Kickbike Setup and Review

Hey Tribe,

"What's the difference between a kickbike and an adult scooter?"  Well, for one thing, 'kickbike' sounds a lot cooler.

Overlooking the Susitna River

"Hey, you're missing parts of your bike." Nah, I actually paid good money to not have those parts.  I feel a lot safer knowing I can just step off the thing rather than having to swing my leg up and over a seat and my center of gravity is lower.

Near Eurkea, AK

Let's talk about the kickbike!

Moose flats bridge

First, it is plainly and simply super fun to ride.  Second, it is a fantastic way to exercise my dogs and we get to do something together.  Third, well, I just feel cool.

UAF Experimental Farm trails

We've had an entire season of use with it, so I feel comfortable recommending it to you all and can point out some things I love and some things I do not love.  Since I'm combining my review with how I set up and use the kickbike, this will be a slightly longish, but beneficial, post.

Byron Glacier

I bought my kickbike from Kickbike America, but was incredibly frustrated to discover that though they advertise "flat shipping fee of $60 in the US" they don't honor that statement.  They were willing to ship it to me, but rather than the promised $60 fee, they were going to charge me over triple that amount.  To add insult to injury, when I sent them an email about it, the guy who replied had the audacity to say I must be used to paying higher shipping fees since I live in Alaska.  Seriously? Who gets used to that?  Alaska is the 6th largest international cargo transportation hub in the world, so it isn't as if we're way out of the way.  There has to be a better shipping solution  

Fit for Finnish dogs

So, I did what all irritated Alaskans do and had the kickbike shipped to a relative who lives in the lower 48, then flew down and brought the box back up with me as checked luggage.  The cost of the airfare was still cheaper than what Kickbike America was going to charge me.  Yeah.

Such a hassle, but worth it

Anyway, let's move on from my distaste for the company's shipping woes and representatives and get back to the product, which I do actually like.

I like being out with my dogs

Assembling the kickbike was mostly straightforward, but we (it was a group effort) did have difficulties getting the wheels in place with the brakes all lined up properly.  I ended up just riding with a squeaky wheel for a bit until I got a bicycle savvy friend to take a look and fix it for me - took him all of two minutes and I was squeak free.

Silent ride along the Denali Highway

So, how does it ride?

Spoiler alert - it rides great on smooth surfaces

As I mentioned earlier, I love that I can just step off the kickbike - it's easier than trying to dismount from a bicycle.  People with flexibility limitations will find the kickbike delightfully accommodating.  People with giant feet may find the foot platform a little tight - I wear shoe size 8 womens and have plenty of room; people who have giant bodies may find the handle bar too short - I'm just under 5'10" and feel I have to slouch a bit, but not uncomfortably so, and when "rough riding" I'm bent at the knees anyway, so the handlebar height is perfect.

One size fits most

That being said, I have crashed. Several times.  I'll talk about the reasons in a minute, but want to say here that I always, always, always wear a helmet.  I dutifully don a snowboard helmet, because it wraps around the sides and back of the head better than a bicycle helmet: crashes on a kickbike typically cause me to fall to the side or backwards and a snowboard helmet is designed for just such impact.  Oh, and I'm totally going to buy kevlar motorcycle pants with knee/hip padding this season.  Gloves are nice too.

Wearing my helmet as we stop to play and cool off at Jim Lake

Propelling myself is easy and fun and I feel like a kid cruising around: the squishy suspension is fun, as is the silly bell on the handlebar.  Going up hill is still a chore, but I'm weak and out of shape.

These chubs are also currently out of shape.

That's why I use dogs and the primary reason I own the kickbike is for them to pull me and we can do this exciting activity together.  However, I quickly learned that wheels and pulling lines don't mix well - if the dogs' pulling line goes slack, it can get caught in the front tire and cause the bike to lock up and we all crash and burn.  It's bad. Very bad.  A lot of websites, including Kickbike, sell these funny arm things that suspend out from the front of the bike like a narwhal or unicorn horn and are designed to hold the line out from the bike wheel a bit.  But none of them can prevent the line from going slack and then you still risk running over the line, getting caught, and causing mayhem.  Enter the Tug and Tow mushing rig.  AKA, Salvation.  It is very much like a retractable leash that attaches to your bike and brilliantly keeps the line taught at all times.  I can't see how there is ever any danger of the pulling line getting caught in the front wheel with this setup; I cannot understand why anyone would want to use anything other than this genius device.  No, not a sponsored ad, I paid for my own setup and those folks don't even know I exist to write this, I just seriously believe this product is amazing.  Go buy it and be as happy as I am!  Oh, and you'll look cool and clever too, because everyone will want to look at it and ask about it.  Look closer at all my kickbike photos to see the Tug and Tow in use.

Designed for one or two dogs - Rex just wears both clips when he runs alone.

Since the kickbike rolls, the dogs have no problem pulling me and we cruise with ease.  I bought the Kickbike Cross Max, which boasts the highest ground clearance of their models and "tires that eat up any trail, shocks that smooth it out, disk brakes that will keep you out of trouble, and looks that give bears nightmares."  With a description like that, it sounds like it was specifically designed for Karelian Bear Dogs!  The website goes on to say it "was made for competitive dog mushing through extreme terrains." Awesome!  I'm not competitively mushing, but the KBDs and I do go pretty hard on gear and Alaska trails are rather extreme, so this seemed like a perfect fit.

Kickbike/KBD combo - maybe we'll give a Grizzly a nightmare today.

Let's recall that bit about extreme trails and eating it all up; well I ate dirt on the first real trail we rode, but I don't think that's what the company meant, and I'm pretty disappointed in that regard.  See, the kickstand is poorly placed and mounted so low it catches on most any root that rises above the dirt.  When it catches, the bike flips and I go flying.  Not sure what Kickbike considers extreme terrain to be, but any trail with exposed roots is apparently too extreme - practically every trail in Alaska.  Bummer.

Photo taken shortly before hitting a root and breaking part of the kickbike.

Oh, and those swell disk brakes?  All they do is lock up the tires, which leave rubber skid marks on the pavement, but do nothing to slow down the bike when it is being pulled by my two dogs.  That's not helpful.  Keep in mind this kickbike is designed and advertised to be pulled by running dogs, so it isn't like I'm using it outside the realm of it's intended use.  I'll work on my "whoa" command some more with the KBDs and use that as a verbal brake.

They're not even fast, pulling beasts - we enjoy trotting at a 5 mph pace.

Other than those two rather significant downsides, I do still like the kickbike and enjoy using it (on smooth, root and divot free trails and bike paths).  The dogs can run and I can go with them and we get to do something together.  Using the kickbike is an enjoyable way to explore; it is one of our favorite summer activities and we plan to ride often!

Denali Highway Weekend

Hey Tribe,

Road trip season has arrived in Alaska!  Usually, this means roadways chocked full of motorhomes, but this season has started more mild, so, to keep the feel alive, we loaded up the Scamp and did a little 500+ mile road trip of our own.

Serious road trippers

The abandoned Paxson Lodge marks the beginning of the Denali Highway

Most of our time was spent rambling and rumbling along the Denali Highway; for added adventure along the way, we brought the kickbike and the kayak, but the lakes weren't quite thawed enough for paddling.

Happy dogs, ready for any kind of adventure!

Snow holds a strong grip at the higher points of the highway and the dogs were thrilled to romp in the cool winter glory.  Though they don't mind summer and all it's smells and growing things and creatures to inspect, their faces tell you everything you need to know about their thoughts regarding snow.

Happy Little Chappie

Fly never says no to snow

Rex is a snow swimming powerhouse

Happily the roads were in decent condition and snow free.  They were traffic free as well, with only an occasional passerby; this was ideal, because the dogs and I were able to kickbike along the road without fear of being run over.

Perfect day for a run

Snowmelt pitstops are so refreshing

The road is ours

Our journey was spent by ourselves and it truly felt as if we were the only travelers making our way across the expanse.  How very Alaskan.

The Denali Highway is 135 miles of gravel road that connects two of Alaska's main highways and "is certainly one of the most spectacular drives in the world" according to the completely *not* biased alaska.org which is a very nice resource to check if you are planning/dreaming a trip in Alaska.  

What I love most about the Denali Highway is its sweeping views and peeps at several glaciers; it has a lot to offer in the way of trails and lakes and is very much a choose-your-own-adventure experience.  Pull-outs and side roads are plentiful and we took advantage of many for snack/lunch breaks and to do a bit of leg stretching.

Rex and I take in the sights

Fly wonders why this painted portrait of herself is yellow and not b&w.

Our selected campsite was a gravel pit area off the road, so we had a bit of privacy.  Or so we thought.  As soon as I set the dogs free to romp and explore, Rex ran up over a gravel pile and out of sight.  Immediately, I called for him and a few seconds later he came running back to me shaking his head.  Something was wrong.  As he ran closer I saw what was wrong: he must have tried to kiss a porcupine from the look of the quills sticking out of his muzzle.  Rex was grabbed, pliers were grabbed, quills were grabbed.  Whew.  Guess we weren't as alone there in the gravel pit as we'd thought.  After dinner, both KBDs suddenly bolted for the ridge.  Another porcupine?  No, this time it was a caribou trying to covertly spy on us, but it turned and jumped away as we all rushed up to where it was previously skulking in the low brush; I re-called the dogs as the 'bou's fluffy backside grew smaller the further it ran across the tundra.  From our vantage, we spotted a lone moose browsing below us at the edge of a creek.  No, we definitely were not alone.  Oh, and that pesky porcupine came back later in the evening.  Ugh.  So much for privacy.

Rex keeps watch at camp

Fly prefers to keep watch of cooking dinner

Everyone gets their own bed when it's sleep time

A kickbike ride got our muscles going in the morning.  We passed several sleepy campers swatting thirsty mosquitoes and staggering around their campsites and I was happy we were on the road before other travelers so we had the morning and the songbirds to ourselves.

Ready to roll

Love these kinds of trails

Overlooking the Susitna River

The day was spent riding, driving, and stopping at prime overlooks and scenic pull-off spots so the dogs could frolic and sniff and we had a very enjoyable time, despite a storm that came pouring over the mountain range.  Alaska is beautiful, no matter the weather, and the Denali Highway never disappoints.

Fat Bike and Pulling Practice

Hi there!

Today was rather windy, but we wanted to get out and do something, so I aired up the tires on my fat bike and Fly and I headed into the woods.  Rabbit Slough is a great place to practice fat tire bike riding skills because it is flat (no hills) and just rough enough to need a bit more balance than on a paved road. 

By this time of year, the slough is frozen and there is enough snow to cover the slippery ice and provide grip for the tires.  Trees line the banks of the slough, so there is protection from the wind, but not too thick as to block views of the hay flats and mountains.  It was snowing on the mountains, but their lower half was visible.

Fly had on her harness so she could begin practice pulling light loads.  Her harness is a hand-me-down from my first Karelian, who inherited it from a dog before him.  Good thing my dogs are all about the same size: harnesses aren’t exactly inexpensive.  Anyway, since Fly still has baby bones, we used only about three pounds of weight to pull today.  I filled a milk jug with some water (not full, that’s 8 pounds) and set it outside to freeze.  Then I used a long lead and connected it with a carabiner to her harness. She is pretty good about trotting alongside the bike, so she was mostly practicing pulling skills: go forward or side to side, never backward, don’t turn in circles and get all tangled, etc. 

I got too hot about a minute and a half into our journey, so we stopped while I adjusted layers.  Back on the bike, the riding was going well until I hit a patch of exposed ice and nearly wiped out completely.  Twice.  Lesson learned: stay on the snow.

At our turnaround point, I set Fly free to run in the Hay Field for a bit.  It was rather windy, so we didn’t linger out there very long, though I’m sure she loved the wind and I was the wimpy one.  Look at this happy face.

We covered about 6 miles round trip today and I’m already planning a return trip, so we can go even further and make a whole day of it!