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 Post subject: Re: Bicycle Trailer
PostPosted: Wed May 29, 2013 12:55 pm 
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Location: St Petersburg, Fl
I would be afraid the boat might buckle under the weight of the boat.

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 Post subject: Re: Bicycle Trailer
PostPosted: Wed May 29, 2013 2:02 pm 
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Location: Sweden
You certainly would have to arrange the wheels in a good way. There's no doubt it can be done.

You will get an eight meter long vehicle whether you have a real trailer or just some wheels under the TI. That might be a bit of a problem if you want to bike 10 or 20 kilometers. Its like a really long limousine.


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 Post subject: Re: Bicycle Trailer
PostPosted: Wed May 29, 2013 2:08 pm 
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Location: St Petersburg, Fl
It would definatly cheaper than a ttailer.

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 Post subject: Re: Bicycle Trailer
PostPosted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 6:15 am 
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I am thinking about buying a small electric bike (at most 16 inch wheels) behind which I can tow my TI. I thought that if I have a fairly high kayak cart I could put the bow of the TI on the bikes luggage carrier. Do you think that will work? That way the complete vehicle will be about 7 meters long, which might not be too long.


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 Post subject: Re: Bicycle Trailer
PostPosted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 6:50 am 
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Location: Fairfax, CA USA
Google bicycle cargo trailers

Most of the successful trailers use a hitch mounted on the rear axle. They are really cheap to make, and I am sure you could fashion some sort of cradle for the bow easily.


Keep in mind that most electrics will suffer mightily pulling that weight up any reasonable hill. The front fork and headset is another worry. Most cargo bikes are rated to round 350 # or so. Braking heavy loads puts a huge amount of force on the fork and headset...slowly slowly braking helps, but you'll chew through brake pads in a hurry.


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 Post subject: Re: Bicycle Trailer
PostPosted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 2:18 pm 
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Joined: Mon May 26, 2008 1:55 pm
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Location: Burbank, Ca
Your State might be different but not likely.
Any towing you will need lights working on the trailer. Problem comes at night. Can that bike run it's own lights AND the trailer lights until you make it home?
Toss a small wheel generator on the bike. It can't hurt

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 Post subject: Re: Bicycle Trailer
PostPosted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 10:09 pm 
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Location: Sweden
I imagine that one of the simplest ways to transport a Hobie Island a long way would be to put axles/arbors/spindles with wheels in the pipes for the akas. You might turn the boat upside down.

Then you can put the sail, the amas and the akas on top (of the bottom) of the Island. And pull it one way or another.

This way the risk for damage to the hull should be small.

I will try it sooner or later, but maybe someone else here wants to try it?


Last edited by Hobie Crafte on Mon Aug 12, 2013 6:37 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Bicycle Trailer
PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 2:42 am 
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Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:18 am
Posts: 3058
Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
If it were me and I was only going a few blocks locally or fairly level ground, I would just make a fork that bolts to the rear axle of the bike, then a brace bar to the frame below the seat. It would look like a jib crane with a clip just behind the rear wheel to clip the TI to by the front cleat. Then put the standard TI scupper cart under the boat with the harder foam wheels and tires of course, and the special TI cart attachment, or their new big cart. Then just pedal the TI down to the shore, don't really need a trailer.
As long as you don't put a motor on it, you can probably stay in the bike lane and sidewalks. When you go out just chain the bike to the bike racks at the park. Actually would be pretty cool setup and good exercise keeping your pedal muscles in shape.
Actually a setup like this would be perfect for camping at a place like ft Desoto when your not on a beachfront site, I think I might build one just for that purpose. Our house down in Key West is only a few blocks from Higgs beach on the corner of Duval and US 1. I can't take my trailer down there anyway ( no parking ) so I always car top when we go down there anyway. As long as it's all pedal power ( no motor) nobody will hassle you ( would be similar to those kid strollers that people tow behind their bikes, but slightly longer ( almost as long as the Conch train lol).
The more I think about it the better the idea sounds because it costs at least ten bucks to park you car down in KW, then ten more for the trailer. Bikes can park for free.
Hope this gives you some ideas, I think I'll do it on my wife's cruiser bike ( so she can pull the darn boat lol).
I'm sure there are other campers out there like us who pull campers, and have to car top their kayaks, what a great way this would be to get any Hobie kayak from your campsite to the water.
Bob


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 Post subject: Re: Bicycle Trailer
PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 3:39 am 
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Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2011 9:18 pm
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Location: Virginia Beach, VA
I have thought about this also. I am a big believer that everything on the boat should have more than one purpose. Use the boat cart just like Fusion recommended. My twist is to use the mast as a tow bar that ties into the cart. Now if I can figure out how to stow a folding bike on a AI, I will be ready for the 40 mile portage in the next Watertribe Ultimate Challenge across the top of Florida.

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 Post subject: Re: Bicycle Trailer
PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 8:01 am 
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Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:18 am
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Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
Hey I'm all set now for key west. I just rigged my TI to my wifes key west cruiser bike. It actually works pretty good.
Image

I just tied a rope around the seat frame (where it's solid) and put a clip in there. I already have the bow sprit on my TI so I just clipped to the end of the bow sprit.
Image


When I built my $140 dollar Harbor freight trailer, I designed it so the entire front of it (with the hitch receiver) can be removed with just two pins so I could use the rear portion of the trailer as a beach cart, never imagined that I would actually use it for that some day.
Image
Next thing I will do is replace the steel frame on the trailer with 2 inch aluminum channel to get the weight of the cart down (currently it weighs about 75 lbs because of the steel, hoping to reduce that to 40 lbs or so).

I have the trailer mounted on the balance point of the boat so there is no weight on the bike. I took the boat for a ride around the block, and it actually rolls very easily, and had no difficulty taking off and stopping.
I can't imagine the same setup couldn't be done with a Hobie scupper cart with the HD wheels, but there are no bearings in those axles, so the rolling force might be higher.

So I thought about it some more and came up with an idea that Paul might be able to use on the Watertribe EC Ultimate challenge using 20 inch bicycle wheels mounted on U frames (1/8 x 2 inch aluminum bent into a U shape), then strapped to the TI. Since bike wheels have bearings, and the rolling force is very low. This would work well as a towing cart if you had to go 40 miles (whole works would be about 10 lbs, and breaks down very small).
Image

With the wheels on the balance point of the boat, it will actually pull and roll very easily. You could tow it walking (probably what I would do), or you can tow it with your folding bike (like my above setup), or you could build a third steerable drive-able wheel to go under the front mirage drive (a lot more work to make). The third wheel would have pedals, a steering bar and a chain that reaches up into the seating compartment above deck, you would have a hull fitting piece (like the new hobie TI 'special' bracket) that would be supporting all the weight, and that would be strapped to the hull similar to the rear wheel setup with cargo straps. You are only using the mirage drive opening as a thru-hole to pass the chain, and steering thru to the top side, nothing structural) For structural strength you would have two 5 ft PVC pipes strapped under the hull on 11 inch centers that would help brace and support everything. Then instead of carrying along the folding bike, just ride in the kayak and pedal and steer it from the front seat (ridin in style).
It would be no different from those crazy recumbent bicycles you see everywhere ( http://www.bicycleman.com/recumbents/recumbents.htm) and should be perfectly legal to drive as long as it's human powered (no different from a bike, same rules), you will need bike lights if driving at night.
It's a pretty crazy idea, but it should work.
Bob

If it was me I would rig a bicycle derailer to the front system so you have multiple gears. I would also rig hand brakes to the rear wheels so you can stop (or you can throw the anchor out to stop, LOL). Hey it will look wild, but shouldn't weight more than 20-25 lbs, and can all be broken down very small.
You could also add a nice bimini for shade, and if you put a lace fringe around the bimini, you would have a 'surrey with a fringe on top'. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Surrey ... nge_on_Top ) (sorry English humor).


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 Post subject: Re: Bicycle Trailer
PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 9:17 am 
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Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:18 am
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Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
I just took the bike out again for about a 4 or 5 block ride (pulling the TI), I tried some hills this time. On level ground you don't know the boat is back there at all, but when trying to climb a fairly steep hill like a driveway , it's a stand up and peddle moment, if trying to go up a big hill, it might be better to walk the bike up the hill, after all your hauling over 300 lbs with a fully rigged TI and trailer. No problems with the bike brakes on fairly level ground, but I would be 'very' concerned if I lived in San Francisco.
I could easily ride 30-40 miles as long as it's pretty level (and paved, "and wide enough").

I drove on the sidewalk for a while, and that posed some problems (the trailer is wider than the sidewalk (trees, fences, mailboxes, I hit them all).

If using a scupper cart, or the 20 inch bike wheels it might work better if the AMA's were lashed to the top of the boat (vs on the sides), just so the whole thing is narrower.

I would think you might have problems with most bike and hiking trails, and the bike lanes on the road in parks if you are too wide.

On anything except the TI (too heavy and big when fully loaded), I wouldn't have a problem biking with a mountain bike down hiking trails towing a kayak on a scupper cart.
Hope this helps, it was actually fun to experiment
Bob


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 Post subject: Re: Bicycle Trailer
PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 10:06 am 
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Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
On second thought, that would be a lot of pedaling (human power) to take my TI all the way to the beach. Plus I would feel really bad making my wife haul the boat all the way to the beach on her Key West cruiser bike (her pride and joy). We often take our scooter down there anyway(scooters can park for free also).


With this setup I can get to the beach either in Sarasota or in Key West. I only need to wire up the turn signal lights to the trailer and I'm good to go. I took it out around the neighborhood and it's even easier than with a bike, plus I got it up to 50 mph without any problems (the scooter will do around 65 or 70, but I didn't want to push it).
I'm pretty sure it's street legal if I wire the lights and have safety chains. ( you see motorcycles with trailers all the time down here, and the trailer is licensed and registered.

Image

Then again there is nothing wrong with this setup when you live in Florida. With this setup if it rains, I can always put the top up and run the AC.
Image


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 Post subject: Re: Bicycle Trailer
PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 1:23 pm 
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Location: Sweden
That's a nice trailer. But I need a solution with less weight, more like the one you are proposing.

As the boat should be stored upside down I think it is a good idea to have it upside down even when you are transporting it. If you are using the aka pipes you don't necessarily need a long axle. In principle you could use the same fastening mechanisms as the akas do. That should be a minimalist solution. You might not need much more than a couple of small wheels on a couple of short axles!


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 Post subject: Re: Bicycle Trailer
PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 4:08 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:21 pm
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Location: Central Florida
fusioneng wrote:
I drove on the sidewalk for a while, and that posed some problems (the trailer is wider than the sidewalk (trees, fences, mailboxes, I hit them all).
You seem to have a way with words, putting pictures into my head! :o :shock: :?

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 Post subject: Re: Bicycle Trailer
PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 5:06 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:18 am
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Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
We live on a dead end road with a culdisac (circle) on the end. Today was also trash day so everyone's trash and recycling was by the road ( took some of them out too). Problem was there was a lawn maint crew with their truck and big trailer blocking the circle. So I went up on the side walk to get around the circle. I hit just about everything near the sidewalk, bushes, mailboxes, telephone junction boxes, etc, you name it I hit it. It took me near 10 minutes to get around the circle ( true story).

The problem being 25 ft long is getting the rear tracking where you need it. No problem pedaling the bike or staying up, it was the stopping and having to back up to clear objects that was annoying. I kind of yelled at the lawn guys for blocking the road, but to be honest I would not of ever known how hard it really is to navigate small tight areas if that hadn't happened. Good idea if you have nice roads ( like around a campground), bad idea if you have to go up sidewalks or trails.
When we go camping, we always take the bikes, and kayaks anyway, and it only took a couple seconds to clip the bike to the kayak, so we will probably start doing that to get to the water.

We have been doing this for many years, it never dawned on me to connect the two together. I've walked that boat a half mile or more from our campsites down to the lakes more times than I can count, sometimes 2-3 times in a day. I'm just kicking myself now realizing how much easier it could have been.
Bob


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