally arrived last week after ordering it at the start of Nov. It only took the Mrs two days before moaning that it was blocking access to the tumble drier so a lean-to it is!

This is an AWESOME shed Stoner! I have a strong suspicion I’m going to get rather jealous of that…

Streetdog – Ute pictures please!

🙂

I think I’ve got room as well. This is the patch outside my front door. It doesn’t get used for anything else, and getting the dummy into the shed out back is a right pain. Hmmm. 😉

the door looks a bit pony to me

the door is using up some off cuts from my paint stirrer collection. Hence ponyness.

When I get a chance Ill pick up some tanalised clapper board instead.

BD – that’s a perfect spot for a little lean-to!

Get sawing and screwing BD! You should be able to use the bike to pick up the wood too.

🙂

Chaps, shall we have a new thread next time someone has some cargo bike news?

I quite like that this thread keeps being resurrected 🙂

(ETA of ten days for mine, BTW)

just waiting for SJS to call me back to talk gear hubs for mine 🙂

BTW, since there’s a fixed price on the free-radical of £450 from every supplier in the UK (I hate it when distributors do that), who should get my custom? Charliebikemonger? Practical Cycles? Triton Cycles? Any of them inclined to do a deal with accessories or something to make up for the market price fixing?

Big D…I’m for letting this one run and run.

Had hoped to get some pictures of the Ute yesterday but instead spent the day riding with my lad who after nine years on this planet has finally ‘got’ the cycling bug. Best moment was when he said: “I think I’m going to like this…a A LOT!”

A eureka moment!

Will get on with some pics and a write up this week.

This has to be the most unlike candidate for a ‘thread that gets over 100 replies’.

Nice one! Nice litle shed, Stoner.

Really Useful Bikes – http://www.reallyusefulbikes.co.uk – near Bristol has Yuba Mundo, Kona Ute, Xtracycle and more. Really Useful Bikes’ 7-speed Yuba Mundo is only 590 GBP.

200!

Oh, and the post above – You are from REally Useful Bikes and I claim my £5