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I'm planning some big hiking days in the highlands, some of which would be much more sensible if a bike would be there at some remote location for a 10km+ ride back out to the car/bothy. This would be on rough old tracks or landrover tracks.
The problem is getting the bike there in the first place the day before. It's too far and rough to just ride one handed and push the other bike with my spare hand. Obviously I could ride the one bike there and walk back, but that's hardly efficient.
I'm not really expecting a practical answer, but great if there is one, and interested to hear what you come up with!
Stick it on your back and ride there.
Karrimor Hot Earth rucksack stuffed with a couple of sleeping bags. Or remove one pedal. Sorted
I'm not strong enough to do that unfortunately! IIRC it was you who went up a mountain carrying a Bird AM9 plus 50kg of climbing gear - I can only dream of such feats!
Remove wheels and get them strapped to the frame, tie spare bike to your back and ride it in. Remember a bike lock and the key. A rucksack with padding would work well between bike and you. It shouldn't be too awkward once it is strapped down and on you. Just avoid narrow spaces.
Should be doable unless the spare bike is made of solid iron as it really will be too heavy.
Edit started this before your reply but got distracted... hadn't seen your reply. Ride it in and walk out if it can't be carried. Remember bike lock and leave a note explaining why it is there.
Riding bike on back, Wythenshawe style, is pretty taxing, probably could be done with rests if you really wanted to. I've done it 5 miles home from work a few times, on the road with a light bike, and it's OK. But off road with a non-light bike would be arduous.
Must admit I don't quite understand the scenario - can't you just ride in and go for the hike, then ride back? Or is it a point to point situation so you're not coming back in a circle?
I have done this successfully by lashing the front wheel of the towed bike to the side of the pannier rack on the bike I was riding. Front axle takes care of up and down motion, steering head of side to side
Needs a pannier rack tho
Use a BoB trailer? Or what about some kind of Towbuddy setup?
Must admit I don’t quite understand the scenario – can’t you just ride in and go for the hike, then ride back? Or is it a point to point situation so you’re not coming back in a circle?
The route is a loop, hiking over mountains to the furthest point in the loop, returning to the start on tracks.
Worst case scenario, you've done the hiking bit and are at the furthest point, now you have to walk back 3 hours on a slightly downhill or flat track, wishing you had your bike.
Gotcha. I guess you don't have an ebike? That would be problem solved to ride with the bike on your back. That aside I can't think of an easy way to do it.
Do walk the other way around with initial ride, leave bike, massive hike, back to base to sleep. Next day easy stroll to retrieve bike?
Borrow a Follow me Tandem?
I guess you don’t have an ebike? That would be problem solved to ride with the bike on your back.
No, although from Ambrose's post above I think I might need one to tow my new trailer. And I need a van to carry all this.
Do walk the other way around with initial ride, leave bike, massive hike, back to base to sleep. Next day easy stroll to retrieve bike?
Many walks are better in a certain direction, e.g. steepness, scenery ahead. Regardless, this is just a reversal of:
Obviously I could ride the one bike there and walk back, but that’s hardly efficient.
This is something I've been wanting for a street trials bike (saddle far too low to sit and peddle, gearing too low to maintain any sort of pace).... Was why I thought the QR ebike motor from bimotal.com I posted about the other day was interesting (but at near $2k not likely).
I have done this successfully by lashing the front wheel of the towed bike to the side of the pannier rack on the bike I was riding. Front axle takes care of up and down motion, steering head of side to side
That might work for me, thanks.
...now you have to walk back 3 hours on a slightly downhill or flat track, wishing you had your bike.
I know the feeling well. The only practical suggestion I can offer is to see the return walk from the drop-off as a challenge in itself and run it. Flat pedals, which you'll want anyway for hiking boots, and fell runner shoes and you'll be back at the van in no time.
...or at any rate a lot less than three hours. Scout pace ftw.
Find a fellow hiker who wants to do the same walk and persuade them to do it in the opposite direction? They can use your bike for the initial walk/ride in, then "abandon" it at an agreed point for you to use on the way out...
🤷♂️
I'm in Stirlingshire and have an Edinburgh bike's 'Bob style' trailer that you're welcome to borrow. It's a bit old school though, attaching to the bike via a 9mm rear QR. With a bit of creative lashing down, It'd easily carry the 2nd bike.
Craig.
Find a fellow hiker who wants to do the same walk and persuade them to do it in the opposite direction? They can use your bike for the initial walk/ride in, then “abandon” it at an agreed point for you to use on the way out…
Unethical and unlikely to work on someone committed enough to do a hike of this proportion given
Many walks are better in a certain direction, e.g. steepness, scenery ahead.
I’m in Stirlingshire and have an Edinburgh bike’s ‘Bob style’ trailer that you’re welcome to borrow. It’s a bit old school though, attaching to the bike via a 9mm rear QR. With a bit of creative lashing down, It’d easily carry the 2nd bike.
Thanks for the offer! Realistically though if I ever get round to these adventures I'm going to trail the setup near home rather than detour to Edinburgh on the way up and last minute bodging in a B&B.
TJs way works perfectly well.
A roighstuffer would just take the bike all the way round
During Jamie's Munro Challenge, a key part of the process was getting a bike dropped out in remote locations, so that she could grab it and go on towards the next stage. We had a rack adapter fabricated and added to the back of Andy's own FS bike; effectively a standard rear pannier rack on his rear triangle, with a front axle mount from a car roof rack welded on to the top of this pannier rack. The towed bike front dropout sits up on this mount, with its front wheel lashed on to the non-drive side of the frame. Worked a treat, we used it at least a couple of dozen times. It's a heavy drag on the tow bike though and I bet he needs new frame bearings by now...
I'm sure that any good village blacksmith could weld up something like this if given a clear steer.
sounds like an excuse to buy a cargo bike:
https://www.ternbicycles.com/en/support/kb/342744/how-tow-bike-gsd
https://www.ternbicycles.com/en/accessories/471/bike-tow-kit
If youve got scope for a pannier rack, it should be pretty easy to work out how to mount or just strap on the front end of a bike to follow behind.
I have done this successfully by lashing the front wheel of the towed bike to the side of the pannier rack on the bike I was riding
Best method but you will have to experiment with how best to strap on.
A roughstufferwould just take the bike all the way round
Don't discount this approach, best done Witham simple light bike like a rigid mtb or gravel bike and except that you will to be hooning down the hills but benefit of a light bike for the hike.