grizz Posted April 8, 2011 Report Share Posted April 8, 2011 Today I finished painting the outside of the house a new colour, and also did the second coat of wood oil on the deck, followed by painting the facias white with enamel paint. After this I was a bit bored and thought it would look good if I used the white enamel paint brush I had used to paint all the facia boards and plant hangers around the house to paint the bike trailer white as well. Not a great colour for trials, but good for visibility. I ordered a towbar for Nicola's Peugeot 1007 this week, to be home fitted next Wednesday. Then I will be able to get to venues over weekends and possibly through the week while I continue to look for a job. Of course, typically, once at the garage my head started whiring, and I thought why not weld in a small support so that I can load and strap down the bike on my own when going riding or afterwards. A quick dig behind the shed got me some angle iron, and a different pile of scrap gave me a piece of heavy guage steel that looked like the right size. One angle grinder session later, it was clean and the very old nut and bolt that went through the hole was cut off. I welded the lot together, found a small offcut of 12mm marine ply, still left over from the Teardrop Trailer build, cut that to fit, drilled it and added a couple of gutter bolts to hold it in place. This will be perfect to put my cup of coffee and sandwich into when parked up between sections, or a helmet etc. After this I flipped the trailer over, painted the underside, then the topside. Will add the lightboard suitably reinforced tomorrow. So still not had time to practice riding the bike, as there was lets say a potentially unsavoury workforce excavating and laying a new driveway and parking for my neighbour this week, and I prefer not to show off, or make too much noise when there are eager ears and eyes out there...... IYKWIM Getting the bike onto the trailer with a log support and blocks to stop the wheels turning. Balanced as it should when I want to tie it down with the ratchets. Preparing one of the support pieces, self portrait again. Support and plate welded in. Nicola came down to see if I had managed to cut anything off, or weld myself to the chassis and took a pic of the progress. Done...... Paint still very wet, and small table in place, note recess if you can where the side stand will tuck into. Hopefully I will get the bike started over the weekend and practice my fine motor skills. In the mean time I again feel the need to mention the fact that I have the good fortune to have a wife who actively encourages me to enjoy the bike, and am hugely thankfull, even though I am sure I will "Pay up some time" I also need to dismantle some pallets and cut a railway sleeper to create and build a few simple obstacles. Thats all folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherco29 Posted April 8, 2011 Report Share Posted April 8, 2011 (edited) Its really interesting coming from the US seeing the way you guys haul your bikes! We put ours in the back of our huge full size diesel pickup trucks, or into a 6x12 enclosed trailer or some other overkill method! LOL I dig that trailer! Do you know what it weighs? Some blue fenders to match your bike on there would really finish it off! Edited April 8, 2011 by sherco29 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grizz Posted April 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2011 Its really interesting coming from the US seeing the way you guys haul your bikes! We put ours in the back of our huge full size diesel pickup trucks, or into a 6x12 enclosed trailer or some other overkill method! LOL I dig that trailer! Do you know what it weighs? Some blue fenders to match your bike on there would really finish it off! I used to have mudguards on that trailer, but it does not weigh much more than 60kg, so does have a certain amount of bounce and vibration on the road, and used to destroy its mudguards. Nicola did ask me if I was going to colour code and match the bike...... naaaahhh, it would be like the type of thing people do when they dress twins or all their kids the same.... or even husband and wife team dressing. Not quite my thing. The white paint brush was in use, so it was white, black would be my preferred colour . I am from a rural/farming upbringing, so would love a truck.... here in the UK we mainly get what you know as Mini-Trucks, so vans are the more common option as they are multi purpose and secure. Some people use carriers on cars as small as Ford Focus' and 4x4's to carry a bike like this, if they do not have space, money for a trailer. Last weekend I did see a variation on the trailer theme..... even shorter, with the bike rested on its bash plate and strapped down, again a Ford Focus to give size perspective. As you can se in the background of my GS along with the Scorpa which came in Jon's van, many people use small vans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b40rt Posted April 9, 2011 Report Share Posted April 9, 2011 I used to have mudguards on that trailer, but it does not weigh much more than 60kg, so does have a certain amount of bounce and vibration on the road, and used to destroy its mudguards. Car tyres cut to fit do the job of mud guards, free and last for ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grizz Posted April 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 Car tyres cut to fit do the job of mud guards, free and last for ever. LOL, and you live in Edinburgh ? Great idea, like you say, Free and it works, but I can't be a***d to fit them. Trailer done, Next up, dismantle a few pallets and a sleeper and build a few small obstacles. Pics later if I remember to take them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizza5 Posted April 10, 2011 Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 Is that Canabis growing out the bottom of your hedge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy Posted April 10, 2011 Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 Is that Canabis growing out the bottom of your hedge? Only for Medical Purposes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b40rt Posted April 10, 2011 Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 "but I can't be a***d to fit them." Could be wrong, but not sure that's a legal defence. FWIW, I tried all the plastic and metal guards over the years but they broke, rusted, bent etc. The tyres apart from being free actually work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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