Xtracycle Makeover

The Xtracycle has received quote a makeover since it's complete thrashing this past winter. We had more snow and salt on the roads than any of my previous riding years and this bike saw most of the commuting duty. After some serious contemplation, it was time to start making some changes.

One of the first things I did was throw on the Jones H-Bars. I'm thinking these will work well for now. I'm still having some comfort issues, but some of that is due to a poor stem choice. The stem you see above is just too long. I've already purchased a shorter stem with a bit of a higher rise in it. I think the adjustment will compensate for what I was missing from the Nitto North Road bars.

Also, in this pic you may notice different shifters. I finally got the SRAM iMotion9 installed and operating.

I'm really enjoying the internal geared hub. The shifter I was received with it wasn't working well. After taking the bike to Bike Green Lexington and SRAM shipping them an all new shifter (free of charge), everything works great now. I left the front derailleur and shifter on for experimentation sake. I've now decided on a gear ratio and will eventually move to a single chainring and crank. As soon as the funds get replenished, I'd like to pull the trigger on that.

Lastly, I've moved from the Schwalbe Marathon Cross to the Big Apples. The ride feels a bit smoother and more appropriate for what the Xtracycle is primarily used for. I wanted something a bit less aggressive for the Xtra, plus I wanted to free up the Marathons for a mountain bike project I've got going.

I'm excited for the new and improved Xtra. I think the fine tuning is almost complete which is perfect timing for the summer family biking season.

Get out there.