US cargo bike specialists Xtracycle have launched an all-in-one utility e-bike that they say can grow and adapt with you, with the possibilities "pushing the idea further than anybody ever has with regard to bicycles.”
Review: Tern GSD
Co-op launches e-cargo bike delivery service
Xtracycle have dubbed the RFA 'future-proof', as it's built to meet the needs of anyone through all stages of their life. As a city commuter, practical utility bike or a mid-tail cargo that can carry a couple of kids on the back, it's ready to go for young adults, parents and the elderly. Xtracycle's DynamicDrops rear dropout system allows for two difference wheel positions at the rear. In its short mode it has a standard wheelbase and should feel quick and agile, while in long mode it's a full mid-tail e-cargo bike that can hold four panniers. Xtracycle have an array of racks and bags available separately to meet their customers' cargo needs.
The RFA can still carry two panniers in its short mode, and up front the PorterRack mounts allow for additional cargo capacity. The frame is heavy duty chromoly with a thru-axle fork and it comes with 24" Maxxis tyres to smooth out the ride - you can fit up to 26" if preferred. the power comes courtesy of a Bosch mid-motor, with several battery options depending on how much range you need.
Xtracycle's founder Ross Evans says: “Thinking about a bike as transportation, e-assist is a game-changer. Hills, heat, distance and time, things that might have been concerns on a regular bike become non-issues. Yet electric-assist is an investment, and that’s why we wanted to make sure we created a bike that will hold its value in someone’s life for literally decades.”
Evans founded Xtracycle in 1998, who made his first long tailed cargo bike while taking a trip to Nicaragua as an engineering student. Realising the usefulness of his invention, he then started the Worldbike charitable organisation that focusses on sustainable development and designing innovative bicycle prototypes to advance this development in poor countries. Check out the Xtracycle website here and find out more about Worldbike here. The RFA is US-only as far as we know, with no EU version in the pipeline.
