48K
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Kiting on pebbles...
Perhaps a crazy idea...but do any of you buggy experts kite-buggy on pebbles? Our local beach is about 1 mile long, and has a fairly flat (50m wide)
top section, but is 100% pebbles that are about 1-3 inch in diameter. The surf-rescue quad bike burns around on this stuff no problem (leaving
tracks). Would a buggy (with wide wheels) do the same? For kite-landboading: are there any oversized ATB wheel-mods out there that might work on this
type of terrain?
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Windstruck
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So.... Big Foot tires.... helmet, some protective eye wear and maybe a chest plate (?). A front fender would be dandy too and maybe a splash guard
fanning out under the down tube. I'm thinking of course about the random 1-3 inch rock getting kicked up as you rocket down the beach powered up.
I'd sure as heck hate to get hit by some of those!
Landboarding? Wow. Here's a recent thread with a picture of a landboard with some massive tires. http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=34045#pid32...
Born-Kites:
RaceStar+ (3.0m, 5.0m, 7.0m, 9.0m, 14.0m)
RaceStar (9.0m, 11.0m)
NasaStar-4 (2.5m, 4.0m, 5.5m, 7.0m)
NasaStar-3 (custom 3.2m)
Flysurfer Kites:
Peak-5 (2.5m)
Buggy:
Peter Lynn BigFoot+ nose & tail; midsection VTT rail & seat kit; home-brewed AQR
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SWATK Member UT0003
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jeffnyc
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I never updated that thread... it took me a while before I had a chance to use that thing. It totally rocks. I got it because of the soft sand spots I
was plowing into, which it handles with ease, but added benefit is it flows through potholes and rocks at the airport. I would imagine it would have
no problem with the rock beach you mention. The deck is a little high, which took me a tiny bit of getting use to, but doesn't bother me. But with
that, you have an increased propensity for speed wobbles, so you need to tighten your trucks a lot. You also have to watch out for your feet hitting
the wheels. Hasn't been too much of a problem so far. I haven't pushed it too hard, but did start feeling a bit unstable around 20mph.
I've since been upgraded to a Fleboardz Haize... if you can get your hands on one of those, it would probably be the ultimate on that type of terrain.
I was thinking of moving the grannies over to the Haize, but the 9 inch tires on that seem to be perfect so far, so no real reason.
Plummet on Extreme Kites has pushed the concept even further with some wide go-cart tires.
The grey wheels are great, but a little expensive, you can do a lot cheaper with Harbor Freight or similar. And since your terrain is rocks, you will
probably do well with treads, the grooves I got supposedly do well in sand. If your board is MBS, make sure you have hubs that can take 9 or 10 inch
tires. I got the MBS 5 Stars.
And yeah, listen to Windstruck... wear plenty of protection!
Foil: Speed5 18+12 | Speed3 15 | Sonic2 9m | Peak 5 4m
Arc: Phantom I 12m+18m
LEI: LF WOW 9m
FB: Flux 5m | Bullet 4.5 | Blurr 3.5 + 2.5 | Rage 2.5 | Beamer 1.8
Ride: Flexi Haize | MBS core 90 | SS Vision 140 | Mako 140 + King 165 | King Gee | SS Hover Glide | WB 5'6" | Burton Floater
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RedSky
Posts: 1742
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Where are you from 48k? I have ridden on pebbles at Dungeness in the UK.
It's a headland jutting out into the English Channel with a wildlife sanctuary deemed a Site of Special Scientific Interest connecting my two local
beaches of Greatstone and Cambersands. The perfect place to locate not one but two nuclear power stations and a Ministry of Defense firing range.
Some years ago we decided to ride this isolated spot and had ourselves a most memorable day. The entire length is angled, so if you hang your kite
low, you can take advantage of the wind as it accelerates up the bank. I found some old footage on my hard drive if you're interested. I'm not sure
how old it is. I estimate its from around 2009.
I found that the pebbles will not fly up and hit you. They only start flying when you powerslide, but even then they don't hit you.
https://youtu.be/dEIVcZr15yQ
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Windstruck
Posts: 3338
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That is a GREAT video! That does look like a great day. At exactly 1:20 in your video is a great shot of your pebble protector, which appeared to me
to be a piece of wide rigid material extending below the sloped and angled down tube. Great design: ideal for deflecting small, hard projectiles.
With no power going to the wheels I do so how there would be little reason for rocks to get kicked up. Something freaky happening though could wreck
your whole day.
Thanks for the video share - that was a really cool spot to buggy! 
Born-Kites:
RaceStar+ (3.0m, 5.0m, 7.0m, 9.0m, 14.0m)
RaceStar (9.0m, 11.0m)
NasaStar-4 (2.5m, 4.0m, 5.5m, 7.0m)
NasaStar-3 (custom 3.2m)
Flysurfer Kites:
Peak-5 (2.5m)
Buggy:
Peter Lynn BigFoot+ nose & tail; midsection VTT rail & seat kit; home-brewed AQR
NAPKA Member US2815
SWATK Member UT0003
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abkayak
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sounds horrible
looks great
US-31...Cquad set/ 2.5 Bullet/ 2.6 Viper/ 2.9m Reactor/ 2- 3.5m Bullet/ 3.6 Beamer/ 4m Buster/ 4m Toxic/ 4m Ikon dp/ 4.5 Bullet/ 4.9m Blade/ 5.6
Twister/ 6.6m Blade/ 7.5 Apex/ 9m Fuel/ Phantom I 9,12,15,18/ 2 Flexibugs/ PL Big Foot/ landboards
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D Cheek
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Check out this You Tube;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9-X9JkVKw8
Kite Buggy Adventure Race - Naki Nut Buster 2013 == UNCUT ==
Watch till the end, you'll laugh all the way.
Make's me think I need to wear a cup!
NAPKA US 47
Too much stuff.
Ivanpah with Big Kid mods and AQR.
1.8m Beamer 2.5m Beamer
3.5m ZebraZ 2, 4.3m Zebra Z2, 6m Zebra Z2,
Zebra 4.0m Checka, 10m Zebra Z1 on the way.
4.0m Ozone Access DP foil prototype
Wipeka 5.6m DP
8.6m PL Reactor
A- 9-12-16m DP's not flown yet. Like foils better
Other junk and stuff for kite fun and RC.
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jeffnyc
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Best race ever!
Not sure granny tires would fare too well on the big rocks tho... at least not in my hands. That's in Plummet's neck of the woods, I wonder if he's
ever tried...
Foil: Speed5 18+12 | Speed3 15 | Sonic2 9m | Peak 5 4m
Arc: Phantom I 12m+18m
LEI: LF WOW 9m
FB: Flux 5m | Bullet 4.5 | Blurr 3.5 + 2.5 | Rage 2.5 | Beamer 1.8
Ride: Flexi Haize | MBS core 90 | SS Vision 140 | Mako 140 + King 165 | King Gee | SS Hover Glide | WB 5'6" | Burton Floater
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48K
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Great comments and links everyone - seems like I've hit an interesting (perhaps divisive) topic!
@redsky: I'm based in Brighton - long shingle beach, but gets rather crowded in summer haha! Do you live in/near Rye?
I've visited Dungeness a couple of years back. We stayed at a house in Longstone-on-sea. No kiting for me back then though. I'd kind of forgotten
about kites whilst the kids were tiny. Just re-exploring options...speaking of which: a pair of Flexi Blurr's were signed for by a neighbour on my
street today... :-) (clearly I am a sucker for an Amazon sale).
Watching those vids (which are great by the way!) I'm not sure, even if I had the space to store a buggy, that starting out on pebbles is going to be
a good idea...let me ponder it for a while!
@jeff: What diameter are those ATB tyres? I'm finding it hard to imagine they will work on the pebbles here on the UK South coast. I tried cycling on
it last night...very hard work on two 27.5x2.5 inch wheels/tyres. But perhaps it is different when you are being pulled by the wind?
What is the standard diameter of a buggy tyre anyone?
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jeffnyc
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What board do you have? Normally they come with 8" tires. Sometimes 9" on some of the more expensive models or as an upgrade. My grey grannys are 10".
If your stones are like the beach in red sky's video, they would most likely work, though I'm not sure it would be fun (worth a shot if that's your
only kite spot if you ask me). I can dig up links on hub/tires etc if you're interested. Indigowolf was super helpful as always, and looking up
plummet on you tube and some other kite sites was super helpful. His moose vid riding around dunes was what spurred me to try. https://vimeo.com/31279185
And thread: https://www.extremekites.com.au/topic/13196-sand-dune-landbo...
Blurrs have quickly become my favorite FB kites, nice choice
Foil: Speed5 18+12 | Speed3 15 | Sonic2 9m | Peak 5 4m
Arc: Phantom I 12m+18m
LEI: LF WOW 9m
FB: Flux 5m | Bullet 4.5 | Blurr 3.5 + 2.5 | Rage 2.5 | Beamer 1.8
Ride: Flexi Haize | MBS core 90 | SS Vision 140 | Mako 140 + King 165 | King Gee | SS Hover Glide | WB 5'6" | Burton Floater
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RedSky
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I think him having children is now out of the question. I like the idea of an
endurance buggy marathon through all kinds of terrains, but rocks, meh.
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RedSky
Posts: 1742
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Quote: Originally posted by Windstruck  |
That is a GREAT video! That does look like a great day. At exactly 1:20 in your video is a great shot of your pebble protector, which appeared to me
to be a piece of wide rigid material extending below the sloped and angled down tube. Great design: ideal for deflecting small, hard projectiles.
With no power going to the wheels I do so how there would be little reason for rocks to get kicked up. Something freaky happening though could wreck
your whole day.
Thanks for the video share - that was a really cool spot to buggy!
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Thanks Windstruck! An old piece of driftwood or something could cause you harm, so yes, protection is advisable, as is a helmet to protect you from
flying stones. You never know.
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RedSky
Posts: 1742
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| Quote: Originally posted by 48K |
@redsky: I'm based in Brighton - long shingle beach, but gets rather crowded in summer haha! Do you live in/near Rye?
I've visited Dungeness a couple of years back. We stayed at a house in Longstone-on-sea. No kiting for me back then though. I'd kind of forgotten
about kites whilst the kids were tiny. Just re-exploring options...speaking of which: a pair of Flexi Blurr's were signed for by a neighbour on my
street today... :-) (clearly I am a sucker for an Amazon sale).
Watching those vids (which are great by the way!) I'm not sure, even if I had the space to store a buggy, that starting out on pebbles is going to be
a good idea...let me ponder it for a while!
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I heard that it got so busy over the bank holiday that they closed Brighton to traffic! I live in EastGrinstead. Camber is about an hours drive, so
not quite so local but its the nearest one to me. Haven't been to Brighton since I was a kid. I remember the beach though. And who could forget that
video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=semzVdaACTU
Maybe we'll see you in your own video jumping off the sea defenses with your new Blurr's. Shingle is the very best surface to try jumping as it
absorbs impacts well. Look forward to the video.
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Windstruck
Posts: 3338
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Location: St George, UT, USA
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Mood: Get in my buggy!
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| Quote: Originally posted by RedSky | | Quote: Originally posted by 48K |
@redsky: I'm based in Brighton - long shingle beach, but gets rather crowded in summer haha! Do you live in/near Rye?
I've visited Dungeness a couple of years back. We stayed at a house in Longstone-on-sea. No kiting for me back then though. I'd kind of forgotten
about kites whilst the kids were tiny. Just re-exploring options...speaking of which: a pair of Flexi Blurr's were signed for by a neighbour on my
street today... :-) (clearly I am a sucker for an Amazon sale).
Watching those vids (which are great by the way!) I'm not sure, even if I had the space to store a buggy, that starting out on pebbles is going to be
a good idea...let me ponder it for a while!
|
I heard that it got so busy over the bank holiday that they closed Brighton to traffic! I live in EastGrinstead. Camber is about an hours drive, so
not quite so local but its the nearest one to me. Haven't been to Brighton since I was a kid. I remember the beach though. And who could forget that
video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=semzVdaACTU
Maybe we'll see you in your own video jumping off the sea defenses with your new Blurr's. Shingle is the very best surface to try jumping as it
absorbs impacts well. Look forward to the video.
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That video (and the many like ones that came both before and after is creation) always leave me with a similar impression, viz, that jumping and
flying under kite power is really quite easy and painless. It's the landing and dragging parts that come after that suck. More than 90% of the jumps
in that video didn't show the landing part. Balls the size of cantaloupes; brains the size of raisins. 
Born-Kites:
RaceStar+ (3.0m, 5.0m, 7.0m, 9.0m, 14.0m)
RaceStar (9.0m, 11.0m)
NasaStar-4 (2.5m, 4.0m, 5.5m, 7.0m)
NasaStar-3 (custom 3.2m)
Flysurfer Kites:
Peak-5 (2.5m)
Buggy:
Peter Lynn BigFoot+ nose & tail; midsection VTT rail & seat kit; home-brewed AQR
NAPKA Member US2815
SWATK Member UT0003
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hiaguy
Posts: 937
Registered: 6-26-2011
Location: Whitby, ON
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Natural selection at work 
Go ahead... tell me to "go fly a kite!" Please!
Howard KC67 NAPKA District #12 Representative
Fly: A quiver of Lynx' and Cores (did someone say "Pansh"?), a couple o' Arcs, and a Rev to remind me about control
Ride: PL XR+
Where: 43.857899, -78.941661 and 38.970951, -74.828922
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48K
Posts: 57
Registered: 3-18-2018
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Yeah Brighton was really busy over the weekend. We escaped on The Sunday and had a walk out from the South Downs ridge back into Stanmer. Beautifully
peaceful by comparison! I did get my first 2018 seaswim in on Saturday though too...
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48K
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@jeff. My board is an antique Scrub ATB. Maple deck and red hubs. 8 inch tyres I think.
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jeffnyc
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| Quote: |
@jeff. My board is an antique Scrub ATB. Maple deck and red hubs. 8 inch tyres I think.
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OK, then you probably need to replace the hubs with something that can take a 9 or 10 inch tire (tyre).
If the axle is like this:
https://www.atbshop.co.uk/mountainboard-accessories/scrub-sk...
9.54mm axle, so assuming you go with the MBS five star hub you would need 9.5mm X 28mm bearings
(if the axel is 12mm, then get 12mm x 28mm bearings... or if your bearings are already 28mm and in good shape, just reuse those)
Hub: FiveStar https://www.atbshop.co.uk/mountainboard-accessories/mbs-five...
Not sure if Trampa or Scrub have hubs that take 10" tires.
(not recommending buying there, it's just the place I found in search)
Tires: 10"x3" (3.00-4, 260X85) Pneumatic Mobility Tire with Spirit Ribbed Tread (Primo) (plus inner tubes that fit with elbow valve). You do not need
to get that exact tire, just the size. Lots of cheaper scooter, wheelbarrow and go cart tires available.
Do a search here for granny tires and you will come up with info from other folks that have done this as well.
Have you tried with the board you have now? I know a big part of my problem at first was not keeping the kite high enough, and not leaning back far
enough to power thorough the soft spots. The rocks would probably give you an equal amount of resistance, so assuming you could get yourself rolling
you might be able to lean back and slide through them. Just guessing at this point...
Foil: Speed5 18+12 | Speed3 15 | Sonic2 9m | Peak 5 4m
Arc: Phantom I 12m+18m
LEI: LF WOW 9m
FB: Flux 5m | Bullet 4.5 | Blurr 3.5 + 2.5 | Rage 2.5 | Beamer 1.8
Ride: Flexi Haize | MBS core 90 | SS Vision 140 | Mako 140 + King 165 | King Gee | SS Hover Glide | WB 5'6" | Burton Floater
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RedSky
Posts: 1742
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| Quote: Originally posted by Windstruck |
More than 90% of the jumps in that video didn't show the landing part. Balls the size of cantaloupes; brains the size of raisins. |
I think given the edgy nature of the video and its title, the 10% of landings that did make the final cut were their most extreme, but even they were
lame. I must admit, even after all these years, its still one of my favorite vids.
I know, the brain the size of a raisin.
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