Xtracycle Rocks

Here's the deal. I bought a FreeRadical and accessories from the folks at Xtracycle about a month ago. I received the boxes of parts several weeks ago, but have been lagging in my assembly of it. I ended up getting a rigid frame bike so I could have a dedicated bike to run it on (my only other ride is a full suspension cross country bike which isn't compatible with the FreeRadical). I bought a Marin Novato (appropriate isn't it?) The main holdup was that it has been 8 or more years since I strung new cable on one of my bikes. 8+ years of gap makes for big gaps in the brain as well. Needless to say, I needed some help. I tried to enlist the aid of my younger brother Kevin , but getting time out of him is... difficult. He's a busy busy boy. So, I gave in to defeat and went to the shop where my brother used to work, Mike's Bikes in San Rafael. They hooked me up, and for 35 bucks, it was worth it to just have it done with. Josh the service manager routed my cable housings and did the initial hook up and adjustment of the front and rear derailleur's and brakes. I was just glad to have it done.

Kevin did end up coming by the following day and helping me... the rear brake lever was very slow returning to it's normal position after braking and it turns out Josh put a little too much grease on the cable. Oh well.. problem fixed.

My main point in writing this was to point out how much FUN the xtracycle has made riding for me again. I want to ride all the time... I really DO want to sell my car (although biking your toddler around in the rain is NOT too healthy when they're nursing a cold!), though I won't be. I think I'll be using it a lot less. The folks at Xtracycle really have come up with a better solution for bicycle living. This contraption really can replace a car. Speaking of which.. it's time to go pick up my son on the bike.

A final thought: check out Alastair Humphreys Round the World By Bike trip... truly inspiring and humbling. I've been reading through his travel logs, and though my duties as the father of a young child take ultimate precedent, I think when Kai gets a little older, he and I will need to do some travel by bike to different parts of the world. If his current preference for riding on the back of the bike is any indication of his future enthusiasm for the sport, he'll be raring to go.