I am pleased to introduce to you the Chupacabra, a staggering creation from
Traffic Cycle Design, LLC.
Designed in coordination with Goat (David Yost) of the
Riding the Spine tour, this beast has been tailored for long-distance mountain riding. It sports a stout, stiff geometry, 26" x 4" tires (with an actual diameter of 29") , disc brakes, and an internally geared rear hub. It is also compatible with the rack system made by Xtracycle, allowing its rider to carry loads in the hundreds of pounds.
It's not your everyday bike, but my opinions of it have improved significantly since I started the project. Not only would I insist on a similar steed if I were embarking on a long mountain ride, but a slimmed-down version would be excellent for doing errands around town. It could carry all the groceries you'd need for a week, and could also be outfitted with a child (or spouse) seat.
What's with the name, you say? Wikipedia has
a decent article on the chupacabra, a little creature known in the Americas for killing and drinking the blood of farm animals, especially goats. With the size and mass of this vehicle, I expect it to have a similar (although more invigorating) effect on my friend Goat.
You can see more photos at
my personal website, where you can also look at some of my
other creations .
