canoe carts

[Riosacandaga]

Does anyone have any opinions on canoe carts ? Most of what I've seen use wheels that are kinda small. The heavy duty LLBean cart looks nice but it's $100. Here is a link for a homemade bike/canoe trailer.

http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Esullivan/canoe_bike.html

[Wldrns]

Does anyone have any opinions on canoe carts ? Most of what I've seen use wheels that are kinda small. The heavy duty LLBean cart looks nice but it's $100. Here is a link for a homemade bike/canoe trailer.
http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Esullivan/canoe_bike.html

That cart at LLBean is formerly known as the Canadian Walker. It is invaluable for long distance carries on roads and smooth trails and I'd definitely recommend it. I've modified one to carry a war canoe in the 90 miler canoe race and it has held up well, even though it is severely abused while running the carries. You need a carrier with large wheels of you plan to use a canoe carrier on trails with roots and rocks, and the pneumatic tires help out with that also. The crew helps out by coordinated lifting over the rough spots. But in my observations during the race of all kinds of wheeled systems, no carrier works as well as you might like on rough trails.

I used the cart (with a tandem woodstrip canoe) on the Low's-Oswegatchie carry once, but in the end it was more work than it was worth. In many places the trail is not wide enough between logs (even 10 years after the 1995 blowdown) for the wheels to pass. I did less overall work other times on that trail by simply solo carrying the canoe. Even less work now that I use a Hornbeck. By the way, it is possible to carry a Hornbeck with rigid backpack mount on a bicycle, but I don't recommend going very fast.

[redhawk]

By the way, it is possible to carry a Hornbeck with rigid backpack mount on a bicycle, but I don't recommend going very fast.

And not on a windy day, unless it's a tailwind and you're in a hurry!!

[Old Rivers]

A friend & I made 1 for trail to Pharoah Lake out of bike tires but the rocks along that trail were bigger than the tires. It worked but it tore up the canoe & cart pretty well; Never used it again. Overall, it would have worked well on smoother trail. Makes it nice to transport gear too.

[Riosacandaga]

thanks for the quick feedback.. I ordered the cart from llbean today. took some of the bite out of it with a gift certificate from Lapland Lake.. (thanks Olavi and Ann !)
I started bldg the bracket for my canoe and mtn bike. I plan on running a 2x4 off the back of the bike secured to the bike rack and seat post. I'll run a 2x4 overlaid and secured with a wedge of plywood under the inside gunnells. where the two ends overlap I'll clip two eye bolts of each 2x4 with a biner. That should prevent the boat from banging into the bike wheel and give enough to make a turn. Clear as mud ?
I have a home built 16' solo canoe tht weights about 33#'s... the fulcrum point will be a bout 18" off the back of the bike. By keeping the axle of the canoe cart as close to centered as possible I figure that will reduce any leverage and load at the hitch. Any engineering types forsee any design flaw ? Suggestions welcome.
Thanks..

[Woodspirit]

Happy's Wheel A-Weigh from Pygmy Boats seems to be the best there is. Pricey though.

Woodspirit

[ADKlvr]

I finally broke down and made my own a little taller than most but same style 8" rubber wheels from 1" thin wall conduit. why did i wait so long?

[Adk Keith]

I'm not sure if this helps at this point, but some friends built their own cart using a single bike wheel under the canoe. it lifts the canoe well off the ground and the single wheel helps get around the rocks in the trail. I believe it utilized the front fork from a bike but unfortunately I can't recall how it then attached to the canoe. They had attached a cross piece across the back of the canoe to act as handlebars to guide it. I thought the single wheel was a great idea to snake your way through the rocks.

BTW Wldrns, I want to see a video of you with the Hornbeck on a bike. You are crazy!