transportation

[mellowtigger]

I'm adding a new tag to my blog: preparations.  I'll use it to describe my efforts to prepare for what I consider to be imminent catastrophes.  I see four of them: financial (printed money), economic (oil scarcity affecting all productivity), environmental (global warming), and nutritional (healthy food).

I'm considering selling my bicycle in favor of a "longtail" bicycle.  Basically, a longtail is just a regular bike but with a longer rear wheel and fender to make it easier to haul things around.  There seems to be some kind of "open source" standard established by a company called Xtracycle, so that various accessories are compatible between different brands of bikes.  I very much approve of open standards.

Their high end bike is called the Big Dummy.  I don't care for the name, but I do like what they are capable of doing.  I want something that could easily:

• carry groceries and cat litter,
• get me to work along with a change of clothes,
• haul gardening equipment if I try to work other peoples' gardens,
• carry a passenger,
• generally replace my truck during warm Minnesota weather, or even
• tow my truck.

Unfortunately, my carpel tunnel problems require that I avoid putting lots of weight on my wrists.  There is a company that specializes in recumbent bicycles that also makes a longtail "semi-recumbent" version called the Hammertruck.  Their bike is not compatible with the Xtracycle accessories though.  :(

I'm experiencing some indecision about which one I should try to acquire.   I really wish the Hammertruck was compatible with Xtracycle accessories.  If it was, I'd order one of them right away.  The wide variety of Xtracycle accessories, though, is really appealing.

Comments

[geometrician]

I approve of the bicycle choice and of open standards, though I think you might be over-reaching to hope that it will pull your truck. Cycling was where I first noticed my carpal tunnel problems, though I going to sell my recumbent as soon as I find a buyer (I could do more to look for one). I like the idea of a city bike that I can put big baskets/panniers/something on. I have a hybrid that will have to do for a while, though.

[mellowtigger]

I wish I knew a lot more about bicycles. Last year was a bad year for my attention, so I didn't go bicycling and forgot everything I learned in the bicycle maintenance class early in the year.

I asked a frequent bicycler in Canada about my choices blogged here, and he remembers a rumor that Rans might be working on an Extracycle-compatible Hammertruck. I guess I'll be holding off on any immediate purchase in order to give them a chance to offer a new bike. Meanwhile, though, I need to repair (tubes and brakes) my current bike and figure out how to ride to work during the warm weather.

[geometrician]

Sweet! You can't go wrong with a Raans. That's what I have. It is an excellently made machine!