Using bikes on the farm question...?

[nao57]

So... occasionally I hear stuff about what they are doing to try to rip us off on gasoline price hikes. And then sometimes I also see people using normal bikes (not motorbikes; bicycles) on the farm to get around. I don't really like the idea that we're going to have some petrol/gas issues in the future. But recently people were talking about Saudi Arabia making some meetings with the BRICS nations. And then not to long after that people then reported that Saudi Arabia may be doing an embargo against oil going to the US.

This actually happened during the Jimmy Carter regime. And people will tell you that people nearly lost everything during that period. Some people half starved and their industries were impoverished.

...

This made me think as an insurance against gas price inflation, I don't have to use my car on the farm. I could rig up the bicycle (foot pedaled). But its also known that when you go off road and when you are going into wild terrain that you have stickers, thorns, and all kinds of stuff. I've also seen people rig up small pull trailers to bicycles also, where you actually can pull some things if its a short distance and not too heavy a load. (And have any of you tried this?)

What kind of inner tubes or tires whatever should you have on a bicycle when you are expecting to go into off trail terrain that could have stickers, or whatever in it potentially? Any suggestions on a setup?

As long as tyrants are in office, anything could happen with the gas prices... or even having gas potentially is in question.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

If are seriously considering using a bicycle on the farm you would want to invest in a decent mountain bike with gear shifts, deeper tread and wider tires. I have pulled burleys filled with kids for 10+ miles to farm carts behind a bike on trails, but there is a big difference between pulling with a standard road bicycle vs. a mountain bike especially off trail. They can be pricey new, but if you can find a reputable bike shop they will often have used ones at a cheaper price. Even an older mountain bike at a garage sale if it’s been well maintained can last forever and you can usually get them fairly cheap because someone bought it, used it 5 times and now it’s taking up space in their garage. My mom recently found a $3000 mountain bike used a handful of times at a garage sale, but they were selling it for only $200 because they wanted it gone. Here is a good read on choosing tires if you already have a good bike that you can use:
https://www.liv-cycling.com/global/campaigns/how-to-select-mountain-bike-tires/24389

 

[nao57]

If are seriously considering using a bicycle on the farm you would want to invest in a decent mountain bike with gear shifts, deeper tread and wider tires. I have pulled burleys filled with kids for 10+ miles to farm carts behind a bike on trails, but there is a big difference between pulling with a standard road bicycle vs. a mountain bike especially off trail. They can be pricey new, but if you can find a reputable bike shop they will often have used ones at a cheaper price. Even an older mountain bike at a garage sale if it’s been well maintained can last forever and you can usually get them fairly cheap because someone bought it, used it 5 times and now it’s taking up space in their garage. My mom recently found a $3000 mountain bike used a handful of times at a garage sale, but they were selling it for only $200 because they wanted it gone. Here is a good read on choosing tires if you already have a good bike that you can use:
https://www.liv-cycling.com/global/campaigns/how-to-select-mountain-bike-tires/24389

Thank you very much. You are wonderful.

 

[saysfaa]

How big is your farm that the speed (and/or efficiency, maybe) of the bike would matter enough to be worth investing in? It isn't just the initial costs, its the upkeep of the equipment and lanes/trails, storage space, having it where you want it when you want it.

You might consider how other human-powered drafting or porting has been done in the past before choosing a method that fits your distances, terrains, and loads.

Push carts or sleds - design matters, fit matters more - like how high the bar is.

Pull carts or sleds are better than push carts or sleds for most applications. Antartic explorers discovered pulling from the hips with poles for the hands was the most efficient option for heavy loads over long distances of relatively smooth or semi smooth surfaces. They had hip harnesses made for them; there are still harness makers. Or, possibly, a simpler method of pulling from the hips would work well enough.

Tumplines, when done properly, are safer, more more efficient, and more functional than any other method of carrying loads. I think "any" but possibly it is only "among" the best methods. Tumplines are certainly better than even the best backpack designs.

Shoulder yokes work better for some things.

So... I've also seen people rig up small pull trailers to bicycles also, where you actually can pull some things if its a short distance and not too heavy a load. (And have any of you tried this?)

I had a Burley bike tailer when the kids were babies/toddlers that I pulled on pavement over flat land with a multi-speed (5-speed, I think) touring bike.

Maybe more speeds or different gearing or something would make a lot of difference but I would try all the other options for moving loads before trying a bike trailer on my hilly, sandy, brushy/treed/tall grass/marshy 40 acres.

I also had a little wagon - a seriously beefed-up version of a "little red wagon". It looked about like this picture except it was a little bigger, the bed was a heavy-duty plastic, and it had tie rod steering. I pulled five kids in it at the same time a few times (120 pounds, maybe, at least) with no issues other than the weight was certainly noticeable - if I was on the pavement. It was unpullable with more than one or two of the smallest kids in it if it was on the lawn. The wagon came with options of narrower tires or wider tires. I got the wider tires because I thought I could pull the kids over the lawn or dirt roads - the tires wouldn't sink in. I didn't realize how much more friction wider tires would have - there is a reason ten-speeds have such thin tires.

 

[saysfaa]

The wagon was to show what I had when I did a lot of thinking about pulling loads.

I would not get that wagon for farmwork.

 

[nao57]

How big is your farm that the speed (and/or efficiency, maybe) of the bike would matter enough to be worth investing in? It isn't just the initial costs, its the upkeep of the equipment and lanes/trails, storage space, having it where you want it when you want it.

You might consider how other human-powered drafting or porting has been done in the past before choosing a method that fits your distances, terrains, and loads.

Push carts or sleds - design matters, fit matters more - like how high the bar is.

Pull carts or sleds are better than push carts or sleds for most applications. Antartic explorers discovered pulling from the hips with poles for the hands was the most efficient option for heavy loads over long distances of relatively smooth or semi smooth surfaces. They had hip harnesses made for them; there are still harness makers. Or, possibly, a simpler method of pulling from the hips would work well enough.

Tumplines, when done properly, are safer, more more efficient, and more functional than any other method of carrying loads. I think "any" but possibly it is only "among" the best methods. Tumplines are certainly better than even the best backpack designs.

Shoulder yokes work better for some things.


I had a Burley bike tailer when the kids were babies/toddlers that I pulled on pavement over flat land with a multi-speed (5-speed, I think) touring bike.

Maybe more speeds or different gearing or something would make a lot of difference but I would try all the other options for moving loads before trying a bike trailer on my hilly, sandy, brushy/treed/tall grass/marshy 40 acres.

I also had a little wagon - a seriously beefed-up version of a "little red wagon". It looked about like this picture except it was a little bigger, the bed was a heavy-duty plastic, and it had tie rod steering. I pulled five kids in it at the same time a few times (120 pounds, maybe, at least) with no issues other than the weight was certainly noticeable - if I was on the pavement. It was unpullable with more than one or two of the smallest kids in it if it was on the lawn. The wagon came with options of narrower tires or wider tires. I got the wider tires because I thought I could pull the kids over the lawn or dirt roads - the tires wouldn't sink in. I didn't realize how much more friction wider tires would have - there is a reason ten-speeds have such thin tires.

Thank you for the chance to learn from your experience. I confess I've never heard of Tumplines. But I'm going to look it up now! And... yeah the wagon; multi-use function of both farm and kid entertainment seems good option too!

 

[nao57]

The wagon was to show what I had when I did a lot of thinking about pulling loads.

I would not get that wagon for farmwork.

I get it. Easier to pull buckets of feed, water in a wagon than to haul them by hand. Its a good idea.

 

[notabitail]

I have had good luck putting inner tubes with slime in them on sibling's bikes. They go ride in all the patches of brambles and the tube is just fine.

I have some tires on my bike that are super thick or something like that, though I doubt they would do well on a farm as they are meant for street usage.