I think we're all familiar with an old problem for bicyclists:

You have this big and/or heavy load you need to transport from Point
A to Point B. Groceries, a large amount of laundry, whatever...

It's too big or bulky to fit in a backpack and its too large for a
rack mounted to either the front or rear of your bike.

So, what do you do?

Many of us use a car, if we have one, take the bus or a cab. A few of
us even take the risk and try to carry these heavy loads in our hands
as we try to pedal our bikes!

The answer to this problem is the Xtracycle.
http://www.xtracycle.com

I was first introduced to the Xtracycle at Crosstown Couriers. The
boss, Chris Coleman, took an old road bike, purchased and installed
the Xtracycle FreeRadical and turned this bike - nicknamed "Big
Bertha" - into an excellent cargo-hauler that can carry loads
difficult or impossible to carry on a regular bike.

It works like this: you attach the Free Radical where you normally
would install your rear tire. There is also a tube that is attached
to where your kickstand goes, to add strength to the body of your
bike. The body of your bike is lengthened to give greater stability
to the rider, which is something a rear or front mounted basket does
not do.

Not every bicycle is suitable for the FreeRadical, though. I dont see
it working very well for a race bike or most road bikes with narrow
tires, due to the stresses placed by heavy loads on the rear tire and
rim. The best bikes for the FreeRadical are road bikes with wide
tires and cruisers.

In addition to the FreeRadical, which is just the basic set-up, you
can also purchase more attachments which would allow you to carry
even bigger (e.g. several bags of groceries, computers, etc) and
longer items (e.g. small ladders, surfboards, etc) more easily.

I own three bikes. My messenger bike is an Olympia Sport 1000,
converted to fixed gear. I also have a Sirrus Comp. But my oldest
bike, purchased in 1988, is a Univega Range Rover. The Univega had no
purpose after I bought my Sirrus. It was too heavy and slow, compared
to the other bikes and I thought about selling it or donating it to
charity. It was still usable, but not suitable for messenger work,
which requires me to travel faster than the Univega allows me. The
Sirrus and Olympia both have lighter frames and were designed for
speed. The Univega is just designed for commuting.

When I saw how well the Xtracycle carried the big, heavy loads
Crosstown is occasionally hired to deliver, I decided that the
Univega still had some use left in her and purchased the FreeRadical,
along with the WideLoader and Longhauler. Now, the Univega -
named "Gladys", after my aunt - is the bike I use when I need to go
grocery shopping or carry big loads.

So, now there is another option for bicyclists who need to transport
larger and heavier loads from place to place. It's not cheap, but its
a lot less expensive than having to buy and maintain a car or take
cabs and is more convenient than having to use the bus when we need
to carry big stuff.

Be aware that the FreeRadical is not something easily installed and
removed. If you regularly use one bike to carry lots of stuff, then
it works okay, if you install the FreeRadical. But, the attachment
will make you bike heavier and, of course, slower. If you own more
than one bike, you can dedicate one of them to become the Xtracycle
and take it out when you need to carry big loads. Big Bertha doesnt
get out of the Crosstown office very often, but she's a great labor-
saving device when she does and Bertha is indispensible for Crosstown
Couriers.

If you've got an old bike gathering dust and you dont know what else
to do with it, you might want to think about turning it into an
Xtracycle.

I bought the FreeRadical and my old Univega is now an Xtracycle. I
use it to carry groceries, laundry and whatever else. I named
her "Gladys", after my aunt.