Bikes and my Trip around Australia - Would you take them?

[r0ssrg]

Hi

OK all, this question has been doing my head in. 

Do we take 2 bikes for the kids (Campbell is 10 and Mia is 7yrs old), bikes for Jen and I as well, or leave the bikes at home?

Plan is a trip around Australia for 6-7 months next year.  Don't want to just follow the tarmac but to test the Nav and Modcon.  Hopefully tackle the Gibb River Road as well.  Free camping and camp grounds.

I've heard the bull dust can mean that I'll spend many hours fixing the bikes.  Also worried about the bike rack I'll need and whether it will survive?

Finally will they use them enough to warrant the effort?  (I could see me using them for the pit stops and camping grounds)

Appreciate your thoughts Team Swaggers ...

Rossco

[barneys]

will they keep the kids happy if yes you answered it your self

[BigJules]

I'd be inclined to take the kids bikes. I've taken bikes for my wife and I but not used them nearly enough to justify the damage they sustained.

[heath74]

Always take the kids bikes, especially if you are spending much time in CPs

[lilstookie]

We took Lils (wife) pushy with kids seat on back. It's been used a bit. Enough to warrant keeping it.
For dad we took the single cylinder Suzuki DR650 for fun in the dirt tracks and a cape trip and probably the Simpson.
Towing with the motorbike makes little difference to fuel economy and stability.


Sent from my brain using my fingers.

[GeoffA]

If it were me, I'd leave the bikes at home. More trouble than they're worth.
When we were away on a 3 month trip years ago, our kids were 10 and 8. We left the bikes at home, and they weren't missed at all. We've never taken them with us on mobile holidays...........

[Nutto]

Rossco
We did 4 months on the road from Sept last year. Our boys are 11 & 9 and we took their bikes only, and they were a godsend to have.  We wanted to take ours too, but it was just too hard to fit them in somewhere.  They used them whenever we were stopped for more than a couple of days and they loved the idea of riding in new spots.  We free camped, nat park camped and CP camped when recharge & washing time, so they weren't just confined to riding around a CP.
We had the bikes on the camper roof rack, lying on an old screen door and dust wasn't too bad up there - WD40 kept them going and I had little maintenance to do on them.  I think if they were hanging on a rack at the back of the camper, they may have been a bit worse off on the dirt.
They were no trouble at all to take, and if we knew they weren't going to be used at a camp, I left them on the roof. 
Check out our blog link, there should be some pics in there i think.

 
Nutto

[Kit_e_kat9]

If you want to take adult bikes ... get some fold up jobbies.  Not the best bikes for long distance or hill climbing, but they will keep you entertained and are great to hit the shop for milk.  I can't see the kids doing many k's a day and a fold up would be a good way to keep up with them around the camp ground.

Kit_e

[cruisindub]

We had some great fold up bikes on the boat. Used them all them all the time. Ride into town,bring back shopping, eccentric if we weremoored at end of port.
They weren't cheap, but lasted the distance. Salt water spray and rain etc.
Wd40, kept em going. The flat three was an issues, but was easy with practice.
they weren't the ones with tiny wheels, nor the full size mountain bike ones either. Just good adult size with a good size wheel. Foldedup to bag, but we left them on quay, chained up when in port. I wish I had them in our camper. Make it easier to seethe towns cities etc. They folded easily into bag. Dust kept out then.
I always wanted one of the full size mountain bike ones, like the Mantoba brand, but at the time were too expensive. But for ease of travel were awesome.
Though we don't have kids, if they are young, its great way for them to keep up with you for fast walking.

[r0ssrg]

Hi All

Thanks for your comments ...

Re bike carriers:  The Modcon has a spare wheel on the tail gate and a spare wheel on the draw bar after the large front locker but before the stone guard.  It is mounted to the Trailer by a square hitch.  I could use this and install a standard tow bar bike rack or buy a spare wheel bike rack for the back.

Any suggestions on which one I should use?

My thoughts are these:   Mounting on the back is quick and easy, helps with weight as the drawbar is very heavy. Also means the 2nd spare wheel for the Modcon can stay on the CT and not on the roof of the Nav.  Downside is the bikes will get bounced around more.

Mounting at the front will be safer for the bikes, but will be harder to mount the bikes, mean the spare wheel will be mounted on the roof of the Nav.

Anyone have any experience?

Thanks heaps

Rossco

[fishfinder]

i have taken the kids bikes - 10 , 7 and 4 year olds also took their scooters the bikes never got used but the scooters entertained them and alot easier to carry

[Joff]

We took em. Sure they get a bit knocked about but nothing liberally applied WD40 doesn't sort out. I lashed one to the spare tyre and one to the top of the fridge box.

personally I'd trust a proprietary bike carrier about as far as I could throw it off the tar

[Vk3bq]

i think this has answered my question, bikes for masters 3 and 5 (they ride them NON stop when they can) and we leave the 2x adult bikes at home..  thanks all

[weeds]

i took scooters on one trip, they fold down nice and small and nothing to really go wrong

[02-SR5]

I allways take ours everywhere, however, I really hate fitting girls bikes.

The above will show you what I did. I have the option of fitting them to the rear, but that is a lot of over hang and I cannot see what is going on back there.

I wont say this is the best option, I am only showing you what I did and may be of some help.

Rob

[JB]

We mount the bikes on the spare wheel on the back of the Truck like this.



We find this the best spot for us because the don't need to be removed to open doors or set up.  We now leave this rack on permanently and take the kids bikes with us often, even day trips.   

This is probably not an option for you on the Nav without an aftermarket rear wheel carrier.

When resolving this, I was worried about the additional load that the bikes would put on the wheel carrier, particularly the lever force as the bikes bounce up and down.   So I modified the rack by adding some straps that distributed most of the weight from the spare to the top of the door. (see picture)   

My suggestion is, if you mount it on the spare on the trailer, first have a good look at how the spare is attached to the trailer to see whether this connection point can take the additional load and potential fatigue of constantly bouncing bikes.


Cheers

JB

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[sako]

If we are moving around a bit I just take the kids scooters as they are easy to store etc...

If we are base camping I will sometimes take both bikes and scooters.

[r0ssrg]

I allways take ours everywhere, however, I really hate fitting girls bikes.

The above will show you what I did. I have the option of fitting them to the rear, but that is a lot of over hang and I cannot see what is going on back there.

I wont say this is the best option, I am only showing you what I did and may be of some help.

Rob

What a great setup Rob.  Well done.  My Modcon doesn't have the middle bar, but is a bit front heavy anyway.  Think I'll mount mine on the spare wheel.

Rossco

[r0ssrg]

Thanks JB,  The Modcon is built tough and have taken the bikes on small trips. 

I think the current plan is to mount the bikes here for most of our trip around Oz.  When the going gets tough, I'll pop them on the roof so they don't bounce around too much out the back.

Rossco

We mount the bikes on the spare wheel on the back of the Truck like this.



We find this the best spot for us because the don't need to be removed to open doors or set up.  We now leave this rack on permanently and take the kids bikes with us often, even day trips.   

This is probably not an option for you on the Nav without an aftermarket rear wheel carrier.

When resolving this, I was worried about the additional load that the bikes would put on the wheel carrier, particularly the lever force as the bikes bounce up and down.   So I modified the rack by adding some straps that distributed most of the weight from the spare to the top of the door. (see picture)   

My suggestion is, if you mount it on the spare on the trailer, first have a good look at how the spare is attached to the trailer to see whether this connection point can take the additional load and potential fatigue of constantly bouncing bikes.


Cheers

JB

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD