Cargo Bikes

Suppose I could cross-post to the pannier thread, but finally got around to these jobs on the Xtracycle. Matching pannier bags based on the giant courier bag, and a platform/seat for the top of the rails.

I may yet reinforce the seat, but it’s already a bit bulky being three layers of road-sign and a few layers of foam.

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Some kind of 100mm tube at the front of the rack that you can bolt a QR fork onto would be rad. Could carry a whole extra bike upright on the back

Could do. Got the sidecar for carrying bikes and bulky loads though.

Nice job!

Love this bike, so cool!

Nice dog too

;)

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Nice work!

I will definitely hit you up to make the seat for the rear of my next bike, along with some panniers if you're up for it.

Would love xtracycle style panniers but they are ludicrously expensive with shipping

Maaaaaaybe. This was pretty rough work. I’d wanna improve on it massively before sellz

First test with the platform on the back. Ideal size to collect a tree saw.

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Popped a 42 or 43 tooth (big mtb) ring onto the cranks and the Xtracycle felt so much better to ride. Mostly unladen but I was using the high to middle of the cassette, and only once thought about lowest gears, so certainly faster and more natural feeling. Way less spinny, and more constant pedalling.

Went to the bike shop. I need help though. Is a Wisper system going to be good? I was quoted for a complete Wisper system, but I must lace the rear hub motor into a rim myself. This is preferred so I can use a fat Sun Big City rim, but still additional effort.

Turns out the quoted price was to sell me the kit as DIY, so I must fit everything myself. They will help with questions but the hard work will be my own. Boo.

Batteries, though... I can save some money and have a used Wisper battery, or pay a bit extra for a different brand, or way extra and gain that it’s ‘new’. Is re-celling something anyone here has had done? I’d prefer to just re-cell the Wisper if its capacity is poor.

I need an adult.

Don't waste your money on used batteries - they generally have a 3-year lifespan to begin with, and you have no way of knowing how a used one was handled by the previous owner.

Pretty much how I was feeling on the matter, but that battery seemed a better value quote than the other batteries, it was still cheaper than others if bought used then recelled immediately.

Batteries are so damn expensive...

Cross-posting from the wheel build thread. Spokes arrived today so built up the new rear wheel. First ever complete wheel build actually. Really nice and spacious gap between the chain and the balloon now, possibly helped by the addition rim width over the previous wheel. Shot of the Xtracycle sans-pannier, too.

Rides fine up and down the road. Will test it properly over the coming days.

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Awesome. Have you had someone sat on the back yet?

Buy a bafang mid drive, makes the gears you have, available to the motor.

Im gong to buy mine from eclipsebikes.com

Up to you whether or not to buy legal 250W max. or not...

@MCamb not yet!! I was waiting until I got rid of the old wheel, since it was making awful noises with scary baggy spokes. See pic below. Hopefully the lady will be visiting on Sunday and she will pop the pillion cherry.

@M_A_X the local e-bike shop’s supplier wanted megabucks for a mid-drive, and their Wisper supplier could get me a 250W rear hub kit within reasonable budget. I’m not convinced though, it will need a real torque to avoid failure. I contacted Woosh and got this reply (attached below).

To avoid any future misdemeanours I’d prefer to keep it legal, but at the same time I really need the kit to be strong enough for a loaded bike. That said, sod destroying another wheel like the previous owner had (he had this set up with a Bafang mid).

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My Long Harry has been out twice today. Toddler things with the Hamax up front and supermarket this morning, then laundrette run with just the base board this evening.

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And a tip run today. Aero status zero with that 150cm wide board across the back. I was actually catching a guy on a road bike on the gradient that leads up to the tip, but he disappeared once it flattened out and I turned off. What do you even do when you catch someone up and you’re fully loaded like that? Not like you can quickly power past them!

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What do you even do when you catch someone up and you’re fully loaded like that?

give 'em a push?

Aero status zero with that 150cm wide board across the back

I had a similar issue a couple of weeks ago taking an old desk to the tip on my omnium I opted to cut it in half, borrowed a chainsaw from the in-laws, scary, but fun in equal parts.

Not sure what's so funny about cutting a nice bike like that in equal parts.

Pillion test run was a success. Only a couple of miles around the flatland locally. Even managed some tiny tiny inclines. Used some quill stems as foot pegs.

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What specs are those?

quill stems as foot pegs

👌👌👌 top marks for ingenuity

Get thee to the hacks/bodges thread