It’s been about 5 years of development, and long awaited after Xtracycle discontinued the legendary and game-changing FreeRadical in 2014. The Leap is the evolution of the FreeRadical concept - that is, a bolt on bike-extender that accepts the wide array of Xtracycle accessories that help you carry kids, cargo, ski gear, surfboards, kid bikes, groceries, and so much more.
Trucks are Sissy! Blue Heron Bikes founder Rob Allen preps for a kayak adventure on the American River with his Xtracycle FreeRadical converted cargo bike.
I still ride a FreeRadical converted bike and I love the simplicity and resourcefulness it represents. I am excited about the Leap because it addresses some of the core shortcomings of its predecessor, that being flex in the frame and wheel size limitations. The new Leap is simple, strong and incredibly well designed. It will accommodate up to 29” wheels with 3” tires. For 26” wheels, you can run slightly larger than 3” tires - it seems to depend largely on the tire manufacturer and tread pattern. Of course, if you want to convert a smaller wheel bike, the telescoping tube will enable a whole new breed of small wheel cargo bikes never before possible.
For instance, Xtracycle has teamed with folding bike maker Tern to offer a folding cargo bike with 24” wheels, called the Cargo Node.
The Tern Cargo Node, built from a Tern folding bike and the Xtracycle Leap conversion kit, was successfully funded on Kickstarter - here’s the video that tells the story of this cool collaboration and some of the finer details of the Leap kit.
Both the Leap and the Cargo Node are currently in production and available for pre-order here at the shop. As soon as we have a unit for you to test drive, we will let you know. In the event that you are already sold on one of these products, we encourage you to call or visit the shop and make your interest known.
Questions? Please leave them in the comments or send us an email from the Contact page.