Hello all, new guy here. I just started power kiting. I have a Ozone Fury 3.0. I live in Eastern Central Washington State. I am not new to quad line kites having flown a Rev for awhile. I am not an active, avid kiteflyer due to other interests, (motorcycles, bicycles, traveling, hiking, etc) and location. Not having ideal locations close by to fly. I would like to add wheels to my kiting but I am not sure the best way to go. Buggy, landboard, skates? Or would a larger kite be a better move before wheels? I am 55 years old ,and retired.

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks
fletcht

How are your knees and ankles? If they are bad or prone to injury I would avoid a landboard. Personally, I love my board and have bad knees from years of mogul skiing but knee and ankle injury can be common with boards.

Also, how much do you weigh? I'm 145#s and most commonly board with a 5.5m kite but that is wind and conditions dependant.

You could get by with the 3m in higher wind conditions (15mph+) maybe lower if you work the kite hard or are on a smooth surface.

Of course, if you really want to enjoy the sport you should add a 5m and 7m or something depowerable that way you could get out in most conditions.

A 3m will get you going but it will have limited application.

I think that the buggy is about the easiest to figure out with a bit less risk of brakes and sprains. It also runs on the widest variety of terrain. It's a real rush and I'm sure you'ld enjoy it. ( I'm 47 ) (( my 1st instructor was 62 )) Lots of folks get into this later in life and survive!
The only thing I have found my 3m to be ideal for is rollerblades on tarmac. It has come in handy for very high winds on snow and land but leaves one wanting more in lower winds. Fact is if you want to ride in lots of conditions you need at least 2 kites, more if you aren't going with depower. Shopping for gear becomes fun in itself!

I am a newer buggier I am 60 and 300 lbs I find the buggy fun but have bad knees so getting in and out can be a problem. My son has a peter lynn comp which is okay but last year we bought a flex which has higher side rails and much easier to get in and out of. Between Chip and I we have 8 different sized foils, some NPW's and five revs. We buggy behind all of them even the smallest REV. I find the bigger foils 7m and up just too much work but if you are on soft ground you do need bigger kites. If you are retired and like to travel plan on comong to NABX and go for a ride. Since you are into motorcycles you have the most important thing a helmet.

Knees and ankles are holding out. At the moment I'm 155 lbs. Subject to change. Being retired I don't have unlimited funds. (never did) Always worked so I could play. If I go the buggy route I would like something that would travel well. Easy to take apart or compact enough to strap on the sidecar of my Ural motorcycle or pack into my travel van. I might be able to make NABX, I will be in Las Vegas for a conference workshop the week before so maybe I can hang out for a few more days. Is it possible to try out buggies or boards there? Purchase, if I don't find something before hand.

Thanks for the info.

The Peter Lynn Comp XR+ with standard wheels offers the lowest price point for a good buggy made of stanless steel. Less than $500 What I like about it is that the back axle pops off in 30 seconds without tools and I can then put in the back of my little Toyota Rav 4 with only one back seat folded down. The foot pegs pop off pretty easy too, if you need that room. Re-assembly is just as easy.

The Flexifoil with standard wheels and tires is about the same size and geometry of the PL described above. You need 2 wrenches to remove the two bolts holding the axle on and one each for the foot pegs, so it takes an extra couple of minutes over the PL.

Nice thing about the Flexifoil is for about $200 you can replace the back axle with the wide version (or buy it that way from the start for $100 more)that adds 0.3 meter width, 12" length and 20 lbs. this makes it more comfortable at higher speeds. Add the extra wide tires and you get a cost effective compromise to the Peter Lynn Big foot which is like $850.

Downside of the wide axle Flexi is that the slip joints for the back axle are longer making in harder to take on and off, addin several more minutes. I bult a rack to put the whole thing on top of the car intact. At 52 lbs with wide tires I can take in on and off myslef (OK, with some grunts)

Boards make me nervous for the reasons mentioned above and good ones cost near as much as a buggy in some cases. I am basically lazy and prefer to sit in the buggy, park the kite off my downwind shoulder and watch 8 miles of beach go by while the kite lines sing to me. Now if I can only figure out where to mount the cup holder for a beer...

If you come out to NABX, look for our camp. I will have our company trailer with me and we do have demo's and buggies for others to use. We have been using the Kite Trike out here in the desert for a while now and it has turned out to be the best buggy for the price on the market. It comes with an extended axle and longer frame rails than the Flexi or the Peter Lynn which really helps out on the stability at higher speeds. The cost is about $150 less than the Peter Lynn as well, retailing at $399.99 complete. It is a chrome steel buggy, not stainless which helps with the production costs. The plating thus far has held up beautifully as well as the overall construction. For an inexpensive buggy the Kite Trike is the perfect choice.

Our camp is usually the furthest south of buggy town and usually about as far south as your allowed to go. Just look for our trailer & suburban and ask for me. I will hook you up with a test ride. We will have the Kite Trike as well as a couple Peter Lynn buggies there. We also have a few boards and demo kites if you want to give those a try as well.

See ya on the playa!!!