Clear your mind of all pre-conceived ideas about carrying big loads on a bicycle. Forget about trailers, racks, panniers and unwieldy loads. Think Xtracycle: the bike that hauls. Imagine stretching your bike by moving the rear wheel back nearly 40 centimetres. Instead of the saddle being closer to the back wheel than to the front, its now more like halfway between. Youve created a load of extra room for cargo behind you, without introducing extra wheels - no sidecar, no trailer and no trike conversion. The FreeRadical is an attachment that does just this: it extends your bike behind the seat tube. With a multitude of places to attach racks, bins and other carrying devices, you can carry everything from timber to tubas, garden tools to groceries, kids to kayaks. And a FreeRadical can be detached easily, so that you get your bike back in its original form. This fold lets the Xtracycle fit in aeroplanes, cars, and bike boxes. There are advantages galore in the Xtracycle concept. No extra wheels means its very light. Cargo behind the rider interferes less with the aerodynamics. With no moving parts, its simple and robust. It carries the bags you already own, whether briefcase, suitcase, rucksack or potato sack. Put it on a road bike and go for a tour. Put in on an MTB and take your gear into the woods for an overnight. Zoom around town and invite a friend to hop on the back. Any competent person with experience of changing cables, and adjusting brakes and gears will be able to install the FreeRadical - it simply bolts in place. Originally designed for the developing world, Xtracycle is available in several models and is built from TIG-welded chromoly tubing. With a 36-spoke mountain bike wheel, you can carry loads of up to 90kg. The original model, the extrabike, comes with horizontal steel racks that fold out of the way when not in use. The extrabike is available from the companys non-profit partners. It adds 50cm to the length of the bike and enables the machine to be stored on its tail against a wall. The newer FreeRadical model has a lightweight system of optional plug-in aluminium racks and passenger carrying platforms, and comes with a sturdy top deck of maple. A special edition will be available with a 20" rear wheel. Accessories include extra strong 42-spoke 26" or 20" wheels for even heavier loads, a footplate for increased passenger comfort, and racks that plug in horizontally or fold-down to carry long loads alongside the rider, with accessories to help carry surfboards, windsurfers and kayaks.
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