Here at Human Powered Cycles we like practical bikes, the sort of bike where you know if you get a sudden urge to buy a slab of beer, a bag of cement and a Brompton you know you’ll be able to carry them all  home safely and securely.

Here a run down of what we’ve got and what they carry

Xtracycle Radish

What Xtracycle says

The Radish is LT versatility at its finest. Name a setting; crowded city streets, wooded trails, narrow back roads – Radish riders have conquered it. But its true strength lies in the marriage of form and function. Small batch production lets us fine tune the little details that make riding in any setting enjoyable. Features like an upright riding position add comfort for tasks like picking up groceries, while sensibly appointed fenders and chain guards ensure splash-free, pants-safe (and spandex free) riding. Our mission in creating the Radish is simple: Build an elegant and efficient bike that grows with its rider.

What Joel Says

The Xtracycle Radish is fantastic looking bike, I particularly like the radish decal on the headtube. With a weight limit of 160kgs (rider + load) most riders will find themselves limited by there legs rather then the bike

The long tail load bike concept work really nicely for the sort of carrying you do if you have a car-free or car-minimal life style. Each Freeloaders can easily fit two or three of the ubiquitous green shopping bags or a large bag of chicken feed, and with the Snap Deck offering a large flat platform for strapping down too your weekly shop is easily accommodated with room for a little more if needed.

Surly Big Dummy

What Surly Says

The Big Dummy was a natural. It’s designed to carry a lot of stuff easily, and that’s just what it does. It was designed in conjunction with Xtracycle, whose modular plug-ins make it easy to carry groceries, garden supplies, tools, and just about anything else you’d normally carry with a car. It’s got an upper limit of 400 pounds (180kg) total rider and cargo weight, which is more than you’ll probably need, but not so much it’s impossible to pedal. It does ride a bit different than normal bikes, due in large part to its long wheelbase, but a couple of trips to the store is all it should take to convince you that this bike is not only exceptionally useful, but fun too. We include Xtracycle’s V-Rack bags and snapdeck, but you’ll find more options for attachments, like Wideloader platforms, on Xtracycle’s website, http://www.xtracycle.com.

What Joel Says

I love this bike. Since I brought one I’ve done something every week by bike which I would have otherwise needed a car. I’ve carried 2.4m lengths of wood (legally) , ladders, Industrial vacuum cleaners, a bass trombone and an euphonium, my lovely partner Ruth (Romantic dinner for two via bike, you can’t beat it!).

As it comes stock there is not a lot about the bike that you need to change, as with all Surly bikes the build kit matches the quality of the frame.  The Schwalbe Big Apple tyres are great for cobblestones  and handle nicely even with an 80kg load on the bike, they are also surprisingly puncture proof even warding off the large shards of beer bottle on you find Footscray Rd.

For the serious utility cyclists or the outside-the-square cycle tourists the Big Dummy come with Rohloff compatible dropouts and braze-ons for low-ride or porteur style front racks.

Other options

• The bolt on Xtracycle Free Radical wheelbase extension – we’ve got the 26″ version in stock. Turns your bike into a long wheel base load carrying bike
• The Gazelle Cabby – designed for carrying kids. Equally god for carrying cargo… discussed in more depth in the next installment (see below)
• One and two wheel trailers – starting from around $280. Options available for load carrying and carrying gear when touring
• Front and rear racks, baskets, panniers. This is the cheapest way to carry modest loads by bike. Racks start from $25 plus installation and pannier bags start from around $80.

The next installment

Now available! Published 9th February 2010 and covering the Gazelle Cabby child and load carrying bike.