Comments on: Green Tuesday: Birth of an Xtracycle, Part One

By: David

David — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:36:46 +0000

I put my Xtracycle together mostly single handed in a fairly short time.
It rides like a dream but there are a few mods I’d like to make.
I think the idea of the curved shim makes good sense as my chain stay is quite narrow.

By: Clancy

Clancy — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:49:18 +0000

Val – second the thanks on the tip. Simple enough, should be Xtra’s install kit.

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:49:44 +0000

Cafn8 – Smudgemo – Ghost Rider

Thanks! I think I’ll look into a brake booster – ugly maybe, but outta sight on the Xtra anyway, and I think that’ll make the difference on the feel of the brake. I’d still say go Disc, but I’m cheap so a metal bit sounds very good.

By: Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:24:49 +0000

Good tip, Val — despite appearances in the photo above, the chainstay bridge is dead flat, but I like the idea of creating a shim to spread some of the clamping force out.

By: Val

Val — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:07:21 +0000

One small additional tip: for longterm longevity and stress distribution, it is a good idea to put a “radius washer”, also called an “arc washer”, usually used to mount caliper brakes to a curved frame surface, between the forward tongue and the chainstay bridge of the parent frame. Yours looks sort of square, so this would not really work in this case, but anything you can do to maximize the contact area at that point will help. For that frame, I would be inclined to file a custom shim to fit in between there, though that would involve a bit of work.

By: Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:54:43 +0000

I’m with Smudgemo — brake booster arches work, and they’d be ideally suited for the brake bosses on the Xtra frame. Plus, no one really uses them any more, so they are available for cheap on Ebay! I’ve got some garish blue Odyssey ones on my Patriot rig.

By: Smudgemo

Smudgemo — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:48:47 +0000

Ahem. That should read “discs.”

By: Smudgemo

Smudgemo — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:47:25 +0000

A brake booster (bolt-on arch) would be cheaper yet for rim brake improvement. I’ve got one on each end of my tandem, and I can’t complain about squishiness when braking hard with a full load. That being said, I put Avid mechanical disks on my X and they are all kinds of awesome. I think they are right up there with the hydraulic Juicy7′s on my mtb. Inexpensive, too.

By: cafn8

cafn8 — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:11:24 +0000

Joe,
Re: flex in the rear brake mount- a disc on the back does seem like the best way to go, but if a person still wanted rim brakes (maybe they already have a set of wheels they’re in love with that just don’t have disc hubs, for instance) a set of hydraulic rim brakes might do the job. Magura HS-33′s (and 22′s and 11′s) have a brace built in and might also reduce the squishiness that comes from long cables stretching. I’ve had a set on my old Gary Fisher mountain bike ever since it lost the canti cable guide (the little noodle brazed to the side of the seat post) and love them. On the other hand, for the price, it might make more sense to just spring for discs. Just another option, for what it’s worth.

By: Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:16:49 +0000

John, nice to “see” you around these parts. I loved what you did over at your blog with the alternative Kona design ideas! I think I might have even commented over there…

Xtracycles FTW!!!