An electric Xtracycle is a unique form of utility bicycle, which surprisingly, is often mistaken for what it is not -- a typical bike.

Here you will find a quick overview of the bike, and elsewhere on the site you will find a photo gallery, technical ride data, a list of riders, and project updates.

To create my version of the electric Xtracycle, I began with my existing mountain bike. I replaced the rear wheel and hub with an electric one and extended the bicycle frame's length using the ingenious invention called the Xtracycle. Those two simple modifications resulted is a cargo bike that it is able to stealthily carry 200lbs of groceries, camping gear, bikes, bike parts, electricity generation equipment, and passengers up hills and into headwinds.

The hub motor is powered by a rechargeable Lithium-Ion (LiFePO4) battery that will charge completely in for 4-6 hours ($0.10/charge). The estimated range is somewhere around 20 miles without pedaling, and with moderate pedaling, maybe one and half times that. [Detailed battery and ride data] On flat ground, it has little trouble reaching 20 mph without pedaling, and this is the speed limit for an unlicensed, electric-assist bicycle in my home state of Iowa. The bike can be used as electric-only, pedal-only (a good workout), or as a pedal-electric hybrid. It is so convenient to use the electric-assist that there have been times I feel guilty for not pedaling.

If you are not familiar with an Xtracycle, it is a bolt on attachment that fits just about any bike and allows you to haul a lot of stuff. It rides very much like a normal bike, and handles surprisingly well with a load. If you have 200 lbs on the back, however, you will notice. Most local bike shops can hook you up with an Xtracycle, and you may be able to find a nearby test ride from one of the 150+ people offering them at the RootsRadicals group on Yahoo. Every Day Adventurers, a top-notch Xtracycle blog, will show you what the lifestyle is all about.

If you are interested in the electric side of things, I have worked with Justin, Zev, and Hilary of ebikes.ca, and am a happy customer. These two guys are based out of Vancouver, British Columbia, and are very generous with their time and knowledge. A hidden gem of owning this bike are the grins nearly everyone (including the skeptics) returns with after they discover the electric assist.

Some folks are curious about the cost of this bike. I'm not going to suggest that investing $1000+ in a quality eBike is not a lot of money, but I would do it all over again in a heart beat.