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treadhead1952
July 4th, 2010, 21:03
Hi All,

Inspired by Kayak Karl's' efforts in building up a Kayak Cart as well as checking out what a manufactured version costs and looking at other folks Kayak Cart Projects, I started by first obtaining a set of wheels for what I want to build up. Since most of the transportation needs for my Kayak are either rolling it across sidewalk from apartment to the top of my truck/camper then taking it from the top of the truck to the waters' edge at Lake Mead, I wanted something that not only would offer the least amount of rolling resistance to the sidewalk as well as going over the boulder and rock strewn pathways at the lake. To me this sort of dictates a pair of tall skinny wheels and tires. Should the occasion arise that I need to portage it for any sort of distance like on a camping trip, I wanted something that I could also attach to my Mountain Bike as it is something that I also use when I go out camping. From that description, a set of bicycle rims and tires was pretty much what I was looking for.

I subscribe to the local Freecyclers' List on Yahoo here in Las Vegas and quite often you see bicycles in various states of disrepair and age listed as give away items. I have used it in the past to "gift" items that I no longer have any need for but someone else may desire, so digging up a bike for me seemed like a good idea. It didn't take too long before I was the proud owner of a '81 vintage Nishiki 27 Inch tired and used ladies bike without a seat.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v349/treadhead1952/EmKC001.jpg

While I am sure that there are some folks out there who would look upon this as something that they could rebuild and refurbish into a pretty good ride for the street, ain't gonna happen. Surprisingly, the tires are still aired up and while showing some wear, are not bad. The rims are in good shape and I don't notice any spokes out of alignment, so for my purposes, I am in like Flynn. All I have to do is dismount the rims from the bike and related gear down to the hubs. Sitting in my air conditioned apartment, using my bike stand to hold it, it shouldn't take too long and since payday is just around the corner, some PVC Pipe, tees, and elbows will be forthcoming. I plan on using a length of threaded rod for an axle with nuts, washers, and lock washers to hold the rims in place.

As I progress with my little project I will add to the thread with descriptions, photos and diagrams.

Jay
treadhead1952
Las Vegas, NV

rcurry
July 5th, 2010, 13:24
Question… Where are you going to store the kayak cart when you put your boat in the water? I have seen the carts that easily come apart and can be stowed in the boat hatch but with tires that size it wouldn’t fit on board.

I don’t have a cart but have considered building or buying one. Most of the time I launch at one of the many boat ramps, and back my vehicle down and unload right at the waters edge.

treadhead1952
July 5th, 2010, 18:52
Hi RC,

As far as my idea goes, I was planning on putting it in the truck when using it and locking it up to the bike with the cables I use to secure it when leaving it unattended in the wilds. With my camper on the truck I can lock it up there and securing the bike with plastic coated steel security cables to a tree are the best ways I know of to keep it handy yet secure. But like most things in life, nothing is secure if some dummy really wants it.

At Lake Mead where I put in at Boulder Harbor, ramp space is restricted to just three lanes and if it is a busy morning you could be waiting to get on there. With the cart, I can just park the truck, secure my gear to the Kayak where it sits with the wheels, roll it to the waters' edge, leave it to return the cart to the truck and camper then hit the water. Even though it usually takes just a few minutes to drop the Kayak, tying up ramp space really isn't fair to the others unless you are willing to wait your turn nor is it good public relations for Kayakers in general. I am usually wanting to get on the water the quickest way I can. ;)

Jay
treadhead1952
Las Vegas, NV