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#173 From: "Leifert, Jesse - BLS" <leifert.jesse@...>
Date: Mon Apr 24, 2006 4:04 pm
Subject: RE: Digest Number 85 fourlapsfour...
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Has anyone set up an extracycle with the nexus 3 speed hub? Wondering if it'll work...

-----Original Message-----
From: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com [mailto:rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Bianca Siegl
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2006 11:49 AM
To: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [rootsradicals] Digest Number 85

I'm in West Hollywood, riding to work most days - haven't seen any others around here, though I did spot one in Silverlake a while ago...

bianca

parepidemos <parepidemos@...> wrote:

I'm curious too. I know only one other Xtracycle owner in LA (she's not
on this forum), and I sold it to her myself.

So Anna, where do LA's RootsRadicals live? We two are in the USC area,
South Central...
--Nic

On Apr 21, 2006, at 8:01 AM, rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com wrote:
> From: "therearethosewhocallmedrew" <shringara2@...>
> Subject: Xtracycles in Southern CA.
>
> Curious,
>
> Who else has an Xtracycle in SoCal.
> I'm in San Diego.
>
> Thanks
>
> Drew

You're getting this message because you signed up to be an Xtracycle roots radical. To Post a message, send it to: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com ride to believe.

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#174 From: "Robert Keil" <prof_keil@...>
Date: Mon Apr 24, 2006 11:21 pm
Subject: another LA xtracycle prof_keil
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hello,

well, there's at least one more person in LA that has an xtra.  I just picked
mine up two
weeks ago, so far it's great!

robert

Reply | Messages in this Topic (1)

#175 From: "matt7john" <matt7john@...>
Date: Tue Apr 25, 2006 11:54 pm
Subject: Gas prices/Free radicals/the revolution matt7john
Send Email

Does anyone else wonder what gas prices will mean for the Free Radical,
or if there's a chart in some Econ. prof's lecture book that shows
rising gas prices leading to fewer cars and more bikes? Gasoline here
in Minneapolis costs nearly $3 a gallon. I can think of dozens of
people I work with who would be perfectly happy with a Free Radical and
a Stoke Monkey chugging them back and forth to work, gasfree and
probably losing very little time on their commute. To ask it in a
simple question: is the revolution at hand?

Reply | Messages in this Topic (5)

#176 From: TheJonesgal@...
Date: Tue Apr 25, 2006 9:41 pm
Subject: Re: Gas prices/Free radicals/the revolution thejonesgal
Send Email

I don't know about official economic stuff but I'm SO glad I've got my bike and xtracycle! I don't have much of a commute but I'm using the bike for a lot of my transporation. Today, I went to the orthodontist and got my braces off. Rode to my husband's work for lunch and stopped at a pet store for 2 40 pound bags of kitty litter. I couldn't do that walking (which I also do a lot of)

I've been seeing more bikes out and about. (the nice weather is helping too) I'm the only one with an xtracycle in my town that I know of, but people ask me a lot of questions about it. And they say "you must be glad you have that with gas prices going up?"

It's most fun when I've got the guitar on board - people get a kick out of seeing that.

Gerry from Federal Way, WA

Reply | Messages in this Topic (5)

#177 From: "Kipchoge Spencer" <kipchoge@...>
Date: Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:55 am
Subject: Re: 3-speedin' kipchogenotkip
Send Email

Hey Jesse,

I just posted a how-to on our blog re: single and 3-speed conversion. I should note that 3-speeds seem to be plenty for flatlands load rustlin but not at all adequate in hill country.

kipchoge

   Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2006 12:04:43 -0400
   From: "Leifert, Jesse - BLS" < leifert.jesse@...>
Subject: RE: Digest Number 85

Has anyone set up an extracycle with the nexus 3 speed hub?  Wondering
if it'll work...

Reply | Messages in this Topic (1)

#178 From: "Rainbow Flight" <kitesfun@...>
Date: Wed Apr 26, 2006 6:28 am
Subject: National energy conversation getting louder kitesfun2000
Send Email

Hi Folks

Enjoying my 3rd month of Xtracycling....used it to haul materials and food to a permaculture design course over the weekend, and may have some more converts to join me here.....

This is a newsletter I get from Jan Lundberg in the US. I met him at the Peak Oil and Community Solutions Conference last year, excellent speaker with background in the oil industry. Note the list of events off the bottom.

I love this line "Those of us who rely on bikes won�t mind, and we�ll welcome the added company of recovering motorists."

Regards

Ted

Nelson, NZ

http://culturechange.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=51&Itemid=2

National energy conversation getting louder

Written by Jan Lundberg

Culture Change Letter #127

That�s conversation, not conservation. We�ll get the latter only if (1) we have the real conversation or (2) we get hit over the head with heavy pre-petrocollapse warnings. I�m glad to say that it�s not just the second factor shaping up.

Change is in the wind. However, the nation is dominated by small minds tied to the fossil-fueled status quo, instead of listening to big-picture energy analysts such as Congressman Roscoe Bartlett and consultant Robert Hirsch. These power-house scientists spoke at a Pentagon-sponsored presentation, "Energy: a Conversation about Our National Addiction" on April 24th within a stone�s throw of that five-sided building - ironic, as the Department of Defense is the single largest consumer of oil in the world. I attended this Energy Conversation and bring you, the concerned reader, a rundown of what was presented.

Many awareness-raising events concerned with peak oil and petrocollapse are taking place lately. The news media, mainly concerned with price sensation, are helping somewhat to awaken the oil-addicted population, albeit with narrower concerns than the End of the Oil Age. Recent headlines include "Beijing�s Pursuit of Oil" and "Consumers Face a New Reality." The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a peak oil resolution on April 11, 2006. It acknowledges the threats posed by peak oil and calls for the establishment of a city-wide study to assess San Francisco's vulnerability to peak oil.

At least George W. Bush opened some floodgates of attention this year by announcing the U.S. is "addicted to oil." He thus allowed others in government to come out of the woodwork on energy issues. This may be Bush II�s main legacy, as little and late as it was at this point in history. For those Americans that were still asleep, we are now all pretty much on the same page as to oil dependence and the likelihood of higher prices and tighter supply. It is time to turn the page and learn about such basics as energy production ratios (net energy), the liquid-fuel nature of the energy crisis, and the impossibility of delaying peak oil and its effects if we are indeed at the historic high of global extraction.

Honestly curing ourselves of addiction means we don�t try to maintain supply. Is that what we�d like to see for heroin addicts, to assure a "fair" price and fight for unlimited access? Just as with heroin, the only sensible course is to stop the habit. Get off petroleum starting now. Sorry, there�s no handy substitute - except culture change, as a lieutenant colonel enthusiastically told me.

The April 24th event was naturally attended by a raft of Pentagon staffers, some of whom are aware of climate change and concerned about it. Others (e.g., weapons peddlers and other Beltway Bandits) still believe there is no end to energy supply and are not worried about the "alleged" threat to climate stability. The attendees were fortunately fairly diverse, with journalists and environmentalist professionals too. The Energy Conversation series has created an Energy Networking List, and the whole process could even help shape U.S. policy and encourage lifestyle change.

As oil prices have broken past the $70 per barrel mark - at a time when national and global oil demand levels are not at their respective seasons for top usage - we are in a time of heightened sensitivity to price and supply issues. On April 24th came the politically tinged initiative: "Bush orders probe into gas price cheating" (USA Today). It is predictable nowadays that more people are looking closely at energy consumption and the outlook for meeting their expectations or fears. Never before has petroleum been so firmly positioned as perhaps the most vital issue spanning military, trade and environmental developments.

National media concern is fleeting, when gasoline prices might fail to rise to a painful enough level to bring about truly major shifts in transportation. ["Drivers switch to public transit" USA Today, April 23rd�s top story] But headlines this summer could say "Gasoline Prices Zoom Past $4 a Gallon As Shortages Hit". Those of us who rely on bikes won�t mind, and we�ll welcome the added company of recovering motorists.

There is very little "give" in the world oil supply situation, considering demand has reached 85 million barrels per day. Extremely high utilization of refining capacity compounds the petering-out wells around the world, as more than three quarters of major oil exporting countries are past their peak crude extraction. Building more refineries takes too much time, and they would have to accommodate undesirably heavy crudes. Liquified natural gas (LNG) did not factor into this Conversation, as it does not stretch finite gas supplies.

The number of days of supply to be made available from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is never more than weeks, depending on the changing volume. Any significant supply disruption, whether due to the Iran situation or some unforeseen event in our insecure climate-altered world, can trigger panic buying of fuels. Then the oil market reacts quickly in presenting eye-popping price increases that encourage hoarding. So much for scenarios of gradually declining oil use, when socioeconomic upheaval can take down the world economy as the life blood of commerce and daily living suddenly dries up.

I brought up the market factor in the Q & A session at the Energy Conversation. First inviting the crowd to "attend the DC Petrocollapse Conference on May 6 at All Souls Unitarian Church; it�s all on petrocollapse.org," I asked "What is the role of the market in shaping the reaction to supply shortage from peaking? These studies on peak oil have not taken the market into account." Because I did not specify the oil market, the answers were more about the free market in general including the stock market. Congressman Bartlett�s position is that the free market will not be able provide more supply when depletion is setting in. He quoted Donald Rumsfeld regarding peak oil: "The market will fix it." "As if," Bartlett continued, "there are infinite resources. It will be a bumpy ride to a transition, including a crash." Hirsch pointed out that in 1973 the Arab Oil Embargo people panicked. He also said that there have been forecasts of oil running out long ago, but "this time it is not crying wolf" although peaking does not mean actually running out, as he said at the outset. Bartlett pointed out that in the story of the Little Boy Who Cried Wolf, "in the end the wolf came and ate the people."

Bartlett�s message is tremendously logical and moral: Don�t try to fulfill rising demand to cope with peak oil via supply solutions because this would mean "more greenhouse gases" and just increasing our future vulnerability to a greater supply crunch: "A bigger fall later. We pigged out. Filling the gap (with supply) is intending to further pig out."

Bartlett shows how pigging out is not necessary for happiness. He shows a graph of nations� happiness indicators compared to their energy use, and sure enough, the U.S. is not at the very top in happiness despite our energy gluttony.

He also hints that bridging the gap is unfeasible: "For Canadian tar sands, 3 million barrels a day can be achieved in 10 years." Meanwhile, "more natural gas is used in the tar sands process than (energy extracted)." It was refreshing to hear both Bartlett and Hirsch call the deposits "tar sands" rather than the new, misleading name "oil sands." As for oil shale, Bartlett likens it to "cooking the asphalt out on the roads to get liquid oil," which is technically possible - but not efficient.

Bartlett�s presentations are far from dull. His one-liners never stop: "I�m a conservative but I try not to be an idiot." The room laughed. "We�re not going to satisfy our energy requirements from agriculture" as the topsoil is depleted. "How are we going to grow food without natural gas?"

The evening should have been videotaped for the widest possible audience. C-SPAN was invited, but they feel they have covered the Congressman quite a bit already. Not enough, in my opinion, but as oil gets hotter as a subject, he will hopefully be in greater demand. Robert Hirsch should be covered by the press much more than he (Hirsch) is.

Hirsch and Bartlett are high-powered scientists who have tracked peak oil for years. These two men are the real leaders of our country, if oil is our biggest issue. They aren�t the only leaders, but the nation cannot do much worse than to ignore Drs. Hirsch and Bartlett. I compared notes with Hirsch, who said he was "in the oil industry for 10 years and we did not talk about peak oil." I told him I had a similar experience. The Congressman told Hirsch I was the same Lundberg as Lundberg Survey, and I told them I learned more about oil after leaving the industry and read Beyond Oil: The Threat to Food and Fuel in the Coming Decades(1986).

Robert Hirsch is Senior Energy Program Advisor at the military/technology consulting firm SAIC. His presentation was clear, supported by facts and references, and also frightening. He says, "Worry now. The problem is enormous. There will be massive shortages unless we act in time. But mitigation takes a long time. Peak oil is not a theory; 33 out of 48 of the largest oil producing countries have hit peak. There is no warning for peak, as production goes up until the peak. After peak, the drop off is sudden." He asks, Why should we not expect the world peak to be like the examples we�ve seen for countries?"

"We are eating our seed corn" by using from 2 to 4 barrels of oil for every barrel discovered, he points out. He believes the coming shortage due to peaking "will be a liquid fuels problem more than an energy crisis. The Department of Defense will require enormous investment, and 30-50 years of liquid fuels is essential at present." It seems that Hirsch is projecting an inability to maintain force into the future. One of the Dept. of Defense sponsors of the Energy Conversation is the Office of Force Transformation.

"Nature is going to grab us and not give us an opportunity to evolve." This is hampered, Hirsch says, by certain people who "don�t give us credible information." "Technology and price will not save us. He goes on to explain that "oil is very different from minerals" regarding extraction success in response to economics.

Hirsch�s "most optimistic case is an assumed crash program" when people can agree the crisis is finally here. For mitigation, he sees as the first and best measure "fuel efficiency" across the board. Less-available measures, but close to implementation, are the maximizing of tar sands and heavy oil, coal liquifaction, gas to liquids, and enhanced oil recovery. But "the vehicle fleet is not replaceable fast." On the subject of what happens to be President Bush�s energy solution, biofuels, Hirsch educated us that "It takes energy to deliver energy� biomass is not economic." He concluded by saying Peak Oil represents an unprecedented, abrupt energy change or forced transition.

A more radical critique of the present economy and its sprawling infrastructure suggests that "Any part that is integral to that particular whole, that is made more efficient, makes the whole more efficient at the destruction it does so well," according to Richard "Depaving Guru" Register of Ecocity Builders.

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett quoted Condoleezza Rice�s candid statement on energy earlier this month: "�nothing has really taken me aback more as Secretary of State than the way that the politics of energy is - I will use the word warping - diplomacy around the world... It is, of course, an energy supply that is still heavily dependent on hydrocarbons, which makes more difficult our desire to have growth, environmental protection and reliable energy supply all in a package.... on the energy side, we have simply got to do something about the warping now of diplomatic effort by the all-out rush for energy supply." Bartlett observed that "it would be nice if policy matched words."

He points out that 4.3 years is how long U.S. oil would last the nation if we only used domestic supplies. "Since 1980 we�ve used more oil than we�ve found." He attacked deceptive projections by the Energy Information Administration (Dept. of Energy) which represents a 50% probability of optimistic oil production, as a future mean � "it�s bizarre to use statistics that way." He quoted a suppressed U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study on peak oil that concludes "There is no alternative fuel that can replace oil." He points out, "Why didn�t we think that if (geologist M. King) Hubbert was right about the U.S. peak (1970), why not about world peak?"

Bartlett appears to be pro-nuclear power, although he must know that the net energy from uranium mining and the whole process of nuclear power is not attractive. Yet, if he were anti-nuclear too, there would be little to distinguish him from a flaming radical environmentalist. He allows also that if we attain fusion energy "then we will be home free." Bartlett is very realistic: "In an aggressive program, first is conservation." The overall approach must be likened to, he says, "World War II�s effort (victory gardens), along with the effort to put a man on the moon, and the Manhattan Project� the worst case is World War III. We face a hard landing, the 1930s will look good. Or it could be The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."

Upcoming Energy Conversation speakers include Jeremy Rifkin on May 22. The crowd will be "forearmed" to evaluate Rifkin�s claims for a potential Hydrogen Economy. On June 20 Matt Simmons, author of Twilight in the Desert, will hold forth.

* * * * *

Attend the DC Petrocollapse May 6th at the All Souls Church, Unitarian, from 9 A.M. to 7 P.M. Richard Heinberg, the top peak oil author, is among the speakers. Film premieres for Washington: "The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil" and "Our Synthetic Sea." A music program by peak oilers tops off the event. Details and registration are online at http://www.petrocollapse.org

Local Solutions to the Energy Dilemma: Conference April 27 � 29 in New York City. Speakers include Jan Lundberg, Jim Kunstler, Derrick Jensen, Matt Savinar, Mike Ruppert, and too many more to mention. See http://www.energysolutionsconference.org/

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett: THE PEAKING OF WORLD OIL, House of Representatives, February 8, 2006 [Great graphs!]: http://www.peakoil.net/Publications/PeakOilSpclOrder%2315TextCharts020806Low.pdf

Robert Hirsch's "Shaping the peak of world oil production" from World Oil, Oct. 2005: http://www.worldoil.com/magazine/MAGAZINE_DETAIL.asp?ART_ID=2696&MONTH_YEAR=Oct-2005

The San Francisco Peak Oil Resolution is available online at http://www.sfbayoil.org/sfoa/media/resolution_to_board.pdf
Interviews on this resolution with members of San Francisco Oil Awareness are available online at http://www.globalpublicmedia.com .

Ecocity Builders, Oakland, California, Richard Register, founder: http://ecocitybuilders.org/

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#179 From: "Leifert, Jesse - BLS" <leifert.jesse@...>
Date: Wed Apr 26, 2006 1:29 pm
Subject: RE: Gas prices/Free radicals/the revolution fourlapsfour...
Send Email

Gas is over 3.30 here in our nations capital...and more people are out on bikes.

Now would be a good time for some heavy marketing from xtracycle, inc to push urban transport options. ;)

Kipchoge...thanks for the write up, it looks good. I'm interested to hear how the front brake setup works when you get around to setting it up.

-----Original Message-----
From: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com [mailto:rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of matt7john
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 7:55 PM
To: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [rootsradicals] Gas prices/Free radicals/the revolution

Does anyone else wonder what gas prices will mean for the Free Radical,
or if there's a chart in some Econ. prof's lecture book that shows
rising gas prices leading to fewer cars and more bikes? Gasoline here
in Minneapolis costs nearly $3 a gallon. I can think of dozens of
people I work with who would be perfectly happy with a Free Radical and
a Stoke Monkey chugging them back and forth to work, gasfree and
probably losing very little time on their commute. To ask it in a
simple question: is the revolution at hand?

Reply | Messages in this Topic (5)

#180 From: Merlin Matthews ~ Re~Cycle <merlin@...>
Date: Wed Apr 26, 2006 1:44 pm
Subject: Peak Oil ~ Overview re_cycle
Send Email

OVERVIEW (from http://www.odac-info.org/)

Oil is the world's premier source of energy and is fundamental to almost every important function of modern life. It fuels 95 percent of land, sea and air transport, so the efficient movement of raw materials and goods, as well as personal mobility, is almost entirely oil-dependent. Food production too relies heavily on oil to run farm machinery and to make fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides. Oil generates 40 percent of the world's commercial energy, provides heating fuel, and drives industry and commerce. No other existing energy source can match the versatility, convenience and low cost of oil. Moreover, it supplies feedstock for many thousands of manufactured products as diverse as plastics, medicines, clothing and building materials.

Global demand for oil has increased seven-fold over the past half-century due to rapid population growth and industrial expansion. The world now consumes about 82 million barrels of oil a day. (A barrel is the equivalent of 42 U.S. gallons or 159 litres.) Demand is generally expected to continue growing at an average annual rate of one to two percent. The International Energy Agency forecasts that worldwide oil demand could exceed 100 million barrels a day by 2020. The greatest rise in demand is expected to come from developing nations. Growing transportation needs throughout the world would account for up to three-quarters of the projected increase.

Oil industry leaders acknowledge that new sources of oil are becoming increasingly difficult to find and more costly to exploit. New oilfield discoveries have been declining steadily for 40 years despite extensive exploration with the most advanced technology, and most importantly, finding giant new fields is becoming ever more rare. Recently, major oil companies have had to cut their production growth targets. In 2002, the world used four times more oil than was found from new sources. Since about 80 percent of the oil that will be necessary to meet projected needs in 10 years time is not currently in production, unprecedented levels of investment and yet-to-be-achieved technological advances will be required to balance supply with future demand.

The industry's ability to locate and recover ever-smaller volumes of oil has improved significantly but the physical limitations of the resource are inescapable. Operating experience from tens of thousands of oilfields shows that the rate of production always rises to a peak and then begins to fall off when about half the recoverable oil has been extracted. Since the world's total endowment of oil is finite and non-renewable, in due course, as new discoveries become insufficient to offset the natural depletion of existing reserves, overall output will reach its maximum limit and begin to decline.

The world has now consumed almost half the total amount of conventional oil most experts estimate will ever be available for recovery. Assessments of the world's ultimately recoverable oil reserves vary but 65 published studies by oil companies, geologists, government analysts and consultants over the past 50 years have produced remarkably consistent estimates. The overwhelming majority of these put the world's original endowment of recoverable oil at no more than about 2,400 billion barrels; the average estimate is 2,000 billion barrels. Cumulative worldwide consumption had exceeded 900 billion barrels by the end of 2003.

A growing number of experts now foresee a permanent downturn in global oil production rates within a matter of years. Although past premature forecasts have led many to view warnings of impending oil scarcity with a great deal of scepticism, no fewer than a dozen recent independent analyses, using different assumptions and demand growth projections, all show global production reaching its natural peak within the coming decade. Even the most conservative of these, based on what some consider an implausibly high estimate of the total oil endowment, forecasts the peak by 2020.

As growing demand exceeds available supplies, oil prices will rise substantially and the effects will be felt throughout the global economy. Oil is the world's single largest traded commodity, accounting for over half the total value of all commodity transactions. Fears of oil supply disruptions alone can create financial panic. The few episodes of dramatic oil price rises in the past 30 years, due mainly to events in the Middle East, have shown how vulnerable the world economy is to the impact of supply restrictions. High oil prices fuel inflation, contribute to economic recessions and create the greatest hardship for those least able to bear the additional costs.

The world will become increasingly dependent on oil from the Middle East as supplies from elsewhere decline. Already over 50 oil-producing countries have passed their peak production, including the United States, once the world's largest producer, which now relies on imported oil for over 60 percent of its domestic needs. Most other producing nations are expected to reach their peak within the next few years. The only exceptions will be a handful of oil-rich Persian Gulf states, which hold about two-thirds of the world's proven reserves. Saudi Arabia alone controls 25 percent of those reserves.

The productive capacity of Middle East oilfields is uncertain and the risks of supply disruptions are heightened by continuing political instability in the region. Oil from the Middle East currently accounts for almost a third of the world's supply and that share will grow steadily in the years ahead. While it is commonly assumed that some excess production capacity is available to meet short-term increases in demand, little is known about the longer-term potential for growth. In any case, intensified worldwide competition will inevitably accelerate the depletion of those reserves and the onset of falling output. Moreover, securing reliable supplies from the region comes at a substantial additional expense. Some estimates put the military costs of protecting pipelines and tanker routes, borne mainly by U.S. taxpayers, at around $15-20 a barrel.

The era of cheap, plentiful supplies of oil is coming to an end, requiring fundamental restructuring of the world's energy systems. Any shift towards new, more costly alternatives is bound to be difficult and time consuming. Growing recognition of the serious environmental damage and climate-changing effects caused by burning oil (and other fossil fuels) is beginning slowly to drive new, long-term energy policies. The approaching peak and decline in oil supplies adds urgency to the need for greater energy efficiency measures and more rapid development of sustainable energy alternatives.

See http://www.fcnp.com/521/peakoil.htm for recent effects

PEAK OIL RELATED LINKS:

Good intro, inc video, and links page

http://www.globalpublicmedia.com/content/peak_oil

Good introductions

- http://www.wolfatthedoor.org.uk

- http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net

For daily updates and links to mainstream media:

http://www.fromthewilderness.com

Lessons from Russia http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/index.shtml#post

ASPO

The official site of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil & Gas.

http://www.peakoil.net/

ENERGY BULLETIN

Clearing house for news regarding the peak in global energy supply.

http://www.energybulletin.net/

POWERSWITCH

Dedicated to raising awareness & discussion of the impending & permanent

decline of cheap oil & gas supply.

http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/

ODAC

Oil Depletion Analysis Centre working to raise awareness and promote better

understanding of the world's oil-depletion problem.

http://www.odac-info.org/

GLOBAL PUBLIC MEDIA

Public service broadcasting for a post carbon world.

http://www.globalpublicmedia.com/

POST CARBON INSTITUTE

Learning to live in a low energy world.

http://www.postcarbon.org/

PEAKOIL.COM

US site and forum to educate and promote awareness of global hydrocarbon

depletion.

http://www.peakoil.com/

FEASTA

The Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability

http://www.feasta.org/

VITAL TRIVIA

Chris Vernon's Peak Oil Blog

http://www.vitaltrivia.co.uk/

CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION

http://climatechangeaction.blogspot.com/

THE ENERGY BLOG

http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/

THE OIL DRUM

http://www.theoildrum.com/

PEAK OIL PRIMERS: WHAT IS PEAK OIL?

http://www.energybulletin.net/primer.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil

http://www.answers.com/peak+oil

SOLUTIONS:

http://www.earthship.org - ultra eco-house, provides its own heat, water, electricity and some food! I'm building one, have been refining the system for 30 years in Taos, New Mexico, have them all over the world, including Brighton and Scotland

Buy a FreeRadical http://www.xtracycle.com - a conversion kit to convert your bicycle into a load carrying bike ~ Can buy them in the UK from merlin at re-cycle.org all profit to charity

DTQs = Domestic Tradable Quotas - http://www.dtqs.org/ - something the government would have laughed at 10 years ago, though are looking at now...

CSA = Community Supported Agriculture

http://www.csacenter.org

http://www.biodynamics.com/csa.html

Lessons from Russia (after its collapse):

Lessons from Cuba (after Russia's collapse):

http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/120103_korea_2.html

http://www.postcarbon.org

http://wolf.readinglitho.co.uk/mainpages/whattodo.html

http://www.oilcrash.com/articles/cheaply.htm

Centre for Alternative Technology - http://www.cat.org.uk/

http://www.survivingpeakoil.com/

http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/Preparations.html

Reply | Messages in this Topic (1)

#181 From: merlin@...
Date: Wed Apr 26, 2006 3:28 pm
Subject: RE: Gas prices/Free radicals/the revolution re_cycle
Send Email

Manufacturing costs will rise.

Shipping costs will rise (are already)

Demand will rise :)

Hopefully, the quality of life will rise!

A global depression is likely, tho may be that less crap and more growing veg and interacting will be good for people's happiness.

Less stuff, tho better quality / built to last.

Cheers

Merlin

Gas is over 3.30 here in our nations capital...and more people are out on bikes.

Now would be a good time for some heavy marketing from xtracycle, inc to push urban transport options. ;)

Kipchoge...thanks for the write up, it looks good. I'm interested to hear how the front brake setup works when you get around to setting it up.

-----Original Message-----
From: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com [mailto:rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of matt7john
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 7:55 PM
To: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [rootsradicals] Gas prices/Free radicals/the revolution

Does anyone else wonder what gas prices will mean for the Free Radical,
or if there's a chart in some Econ. prof's lecture book that shows
rising gas prices leading to fewer cars and more bikes? Gasoline here
in Minneapolis costs nearly $3 a gallon. I can think of dozens of
people I work with who would be perfectly happy with a Free Radical and
a Stoke Monkey chugging them back and forth to work, gasfree and
probably losing very little time on their commute. To ask it in a
simple question: is the revolution at hand?

You're getting this message because you signed up to be an Xtracycle roots radical. To Post a message, send it to: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com ride to believe.

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#182 From: "Big Wave Dave" <notnosect2003@...>
Date: Wed Apr 26, 2006 6:10 pm
Subject: My tire got bent notnosect2003
Send Email

I have a 700C tire, and use the 700 freerad kit.

My tire needed trueing about a month ago, before I even put the xtra
on. I have a large hybrid bike.

Anyways, my bike ran smooth with the hybrid, unil a few days ago. I
loaded up 4 large grocery bags on each side of the xtra, with a large
backpack on top. I rode a few miles home.

The next day I realized the tire was skinning the side of the rad
badly, making a lot of noise and slowing me down. I finally looked and
the tire is either bent or not aligned right... not sure...

Can my bike not handle large loads? Or is this just a problem with my
un-trued tire? I've heard that for loads, its better to use 26 inch
tires, as they're more stable.

Ughhh I really don't want to have to get a 26 mountain bike, cuz I
would have to sell my xtra/buy a bike/install the new xtra etc...

Reply | Messages in this Topic (8)

#183 From: "Susan" <maps@...>
Date: Wed Apr 26, 2006 6:26 pm
Subject: Re: Gas prices/Free radicals/the revolution motthebug
Send Email

I think people are starting to get scared... which often translates
into anger... it's when leadership is crucial.  (That's what makes
*me* scared.)  So I've been trying to "lead" - but let's face it, the
dependence is deeper than what would be solved by Xtracycles.  How
many jobs make people travel a **lot**?  More importantly, whatever
changes happen tend to happen in a way that makes the already in
economic power stay that way...  when times get economically tough
things get harder for everybody who's not got a big ol' financial
safety margin.
    NPR talked a lot about venture capitalists going after people doing
alternative energy stuff, though.
    And on an individual basis... MAN, has this contraption saved me
bucks.  And done cool stuff. However, it's priced beyond the impulse
threshold for people who care about saving the bucks - and that's what
the latest jump in the gas prices might have changed (that "let's try
this..." threshold).  I know my first reaction was the email I sent to
a buddy saying "here's another thing that looks cool, and fortunately
it's too expensive to be tempting."  It was a slow week at the job,
though, so I had time to wander through the site and dream... and ever
since I was 23 and bought a little motorcycle instead of a car, I had
*really* wanted to get a bicycle for getting around.
     Here's the other thing that might be changing.  I dreamed of being
A Person Who Rides Her Bike... knowing that it was pretty far out on
the fringes.  And a year ago, in this college town, my cultural
classification cruising through was "perhaps student, perhaps
eccentric college prof, perhaps DUI, perhaps Challenged" (often
depending on my choice of cycles and accessories).
     That's changed.  Now there are more bikes... and more people who
perceive me as Somebody Doing SOmething About It.  (You can choose
your it.)  The Xtracycle is *obviously* not for imitating Lance; it's
also obviously an intentional accessory, costing money, so it makes me
less likely to be a reluctant rider (DUI, student, etc).  I'd like to
dream that it even inspires some thought... (hay, meybe *I* could do
something about it, too)... and broadens the definition of "normal
behavior" to include riding a bike.  (Normal behavior has a pretty
broad definition in Urbana, not quite as broad in Champaign.)
    Consciously appearing to be an Intentional Cyclist - maybe that's
what could start some snoballing revolutionary momentum...



--- In rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com, "matt7john" <matt7john@...> wrote:
>
> Does anyone else wonder what gas prices will mean for the Free Radical,
> or if there's a chart in some Econ. prof's lecture book that shows
> rising gas prices leading to fewer cars and more bikes? Gasoline here
> in Minneapolis costs nearly $3 a gallon. I can think of dozens of
> people I work with who would be perfectly happy with a Free Radical and
> a Stoke Monkey chugging them back and forth to work, gasfree and
> probably losing very little time on their commute. To ask it in a
> simple question: is the revolution at hand?
>

Reply | Messages in this Topic (5)

#184 From: Ben Rosenthal <earthsaver@...>
Date: Wed Apr 26, 2006 6:30 pm
Subject: Re: My tire got bent earthsaver11
Send Email

I had the rear wheel of my hybrid replaced when I got my FreeRadical installed
last summer, given a recommendation that my original wheel (six or seven years
old) might not hold up to the weight-based wear and tear post-upgrade.

- Ben

On Wednesday, April 26, 2006, at 02:15PM, Big Wave Dave
<notnosect2003@...> wrote:

>I have a 700C tire, and use the 700 freerad kit.
>
>My tire needed trueing about a month ago, before I even put the xtra
>on. I have a large hybrid bike.
>
>Anyways, my bike ran smooth with the hybrid, unil a few days ago. I
>loaded up 4 large grocery bags on each side of the xtra, with a large
>backpack on top. I rode a few miles home.
>
>The next day I realized the tire was skinning the side of the rad
>badly, making a lot of noise and slowing me down. I finally looked and
>the tire is either bent or not aligned right... not sure...
>
>Can my bike not handle large loads? Or is this just a problem with my
>un-trued tire? I've heard that for loads, its better to use 26 inch
>tires, as they're more stable.
>
>Ughhh I really don't want to have to get a 26 mountain bike, cuz I
>would have to sell my xtra/buy a bike/install the new xtra etc...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>You're getting this message because you signed up to be an Xtracycle roots
radical.
>
>To Post a message, send it to:    rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>ride to believe.
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Reply | Messages in this Topic (8)

#185 From: "Susan" <maps@...>
Date: Wed Apr 26, 2006 6:34 pm
Subject: Re: My tire got bent motthebug
Send Email

I'm confident you'll get other better answers - but I'm getting a new
wheel, not a new bike.  I didn't have problems except for wearing out
my brake pads - but my wheel is old and tired, and *it* is not built
for heavy loads.  Rest of the bike I think will handle things fine
(well, more importantly, my bike shop guy thinks so - what he said was
"how about getting wheel and brakes that will handle what the rest of
the rig can handle?")
    (I have a Giant Nutra hybrid w/ 700c wheels & freerad.)

--- In rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com, "Big Wave Dave"
<notnosect2003@...> wrote:
>
> I have a 700C tire, and use the 700 freerad kit.
>
> My tire needed trueing about a month ago, before I even put the xtra
> on. I have a large hybrid bike.
>
> Anyways, my bike ran smooth with the hybrid, unil a few days ago. I
> loaded up 4 large grocery bags on each side of the xtra, with a large
> backpack on top. I rode a few miles home.
>
> The next day I realized the tire was skinning the side of the rad
> badly, making a lot of noise and slowing me down. I finally looked and
> the tire is either bent or not aligned right... not sure...
>
> Can my bike not handle large loads? Or is this just a problem with my
> un-trued tire? I've heard that for loads, its better to use 26 inch
> tires, as they're more stable.
>
> Ughhh I really don't want to have to get a 26 mountain bike, cuz I
> would have to sell my xtra/buy a bike/install the new xtra etc...
>

Reply | Messages in this Topic (8)

#186 From: "Steve Pepper" <Steve@...>
Date: Wed Apr 26, 2006 6:46 pm
Subject: Re: Spam Alert: RE: Gas prices/Free radicals/the revolution stevepepper2000
Send Email

Gas prices $3.20 a gallon If my calculations are right it is about �5 a gallon here in the UK, glad I bought my Free rad.

Steve

Harrogate

Reply | Messages in this Topic (1)

#187 From: "Kipchoge Spencer" <kipchoge@...>
Date: Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:16 pm
Subject: Re: gas prices and the rev kipchogenotkip
Send Email

Yes, the revolution is at hand. Of course they thought it was in hand back in late 60s, early 70s when the Age of Aquarius supposedly began dawning. But, as noted in Jan Lundberg's article, in the end the wolf really did eat the people. Do we have to get eaten for the revolution to happen? At least not yet, I say. Of course, as far as I'm concerned the Pleasant Revolution is actually here today. I just experienced it in the woods, riding to work.

But what will it take for more people to ride to work, gas price wise? According to a poll, maybe about four bucks.

-S.U.B.-commandante coyote

On 26 Apr 2006 14:08:50 -0000, rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com < rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

There are 6 messages in this issue.

Topics in this digest:

      1. Gas prices/Free radicals/the revolution
           From: "matt7john" <matt7john@...>
      2. Re: Gas prices/Free radicals/the revolution
           From: TheJonesgal@...
      3. Re: 3-speedin'
           From: "Kipchoge Spencer" <kipchoge@... >
      4. National energy conversation getting louder
           From: "Rainbow Flight" <kitesfun@...>
      5. RE: Gas prices/Free radicals/the revolution
           From: "Leifert, Jesse - BLS" <leifert.jesse@...>
      6. Peak Oil ~ Overview
           From: Merlin Matthews ~  Re~Cycle < merlin@...>

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Message: 1
   Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 23:54:47 -0000
   From: "matt7john" <matt7john@...>
Subject: Gas prices/Free radicals/the revolution

Does anyone else wonder what gas prices will mean for the Free Radical,
or if there's a chart in some Econ. prof's lecture book that shows
rising gas prices leading to fewer cars and more bikes? Gasoline here
in Minneapolis costs nearly $3 a gallon. I can think of dozens of
people I work with who would be perfectly happy with a Free Radical and
a Stoke Monkey chugging them back and forth to work, gasfree and
probably losing very little time on their commute. To ask it in a
simple question: is the revolution at hand?

Reply | Messages in this Topic (1)

#188 From: "Mike Leger" <mleger@...>
Date: Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:36 pm
Subject: RE: Re: My tire got bent mikesgarbage...
Send Email

If you're running disk brakes, you can convert to 559 (26") wheels
without problems. See the cleverchimp site (Stokemonkey addition to
Xtracycle conversion) blog for pics of my bike. I am much happier with
the smaller wheels, and have no issues, other than better handling and
an occasional pedal skim, with the smaller wheels.

-Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Susan
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 1:35 PM
To: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [rootsradicals] Re: My tire got bent

I'm confident you'll get other better answers - but I'm getting a new
wheel, not a new bike.  I didn't have problems except for wearing out
my brake pads - but my wheel is old and tired, and *it* is not built
for heavy loads.  Rest of the bike I think will handle things fine
(well, more importantly, my bike shop guy thinks so - what he said was
"how about getting wheel and brakes that will handle what the rest of
the rig can handle?")
    (I have a Giant Nutra hybrid w/ 700c wheels & freerad.)

--- In rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com, "Big Wave Dave"
<notnosect2003@...> wrote:
>
> I have a 700C tire, and use the 700 freerad kit.
>
> My tire needed trueing about a month ago, before I even put the xtra
> on. I have a large hybrid bike.
>
> Anyways, my bike ran smooth with the hybrid, unil a few days ago. I
> loaded up 4 large grocery bags on each side of the xtra, with a large
> backpack on top. I rode a few miles home.
>
> The next day I realized the tire was skinning the side of the rad
> badly, making a lot of noise and slowing me down. I finally looked and
> the tire is either bent or not aligned right... not sure...
>
> Can my bike not handle large loads? Or is this just a problem with my
> un-trued tire? I've heard that for loads, its better to use 26 inch
> tires, as they're more stable.
>
> Ughhh I really don't want to have to get a 26 mountain bike, cuz I
> would have to sell my xtra/buy a bike/install the new xtra etc...
>






You're getting this message because you signed up to be an Xtracycle
roots radical.

To Post a message, send it to:    rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com


ride to believe.
Yahoo! Groups Links

Reply | Messages in this Topic (8)

#189 From: "Kipchoge Spencer" <kipchoge@...>
Date: Wed Apr 26, 2006 9:06 pm
Subject: Re: fender eyelets kipchogenotkip
Send Email

Hi Jerry,
Dang, sorry to hear that. Where did you get it? If you got it from a shop it might be an older unit. Does it not have a disc brake mount either?

If no disc mount, it's an older unit. If it does have a disc mount, but no fender eyelets, that would be a manufacturing error that I haven't encountered but which is certainly possible.

If you got the frame directly from us (I couldn't immediately find you in the records, but I know that you just got it) we'll replace it. If not, it's still not too hard to put fenders on. There's some discussion and links to pics here: http://xtracycle.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=689

Hope this helps.

Kipchoge

Message: 2
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2006 14:08:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: Gerard Carignan <jerrycarignan2003@... >
Subject: Re: blender power

Kipchoge, you said my xtra would have brazed-on eyelets for fenders. I received the xtracycle, but it did not have the eyelets. Did I get an old model?

Jerry

Reply | Messages in this Topic (2)

#190 From: "Leifert, Jesse - BLS" <leifert.jesse@...>
Date: Wed Apr 26, 2006 9:06 pm
Subject: RE: Re: My tire got bent fourlapsfour...
Send Email

I had the standard wheel that came with my Rocky Mtn Mtn bike and cracked a couple of spokes and tweeked the rim a little when I had the sub under heavy load. I bought a Sun Mammoth rear wheel and haven't had any problems at all. That thing is a tank and durable as h#ll. I'm thinking that standard hybrid 700 wheels can't really take the whoopin that the xtracyle dishes out. Most wheels are built around the principal that bike riders range from 110 to 180 lbs...now what happens when you got 200lbs of cargo and a 190lb rider??? Taco Wheel. :)

-----Original Message-----
From: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com [mailto:rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Susan
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 2:35 PM
To: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [rootsradicals] Re: My tire got bent

I'm confident you'll get other better answers - but I'm getting a new
wheel, not a new bike. I didn't have problems except for wearing out
my brake pads - but my wheel is old and tired, and *it* is not built
for heavy loads. Rest of the bike I think will handle things fine
(well, more importantly, my bike shop guy thinks so - what he said was
"how about getting wheel and brakes that will handle what the rest of
the rig can handle?")
(I have a Giant Nutra hybrid w/ 700c wheels & freerad.)

--- In rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com, "Big Wave Dave"
<notnosect2003@...> wrote:
>
> I have a 700C tire, and use the 700 freerad kit.
>
> My tire needed trueing about a month ago, before I even put the xtra
> on. I have a large hybrid bike.
>
> Anyways, my bike ran smooth with the hybrid, unil a few days ago. I
> loaded up 4 large grocery bags on each side of the xtra, with a large
> backpack on top. I rode a few miles home.
>
> The next day I realized the tire was skinning the side of the rad
> badly, making a lot of noise and slowing me down. I finally looked and
> the tire is either bent or not aligned right... not sure...
>
> Can my bike not handle large loads? Or is this just a problem with my
> un-trued tire? I've heard that for loads, its better to use 26 inch
> tires, as they're more stable.
>
> Ughhh I really don't want to have to get a 26 mountain bike, cuz I
> would have to sell my xtra/buy a bike/install the new xtra etc...
>

Reply | Messages in this Topic (8)

#191 From: "John Speare" <johnspeare@...>
Date: Wed Apr 26, 2006 9:37 pm
Subject: Re: My tire got bent johnnyspeare
Send Email

On 4/26/06, Big Wave Dave <notnosect2003@...> wrote:
>>

>
> Can my bike not handle large loads? Or is this just a problem with my
> un-trued tire? I've heard that for loads, its better to use 26 inch
> tires, as they're more stable.
>
> Ughhh I really don't want to have to get a 26 mountain bike, cuz I
> would have to sell my xtra/buy a bike/install the new xtra etc...
>

Your bike should be able to handle the load fine. As others have
mentioned, you likely just need a new wheel. I'm hypothesizing a bit
here, but most bikes sold as "hybrids" don't have really great
components on them. One place for a manufacturer to save some coin is
on the wheel.  It's likely you have a lower quality hub/rim combo and
the wheel was most certainly built by machine. And it likely has 32
spokes. All of these factors decrease the strength and durability of
the wheel.

If you will be hauling a bunch of weight on the bike, I would invest
in a good wheel. A 36 spoke wheel is great. But it's more important
that it's built by hand.

if you have a wad of cash in your pocket, here's a very strong, no
nonsense wheel built by a pro at a fair price:
http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/wheels/18103.html
The rim holes are drilled offset on this rim, so the wheel, when built
up, is nearly symmetrical... which makes it stronger. Plus: it's 36
spokes.

If you're handy, try building your own wheel. It's pretty straight
forward if you take your time. Building your own wheel will save you
about $40 in labor and will give you a very useful skill as a
self-sufficient cyclist. Sheldon Brown has probably the best walk
through on wheel building that I know of:
http://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html

Good luck.

John

--
John Speare
Spokane, WA USA
http://www.johndogfood.com/john/bikes.html

Reply | Messages in this Topic (8)

#192 From: Gerard Carignan <jerrycarignan2003@...>
Date: Thu Apr 27, 2006 1:11 am
Subject: Re: fender eyelets jerrycarigna...
Send Email

A dealer purchased it, because I asked him about it, then integrated it with my bicycle. It cost me $90 for labor, and part of the labor was spent attaching the fenders to the frame. If you replaced it I would have to pay him another $90 for labor. That is, if he is willing to do it. Anyway, a chain just broke so something may have gone wrong with the assembly. Frankly, I would just like to have my bike back to the original form.

Kipchoge Spencer <kipchoge@...> wrote:

Hi Jerry,
Dang, sorry to hear that. Where did you get it? If you got it from a shop it might be an older unit. Does it not have a disc brake mount either?

If no disc mount, it's an older unit. If it does have a disc mount, but no fender eyelets, that would be a manufacturing error that I haven't encountered but which is certainly possible.

If you got the frame directly from us (I couldn't immediately find you in the records, but I know that you just got it) we'll replace it. If not, it's still not too hard to put fenders on. There's some discussion and links to pics here: http://xtracycle.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=689

Hope this helps.

Kipchoge

Message: 2
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2006 14:08:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: Gerard Carignan <jerrycarignan2003@... >
Subject: Re: blender power

Kipchoge, you said my xtra would have brazed-on eyelets for fenders. I received the xtracycle, but it did not have the eyelets. Did I get an old model?

Jerry

Yahoo! Mail goes everywhere you do. Get it on your phone.

Reply | Messages in this Topic (2)

#193 From: kevin lyons <irishpunk59@...>
Date: Thu Apr 27, 2006 2:50 pm
Subject: RE: Re: My tire got bent irishpunk59
Send Email

lots of good touring rims out there that will more then take the weight if properly built up go see your LBS sure they can help

"Leifert, Jesse - BLS" <leifert.jesse@...> wrote:

I had the standard wheel that came with my Rocky Mtn Mtn bike and cracked a couple of spokes and tweeked the rim a little when I had the sub under heavy load. I bought a Sun Mammoth rear wheel and haven't had any problems at all. That thing is a tank and durable as h#ll. I'm thinking that standard hybrid 700 wheels can't really take the whoopin that the xtracyle dishes out. Most wheels are built around the principal that bike riders range from 110 to 180 lbs...now what happens when you got 200lbs of cargo and a 190lb rider??? Taco Wheel. :)

-----Original Message-----
From: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com [mailto:rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Susan
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 2:35 PM
To: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [rootsradicals] Re: My tire got bent

I'm confident you'll get other better answers - but I'm getting a new
wheel, not a new bike. I didn't have problems except for wearing out
my brake pads - but my wheel is old and tired, and *it* is not built
for heavy loads. Rest of the bike I think will handle things fine
(well, more importantly, my bike shop guy thinks so - what he said was
"how about getting wheel and brakes that will handle what the rest of
the rig can handle?")
(I have a Giant Nutra hybrid w/ 700c wheels & freerad.)

--- In rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com, "Big Wave Dave"
<notnosect2003@...> wrote:
>
> I have a 700C tire, and use the 700 freerad kit.
>
> My tire needed trueing about a month ago, before I even put the xtra
> on. I have a large hybrid bike.
>
> Anyways, my bike ran smooth with the hybrid, unil a few days ago. I
> loaded up 4 large grocery bags on each side of the xtra, with a large
> backpack on top. I rode a few miles home.
>
> The next day I realized the tire was skinning the side of the rad
> badly, making a lot of noise and slowing me down. I finally looked and
> the tire is either bent or not aligned right... not sure...
>
> Can my bike not handle large loads? Or is this just a problem with my
> un-trued tire? I've heard that for loads, its better to use 26 inch
> tires, as they're more stable.
>
> Ughhh I really don't want to have to get a 26 mountain bike, cuz I
> would have to sell my xtra/buy a bike/install the new xtra etc...
>

How low will we go? Check out Yahoo! Messenger�s low PC-to-Phone call rates.

Reply | Messages in this Topic (8)

#194 From: "vwadeline" <mollyandchris@...>
Date: Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:51 pm
Subject: Hi vwadeline
Send Email

Just wanted to say hi and introduce myself. My name is Chris and I
live in Dodgeville, WI. I just got my Xtracycle today. I had my LBS
order it and he was very excited to put it together for me. I'm
looking forward to getting alot of use out of it and hopefully putting
my truck up for sale next week! Then I would be worthy of the losing
3500 lbs sticker!

Hi everybody
Chris

Reply | Messages in this Topic (3)

#195 From: "Steve Pepper" <Steve@...>
Date: Thu Apr 27, 2006 10:12 pm
Subject: Re: Hi stevepepper2000
Send Email

Hi from the UK Chris

I bought mine a few weeks ago and use it mainly for shopping, haven't got rid of the car though.

Steve

----- Original Message -----

From: vwadeline

To: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2006 9:51 PM

Subject: [rootsradicals] Hi

Just wanted to say hi and introduce myself. My name is Chris and I
live in Dodgeville, WI. I just got my Xtracycle today. I had my LBS
order it and he was very excited to put it together for me. I'm
looking forward to getting alot of use out of it and hopefully putting
my truck up for sale next week! Then I would be worthy of the losing
3500 lbs sticker!

Hi everybody
Chris

Reply | Messages in this Topic (3)

#196 From: "Leifert, Jesse - BLS" <leifert.jesse@...>
Date: Fri Apr 28, 2006 12:16 pm
Subject: Revolution Slideshow fourlapsfour...
Send Email

I'm sure everyone got the newsletter, but if you didn't click on the slideshow...do it.

http://www.xtracycle.com/media/slide600/slideshow.html

I teared up...it's awesome!

Reply | Messages in this Topic (3)

#197 From: <creakinator@...>
Date: Sat Apr 29, 2006 3:46 am
Subject: Re: Digest Number 90 creakinator
Send Email

I don't have a xtracycle but I was carrying some heavy loads on my trek
hybrid (250 lbs from me and at least 30 or more in my bike bags on rear).  I
kept breaking spokes.  I talked to my LBS and they helped me to purchase a
stronger wheel.  My problem with breaking spokes ended.

Christy K.
-------------------------
Subject: My tire got bent

I have a 700C tire, and use the 700 freerad kit.

My tire needed trueing about a month ago, before I even put the xtra
on. I have a large hybrid bike.

Can my bike not handle large loads? Or is this just a problem with my
un-trued tire? I've heard that for loads, its better to use 26 inch
tires, as they're more stable.

Reply | Messages in this Topic (2)

#198 From: BlueFrogPrpleDog@...
Date: Sat Apr 29, 2006 12:06 am
Subject: Re: Digest Number 90 lavendergecko
Send Email

Xtracycle does sell an extra sturdy wheel designed to handle heavy loads  and
avoid "taco"ing the rear wheel... it's in the "Biking Essentials" link off
of the "Accessories" section on their web site  at:
http://www.xtracycle.com/biking-essentials-c-2.html
and, more  specifically,  at:
http://www.xtracycle.com/rear-wheel-durable-rear-wheel-reliable-livin-p-62.htm
l

From  their page:
"S.U.B. rear wheel - Durable rear wheel for reliable S.U.B. livin
After  hearing too many stories about folks getting an S.U.B. and tacoing
their  original rear wheel from 1985, we decided to carry one that matched our
ideal  for a light, durable, and affordable rear wheel.
A strong wheel to last a  long time.
Hub: Shimano Deore 8/9spd (silver), Disc Compatible
Rim: Sun  Rhino Lite 26x2" (silver)
Spokes: DT-Swiss 2.0 (14g) (silver)
Nipples:  Brass"

In a message dated 4/28/2006 11:41:05 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
creakinator@... writes:
I don't have a xtracycle but I was carrying  some heavy loads on my trek
hybrid (250 lbs from me and at least 30 or more  in my bike bags on rear).  I
kept breaking spokes.  I talked to my  LBS and they helped me to purchase a
stronger wheel.  My problem with  breaking spokes ended.

Christy  K.
-------------------------
Subject: My tire got bent

I have a  700C tire, and use the 700 freerad kit.

My tire needed trueing about a  month ago, before I even put the xtra
on. I have a large hybrid  bike.

Can my bike not handle large loads? Or is this just a problem with  my
un-trued tire? I've heard that for loads, its better to use 26  inch
tires, as they're more stable.

Reply | Messages in this Topic (2)

#199 From: Andrew Janjigian <ajanjigian@...>
Date: Sat Apr 29, 2006 1:00 pm
Subject: Xtracycle cover recommendations? dikaryoid
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Rootsradicals -

Has anyone found an effective storage cover for their Freerad? I'd
like to be able to keep my chopper locked outside all the time, but
would need something that covers it really well, to keep rain &
splash off it completely. Preferably, it would cinch somewhat at the
base.

Perhaps Xtracycle should consider manufacturing one themselves, or
selling someone else's.

Andrew

Reply | Messages in this Topic (3)

#200 From: BlueFrogPrpleDog@...
Date: Sat Apr 29, 2006 9:08 am
Subject: Re: Xtracycle cover recommendations? lavendergecko
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In a message dated 4/29/2006 9:02:00 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, ajanjigian@... writes:

Has anyone found an effective storage cover for their Freerad?

I read on another list about a lady who made this really neat cover for her bike and all her touring gear out of Tyvek House Wrap -- she got the wrap free as they discard it in huge pieces at construction sites. Lightweight, durable, practically tear-proof, and waterproof. She put her's together with duct tape and even left room so she could get under it, too, if it started raining while she was riding. It would be great to have something like that, only custom-tailored to fit right over the SUB! I know I'd buy one. If it didn't have to have the duct tape seams it would be SO easy to fold and so almost non-existent to carry!

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#201 From: parepidemos <parepidemos@...>
Date: Sat Apr 29, 2006 2:51 pm
Subject: Re: Digest Number 91 nicykathryn
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This is a great idea, but not "SO easy to fold/non-existent to carry"
I'm afraid.  Tyvek housewrap isn't the super-lightweight stuff they use
to make mailers etc.  It doesn't fold or roll quite as well as you
might be thinking.  We'll have to allow some space for it when it's
stowed.

On the other hand, I'll bet a generously-sized Tyvek Xtra-cover would
fold/roll down into a sleeping bag stuffsack, and you're right, it
would be light.  You could stitch the seams with carpet thread and then
seal them with silicone or Household Goop (or Plumbers' Goop, same
stuff but lasts longer).

The best part about this idea is that it reuses construction waste
which otherwise goes to a landfill in copious amounts, and which has a
biodegradation half-life of about a zillion years.  If only someone
would start this as a backyard business, scavenging discarded Tyvek
housewrap, designing/cutting/sewing the covers, and selling them to the
rest of us online!

Who will be the Nate Byerley of the Tyvek Xtracycle Cover?

On Apr 29, 2006, at 7:06 AM, rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com wrote:
>       4. Re: Xtracycle cover recommendations?
>
> I read on another list about a lady who made this really neat cover
> for her
> bike and all her touring gear out of Tyvek House Wrap -- she got the
> wrap free
>  as they discard it in huge pieces at construction sites. ... If it
> didn't have to have the duct tape seams it would be SO easy to  fold
> and so almost
> non-existent to carry!

Reply | Messages in this Topic (2)

#202 From: "Big Wave Dave" <notnosect2003@...>
Date: Sat Apr 29, 2006 4:40 pm
Subject: Re: My tire got bent notnosect2003
Send Email

I ended up getting a new wheel made for me. A sturdy rim, 26 spokes, a
new hub, and some armadillo tires.

Pretty expensive.. 270 dollars. Woot!

But hopefully with this I will have confidence to carry a ton of
stuff, and also go touring if I decide to do it.

Thanks for any help.


--- In rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com, "Big Wave Dave"
<notnosect2003@...> wrote:
>
> I have a 700C tire, and use the 700 freerad kit.
>
> My tire needed trueing about a month ago, before I even put the xtra
> on. I have a large hybrid bike.
>
> Anyways, my bike ran smooth with the hybrid, unil a few days ago. I
> loaded up 4 large grocery bags on each side of the xtra, with a large
> backpack on top. I rode a few miles home.
>
> The next day I realized the tire was skinning the side of the rad
> badly, making a lot of noise and slowing me down. I finally looked and
> the tire is either bent or not aligned right... not sure...
>
> Can my bike not handle large loads? Or is this just a problem with my
> un-trued tire? I've heard that for loads, its better to use 26 inch
> tires, as they're more stable.
>
> Ughhh I really don't want to have to get a 26 mountain bike, cuz I
> would have to sell my xtra/buy a bike/install the new xtra etc...
>

Reply | Messages in this Topic (8)

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