New to the sport, buying first buggy. For cost purposes I'm looking at the radsail buggy @ $300 (on ebay, new)

or check out http://www.bestkites.com/RadBuggy_p/egbuggy.htm for some info.

Anyone ever used this and care to compare it against others (flexifoil, etc)?

Main use will be grassy fields, - secondary but still common will be beaches in No. California. I'm always open to upgrading and keeping this as a second ride if I really get into the sport. Thanks for feedback
sboom@surewest.net

thanks!

I personaly don't have my buggie yet (Wife says on my birthday in March). I've been shopping around and plan to buy the Peter Lynn Comp XR. You really get what you pay for in this sport. Just compare the prices of the other buggies on the same page to the one your looking at and ask your self; why is this one so much cheaper. Upon closer examination of the various pixs using photo shop. The weldments seem to be substandard, the ad says it stainless; there are various degrees of stainless steel. Just my point of view.

I cant really tell a whole lot from the photos, but it does look like the tubing is a bit small. Could be thick walled, so would be fine, but this makes more weight as opposed to a larger diameter, with a thinner wall. could be great though. If you get one, let us know.

Scoop

Hi m8,

I know that the original post was a while ago but for anyone else that does read it, I have just started out with a 3.7m 2 line kite and brought the buddy that you specified.

I don't know too much about them but I have used it quite a lot and have got some very good speeds and slides out of it on the beach.

Hope this helps.

Jason

By what I've read overseas, they're fine for starter buggys, good for learning, cruising and in general, messing around having fun. Should be good for your first couple years buggying.

As soon as you start getting into freestyle or really powered up high speed running it's time to get something else. They didn't use thick walled tubing and it will bend if you land on it hard enough or really put a lot of power through it.

One thing to remember concerning the photos of the Radsail Buggy: Your perspective may be a bit skewed... The Radsail Buggy actually uses 14" tires rather than the standard 16" tires. This gives the effect of making everything else on the "look" bigger than it actually is.

A far better better recommendation would be the Rockville Kitetrike. It's built far better than the Radsail Buggy, (at least as good a P.L. or Flexi), and you get far more "bang for the buck" than either of them.

Now as far as the "You get what you pay for" thing: This is the biggest myth in the business. There are 2 factors that determine price that are far more influential than "quality".

The first is "production costs" How much does it cost to make the thing? Including setting up infrastructure and distribution?? Companies that have to pay for new fabrication equipment, more costly labor, have a limited market, or those that ship overseas are going to have to charge more per unit than others. While production costs have tentative link to "quality", it's not as much as you would expect. (The difference in cost of the raw materials of a cheaply made buggy (thinner tubes, inferior welds, etc...) vs. a higher quality one, is probably only about $10 to $20 dollars, yet the selling price can be more than triple.)

The second factor is "Brand Recognition" (Why does Jif peanut butter cost twice as much as the store brand?!?) In a sport that's been dominated and saturated by such a limited number of contenders, any newcomer is going to have to sell at a reduced price if they expect to grab any share of the market.

Generally, the only ones touting the "You get what you pay for" "quality = price" mantra are the successful companies that charge more than others for similar quality goods, or the customers that have bought their product under those pretenses.

A far better methodology for for getting the best quality for your money in a buggy (or anything else for that matter) is to compare reviews of other people who've actually purchased the buggies. Or better yet, inspect them yourself. (By the way: My recommendation of the Rockville Kitetrike was based on actual inspection, use, and side-by-side comparison with my Flexifoil Sport and my friend's P.L. Comp. I don't own a Kitetrike, but if I were in the market for another freestyle buggy, it would probably be one of them.)

I found this review...thought you may find it interesting

Lets face it, the Eolo Radsail buggy is an attractive looking proposition, much cheaper than the competition with the added bonus of packing away into a small space. Like all things in life, it’s a compromise, but hopefully this guide will hopefully lead you to an informed choice..

First a bit of background …
I have owned my Eolo Radsail Pro buggy for about 6 months, and used it on both grass and sand. I am a fairly experienced power kiter, but buggying is totally new to me. My buggy is the 2005 model, not the oldest, but not the newest. Having compared I can’t see any differences to the 2006 model so this review can be applied to both.

Putting it all together …
It comes in an impossibly tiny box. I couldn’t believe a buggy fits in there, but it does. All the framing is stainless steel, a nice bonus – no powder coating to chip off here.

Wheels are standard 4 groove barrows, with quite thin plastic hubs. They do not have inner tubes, some people have reported problems with keeping pressure in the rads tyres, but I’ve had no problems. The hubs are quite transparent, but almost see through. They are attached to the buggy with 12mm axel bolts, using the spanner provided with the buggy. The front forks only have enough clearest for standard barrows, no upgrade possible.

The bearings are the standard 6201-2RS in standard stainless steel. Same as the ones in the Flexifoil buggy. Unfortunately they come packed with what I what I can only describe as 'porridge'. Hence the first job is to gently prise off the seals with a thin blade, and gently heat in vegetable oil in an old tin over the stove, until the porridge has dissolved. Allow to cool before drying!! Then repack with a good quality marine grease.

The main buggy can be put together from the four main sections that it breaks down into in about 5 mins. This involves:

clip the rear axel together (2 sections),
slot the seat and side frames onto the rear axel (one section)
clip the rear seat clips to the rear axel straps
bolt the front wheel and headstock assembly (1 section) at the desired distance from the seat.
Push the foot peg into the correct side (they are keyed to only fit one way)
The leg reach can be easily adjusted as the 2 retaining bolts are similar to bike quick release ones. I’ve found these quickly showed signs of surface rust, hence I now keep a thin smear of grease over them. This also helps with unscrewing and tightening them.

The seat is extremely comfortable, and offers support well up the back. It has a small velcro pocket at the back for drink - phone - keys etc and a gel pad built in for comfort. It can be slightly adjusted to suit as it is held on with 5 or 7 clips. These were a real weak point on the original buggies, and the main original source of criticism. The ones on my 2005 buggy seem OK, they are a bit flimsy feeling but I haven’t broken one yet. Time will tell.

Getting into the buggy…
I am exactly 6ft tall and weight 81kgs. To get my legs into a reasonable position I have to have the leg reach on the longest setting. Anyone taller than me could find it a little cramped.

When I get in the buggy I do notice some bending, twisting and flexing of the frame, from what fellow flyers have told me the rear axel does flex and 'bow' about 2cm. This may not be a bad thing as it gives a little camber to the wheels and a small degree of 'suspension' to the rear axel. So far the 'Bow' has not permanently set in, but I do take the precaution of fitting the axel the opposite way up each time.

It may be a combination of the furest leg reach, and perhaps the bow in the rear axel but I find the seat height to be a bit low. I can’t gey the seat higher, and the grass really tickles!

The side rails originally have fairly thin black padding and a wide entry. I’ve enhanced the padding on mine with extra 50mm pipe insulation wrapped in duck tape. Super padded now, and a much more comfy fit.

The only addition I have made is a splashguard, as like all buggys you do get soaked when blasting through water or over damp grass.

The spec for the Rad buggy is as below, Eolo claim a max weight of 110kg. I for one do not believe this. There are reports on the Flexifoil form (community-dot-flexifoil-dot-com), from a 100kg rider who totally bend the rear axel on his Rad bug.

Moving along…
I have used the buggy with a variety of Foil and Nasa powerwing kites, and it work fine.. The steering geometry is not very good though, and it is quite twitchy. The steering does not run straight, 'foot free'. This can be quite tiring, and does not make for comfortable long term cruising. You have to keep concentrating on the steering, or it will bite you.

I have had the buggy up to 20mph so far, and it doesn’t shake or rattle to much, but the steering does get progressively harder to control as the speed picks up.

The lightweight construction means its light enough so it can be lifted, carried and maneuvered easily

The weak points other people report are:

The rear axel bends – I can confirm this – the split axel is a transport blessing and a design curse
The rear axel blots break – there are only 12mm so not surprising – luckily I can’t confirm this yet, but the reports do worry me and I inspect them regularly for signs of cracking.
To sum up …
This is an ideal buggy for beginners like me to learn the rudiment of buggying. HOWEVER it is flimsy, and needs treating carefully, or it will have a short life.

Pros:
It can be bought for new for around £165 here on ebay
Easy to put together and dismantle
Small packing size – will fit in any cars boot
Stainless steel.
Super comfy seat.
Easy to adjust
Foot straps included.
Cons
Too lightweight
Seat to low
Weak rear axel and bolts
Seat clips
Steering geometry


Should I buy it???
I have read some peoples opinions about it being weak and poorly designed. They are right. It is not as stiff and solid as a Flexifoil buggy but remember that it can be completely dismantled packed into the boot in 5 mins.

It is designed a cheap starter buggy so compromises must have been made. Everyone considering purchase needs to consider their requirements. In my opinion do not buy this buggy if:

You are over 90kg
Are over 6 foot 2
Want to do anything beyond cruising at 20mph
Want to perform tricks!!.
So the big question .. is it worth £165
Don’t be silly – NO. In my view it has too may disadvantages over the competition. In my opinion you are much better off:

Buying a 'better' bug secondhand – a Flexi for £150 secondhand is a good beginners bug, that is strong enough to freestyle in later. Or a Libre Special for £200 secondhand is an ideal cruising bug.
Buy an RS bug from Germany from 'gura01' here on ebay., for £130 + p&p Lots of threads on flexifoil forum will a test to the quality. Search for on 'RS Buggy' on community-dot-flexifoil-dot-com.
PS - I have no connection to Flexi, Libre, or RS.



So why on earth did I buy it ..
Mine was £90 second hand – as new. Is it worth that – DEFINATLY! Loving it – its in the back of the car right now – ready just in case…



Finally – what Eolo say about it …
'Made in the highest quality stainless steel, this buggy brings you to the first step in the buggyriding. The seat has been designed thinking in rider´s commodity. It has 7 tensors to adjust the seat to different lengths and heights.

This fantastic seat also incorporates a pocket on the back to carry all your possessions during your flight time.

The central bar can be adjusted aswell for different lengths easily due to its 2 quick releases.

The rear axle can be dissembled in 2 parts, same as the lateral bars, making it very easy to carry.

The maximum recommended weight goes up to 110 kg.

All this stuff, and even more (DVD, instructions, mini catalogue,…) is what you will find in the compact size carry box 73 x 28 x 37 cm, and just with a light weight of 14 kg!

Don´t miss this opportunity!'