Product Developement Updates
Big Dummy- Our Xtracycle compatible cargo frame is coming along well, although a bit behind schedule. We just received our 3rd set of prototypes last week, so I've got enough miles on it to know all the small changes made from the 2nd to 3rd protos was successful. One thing I'm very excited about is the geometry of this framset, as I can go from no-handing 5 city blocks to weaving through traffic to tight singletrack to hauling 15 gallons of beer with equal performance results. Dave is building his up as I type, so I hope he gives it the fist-in-air of approval soon.
Kipchoge Spencer, co-founder of Xtracycle, once asked why I don't ride it everyday. I chuckled, because at the time two or three hauls a week was enough to get everything I needed to/from everywhere I went. But a few months after that conversation, I found myself over the long bike every single day. Not only was it fun to ride, but it wasn't that much slower than my Long Haul Trucker and it allowed me to randomly pick stuff up on the way home, which seemed to occur at least every other day. When you have the right tools, you'll find a way to utilize them. It's to the point where if I had to give up all my bikes except one, I'd keep the Big Dummy.
Mr.Whirly- My grandma referred to things that took a long time to evolve as "slower than molasses in January". The same could be said about our upcoming crankset/bottom bracket combo. The bad news is we're probably not going to see this crank until, you guessed it, at least January. We've been riding our prototypes since early spring and I've got about 3,000+ miles on mine with very good results. A few tweaks here and there, getting the final production tooling dialed in and we should be OK to start production. I really like the versatility, durability and overall aesthetic of this crank. So despite the slow developement time, I'm quite excited about this coming out. We hope it's worth your wait.
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