Towing another (riderless) bike?

[Sara_H]

Leave your bike at home and ride on the one you were going to push.

If you really need the second bike, cycle home on the one you rode on the first trip, leave that at home and ride back again on the second bike.

You will then have both bikes, but not necessarily in the same place.

Alternatively.... no..... Give me a moment.

Do the repair yourself, its only a bike.

Maybe I should have started another thread - I'm looking for a way for my son to tow his speedway bike to the track from home as its neither safe nor legal for him to ride it on the streets.

 

[jim55]

A few weeks ago I saw a chap riding what appeared to be two bikes connected side-by-side. There were bars joining the two bikes at various points and it had a wooden floor, presumably for some load carrying. It was certainly possible to have two folk on the contraption although the guy was riding the leftmost frame.

This was near the SECC, did anyone else in Glasgow see it?

GC

This

 

[lulubel]

Has anyone used a fork mount on a rack?

http://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/8214/is-there-a-do-it-yourself-way-to-tow-a-kids-bike

About halfway down the page - though googling universal fork mount doesn't throw anything up.

If you have rear rack on one of the bikes you could remove the front wheel off the other bike and then hook the front drop outs onto the rear of the rack. Strap it down with webbing luggage straps over the fork crown, or over the bars but not the frame, and it will track behind you like a trailer. Don't forget to strap the removed front wheel to the bike and take it with you.

This makes total sense, and I think it would work well because the front of the bike acting as trailer is fixed in place, but the back is articulated around its steerer.

What Night Train suggested is a simple and inexpensive way of achieving the same thing.

 

[Night Train]

What Night Train suggested is a simple and inexpensive way of achieving the same thing.

Just make sure the drop outs are free to pivot on the rack for going over bumps. That will mean the straps can only go from the bars to the same bit of the rack the drop outs are on.

That is a good temporary solution for the initial question, but for the kid's speedway bike a proper one of these would make it much simpler.

I must see if I can make one, probably for my trailer but with a rack option, and with a variable width for differently spaced dropouts.

 

[DooDah]

Ride 1 bike for about half a mile, then walk back and get the other bike and ride it a mile, then walk back for the first bike and so on

Wouldn't that be the same as walking whilst pushing both bikes?

 

[Sara_H]

Just make sure the drop outs are free to pivot on the rack for going over bumps. That will mean the straps can only go from the bars to the same bit of the rack the drop outs are on.

That is a good temporary solution for the initial question, but for the kid's speedway bike a proper one of these would make it much simpler.

I must see if I can make one, probably for my trailer but with a rack option, and with a variable width for differently spaced dropouts.

]
How do you think you'd mount it on a panniers rack?

 

[Night Train]

]
How do you think you'd mount it on a panniers rack?

I reckon I could use a couple of cable clamps like these.

Throw away the cast bit and then just use the U bolt part through holes drilled in the base plate of that bracket.

If you go this route you will need to check the diameter of the rack tubes to see if the U bolt spacing would fit in the bracket.
Also get proper ones from a proper shop. I have had the ones from B&Q and the nuts seem to be so loose fitting on the bolt threads that they can't do up tight, ever!

It really depends on the rack as well. Some racks have an overly sturdy plate on the back for fitting reflectors and that might be as good to bolt to.

 

[Night Train]

Alternatively a pair of steel P clips like this.

One on each side of the rack, with the tabs pointing inwards, and then the bracket bolted to the clips.

 

[Sara_H]

I reckon I could use a couple of cable clamps like these.

Throw away the cast bit and then just use the U bolt part through holes drilled in the base plate of that bracket.

If you go this route you will need to check the diameter of the rack tubes to see if the U bolt spacing would fit in the bracket.
Also get proper ones from a proper shop. I have had the ones from B&Q and the nuts seem to be so loose fitting on the bolt threads that they can't do up tight, ever!

It really depends on the rack as well. Some racks have an overly sturdy plate on the back for fitting reflectors and that might be as good to bolt to.

Alternatively a pair of steel P clips like this.

One on each side of the rack, with the tabs pointing inwards, and then the bracket bolted to the clips.

Ahhh... I'm rubbish at iron mongery! Now to convince son to have rack back on bike - he refuses to have it on unless we're touring! The chance to tow his speedway bike may convince him!

 

[Night Train]

From that link of yours I'd be tempted to fit a rack and then make up a wheel mount for one side of it.

It should work as well with a full sized bike on another full sized bike.
So long as it is only the front wheel that is strapped to the rack, and not the fork, then it should work fine.

 

[Night Train]

If you have a butcher's hook type thing, as suggested in the link, mounted right at the very back of the rack it can then have the wheel hung straight onto it. The front edge of the wheel can then be strapped to the rack in such a way as to push the wheel as far back as possible. That gives heel clearance and also keeps the front of the speed way bike from being too high as well.
Just check for clearance for cornering, banking, heel strike, pedals hitting the road, etc.

 

[Sara_H]

H

If you have a butcher's hook type thing, as suggested in the link, mounted right at the very back of the rack it can then have the wheel hung straight onto it. The front edge of the wheel can then be strapped to the rack in such a way as to push the wheel as far back as possible. That gives heel clearance and also keeps the front of the speed way bike from being too high as well.
Just check for clearance for cornering, banking, heel strike, pedals hitting the road, etc.

Hmm...... might be worth a try, I'll try it out myself first before letting the idea loose on son. His speedway bike has 26" whhels, which is bigger than his everyday bike 24", not that that should make much difference I suppose.

 

[Night Train]

Shouldn't matter too much. Might be a good thing if it means the rack is lower relative to the wheel.

Can you sew?
Maybe you can make a 'pannier bag' pocket that takes in 3/4 of the wheel. Drop the wheel in the bag and then zip/strap it up. The bag can be strapped onto the rack with straps and buckles as it won't need to be removed, and it can be folded up small and discreetly for when he is just out and about on the bike solo.

Do it right and it will be quite cool.

Did you know Arch and I make bags and stuff?

 

[Night Train]

If you do get him a rack get one that offers lots of support behind the rear wheel axle like these.

As opposed to the smaller ones like these.

 

[Sara_H]

Did you know Arch and I make bags and stuff?

oooh thanks for the offer! Let me know when you've finished it and I'll pop round and pick it up!