OAKLAND, Calif. (BRAIN) — For 2019, Xtracycle introduces the RFA, which the company calls the world's first "future-proof" electric-assist utility bike.
"It's many things: a speedy city commuter, a practical utility bike, or a mid-tail cargo bike capable of carrying two children," the company said.
"We wanted this to be a bike that never became obsolete. We've always aspired to that, but with the RFA, we think we've pushed the idea further than anybody ever has with regard to bicycles," said Xtracycle CEO and founder Ross Evans.
The RFA is equipped with Xtracycle's patent-pending DynamicDrops rear dropout system and is available with a wide array of add-on components. DynamicDrops allow the bike to have two distinct wheel positions for the rear wheel. In "short mode" it has the wheelbase of a standard bicycle, and a zippy, agile feel. In "long mode," the bike is a full mid-tail cargo bike able to carry two children and four panniers.
Xtracycle's lineup of racks and bags can outfit the bike to meet a rider's cargo needs, heavy or light. Riders can rotate the handlebars 180 degrees so the RFA Utility fits on bus racks, car racks, and elevators.
The RFA has a heavy duty chromoly frame and thru-axle fork. It comes with large volume 24 x 2.5 inch Maxxis Hookworm tires. The frame can also accommodate high-volume 26" wheels for riders that prefer them. All RFAs come with a Bosch mid-drive electric assist motor and several battery options depending on needed range.
"Thinking about a bike as transportation, e-assist is a game-changer," Evans said. "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."
More information: xtracycle.com.
