Rolling Jackass for sale on the Xtracycle Store...
Val came up with this awesome centrestand for the Xtracycle/Big Dummy. You can read why I think it’s great in my previous posts about Big Dummy stands. I’m happy to see it for sale on the Xtracycle web shop. Good job Val and good job Xtracycle…=-)
Making the GF happy!
Sharon was getting cranky about my vast bottle collection that has been growing since 2010. I was holding out for a few more to justify my cargo bike run, but I decided it was time to get on with it. For loose bulky loads the CETMA is ideal. Just pile everything in it and roll. No boxes, no straps, no hassle – sweet!
Cycling to recycle...
Although the load was bulky it was light and the CETMA made short work of it.
Johnson St Bridge closed for good..=-(
My next bike mission was a multi-errand run into downtown. I didn’t need to ride the Big Dummy, but it’s a fun bike to cruise on and it’s easier to just grab this Surly than load up a lighter duty bike with panniers.
That blue bridge sticking straight up in the air was a key link for me to get from my house into downtown – in fact it was a key link for 4,000 cyclists and 3,000 pedestrians each day. Sadly structural damage has made it unsafe so they raised it and it will never be used again. The good news there is a $80M replacement bridge on its way with dedicated pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure. The bad news is that won’t be ready for 3 years. So for now there is a clumsy detour onto the main bridge deck. This will put cyclists in contact with cars a lot more on this key transportation link. I actually think that will be a good thing despite the minor hassles involved for both parties. Victoria will become very aware of its transportation cyclists.
That buckle should be attached to the bike...
I was disappointed that as I was loading up my Xtracycle Freeloader bags at home a key buckle popped off the bike. The velcro strap attaching it to the frame failed. Given that these bags have seen about a dozen uses since I installed them that’s not good. My old Freeloader bags seemed to be less durable than these new ones, but they never failed me in many years of hard use. In fact I scavenged a velcro strap from the old bags to get these ones back into service. I’ll have to carry a spare strap and hope this is not a sign of things to come. A utility bike has to be reliable or it doesn’t have a lot of utility!
My Surly Big Dummy hanging with his pals...
The Big Dummy was a blast to ride. I have fun overtaking people on a cargo bike and watching them do a double take as I pass…=-) The Rohloff hub is a pleasure to use as are the Porcelain Rocket frame bags my Dummy sports for storing small items.
My Big Dummy with a new Porcelain Rocket frame bag...
I’ve been using my triangular Porcelain Rocket Big Dummy frame bag [lower bag in photo above] since April and loving it. It fits my bike perfectly and provides a very useful amount of storage for smaller items I want to grab during the ride. The obvious question is do I really need more storage on a cargo bike? The answer is yes – for small items. The back end of a Big Dummy will swallow a huge box and another bicycle at the same time or 200lbs of dog food, but it’s not a great place to try and keep your cellphone, wallet and snacks.
Porcelain Rocket frame bag porn...
The new frame bag Scott [the man behind Porcelain Rocket] made for me attaches on top of the Big Dummy’s chainstays and only about half is visible when mounted. Looking at the photo above the left half of the bag is actually out of sight under the Xtracycle deck and the bag is internally divided in half. This gives you some semi-secret storage for valuable items or stuff you don’t need often. I’ll be using this hidden storage for tools, tubes, a $20 emergency bill and my Pinhead locking QR key. The upper compartment [to the right above] is a great place to stash stuff like a windbreaker, gloves, energy bars, etc…
A fully bagged Surly Big Dummy...
The bag mounts in seconds with generous velcro straps and fits the Dummy perfectly. It looks like it belongs there and makes great use of otherwise wasted empty frame space without affecting my access to the cargo end of the bike. The rear water bottle cage mounts are not obscured so you can carry a bottle back there. My Big Dummy can still carry 3 water bottles with only the middle cage mount obscured by my triangular Porcelain Rocket frame bag.
Top notch construction...
Scott is a highly skilled craftsman and this bag exudes quality and robustness. It matches the lower frame bag perfectly using burly ripstop nylon and waterproof zippers with red pulls for a touch of flare. My previous bag looks like new after 7 months and I expect this bag will last as long as my Big Dummy is rolling. The fabric is waterproof as are the zippers. The bag ins’t seam sealed so in an extended downpour it might let some water in at the stitching. The triangular bag hasn’t leaked yet, but it is a bit more protected from rain my the frame. I’m going to see what happens and if I get any water inside I’ll take the 30 minutes necessary to apply some seam sealant.
A peek inside...
The interior features a yellow lining so you can find stuff easily and a rigid plastic frame sheet for stiffness. There is a small mesh pocket on the right side of the bag to keep keys and coins from getting lost. The bag has an interior divider to keep the upper and lower contents separate. The elastic loop on top will accept many brands of small pumps.
Upper velcro straps...
From the images above and below you can see that this bag isn’t going anywhere. The 3 underside velcro straps take some effort to located and undo which should stop a lazy snatch and grab thief. So far nobody has messed with my triangular frame bag on this bike when I have left it unattended.
Lower velcro straps under bag...
As you can tell I’m pretty stoked to have this new bag for my Big Dummy. I’m a fan of high quality gear and getting something custom made for my bikes is a real treat.
The business end of my Dummy...
Scott does fully custom bike bags so no matter what make/model of bike you ride or what your needs are he can make something beautiful and functional for you. Contact him through his Porcelain Rocket website.
My baby's got bling...
My Surly Big Dummy is one of my favourite bikes. It has not seen the kind of love it deserves from me. I ride it and put it away – wet, dirty, unmaintained. *sigh* =-( Well I decided to upgrade my Big Dummy a bit to show it that I care. Putting a kickstand a few days ago was step one. Then I went all out replacing the ratty Xtracycle Freeloader bags with a new set of the 2010 version. Not stopping there I also replaced the beat up Snap Deck with a 2010 Flight Deck. I don’t think my Big Dummy knew what hit it.
Naked...
Here is a rare naked shot of the rear of my Big Dummy. I contemplated cleaning the filthy parts that were exposed for the first time in years, but the lazy side of me decided since I was just going to cover everything up again so why bother?!
Freeloaders buckle on...
The new Freeloaders buckle on. This works just fine. It makes them a bit easier to steal, but you’d have to know your way around an Xtracycle to know how to get them off.
I had to DIY the lower bag straps...
The lower bag straps [front and rear] are designed to work with the newer Big Dummy/Freeradical design that has some bolt on attachment points that mate with the plastic buckle shown above. My Big Dummy was one of the first made and it doesn’t have this feature so I used some zipties to DIY the buckles to my frame. This works fine and I don’t really see any need for quick or frequent removal of these bags – unless you are stealing them!
Big Dummy bagged...
The new Freeloaders are made of tougher waterproof material compared to the previous version. The quality of construction is excellent and the design remains similar which means they are still very functional. There is a large inner pocket in each bag that I use to store my tie down straps,Long Loader, Footsies, Wideloaders, etc.. My only complaint with these bags is they are not available in black or woodland camo to go with my MASH 4077 theme. The grey colour I went with isn’t bad and you can also get them in blue and a burnt red colour.
Flight Deck upside down showing Super Hooks...
The 2010 Flight Deck is made of heavy duty plastic. It comes with a set of Super Hooks. Why are they super? Well when tightened down they actually hold your deck to the bike without extra straps. The old Snap Deck would pop off at the slightest bump unless you strapped it down.
New and old decks...
The Flight Deck bolts on easily and looks nice. It has handles at both ends which is useful for a passenger if your bike [like mine] doesn’t sport stoker bars. It has lots of holes pre-drilled so you can mount a kid’s seat securely or any other DIY project you have in mind. It should be a lot more durable than the wooden Snap Deck it replaces. It is also very secure once installed.
My Big Dummy looking spiffy...
Overall I’m quite pleased with both products. They represent clear upgrades to the items they replace. While not cheap they seem to be worth the asking price and should deliver years of service.
Good job Xtracycle!
PS – let me know when we can get the Freeloaders in woodland camo…=-)
Holding up a full touring load in the mud...
This $7 aluminum kickstand should have broken a long time a go. It shouldn’t be as useful as it is.
My amazing silver buddy is back for [hopefully] several more years of bike holding up service. After talking it off to try the Xtracycle Kickback center-stand I used my Surly Big Dummy without a stand for a month or so. Until I put my trusty kickstand back on recently. It really is handy to be able to stand your bike without leaning it against something or laying it down. It’s also really handy to be able to swap in your Xtracycle attachements with a stand to hold up your bike rather than a stand that not only doesn’t hold up your bike it gets in the way.
I'm back!
Testing out lots of gear can sometimes be a PITA and can definitely be expensive, but one thing it does for sure is let you know what works and what doesn’t. Back to back comparisons don’t lie. I put this stand on my Big Dummy when I built it up as a stop gap measure until I got something better. As it turns out it has been a rock star bit of gear from me.
I didn’t fully appreciate this stand back when I installed it, but now I can’t give it enough praise.
Thanks little buddy!
Sup? No Problemo!
Xtracycle Kickback center stand in action...
I’ve used the Xtracycle Kickback for over a month with mixed results.
The Good:
Kickback product porn...
The bad:
$7 side kick stand in action...
The Ugly:
$7 side stand holding up a heavy touring load...
Who should get the Kickback?:
Dylan's Big Dummy resting on it's Wideloaders...
What am I going to do?:
Devo's Big Dummy leaning sans Kickback...
What do I wish Xtracycle would do?:
Hugger Industries Rolling Jackass photo....
If you want to see my previous Kickback rants click here and here.
I’m selling this lightly used Kickback in perfect shape for $75USD [$139USD new] shipped anywhere in Canada/USA.
Xtracycle Radish...
Ken at Power in Motion has a few Radish longtail cargo bikes he wants to get rid of to make room for 2011 stock. These bikes started at $1750cdn and he’s selling them for $1099cdn. As a reference I saw just the Xtracycle longtail kit for $799cdn at a LBS in town and you’d still need to add a bike to the mix to get rolling. So this is a pretty nice deal.
Having an integrated longtail solution means you save some $$$ buying everything separately, you know it will all work well together and you don’t have to be a skilled bike mechanic to get the bike rolling. I’m sure he’ll be happy to ship anywhere in North America.
Please contact Ken directly via his website as I have no information about these bikes beyond what’s posted here and I have no commercial interest in this sale. Note that Power in Motion is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in case you were wondering about the possibility of a local pick up.
PS – Ken is an electric bike guru so if you wanted to add e-assist to your Radish he could make that happen for you and have it all setup so you don’t have to deal with any fiddly installation issues.
2010 Freeloader Bags...
I’ve been critical of some Xtracycle products in the past. So I wanted to make sure I gave Xtracycle a positive plug when they’ve addressed one of my gripes. Specifically the new 2010 Freeloader bags are now waterproof, look to be much higher quality and more durable. Perfect – that meets all my needs. They aren’t cheap, but they should last a long time and I’m cool with paying for quality.
I’m not sure when I’ll score a set of these, but probably by the end of the year.
Good work Xtracycle…=-)
Specifications up close...
Photo: Everryday Adventures
If you are an Xtracycle [or Big Dummy] owner with a Kickback center stand this wider more stable DIY mod may interest you. I found it while reading the excellent Biking in a Big City Blog.
photo: Aaron's Bicycle Repair
I found this cool cargo hauler on Aaron’s Bicycle Repair website. They’ve got lots of great cargo bike information if you feel the urge to geek out. This bike is based on the cargo monster ridden Val Kleitz [of Rolling Jackass fame!] so you know it’s practical and robust.
Photo: Xtracycle.com
Xtracycle has a new bag system out called the Hoodie – [shown above]. Priced at $125USD for the bag and 2 V-racks it will be cheaper than the standard Freeloader setup with a more streamlined aesthetic, but it’s not nearly as versatile for carrying odd loads.
It doesn’t have a top deck so you’ll be limited how much weight you put on top and how well it carry a passenger and it won’t fit your Surly Big Dummy.
Having a lower cost option makes sense and gives people choices – that’s a good thing.
2010 Freeloaders
New 2010 Freeloaders are also going to hit the streets. They are shown above on a 2010 Radish, but specific details on what’s new with these bags have not been released yet.
Xtracycle Kickback
My Surly Big Dummy hasn’t seen any upgrades for a long time. One thing I’ve wanted was a centre stand. The one I want is Val’s uber sweet Rolling Jackass Stand, but at $350USD I just never seem to get it high enough on the priority list to pull the trigger. Xtracycle makes this Kickback stand shown above and at $140USD I’d be willing to buy one one if I didn’t consider the design seriously flawed.
What’s wrong with the Kickback?
As an apartment dweller I have to remove all my Xtracycle attachments every time I go in and out of the building. Even if you have a garage do you really want to ride a 4′+ wide bike when you have no cargo load on board? So the Wideloaders really need to come off regularly. The Footsies are a great way for passengers to feel more secure when riding on the back of your Big Dummy. I use them a lot. So you have to ask yourself why would Xtracycle build a product that makes one of their useful accessories impossible to use and another useful accessory a pain to install/remove? I still haven’t figured that out! Especially considering that Val’s design is totally compatible with the whole Xtracycle accessory line up. Go figure!
So my Big Dummy has been rolling centre stand free for two years. Its poor side mounted kickstand has taken a beating and it has fallen over a few times when loading/unloading. I was hoping Xtracycle would redesign their stand to mount like Val’s and allow for full compatibility with their other accessories. However, it seems that hope was in vain.
Recently Dylan decided his Kickback stand was not particularly useful to him and was generous enough to let me have it for less than half price – thanks!
Why spend any money on a product I’m so down on?
Photo: Nathan Thompson
The photo above shows Val’s Rolling Jackass stand installed on Nathan Thompson’s Big Dummy. Notice the cunning design doesn’t mess with the attachment points for the Footsies or Wideloaders. Great job Val!
Using an old tire to protect your rig...
I found this idea posted on the Surly Blog and thought it was crafty enough to warrant reposting. Not surprisingly it originally came from Devo. If 2010 sees me change accommodations and get the garage I’ve being dreaming about I will definitely give this a shot since I will be able to leave my Surly Big Dummy all setup and ready to roll.
Use a nickel to spread the lower portion of the clamp.
Check out the Xtracycle Blog for a useful tip on installing Watchamacolars on a Big Dummy. Since the tubing of the Surly Big Dummy is larger than the Xtracycle sub-frame the lower portion of the Watchamacollars is a very tight fit. By using a nickel to spread the lower part of the clamp you can get it on much easier.
Good tip!…=-)
$4.20 V-rack clamps for your Big Dummy
If $39 for 2 Watchamacollar V-rack clamps is too rich for your bank account you can’t get the seatpost clamps pictured above for $4.20 each after discount. They are slightly larger than the tubing on the Big Dummy so you’ll need to wrap the area you are clamping with some tape to get the right fit. A reasonable compromise given the cost savings.
$19.50 V-rack clamps from Xtracycle
Watchamacollars in action:
Watchamacollars securing V-racks to an Xtracycle
Note that the Xtracycle Watchamacollars have a built in o-ring to keep water out of the Big Dummy/Xtracycle sub-frame. So if you use the DIY clamps and live in a wet area you’ll want to use something like some inner tube to keep water out.
Originally posted on my Big Dummy Blog – April 2008
So fresh and clean!
Big Dummy Spec:
Great track by a bike powered band – the Ginger Ninjas!
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