This winter, I decided that I needed to do whatever I could to protect my chain, downtube, and bottom bracket from all the salt and road spray.
So, I rigged up a DIY fender extender and have been riding with it for months now.
After every ride, I do tend to wipe my chain and any parts that got sprayed, but I’m blown away by how clean the bike stays simply by having that front fender extender.
The photo shows the fender extender, held in place using duct tape (didn’t want to drill holes in the fender, although, some fenders are designed so fender extenders can be put on easily). It’s held like this through numerous puddles and all kinds of weather, so “it works”. Make it out of a plastic file folder, which I got from Walmart for a few dollars. I can probably make another 3 out of the single file folder.
The only downside I see, which can probably be tweaked by trimming the extender to mitigate it, is that it causes more drag as it acts like a mini sail that’s always working against you. LOL I’m not racing with this bike, so it’s a small sacrifice for keeping it clean! I’m sure someone more crafty could come up with a design that could be easily removed, although, my setup only requires you to pull the tape off. Easy enough.
We’re looking for a child trailer, but I have a Burley Travoy (highly recommended!) and a regular cargo trailer, which is awesome for heavy grocery hauls. I also use panniers quite often, so it depends on what I’m doing and I just pick an option that’ll work best.
Most trailers you get at the retail level only have 100lbs limits, but you can get custom trailers that can haul pianos. LOL They have integrated brakes for safety, but there’s no limit to what you can haul on a bike!
But yeah, I’ve heard of people simply using child trailers to haul cargo, so that works!
100lbs has been plenty for us, but I do want something bigger, if only to “haul” my wife around (she doesn’t like to ride). That said, a rack, panniers, and a kid trailer have enabled me to do all kinds of trips.
I’ll have to look around at higher weight options. I live near a lake (<5 miles) and would love to bring a couple kayaks.
Kayak “trailers” are way more simple than you might think! Here’s one example from Wike.
Awesome! Now to see if I can carry two so my two kids can share one.
LOL. I’m sure options exist!
I’ve seen tandems that are recumbent in front, regular seat behind. I think that’s the best option if you want to talk with your partner while riding.
That would be awesome!
this one looks like the one I saw once.