Utility Cycling - Transportation issue... Please help...

I have spent the last couple of days trying to figure out my best option for a transportation issue I have run into. I am trying to sell my car right now and switch over to using my bike for everything I can. I seem to have worked out most issues so far except that I brew beer as a hobby with a friend of mine, we do all the brewing, fermenting and kegging and such at his house. Once my beer is ready to drink I bring the keg home and put it in the beer fridge in the garage... The problem I am faced with is transporting a keg weighing approx 45lbs (possibly 2 for a total of nearly 90lbs) back home four or so miles away. The tricky part is that we both live at the nearly the same elevation BUT there is a HUGE valley in between us. The hill coming down from his house is really steep and curvy. So I have been considering either converting my old bike using the free radical kit, or building my own "extension" to carry it/them as part of the bike. The other option is to build a trailer to haul it/them back on.

I am just not sure how stable a trailer would be going down a hill like that. I know if I go the trailer route I will surely use a mount that goes to the wheel mounts rather than mounting up near the seat...

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

I have spent the last couple of days trying to figure out my best option for a transportation issue I have run into. I am trying to sell my car right now and switch over to using my bike for everything I can. I seem to have worked out most issues so far except that I brew beer as a hobby with a friend of mine, we do all the brewing, fermenting and kegging and such at his house. Once my beer is ready to drink I bring the keg home and put it in the beer fridge in the garage... The problem I am faced with is transporting a keg weighing approx 45lbs (possibly 2 for a total of nearly 90lbs) back home four or so miles away. The tricky part is that we both live at the nearly the same elevation BUT there is a HUGE valley in between us. The hill coming down from his house is really steep and curvy. So I have been considering either converting my old bike using the free radical kit, or building my own "extension" to carry it/them as part of the bike. The other option is to build a trailer to haul it/them back on.

I am just not sure how stable a trailer would be going down a hill like that. I know if I go the trailer route I will surely use a mount that goes to the wheel mounts rather than mounting up near the seat...

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

I'd say a Burley Flatbed and some major honking granny gears. I also would not tow the trailer with a road bike with side pulls, but maybe a hybridized Mountain bike or any bike with V-brakes or disks.

Trailer and make sure the bike brakes are substantial and in good repair.

Aaron:)

No shame in calling a cab or asking for a ride now and then. It's lower carbon impact overall than what it took to manufacture and transport to you the trailer and other gear.

No shame in calling a cab or asking for a ride now and then. It's lower carbon impact overall than what it took to manufacture and transport to you the trailer and other gear.

Depends on where he is at...I have had a cab driver refuse to give me and my keg a ride. If an ICV is involved his best bet is going to be to find a neighbor or friend and trade 'em a sixpack. And IMHO the "carbon footprint" of a bike trailer is much lower in the long run than a taxicab.

Aaron:)

The trailer will probably be your best bet for kegs. You will also find you need the trailer for lots of things once you have it. I use my BikesAtWork trailer for construction work and we have steep hills here and no problems.

I agree you`ll need a trailer, but with this type of load and riding conditions I would feel much better using a longtail bike. If you are going car free- relying only on bikes, maybe you should look into getting one more bike? Set one up as a longtail and the other one as more of a light fast bike? You could of course use a longtail as your only bike, until you want to take it in a friends car..

Back to the keg. Why not attac the problem its self, the keg? Is it not possible to fill the beer into maybe four or more smaller containers, take two beer trips and one with the empty keg? You could then put it back into the keg if needed. I know there is going to be plenty containers to clean this way, but at least that work is doable.

Maybe start doing the brewing in your house?

And IMHO the "carbon footprint" of a bike trailer is much lower in the long run than a taxicab.

If one is going to use the trailer a lot and each time he uses it he is replacing a trip he'd have taken by taxi, then perhaps it'd have a lower carbon footprint. But if one is just going to cause a trailer to be manufactured and shipped all the way to him and then only use it a few times, that will add up to a lot more carbon burned than taking a four mile taxicab trip on those occasions would have. (after all, occasional moderate taxi riding is not going to cause another taxi to be manufactured and put into use so the only carbon impact of riding it is the 1/4 to 1/2 gallon of gas burned for the taxi trip).

When thinking of these things we need to consider cradle to grave impact, not just per use impact that ignores the manufacturing and transportation steps.

I have a Burley Flatbed and as much as I love it, for the circumstances described in the OP, I would probably work out a deal with my friend to have my keg delivered.

If one is going to use the trailer a lot and each time he uses it he is replacing a trip he'd have taken by taxi, then perhaps it'd have a lower carbon footprint. But if one is just going to cause a trailer to be manufactured and shipped all the way to him and then only use it a few times, that will add up to a lot more carbon burned than taking a four mile taxicab trip on those occasions would have. (after all, occasional moderate taxi riding is not going to cause another taxi to be manufactured and put into use so the only carbon impact of riding it is the 1/4 to 1/2 gallon of gas burned for the taxi trip).

When thinking of these things we need to consider cradle to grave impact, not just per use impact that ignores the manufacturing and transportation steps.


I am willing to bet there is a greater carbon footprint to manufacture one wheel on that taxi cab than there is to manufacture a single bike trailer. If you want to look at "total carbon footprint" you also have to view the end of life of the product. A bike trailer will likely get passed along if not being used. Also how many taxi cabs are riding around waiting for a fare?, etc, etc, etc. Any ICV has a totally crap carbon foot print compared to a human powered vehicle. There was a Danish website that figured out you could build around 1200 bicycles for the same resources used to build a single car...

Aaron:)

I agree you`ll need a trailer, but with this type of load and riding conditions I would feel much better using a longtail bike. If you are going car free- relying only on bikes, maybe you should look into getting one more bike? Set one up as a longtail and the other one as more of a light fast bike? You could of course use a longtail as your only bike, until you want to take it in a friends car..

Back to the keg. Why not attac the problem its self, the keg? Is it not possible to fill the beer into maybe four or more smaller containers, take two beer trips and one with the empty keg? You could then put it back into the keg if needed. I know there is going to be plenty containers to clean this way, but at least that work is doable.

Maybe start doing the brewing in your house?

badmother - I agree a long bike is necessary in the long run, I really wonder though if the putting kegs into the "bags" of a long bike may not raise the center of gravity too much? Or if adding the platforms may not be a better idea? And if I was only carrying one keg would that be lopsided with that much weight?Honestly I have never ridden a long bike but plan on putting on together when the funds become available. I do have several bikes already, I have a 1990 Diamondback Apex Mountain bike that is going to become my utility bike, this will be converted to the long bike one day, it will also be my towing bike once I get a trailer. I have a Rocky Mountain Sherpa that use to commute and run light errands. Then I have a fixed gear which is kind of like my MG it's fun as hell to ride sometimes, but my area is too hilly to ride it often (since I'm not 18 any more... LOL)... As for the keg problem... I looked into that also they make 2.5 gallon kegs that would be much more transportable... however they are ungodly expensive. A regular 5 gallon keg is $30, a 2.5 gallon keg is around $125... Th other issue would be with transporting it in other containers is the beer in the keg is sterile, since it takes about a month to drink a keg of beer if I introduced any bacteria on the trip home my beer would surely be ruined (by bacteria) by the time I got it finished...

The other issue is there are several people that brew there, and we have all decided his was the best location (at the time) it would be very difficult to persuade everyone to start coming to my house if I moved all the equipment here... (Mainly his girlfriend is gone most evenings and he has no kids which makes it a virtually stress free brewing environment and he is always home if someone wants to brew where as I am not as available to everyone else's schedule).

Sirrus Rider - I agree completely on not using a road bike, even though my "road" bike is a touring bike designed to carry a load I still will use my mountain bike for this. And I will get my pads checked and tuned prior to the trip...

pacificaslim - Since I plan on getting rid of my car altogether I definitely plan on getting a trailer to use for many things so this won't be a one off use, I plan on using a trailer for many years and many trips, so I think the long term carbon foot print won't be much of a concern. But if this were the only thing I planned to carry and it was once a month I would just take my wife's minivan (there is no way I can get her to go car free anytime soon)

wahoonc - I live in Utah, you can absolutely bet your life that a cab will not give someone a ride with a keg... LOL....

Once I am able to get rid of this car I will still have my '81 VW Van, so I will not be completely car free. I still need to keep that since I will still have to pickup/drop off our kids at various locations upon occasion. I still plan to use that vehicle for transporting loads of hardwood lumber that would be extremely difficult otherwise since the hardwood lumber yards are only open during the week and I would have a hard time taking off an entire day to ride 20+ each way through the city with that much wood, and finally for hunting I haven't found a good solution for transporting a 500+ lbs elk a hundred miles home... ;o)

Aside from becoming healthier, reducing the energy I consume and not wanting to pay for and insure a car any longer, one of the main reasons I want to figure out how to do this is to set an example for my kids (4 of them) that cars are not the absolute necessity that they now believe they are. Two of our kids are about ready to drive (June of this year) and I want to instill in them that it is possible to get around without using a car. In high school I used to ride my old Schwinn Continental ~30 miles a day, 6 days a week to get to work, our house was on top of a mile long trek to the top of a bluff in southern Minnesota, I never got a ride unless it was absolutely pouring rain or in the winter when it was just too cold to ride. I learned a lot about myself slogging up and down that hill everyday... I want them to understand also that a car/van/truck is not the only viable means of transportation. I also want them to understand that one day it may not even be an available means of transportation for a lot of people. I would rather they were prepared for that rather than surprised and unable to function because they don't have a car.

use WideLoaders... you could probably put a keg on each side.

from what I've read.
i think a Bikes at Work trailer is probably the most VIABLEsolution.

a long tail, can handle the load(s), and yes... balancing the load(s) is a good idea. especially 90lbs.

with a trailer, you might even manage to get buddies to use it too.

as to everyday use, I really like my Big Dummy. I had an Xtra convert job, and i'd concur that it is a good choice too. especially given the re-sale of a FreeRadical, when/if you decide on a Longtail frame.

the thing with longtails/cargo bikes, is that they eat parts, obviously depending on use/abuse.

i've used a bike outfitted with racks and panniers, as a daily bike (no car for about 5yrs now)
the thing is... the panniers! if you get bags that snap off and on, its easy to grocery shop, provided you buy items that fit into the bags.

the thing with XtraCycle FreeLoaders and/or WideLoaders, is that large duffel bags are best, like BOB Trailer bags. so that means, go shop, and dump everything into the duffels. or maybe you end up doing that at the bike rack...

as compared to panniers. they are so much easier to pack at the check-out.

with Xtracycle stuff.
The FreeLoaders are great. but really once it comes down to a large bulk...
i.e. 20lb BOB trailer bag x2 (one on each side)

the easeof using WideLoaders, and simply using straps to secure the bags, is much better than trying to hold up the large bag, and secure it in the FreeLoaders...


blah blah blah...
ad nauseam
it goes on forever...

sounds to me a Bikes at Work trailer would be your best bet.

peace...d

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=391518

AsanaCycles - Thanks I was kind of thinking along the lines of the wideloader setup.... then just strap them in. I had never really heard or considered that long bikes really eat up parts. That is interesting and something I will have to watch...

The more I think about it though the more I think about all the possibilities of having a trailer, for instance the ONLY thing I use my car for now with any regularity is taking our dog to the dog park, If i could build a cool flat bed that would transport kegs, then have attachable sides and top then I could haul her to the park in that... and get some more exercise myself....

I have started out with one stupid idea and moved into so many possible uses now.... This is getting ridiculous... LOL...

I think right now I am leaning towards astronomerroyal's style trailer (post #53 here : http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=326435&page=3)... That seems like a good starting point anyway and I can in the Xtracycle when the budget permits....

Wide loaders would be the way to go. I've carried 120 pounds strapped on either side of my Big Dummy.HAuled this load 4 miles to UPS on the side of a busy highway. That's 60 pounds on either side. UPS verified this for me. For the record I'm almost 50 and weigh 115 pounds. my husband has carried his congas plus other eqipment on the Dummy. I had a trailer and could never have pulled 120 pounds and that shape load wouldn't have fit in the trailer. If your going car free a long tail bike with the extracycle equipment is the way to go. I go for weeks without starting my truck.

I like the BAW trailers for heavy duty hauling, I don't have one, but have borrowed one in the past. It is an impressive piece of work. I spent several years hauling a Cannodale bugger and couple of different types of home built trailers around. Currently I don't normally use a trailer but am considering the BAW and possibly a Carryfreedom (http://www.carryfreedom.com/city.html) folding trailer. Even with a trailer you will experience accelerated component wear, BUT stuff will last longer because you aren't always pulling the trailer around with you. Also if something happens to the longtail and you need to haul a load you are screwed, with the trailer you likely can use another bike. It is all about options and what will work for you.

Aaron:)

http://www.workcycles.com/workcycles-bakfietsen-images/nijland/industriele-bakfiets/industriele-bakfiets-ij480.jpg

http://drunkcyclist.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/keg_trailer01.jpg

Well, if you can afford an Xtracycle or Big Dummy that would work great. My xtra is what I use mostly for work. I hauled 200 lbs of mortar mix last summer and it was fine until I tried to go up a 12% grade. Now I have the wide loaders and it would work much better. Last week I hauled 7 10ft lengths of 1 1/2 inch electrical conduit using the wide loader and long loader attachment. It was a bit wonky with all the weight on one side and sticking way out like that but it worked for the couple of miles I had to go. Very useful for many things but when I have to haul my compressor and nail guns, etc., then I turn to the BAW trailer. I still drive my truck once a month or so but if everyone used their car only for appropriate uses, we wouldn't be in the mess we are.

iz4005 - That thing is sweet if I came home with that I would be in huge trouble though...

AllenG - That is pretty cool too, the kegs for homebrewing are typically much taller and thinner though... I definitely like the idea of being able to dispense a drink on the way home (if I had to stop for a flat or something.... LOL...

crackerdog - I need to get rid of my car before I can really afford an XtraCycle, if I knew it would sell in the next few weeks would gladly order it with my CC but since I have a feeling it may take a while to sell I don't want that sitting on my CC accruing interest.... I really like the BAW trailers i have been looking at them since wahoonc mentioned them earlier.

iz4005 - That thing is sweet if I came home with that I would be in huge trouble though...

AllenG - That is pretty cool too, the kegs for homebrewing are typically much taller and thinner though... I definitely like the idea of being able to dispense a drink on the way home (if I had to stop for a flat or something.... LOL...

crackerdog - I need to get rid of my car before I can really afford an XtraCycle, if I knew it would sell in the next few weeks would gladly order it with my CC but since I have a feeling it may take a while to sell I don't want that sitting on my CC accruing interest.... I really like the BAW trailers i have been looking at them since wahoonc mentioned them earlier.

How often are you transporting this brew? Do you have a friend who might truck it for you for a small sample?

I have a Bikes At Work 64AW trailer. It weighs about 45 pounds itself. So that would be quite a load to haul up hill with 90 lbs of load. Downhill could be an adventure too. Have good brakes. I've taken my trailer down a significantly long and steep hill. I think I topped 30 mph near the bottom after breaking most all the way down. Fortunately things felt stable. But I fear how fast things can get out of control. All that mass in a trailer means it has a mind of its own.

The good thing might be that the kegs may fit comfortably between the cross members of the BAW trailer. If so, you are in luck, otherwise you will have to figure out how to support them.

the reason cargo bike tend to eat parts is due to the actual loads.
if you become car-free, there is a big chance that your bike gets used a whole lot more.

most bicycle parts (which also happen to be Recreational Sport equipment), are pretty much oriented towards "performance" which usually means less weight, which of course really means less material.

i.e. aluminum chainrings, almost any bicycle tyre, and quite possibly wheelsets too.

that is
parts are designed to be used with Recreational Sport in mind.

drivetrain, brakes, and wheel goods are the diet of cargo bikes.

ArtKansas - usually a keg or two a month... sometimes a little less sometimes a little more... i would think i would build a wooden brace to hold them securely then strap laying down that to whatever trailer I used...

AsanaCycles - I can see a definite problem with chainrings being made of aluminum, I guess I had never really thought that a wheel set of aluminum (one designed for touring and such, not the 18 spoke racers) would have many drawbacks in longevity when maintained. Is there a huge difference in longevity between a modern touring/mountain aluminum rim and a steel rim?

That does lead to an interesting question though, since the brake pads on my mountain bike (soon to be utility bike) are a few years old and pretty warn are there any pads out there designed to last a bit better in heavier load situations (without increasing rim wear)? or is buying brake pads more often just a fact of life?

ArtKansas - usually a keg or two a month... sometimes a little less sometimes a little more... i would think i would build a wooden brace to hold them securely then strap laying down that to whatever trailer I used...

AsanaCycles - I can see a definite problem with chainrings being made of aluminum, I guess I had never really thought that a wheel set of aluminum (one designed for touring and such, not the 18 spoke racers) would have many drawbacks in longevity when maintained. Is there a huge difference in longevity between a modern touring/mountain aluminum rim and a steel rim?

That does lead to an interesting question though, since the brake pads on my mountain bike (soon to be utility bike) are a few years old and pretty warn are there any pads out there designed to last a bit better in heavier load situations (without increasing rim wear)? or is buying brake pads more often just a fact of life?

the thing to do is simply use up what you've got.
things will wear in their own way, and you'll start to see how things go.

i use disc brakes, and typically i go thru at least 3 pairs of pads per year, that is between at least 2 bikes.
as to rims... rim brakes eventually eat the sidewall of the rim. mostly from grit imbedded in the pads.

if you end up carrying loads all the time, tyre wear will become evident. weight and going up hill eats tyres. knobby tyres are especially intriguing to watch fade away.

best tyres i've come to know are Sefras Drifters (http://www.rei.com/product/724622?cm_mmc=cse_froogle-_-datafeed-_-product-_-724622&mr:trackingCode=CD80D247-95FB-DD11-96D7-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA) or Continental town and country

typically i choose the widest tyre offered. in the case of Drifters. 2.0

however, i have yet to try out a set of Maxxis Hookworm 2.5"

the reason cargo bike tend to eat parts is due to the actual loads.
if you become car-free, there is a big chance that your bike gets used a whole lot more.

most bicycle parts (which also happen to be Recreational Sport equipment), are pretty much oriented towards "performance" which usually means less weight, which of course really means less material.

i.e. aluminum chainrings, almost any bicycle tyre, and quite possibly wheelsets too.

that is
parts are designed to be used with Recreational Sport in mind.

drivetrain, brakes, and wheel goods are the diet of cargo bikes.

There are substantial options out there. I use SS chain rings (http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=16088) on my Expedition bike, for utility you want something that is durable not disposable. I typically use hand built wheels out of decent quality components. That does more for the longevity than anything I know. Disc, roller or drum brakes are preferable to rim brakes on a heavily used utility bike. Coaster brakes, if you have a good one are a passable option when used in conjunction with rim brakes.

As a general rule I use middle of the road MTB parts for the best durability and availability.

Aaron:)

I do a lot of riding with my 26 kg dog sitting on one side of the longtail. He is innsid the bag but resting his weight on the wideloaders. If you take some of the beer out (and put it on the oposite side) and then drink that beer first maybe that could work?

Whatever solution you use you should think about brakes. It is possible to solve it without buying disks. A combination of hub and rim brakes on the bike or brakes on the trailer can be done. Since you are hauling alot of hardwood around, how about making your own trailer? Use the plans for the "bamboo biketrailer" as a guide.

If you want to teach your kids it is possible to do without a car I am afraid you are starting a bit late :D

ArtKansas - usually a keg or two a month... sometimes a little less sometimes a little more... i would think i would build a wooden brace to hold them securely then strap laying down that to whatever trailer I used...

AsanaCycles - I can see a definite problem with chainrings being made of aluminum, I guess I had never really thought that a wheel set of aluminum (one designed for touring and such, not the 18 spoke racers) would have many drawbacks in longevity when maintained. Is there a huge difference in longevity between a modern touring/mountain aluminum rim and a steel rim?

That does lead to an interesting question though, since the brake pads on my mountain bike (soon to be utility bike) are a few years old and pretty warn are there any pads out there designed to last a bit better in heavier load situations (without increasing rim wear)? or is buying brake pads more often just a fact of life?

Steel rims don't brake when wet or even dry for that matter.

Check this out
http://www.xtracyclegallery.com/2009/01/268-matts-kmx.html

Build your own purpose built trailer. Keep the weight low, no more than a few inches off the ground. Use heavy duty 20" wheels. Disc brakes are probably a good idea. I'd model off of the Bikes at Work trailers. Also check http://bikecart.pedalpeople.com. 90lbs is certainly not too much for a well built trailer, check out some of the hauling these folks do year round: http://www.pedalpeople.com

Check this out
http://www.xtracyclegallery.com/2009/01/268-matts-kmx.html

Are those warp nacelles?

Check this out
http://www.xtracyclegallery.com/2009/01/268-matts-kmx.html

That is sweet... those look like drums or something rather than liquid containers... but i think the XtraCycle may be the way to go after all...


Build your own purpose built trailer. Keep the weight low, no more than a few inches off the ground. Use heavy duty 20" wheels. Disc brakes are probably a good idea. I'd model off of the Bikes at Work trailers. Also check http://bikecart.pedalpeople.com. 90lbs is certainly not too much for a well built trailer, check out some of the hauling these folks do year round: http://www.pedalpeople.com

... I to intend to build a nice trailer for hauling stuff one day...

Another vote for the BAW trailer. Not only can you use it for kegs etc, you can get large amounts of groceries, carry pets (in containers), all sorts of things with it. Depending on the grade you're describing, I've gotten off the bike and just walked it up one steep incline more than once coming home from the supermarket.

A standard full corny keg weighs closer to 60 pounds, not 45. (Just being a picky homebrewer. :))

Anyhow, I'd go with a BAW trailer to haul that type of item. Even when it's full, a keg has airspace in it, which means that turning, braking and accelerating can cause load sloshing. Strap those directly onto your longbike, and it could make for some tricky handling situations with up to 120 pounds of shifting weight on the back.
The other concern (as a brewer) is your carbonation scheme. Do you use a pressure CO2/nitrogen system hooked separately to your keg, or natural carbonation through secondary sugaring? If you're sugaring the keg, then transporting it poses 2 dangers: 1, sloshing it can ruin the beer by agitating the sediment. 2, if you take a bad spill with a pressurized keg, things could get ugly.

A standard full corny keg weighs closer to 60 pounds, not 45. (Just being a picky homebrewer. :))

Anyhow, I'd go with a BAW trailer to haul that type of item. Even when it's full, a keg has airspace in it, which means that turning, braking and accelerating can cause load sloshing. Strap those directly onto your longbike, and it could make for some tricky handling situations with up to 120 pounds of shifting weight on the back.
The other concern (as a brewer) is your carbonation scheme. Do you use a pressure CO2/nitrogen system hooked separately to your keg, or natural carbonation through secondary sugaring? If you're sugaring the keg, then transporting it poses 2 dangers: 1, sloshing it can ruin the beer by agitating the sediment. 2, if you take a bad spill with a pressurized keg, things could get ugly.

Okay nice this is what I was hoping to talk about... obviously a liquid will shift more. Do you think lateral movement is best tied to your bike through a hitch or right to your rear wheel/frame? Is the BAW (or any other trailer for that matter) hitch going to be strong enough to endure that? After thinking about it for a while I come to the conclusion (maybe wrongly so) that having that weight secured to the rear wheel/frame would be better than tied to a trailer hitch.... Although a properly built trailer that has a low deck maybe able to absorb the lateral movement in it's own wheels and not transfer too much up the tongue and into the hitch. What about the forward and back movement from starting and stopping (amplified by the liquid shifting), I would think that would have some serious shearing force on the hitch/mount..

I pressurize with a CO2 bottle, since I would be transporting it home right after moving it from the secondary into the keg, it would only be pressurized with a couple of pounds to displace the air. I normally let it age for a couple of more weeks before starting to pressurize for consumption.

You won't even notice the sloshing with a BAW trailer. I carry 300 lbs of stuff and more and the only time it tipped over is when I was transporting my tablesaw on a slope through a park and one wheel hit a big root. That is a small load for a BAW trailer.

Depending on the finances of the project, it may pay to get a three wheel bicycle truck, they use the things all over China.
Another thought, one that the purists will consider no different than driving a two ton SUV, is setting up an electric assist bike just for trailer pulling. You will still need to pedal it (or the motors will run hot and die in short order and the batteries won't last); however, it will help take the edge off the hills for pulling heavy loads. Another advantage of setting up a "tractor" bike is that you can set it up for this duty and not load your regular bike down with things like disc brakes, trailer hitch, and other things that are suitable for a "tractor" but not ideal for a road bike.

If I lived somewhere with such hills, I'd consider setting up the trailer with brakes. If you allow the toungue to telescope some, you can use that to activate surge brakes...they automatically apply any time the trailer is trying to push the bike.

As for the electric helper motor idea, several folks have made powered trailers....that way you only have the helper when you need it for the load.


Depends on where he is at...I have had a cab driver refuse to give me and my keg a ride.

He is in Sandy, UT (A suburb to the south of SLC) So your point is quite valid, given the overwhelmingly LDS population and that church's views on alcohol. Maybe if you put labels on the kegs that said "emergency water supply" or maybe "Blessed proxy baptismal water for holicost victims"

If I lived somewhere with such hills, I'd consider setting up the trailer with brakes. If you allow the toungue to telescope some, you can use that to activate surge brakes...they automatically apply any time the trailer is trying to push the bike.

As for the electric helper motor idea, several folks have made powered trailers....that way you only have the helper when you need it for the load.



He is in Sandy, UT (A suburb to the south of SLC) So your point is quite valid, given the overwhelmingly LDS population and that church's views on alcohol. Maybe if you put labels on the kegs that said "emergency water supply" or maybe "Blessed proxy baptismal water for holicost victims"

My refusal of a taxi ride was in MSP...and I had a couple of "growlers (http://barleyjohns.com/images/growler.jpg)" Fortunately a kind soul gave me a ride and saved me from the 3 mile walk back to the hotel.:thumb:

Aaron:)

If I lived somewhere with such hills, I'd consider setting up the trailer with brakes. If you allow the toungue to telescope some, you can use that to activate surge brakes...they automatically apply any time the trailer is trying to push the bike.

As for the electric helper motor idea, several folks have made powered trailers....that way you only have the helper when you need it for the load.



He is in Sandy, UT (A suburb to the south of SLC) So your point is quite valid, given the overwhelmingly LDS population and that church's views on alcohol. Maybe if you put labels on the kegs that said "emergency water supply" or maybe "Blessed proxy baptismal water for holicost victims"

The surge brake idea is an interesting one, I'll have to look into that a little more. I really want to stay away from electrical assists if I can help it.

Yeah unfortunately here I couldn't even really say it's a keg full of pepsi... LOL...

I think I have decided on the Xtracycle for the first attempt though, I am just going to try and scrape together enough cash to take advantage of their current promotion with the wide loaders...

Devo and The Dummy (http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=391518)

for mind numbing dribble

peace...d

You might want to consider a cargo trike like the HPV Tri-Hauler or one of Lightfoot's machines.

You might want to consider a cargo trike like the HPV Tri-Hauler or one of Lightfoot's machines.

My wife would kill me if I bought another bike... She thinks the three I have is insanity already... :(

My wife would kill me if I bought another bike... She thinks the three I have is insanity already... :(

Ah, the joys of bachelorhood.

Problem: hauling heavy beer kegs
Solution: we all come over to make them lighter, much lighter

My wife would kill me if I bought another bike... She thinks the three I have is insanity already... :(

Show her this picture...and tell her I have over 30 (but at least 4 and 1/2 the tandem belong to my wife:thumb:)

Aaron:)

http://inlinethumb06.webshots.com/37445/2005525610066886751S500x500Q85.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/70847734@N00/2200400193

Have your friend help out.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/210/470662336_2e1f8fc004.jpg

An interesting-looking contraption.

Bottle it? Besides, then you don't have the "unnatural" CO2 of kegs. I'm a homebrewer myself (do about two batches a month) and bottle all of my beer. I find (at least for me) that it keeps better, is cheaper, and as I give it as gifts, is easier to manage. Besides, a few cases of beer is probably a lot easier to manage than kegs...