Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

I love the finish!
Pure magic

Great images Andrew and that set-up is pretty simple in design so everything is coming along real nicely I noticed both you and Aidan now have your handlebar bags all set-up.

Ricky

and it is completed





As per my setup (sans panniers) it weighs 4.1 kg.

A bit of text and more photos can be found here for those interested.

Andrew

Hmm Intersting. Spotted that you need to provide your own wheel, it needs to be a front so you could run a dynamo hub in it Can't wait for a proper ride review after you have been over rough terrain.

Baalzamon wrote:Hmm Intersting. Spotted that you need to provide your own wheel, it needs to be a front so you could run a dynamo hub in it Can't wait for a proper ride review after you have been over rough terrain.

or it can be single speed and it will act as a rear or front wheel. No dynamo on mine ... couldn't afford that.

Andrew

Aushiker wrote:or it can be single speed and it will act as a rear or front wheel.

100mm versus 135mm OLND ??

I don't see it being too practical. Some guys doing desert/arctic expeditions using Pugsleys and similar are doing this, but they have a 135mm front end.

I picked up a BOB trailer from my neighbour for free and now I have to think of places to go with it! Having trouble fitting it on the back of my 700c wheeled bike I normally tour with because of the mud-guard, so may need to remove it when using the trailer. Otherwise, looking at doing some alpine trails.

Hi

I have just got back from four days riding with the Extrawheel, mainly on single track and gravel roads (lot of pushing there due to our lovely pea gravel). I found it worked well.

Only issue for me was the mudguard fasteners worked loose (lost one) so a bit of rattling. The Ortlieb panniers fitted fine and it towed sweet. I hit over 60 km/h on a bitumen downhill and it felt okay. Mind you I chickened out at that point and slowed down.

I only had it try to out run me once and that was when I was trying to walk the bike and trailer down a very steep washout. Was to be expected given the angle of the descent and the fact that I could hardly keep my grip walking anyway.

So for me, so far a great purchase. Highly recommended.

Andrew

I had only good experiences with my extrawheel recently on the Mawson Trail. I knocked the absolute hell out of it and took it up to 60km/h on dirt roads.





Only managed to disengage it when I deliberately tried, by jack knifing it which caused one side to pop off.

Even when I disengaged myself from the bike it managed to stay on! Albeit sans panniers.

Nice pics John.
I'll look forward to seeing more when you've time.
One of the things I like about the Ortliebs is their ability to be hosed off which seems
great as a common theme of recent Mawson trail posts have shown bikes and gear covered in thick
red mud after heavy rain.
I've read the eastern states should be prepared for a wet 2012.

Aushiker wrote:Hi

I have just got back from four days riding

Andrew

Hi Andrew,
left a question for you in the stove thread with regards to this trip

Hi John

Great pics. Thanks for sharing. How have you found using the trailer without a mudguard? I am tossing up as to whether to keep it on or take it off.

Andrew

Aushiker,

Aesthetically I love a good pair of fenders. On randos and tourers and the odd roadie, Hammered Honjo's and carbon Gilles Berthoud's mmmhmmm.

Off road, however, I don't really see the point in them. I can't review the Extrawheel w/ or w/o fender 'cause I never installed the thing!

John Kennedy wrote:Off road, however, I don't really see the point in them. I can't review the Extrawheel w/ or w/o fender 'cause I never installed the thing!

I guess not having them has not bothered you then No mud or spray coming up on to the panniers/bike/you worth noting?

Andrew

rifraf wrote:I've read the eastern states should be prepared for a wet 2012.

When doesn't it stop raining here in the east Rifraf ? Every second day it rains and during a few nights, each week ... since March 2009. The rain has been brilliant but it cuts back the off-roading.

It doesn't hold well, damaging trails in the wet and its not the best advertisement damaging shared trails, by leaving deep ruts in MOHA country (Miserable Old Hiker's Associations). If there is a deep rut on a narrow trail that has hardened, it doesn't make for a good ride, or pleasant walking if you are having to dodge getting caught in ruts and nothing hangs up an Extrawheel like being in a rut where the erosion is taking over ... and the track drops half a metre unexpectedly.

Raining on Codys Range, above the Goodradigbee River Valley, NSW. It looks more like England here at the moment, than in OZ during summer.




Two shots from on the Cullerin Range above the Yass Plains. This is the same trail, taken only 5 months apart ... from earlier this year. In the second shot I'm higher up the hill by only about 30m. Top fun for Extrawheel haulers crossing these ruts.





The singer songwriter Joni Mitchell produced an album called The Hissing of Summer Lawns. The next time I go along the BNT I can call the crazyguy' journal, The Hissing of the Panniers. 6cm deep is all a rut needs to be, to be hissing the panniers.




How about taking on Sheep-moguls? The tussock grasses hiss the best ... absolutely.




Crossing the Northern ACT grasslands aka the vegi-slots on the BNT ... is just one long hiss.




Have you ridden on 'North Shore Tracks', on those wooden structures well above the ground? In this neck of the bush, for the Extrawheel haulers there are the Northern Frost Plain Tracks (between the Bogong Wilderness and the Bimberi Wilderness) ... and at times just as high and exciting as scary North Shore.

Between the double track (below) it was half metre deep, on each side of the tracks is much deeper, even to a few metres deep. It is amazing how considered your riding will be hauling an Extrawheel because when the Extrawheel goes over the edge, you will not ride it back onto the track, no way. Off the bike and reinstall the trailer. The way the Extrawheel releases itself when in trauma, is fantastic, how it snaps off and prevents the system being damaged. One of these days I'll put the calliper into the spokes, for sure. I carry a few spare drive side spokes and a few regular spokes.




Rif, get with the programme.

Warren.

Hi

As I mentioned early I got to play with the Extrawheel last week. Nothing like John's ride but I have now updated my blog posting on the Extrawheel to reflect this experience. All up very happy with the trailer.



Andrew

WarrenH wrote:

rifraf wrote:I've read the eastern states should be prepared for a wet 2012.

When doesn't it stop raining here in the east Rifraf ? Every second day it rains and during a few nights, each week ... since March 2009. The rain has been brilliant but it cuts back the off-roading.
Rif, get with the programme.

Warren.

Hi Warren,
As per usual, love the pics
Is it a polarising filter to give the blue hue
Gotta admit I'm a bit of a drought fan myself.
After a year in Ireland I decided I'd seen enough rain in my life but then made the mistake
of returning to NZ.
I've decided even central NSW is too damp for my liking hence my attraction to WA.
I know parts get more than their fair share of precipitation but high sunshine hours are undeniable (supposedly).
Many of Melbourne and Victoria's attractions would make many move there in a heartbeat - alas being a sufferer
of SAD I'm susceptible to dreary weathers influence and will have to give it a miss much as your pics depict many
splendid and unsoaked moments.

Glad the trailer is working out for you Andrew and that the shakedown tours have been positive. I like the image of the boulders very unique and if it was me I couldn't resist climbing on top for a few happy snaps.

Ricky

Andrew

Andrew

That last video was too corny...lol. I couldn't listen to anymore...

Have heard the wheel on the extra wheel doubles as a back up if one of the wheels on your bike breaks. But this only applies to the front wheel doesnt it?

J Quinton wrote:Have heard the wheel on the extra wheel doubles as a back up if one of the wheels on your bike breaks. But this only applies to the front wheel doesnt it?

Yes except with certain bikes such as the Surly Pugsley IIRC.

Andrew

J Quinton wrote:Have heard the wheel on the extra wheel doubles as a back up if one of the wheels on your bike breaks. But this only applies to the front wheel doesnt it?

As a complete front wheel yes, but not if the front wheel has disk brakes. Unless you modify the Extrawheel frame, a disk hub without the disk installed (of course) still wont fit. The disk side of the hub will rub on the frame.

View the third wheel as also being extra spokes and an extra rim, if the worst failure possible happens in the remotest of places. Like having a collapsed, cracked or de-laminated rim and you need disk brakes. There are some interesting vids on how to resourcefully rebuild a bike wheel by sistering a good rim to the damaged rim using tape, when you don't have a jig to true the wheel and are too stalked to remember the spoke placements.

Fingers crossed that the worst that ever happens is a puncture. Every puncture that I've had touring with the Extrawheel ... has been in the Extrawheel regardless of what tyre I'm using.

Warren.

Another review of the Extrawheel for those that might be interested?

http://whileoutriding.com/2012/04/10/bi ... xtrawheel/