BenR

I was watching you all from my house when I got from cycling in the lakes this afternoon. It looked very fast, and the beach didn't even look all that dry...if the rain holds off and the wind keeps up what could tomorrow hold eh? 61.8 mph is seriously fast. Rather you than me I think. Ben

I've had more hours fun with my MK1 centuries than I can count. If the Mk2's are so much better I'm not sure I could stand the excitement. Do you suppose PKD do a trade in deal?

Quote: Originally Posted by festa i hope you are at least female ?? I was just wondering, what does 'at least female' mean. You are either female or you are not. You can't be more than female, so you can't be at least female.... And those wheels look fantastic. B&Q here I come. Ben

I once tried dropping the seat on my flexi, by tying it on with cord instead of threading the loops through the side rails. This made the buggy much more skittish, because my Centre of Gravity moved back towards the rear axle. It was fun, but much more difficult to keep in a straight line. I wouldn't be surprised if your mod had a similar effect. That said, you've got 4 wheels on the back axle now, so that could also have a big effect. Could you try just the 4 wheels without the axle extension? Ben

Once the wheels are going round, it's very difficult to read the stuff that's written on the sides. Don't worry about it. The axle bolts are more likely to shear than the tyres to go bang. Ben

The round numbers issue is not just confined to buggiers...it is found in all walks of life. It is also arbitrary, based on the fact we have ten digits. 100 miles is only satisfactory because we count in base 10. If we were a race with four digits per hand, then 64 miles would be written as 100 in base 8, and just as celebrated. If we used base 12, then 144 miles would be written as 100, and 100 base 10 would pass unnoticed. I'm off to file my kites in alphabetical order. lol Ben

thanks folks, i think that until lancashire starts to resemble the emirates, i'll stick with the cateye. as long as i can see my house im not lost, and as soon as im frightened im going fast enough. cheers ben

I fitted my flexi with a bike speedo (Cateye) and it does for me. Obviously not as accurate as a GPS, but a lot cheaper, and to be honest I'm only racing myself, and so the real speed is not important. That said, I wonder whether anyone has tried to compare the speeds indicated by a cheap and cheerful bike speedo and a device that communicates with satellites? Is my PB of 53 mph more likely to be 30 mph? Ben

And the buzz doesn't get any less, you just find more ways to enjoy yourself. If you don't whoop like a girl, you aren't doing it right. Ben

Well done mate. I found that 0 -50 is less frightening than 50 - 0. Ben

One of my boys is ten years old and keen to try using a kite with his landboard on the beach. My Centuries (3.5m, 5.5m and 7.5m) are way to difficult for him to use. Any suggestions for suitable kites for a lightweight young lad gratefully received... cheers Ben

If you are interested in how fast you buggy, buy a speedo. Otherwise, don't bother. The only person who knows whether or not you are interested is you. Just make sure you don't spend all the time looking at the speedo, and not at anything else like kites, other buggies, trees, horses, the end of the beach and so on. Ben

I use a CatEye cordless job, just like you describe. I did not realise it is accurate as you say. It may be less reliable if/when the front wheel starts jumping about of the sand, mind. The only problem is not losing it when I tip the buggy over. If you find one washed up on a beach in the NW its probably mine. It's extra accurate at the moment, and for the last 4 months. 0 mph stuck in the garage waiting for the rain to stop. Ben

Male. Age. 40 & above, Which of the activities do you participate in? PowerKiting / Recreational Kite Buggying How long have you been kiting for? 4 years ish How many kites do you own? ~6 How many sets of lines do you own, & do you use them for other kites?~6. No What is your preferred method for winding your kite lines? Stuff them into the bag ontop of the kite On average how often do you get out with your kite? Not nearly enough. 2/3 month perhaps What areas do you use your kite on? Sand, On average how long does it take to wind your kite lines away? 4/5minutes On average how long does it take to unwind your kite lines? 1 minute While a beginner did you encounter any problems while setting up your kite lines? yes Have you ever encountered tangled lines? Yes Do you still have the odd day with winding your lines and encounter a problem? No

Just over 50 mph, on a not very accurately calibrated cordless cateye speedometer, on a standard buggy with a PKD century, either 3.5m or 5.5m, I can't remember which. And the stopping is more frightening than the accelerating. BenR

I tried to teach my wife how to buggy once, with no success except that we're still married. Ben

You are right about the front wheel being unstable, especially at speed. To fix this you need to move the wheel axis forward so that the line of the headset intersects the point where the wheel touches the ground. This is why pushbike front forks are slightly curved. Look at a motorbike headset and front fork arrangement for another solution. If i knew how, I'd post a picture..... Ben front forks.doc

50 mph in a standard flexi buggy. its not the speed, its the slowing down thats scary Ben

Like others have said, the bearing protection kit is well worth using. Replacement bushes are cheap enough, and easy to replace, but if you leave it too long, and get sand in the headset, you can wear a groove into the steel. This will mean the front fork is then a 'rattle fit' in the headset, which is a much harder/dearer job to fix. Keep the sand out in the first place, use the bearing protectors. Ben

Dwain, Cat Eye bike speedo, cordless, less than £20, needs a bit of messing around to mount the magnet on the front wheel. Cheers Ben

Found a new way to break my flexi buggy this afternoon... Rattling rear wheel suggested a loose bolt so I stopped to nip it up, and it just went round and round. Eventually had to cut off the bolt head, knock the wheel off the bolt shank, to reveal the axle internal nut had sheared from the axle, where it should be welded together. Anybody had this happen, and is it a straightforward fix (ie get it welded back together)? Cheers Ben

My wide axle is a pain to fit as well. Even with the neck removed it takes ages to get on or off. I don't bother unless I've got nothing better to do. Ben

pkd century mate. Fabulous kites, loads of pull, much less lift than a blade. they take a bit of getting used to, but are worth investing the time. Ben

thanks for your replies. a bit more thought and effort on my part and i could have phoned up any kiteshop. the bushes wear after some use, and the forks rattle in the headstock. I'll try the bearing protection kit, see if it prolongs life any by keeping the sand out ben

anyone know where to get new flexi headstock bushes? and does anyone know if there is a more robust version around? cheers Ben