Power Kite Forum

Kite buggies

broken limbs - 21-2-2015 at 01:16 PM

Can anyone give me some advice on choosing a kite buggy! want to buy one off ebay and the choices in the UK look like peter lynn, flexifoil and Libre. The Libre ones seem to look more solid. Any ideas?

soliver - 21-2-2015 at 01:32 PM

I think any one of those are great buggies. I started with a Peter Lynn, and lots of guys started out with the Flexi bugs. I have no experience with Libre but I've seen them and they are nice too. You won't go wrong choosing any of those.

bigkid - 21-2-2015 at 01:36 PM

I have owned all of the buggies you asked about and hands down any of the Libres are the best

Bladerunner - 21-2-2015 at 01:40 PM

Peter Lynn can be uncomfortable in the seating + they have the nickname " Peter Thin " . Still, you are likely to get one cheaper and they are a good place to start. They break down easy for transport.

Flexi are very well made. Light and pack down easy for transport. Better for freestyle and all round use. I would be willing to pay a bit more for one.

Libre hard core are a bit more beefy and more expensive + heavier to ship. A bit more effort to break down. If you will be using it for long beach runs or high speeds it is worth the extra cash.

All 3 have aftermarket parts to beef them up or tune them to your style.

Shipping is the killer on buggies. Be sure and include it in your budget.

BeamerBob - 21-2-2015 at 01:46 PM

If you are going to be cruising or going fast, the LIbre is way ahead as best of the 3. If you're going to ride on a soccer field, and have storage and/or transport constraints then you might have to consider the PL or Flexi.

kiteboyza - 22-2-2015 at 11:41 AM

In the Uk, speak to Trikbitz or Popeye the welder, they make far superior buggies. Trikbitz builds Tornado and a smaller buggy. Its far better and stronger than any of these you mention. A good forum for a UK boy would be Kitecrowd.com

kiteboyza - 22-2-2015 at 11:42 AM

In the Uk, speak to Trikbitz or Popeye the welder, they make far superior buggies. Trikbitz builds Tornado and a smaller buggy. Its far better and stronger than any of these you mention. A good forum for a UK boy would be Kitecrowd.com

kiteboyza - 22-2-2015 at 11:42 AM

or racekites.com

RedSky - 22-2-2015 at 01:36 PM

We need to know your budget so we can spend your money for you. ??? ;)

Those smaller bugs can give you back ache if like me you suffer from a weak back. You might fair better than me though. I can't last too long without support. Some do modify their Peter Lynn's, flexi's etc to include some sort of padded back support.

A deeper seat (Libre) will help you hold more lateral kite power which translates to more speed. The deep seat is going to be more comfortable too, if that is important to you. The deeper seats are usually found on medium to large bugs, so you'll need to consider how you're going to transport it before you buy one.

The ultimate buggy is one made specifically for you (kiteboyza ^). We can all vouch for Trikbitz and Popeye. These will be costly compared to a Libre on eBay but will be the last buggy you should ever need to buy. I say should, I currently own 2 bugs by Trikbitz and 1 by Popeye. They're just too good to part with. Like bigkid I have also owned the three you mentioned.

The Peter Lynn lasted me 10 years and 500+ sessions before I gave it to a friend who still uses it 18yrs on. The Flexi bug I still have hanging on the wall. I never liked it, too uncomfortable. The Libre was a great bug. You might also want to look at the RS buggy, a Libre copy but just as good.

I found this on Gumtree. It is a fair journey from you but I'd say well worth it for this rare stainless (as new) ride.

http://www.gumtree.com/p/other-sports-leisure/kite-buggy-sta...




bigE123 - 23-2-2015 at 10:17 AM

Quote:
I found this on Gumtree. It is a fair journey from you but I'd say well worth it for this rare stainless (as new) ride.

http://www.gumtree.com/p/other-sports-leisure/kite-buggy-sta...

HOW MUCH! That looks well over priced to me, you could get 3 secondhand Flexis for that or a Libre. Like the others have said 1: What do you want to do / where are you going to fly? And the killer an idea of your budget.

RedSky - 23-2-2015 at 06:50 PM

Oh, and if you find a Parastorm typhoon, snap it up, s n a p....i t....u p

lasrocas - 24-2-2015 at 04:38 AM

as already said above , what buggying are you doing and ££s to spend.
i have been buggying 6 months , bought a peter lynn off ebay
cheap as chips ,had been well used and abused but for a 1st bug it does what i need ,light ,controllable and easy to transport.the seats are a waste of material (no support)
replaced mine with a buggy bags seat (:thumbup:ian)
and made a back rest .i use this bug nearly every weekend
the rear axle is bowed from previous owner jumping it and i am partial to the odd pie so no light weight but this bug always makes me smile,its not the best looking thing but i am not in this to impress.
craig

lasrocas - 24-2-2015 at 04:45 AM

just looked at the link on gumtree !!
i aint no expert but that is a lot of ££s to spend
on a 1st bug ,to learn on and maybe find you dont like it.
put a post on kitecrowd something may come up
the big bugs i am sure are great but depending were you fly
eg small fields could restrict your learning.
just my opinion from ltd experience

RedSky - 24-2-2015 at 07:12 AM

^
How much did the buggybags seat cost you, not far off the cost of the bug I'd imagine ? Then you had to make further modifications to make it comfortable. False economy I think. The bug in my link needs no modification, it is comfortable, it is 20 years old and is as new, it will last a lifetime, from beginner to pro.

Sure it is a lot of money to spend on a first bug but I'm not suggesting anyone pay the asking price, I'm sure there is room for movement and if you don't like it then sell it for what you paid for it.

pfff...you lot are so cheap. One reason you may find that kite buggying is not for you is because you bough a cheap nasty back breaking ride that can't hold your £500+ kite.

Give me strength. :P

abkayak - 24-2-2015 at 07:34 AM

you always remember your first bug...
que; that shopping cart thing

ssayre - 24-2-2015 at 07:43 AM

I like my pl buggy with my homemade backrest, but that's probably because I've never had the opportunity to use a larger more comfortable buggy with wider axle. Ignorance is bliss :spin:

MeatÐriver - 24-2-2015 at 08:00 AM

Bought my first/current/only buggy, a Libre VMax2 with BFLs, for $800 while the only kite I had to my name was an abused Prism snapshot 2.5m. Was an investment of a lifetime, wouldn't want it any other way.

If I had originally started with a PL, I promise you that I would have had to upgrade to something more substantial a year in.

If you can squeeze out the funds for a better buggy that's not going to hold you back later on down the road, I think you'd end up saving money in the long run.

bigE123 - 24-2-2015 at 08:35 AM

Quote:
^
How much did the buggybags seat cost you, not far off the cost of the bug I'd imagine ? Then you had to make further modifications to make it comfortable. False economy I think. The bug in my link needs no modification, it is comfortable, it is 20 years old and is as new, it will last a lifetime, from beginner to pro.

Sure it is a lot of money to spend on a first bug but I'm not suggesting anyone pay the asking price, I'm sure there is room for movement and if you don't like it then sell it for what you paid for it.

pfff...you lot are so cheap. One reason you may find that kite buggying is not for you is because you bough a cheap nasty back breaking ride that can't hold your £500+ kite.

Give me strength. :P

Whoa, now that's a good rant, feel better now? :D It's all down to horses for courses, I started with (and still have) a flexi buggy, changing the seat made a huge difference for me, not everyone has bundles of cash to throw around and make the best of the funds available. My other ride is a custom PL, much more stable, but needs more open space.

Demoknight - 24-2-2015 at 08:36 AM

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre  
I like my pl buggy with my homemade backrest, but that's probably because I've never had the opportunity to use a larger more comfortable buggy with wider axle. Ignorance is bliss :spin:


Sean, you need to find time to make it to Chicago to ride with me again. I would be glad to let you ride the Van Weird Beard Special! It is wonderful! It weighs about three times or more what the Comp XR+ weighs, so takes a couple seconds longer to get to full speed, but it is in another league as far as speed and stability.

lasrocas - 24-2-2015 at 10:58 AM

The buggy i have was certainly cheap on that your correct.
on the the £500 plus kite you are incorrect.
although my kites are one off custom made .
the seat was from a fellow kiter trying to help a noob out.
yes i did do work and mods on my buggy,hands up who hasnt.
my reply was not a slurr on the buggy or price,it was an opinion based on personel experience.if you contact the original poster regarding the buggy maybe you could broker a deal,i hope so.maybe when i have a lot more experience and ability i may upgrade to a bigger better bug,but as a noob just getting into buggying my little PL with BB seat and homemade backrest floats my boat and the wind floats my custom made wings.
i apologise for causing any offence,this was not my intention.

lasrocas - 24-2-2015 at 11:08 AM

Just re read your post redsky
it says you had a PL for ten years
then you gave it to a mate and he is still using it 18yrs later

then you go on to mention cheap,nasty back breaking rides
i assume you are refering to the PL ?

if 2 people have used the same buggy for the length of time you stated in your post , how bad can it be
maybe i am missing something and am open to correction

John Holgate - 24-2-2015 at 01:09 PM

I was all set to buy a PL comp for my first buggy. Until a club member gave me a ride in his Libre Vmax. While there was a considerable price difference, there was absolutely no doubt in my mind which one I had to have. 5 years and 8000km later, the Vmax is possibly the most fun thing I have ever bought myself in 50 years.

ssayre - 24-2-2015 at 01:17 PM

Your going to hurt your vermin's feelings john. (He has a buggy he made called the vermin)

Elvis(Broken Limbs) has left the building!

skimtwashington - 24-2-2015 at 03:57 PM

Uhhhhh.....well... he left many posts ago and went over to Kite Crowd after the discussion got a little less opinion-y and more debate-y!;)

... But he'll be back with a new question I hope... Just so I can hear abkayaS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s response:)

Quote:

you always remember your first bug...
que; that shopping cart thing...

That's the break this thread needed!



A knife a Fork...a bottle and a cork. Mon...that's how you spell New York.

A Buggy, a kite....Rolling resistance that's light...That's how you spell fun.

lasrocas - 24-2-2015 at 04:04 PM

john ,
i totally agree .i am sure the v max is a far superiour to the PL
and certainly for the beaches you have down under.
i unfortunately have small inland fields were a small bug makes more sense to me.
plus at the moment i could not justify the cost of a large bug.
love your vids and the music is super cool.

hiaguy - 24-2-2015 at 04:26 PM

Just in case Elvis comes back...
There is certainly something (positive) to be said for the ride of a larger buggy. But...
Apart from affordability, my primary concern was portability. I finally decided on the PL XR+ because it took little effort to breakdown and would still fit in the back of my little car.
I had also heard about the PL buggys being "thin", but they had increased the tubing and bolt sizes since it first became an issue so I wasn't as concerned as some other larger guys might have been (I'm 5'9 - 160 lbs.).
With a backrest add-on from AWOC, I'm comfortable enough for the beach, and it's nimble enough for my local soccer fields. If I had the option of a rack on my car, I might have gone with a bigger bug, but I haven't been disappointed with my choice yet.
Good luck!

RedSky - 24-2-2015 at 05:11 PM

Quote: Originally posted by lasrocas  
Just re read your post redsky
it says you had a PL for ten years
then you gave it to a mate and he is still using it 18yrs later

then you go on to mention cheap,nasty back breaking rides
i assume you are refering to the PL ?

if 2 people have used the same buggy for the length of time you stated in your post , how bad can it be
maybe i am missing something and am open to correction


Haha, you caused me absolutely no offense, far from it. I was just engaging in some friendly banter. ;) This isn't the forum for ranting and ranting isn't my style, sorry if it came across like that.

It can be hard to gauge emotion through words alone and I'd hate to think I offended you and anyone else or have come across as a snob and by the way I wasn't referring to your bug as cheap and nasty or assuming anything about your gear, I was speaking generally to all.

Honestly I'm only thinking of how, if I was to do it all over again, I'd opt for something more substantial. It would have certainly have saved me a lot money in the long run and have me progress more quickly. I'm just trying to save the guy some $$ and improve his experience, but of course admittedly he'll never know that unless he starts out on something smaller as he has no reference point.

With regards to the Peter Lynn, ten years says it all, it was ignorance on my part. I hadn't owned a computer or joined a forum until around 2008 and I buggied alone until 2007 when there was a brief blip in popularity.

Yes I'm full of contradictions. I'm not a careful poster but that's just me working through to an eventual, albeit clumsy conclusion on a public forum. I feel no shame though, I like to think I am without ego and I'm more than willing to give way and accept opinions of others if I think they trump mine, no problem there at all. I'm still in the process of learning to kite buggy myself and I don't think that will come to an end anytime soon.

Now lets change the subject. Who likes turtles ?

hiaguy - 24-2-2015 at 06:07 PM

Mmmmm. I like turtles.
Unless they're on the beach - bump!

John Holgate - 24-2-2015 at 08:50 PM


Quote:

Your going to hurt your vermin's feelings john.


Sshhhhh....:D I'll be packing her into the car on Friday morning for a long weekend trip down to Sandy Point.

For small fields, the PL's and Flexi's will be lots of fun and much easier to move/transport around. And if you do get to do some long beach runs, you can always get a wider axle for them too.

I find the PL's footpegs pretty slippery - grab an old bicycle tyre or similar and glue it over the footpegs.

soliver - 25-2-2015 at 05:55 AM

I just recently got set up with both and see the advantage of having both. Just like kites, I kind of have a "light wind buggy" and a "not-so-light wind buggy." I have the PL XR with the VTT rail kit and a big heavy VTT stinger which I've modified A LOT. I really like both. It's true too, for small inland fields a smaller light weight bug has an advantage in that it takes less to get moving. I've hit 20mph in both and can tell you that theres a little more comfort and stability in the big buggy but it takes more space to get up to that speed. However, I have found that since the bigger buggy is more "fitted" to my body, I feel less like I'm going to come out of it (OBE). The last time I rode it (long ago :( ) i was flying the 8.6m RII and felt myself come off the ground a few times and never felt like I was coming out of it. The last time I rode the PL... well we all know what happened then, and I'm still healing.

lasrocas - 25-2-2015 at 05:58 AM

spot on with the footpegs john.
i tie wrapped some bike tyre on mine a while
GREAT

soliver - 25-2-2015 at 07:01 AM

I used pieces of "grip tape": actually its the stuff you buy at Home Depot to tape down to steps on a ladder so your feet don't slip... just like grip tape you put on a skateboard.

Bladerunner - 25-2-2015 at 04:44 PM

I hope I wasn't causing issues using the Peter Thin line? Fact is we ride in an extremely bumpy park and some locals have had issues with cracked welds. Nobody has had this issue with Flexi or Libre.

My problem with PL has been the lack of comfort in the seat. With my little PL / Flexi buggy a Spring back, back rest is the solution. As I suggested all 3 brands have after market choices.

I sold My Ivanpah buggy because breaking it down for transport and storage was an issue. To buy a hitch and buggy rack was going to cost much more than the Ivanpah did! :( It was a bit heavy to consider going the roof rack route. If I lived near a beach or dry lake I would most certainly go for a heavier / more sturdy buggy.

I can take off one bolt to release my down post and the Frankin' buggy fits easily in the back seat of a compact car. I won't win any races with it but got my $250 investment back in thrills almost a decade ago. :thumbup:

I used electricians rubber tape to grip up my foot pegs. ( since I had lots of it ) Works great but wears out a bit fast.

ssayre - 26-2-2015 at 03:35 PM


Quote:

My problem with PL has been the lack of comfort in the seat. With my little PL / Flexi buggy a Spring back, back rest is the solution


I totally agree Ken. My homemade springback makes a world of difference and the webbing provides lateral support as well. Plus it has the added advantage of being lighter and easier to throw in the truck or car on a whim. I paid retail for mine and I think I've already got my moneys worth except when I see awesome deals on here for better buggies. I think it also makes a huge difference on how tall you are. If under 6' like me than you can get away with the standard buggies easier IMO. Also, it depends on your locations. I'm never going to see huge speeds at my spots that require a larger more stable buggy. Again, this is all based on the fact I haven't tried a larger buggy. My opinion might change at that point. It looks to me like the small libre or Van's cricket might be a perfect compromise between the 2 extremes.

3shot - 26-2-2015 at 04:09 PM

At times I do miss my PL. However 6'2" @ 210 lbs is a lot of beef in a PL. Great buggy. Like Sean said though, being bigger makes for a little uncomfortable ride. My knees were always under my chin it felt like. IMHO

I thought I "heard" Van wasn't building buggies anymore???
Man I hope he still is. They are some good bang for buck buggies.