11 replies to this topic

[Edinburgh Colin]

I live in Scotland and have a Quickie Argon with 24" wheels fitted with Marathon + Evo tires. My house access is on a path which has a fair gradient and when it gets frosty etc I can foresee problems. I'm also looking for a set up for winter in general and also taking my son to mini rugby games on Sunday so propelling myself over grass/rugby pitches.

Any suggestions on wheel and tyre possibilities?

I was thinking 2" or so wide mountain bike knobbly tires fitted to 24" wheels (what rim details?) but need help sizing them or where to look for new or used sets.

Anybody got any experience or suggestions?

[nomis]

If you find an ideal combo for rugby pitches then you're a better searcher than me. When I was visiting my son's games (some years back) I had standard bike road tyres and they were hell. The newer, narrower high pressure tyres, of course, are worse.

On the pitch, the wheels sunk making it hard to push, clods of mud came up on to my hands and trousers, the car got smeared when I loaded the chair and myself.

Back home before I could go inside I had to clean the car, scrub mud out of the tyre treads and hose the chair before brushing myself down, maybe peeling off some gear in the laundrey, to enter the house for a wash.

But you gotta remember its all fun. No dad wants to miss out supporting his kids. It's only looking back that I think, holly mackerel, life was tough in those days.

Best of luck in your tyre choice. Have you considered a hovercraft, maybe with the cheaper option of converting the household vacuum-clearner?

[Travelling Blackbird]

For going off-road I use large tires (24") with a good tread like a mountain bike, and a good pair of gloves, and (and this is the important bit) large front castors. The large castors will roll over uneven surfaces and not get as bogged down as their small counterparts. A bit of camber on the wheels also helps.

If it's very wet, wheelies are a good way to cover ground - either a complete wheelie, or sort of a "hopping" wheelie where you wheelie, drop, wheelie, drop.

It's tiring, but it'll be worth it to be able to see your boy play.

[Edinburgh Colin]

nomis, on 08 October 2010 - 11:56 AM, said:

If you find an ideal combo for rugby pitches then you're a better searcher than me. When I was visiting my son's games (some years back) I had standard bike road tyres and they were hell. The newer, narrower high pressure tyres, of course, are worse.

On the pitch, the wheels sunk making it hard to push, clods of mud came up on to my hands and trousers, the car got smeared when I loaded the chair and myself.

Back home before I could go inside I had to clean the car, scrub mud out of the tyre treads and hose the chair before brushing myself down, maybe peeling off some gear in the laundrey, to enter the house for a wash.

But you gotta remember its all fun. No dad wants to miss out supporting his kids. It's only looking back that I think, holly mackerel, life was tough in those days.

Best of luck in your tyre choice. Have you considered a hovercraft, maybe with the cheaper option of converting the household vacuum-clearner?

Thanks,
Hovercraft, Hmm now there's an idea, already been through the wife having kittens when I come back and that's when it's still officially summer here!
Need to see about chunky back wheels/tires and somehow change them leaning on the car for clean ones in the boot or something, sounds like a recipe for hitting the deck though!

[dancin' johnny]

Hi Colin,

It might be worth giving Bill at Mobility Scotland a call, he supplied me with a pair of wheels fitted with Schwalbe wild thing tyres. Schwalbe don't make these tyres anymore but i believe he still has a few pairs in stock.

Mobility Scotland


Also have a look at this thread : http://www.apparelyz...ff-road-wheels/

Edited~wrong link!

Edited by dancin' johnny, 08 October 2010 - 05:08 PM.

[greybeard]

Hiya, If you've currently got 24" tyres, the chances are that you have 22" rims (507mm) If that's the case, THESE
will fit and are pretty good off road. Actually, because the centre of the tyre is slick, they're pretty good indoors too.

Have a look to see what marks are impressed on the current tyres and match the rim size in mm's.

For an explanation of tyre sizes have a look HERE
Without this guide you could easily do your head in!

Hope that helps.

Added: I forgot to mention, I got these tyres already fitted to the right sized wheels from Mobility Scotland. Mobility Scotland

Edited by greybeard, 08 October 2010 - 04:51 PM.

[Edinburgh Colin]

greybeard, on 08 October 2010 - 04:41 PM, said:

Hiya, If you've currently got 24" tyres, the chances are that you have 22" rims (507mm) If that's the case, THESE
will fit and are pretty good off road. Actually, because the centre of the tyre is slick, they're pretty good indoors too.

Have a look to see what marks are impressed on the current tyres and match the rim size in mm's.

For an explanation of tyre sizes have a look HERE
Without this guide you could easily do your head in!

Hope that helps.

Added: I forgot to mention, I got these tyres already fitted to the right sized wheels from Mobility Scotland. Mobility Scotland

Cheers GB, just dropped them an e-mail to see if they can help me out.

[Edinburgh Colin]

Bill got back to me and he now sells Challenger wheels with tires fitted for £200/pair. Still a bit pricey, might try and get some secondhand wheels and get GB's recommended Shwalbe Land Cruisers.
Much cheaper deal and may not need to make such adjustments to the brakes or maybe not at all.

[greybeard]

Edinburgh Colin, on 09 October 2010 - 09:48 AM, said:

Bill got back to me and he now sells Challenger wheels with tires fitted for £200/pair. Still a bit pricey, might try and get some secondhand wheels and get GB's recommended Shwalbe Land Cruisers.
Much cheaper deal and may not need to make such adjustments to the brakes or maybe not at all.

Bloody hell! That's a shame. He sold me bog-standard steel wheels plus tyres for about £80 for the two, I think - but it was a while back. Ebay sometimes has wheels.

[Edinburgh Colin]

he brought them round for me to see today, really solid and strong but light will fit straight on my Argon with just a longer axle required. Still the price £200 for the pair plus £20 for the new axles.

Need to look on e-bay for wheels and hope I can match sizes properly. They did look very tempting though!

[greybeard]

Edinburgh Colin, on 09 October 2010 - 10:18 PM, said:

he brought them round for me to see today, really solid and strong but light will fit straight on my Argon with just a longer axle required. Still the price £200 for the pair plus £20 for the new axles.

Need to look on e-bay for wheels and hope I can match sizes properly. They did look very tempting though!

I've always found Bill cheaper than anywhere else. He also goes the extra mile to see you satisfied, often offering a more expensive alternative at the same price if he hasn't got stock. He's a diamond. If you like the wheels he's got, I would go for it. At least he'll usually put he tube and tyre on for you.

[Edinburgh Colin]

GB,the price is for as fully built wheel - wheel, tire, tube, push rim(black anodised) and axle, plug and play if you like. He reckons the same set up is retailing for over £340/pair elsewhere and thinks the wheel is the same one Quickie is selling as their "off road option wheel" on the order form.
The pair he showed me are apparently the only ones in the UK but he expects more in about 2 weeks.