I want to get me some bigger wheels for my Libre V-Max. It runs on regular barrow wheels now, I'm looking at midi wheels for an upgrade. I'm thinking of getting these: Kenda 18x8.50



They have offset hubs, which will give a little wider track width than I have now. They are also avaliable with std. rims, and that could save me a good bit on the price, 72pounds each vs. 45pounds each.

* Should I go with std. or offset rims? It gets a good deal more expensive, as I also have to get longer bolts for the wider rims (110mm vs. 75mm). What kind of difference would it be in characteristics from the larger contact surface and wider trackwith you get from the offset rims? Should I be aware of any particulars about the adjustable camber on my rear axle if I use offset rims? I think I should have inner tubes, will the (much)wider rims make for different size tubes, yes or no? Anything I should know about valves (kinked/straight/short)?

* I could save money (no new rims/axles/bearings) if I went with just the Tyres (and tubes I guess) and then mount them on the std rims from my barrow wheels myself. Is this really hard to do? I think I could get some help at my workplace if needs be, we have a decent carpool and a workshop. I will order tire irons if I choose to do it myself.

* Will I regret it if I change only the rear wheels for now, i.e. 18x8.5-8 rear / 4.8/4.0-8 front? From the website it seems the difference in total height for the wheel will be 40mm, so the rear axle will be 20mm higher that it is now, and the front wheel would be the same. The fork has several mountung holes for the axle, though - and I have the possibility to adjust the siderails' angle to the rear axle..

* Would it be wrong to fit a midi wheel to a 280mm wide fork? I only have a std fork, for now. I want to change up that as well, but I thought to do this in steps as I'm not yet sure which fork to get from Libre. They come in stainless steel but its a bit expensive, and I'm not quite sure yet which size I should go for (230 or 280mm)? They are the same price, so I'm inclined to get the bigger one as it would fit bigfoots also (if I want to go bigger later). And last but important; do I have 'old style' or 'new style' footpegs (Libre has both, I would guess mine are the old one's???)

Libre forks

* Any other wheels/tyres/shops I shold know about ??

I haven't found any wheels from any Norwegian shops, or even Scandinavia - I haven't done an extensive search outside of kite shops, though. But this UK shop seems to me to have a very good selection, so I guess I just have to pay the extra (norwegian VAT is 25%, UK VAT is usually not deducted, and then there's a handling fee from the shipping company).

Pictures of my buggy:

You seem to be in the same money as the Duro 21x12x8. They come with grooves and you can get the asymmetric wheels for the back and a standard wheel for the front. This is what many of the racers have chosen for best performance. They are lighter than Eurotrax and tend to be balanced and round. This is what I have and they are great in any sand I've been in.

Yeah, but I was in mind to start with a little smaller size than the 21x12.

For anything wider than barrows, I would have to get a new fork. So if I just swap the rear wheels first, then I would aim for not a big increase in height of the rear axle I thought.. I would still get much more grip with the 18x8,50's, especially with the wide (offset) rims. Later if I get a new fork, I can run same tire in the front, for midi's all around.

I could fit a narrow wheel with larger diameter than 16" in the front fork I've got.

I kinda think that midi size wheels will make it a little easier to throw the buggy in the back of a car. A little too often we have to get my buggy plus my friends PL bigfoot and kitebags into an estate wagon, see. And not too imposing on my limited storage space in the basement. So I'll hang on with getting bigfoots for a while probably.

Besides, I haven't found any other brands in european shops yet...

Oh, yeah - I probably should have said earlier that i ride mostly (only..?) on grass or hard surfaces. Max speed 50-60 km/t.

I do have dreams about getting the buggy with me down to some beaches in Denmark this summer, that'd be great fun and a new experience. But then again, we had the same plans last summer aswell, and it didn't happen. But I drool at the thought of clean winds and loong rides.

You would be fine with regular 16.5 midis then. They would ride better and modulate grip very well.

Bigger wheels will also make your buggy much heavier, which is nice for riding but has disadvantages for packing and carrying your buggy. I gave up my heavy bigfoot buggy because of the extra hassle around carrying it and setting it up. Your buggy is small now, if you put on bigger wheels and a bigger front fork it is going to have an impact on moving it around.

I think your buggy will look silly with bigger wheels in the back and a standard fork and barrows up front. I'd say switch all your wheels or none.

I'd take Beamer Bob's advice if you really want new wheels and go with Midis.

I ran midi's on the back of my V-max and a standard barrow on the front. It is a noticeable difference in float on softer sand and also in being able to hold a line better.

Good to hear, Blitzhound! That means to me that I can do this step-by-step. To get the whole kaboozle with a new fork/3 wheels/extra hw would be just a bit costly to get to here nownow.

So I'm justnow thinking I'll order only 3x rubber 18x8.5, plus inner tubes and tire irons. Then I am going to try to wrestle those on the rims from the barrows, unless anyone would advice me not to do that. I would guess those tyres can fit on 75mm and 110mm wide rims, allterraintyres sells both as assembled wheels. I must only wonder if they hold equally well on both types of rims. And i keep thinking that would still make a little difference for the inner tube size, cross section seen.. Maybe it doesnt matter at all, that it just gets a little tighter when on the narrow rims.

And start saving more moneys for next purchase, fork and maybe more from Libre..

I do agree with U Jimbo that it may look silly, and even if performance would not be optimal, could it still be better than with barrows on the rear? Difference in diameter of wheel is 45mm if the specs are correct.

Dang. I got it quite wrong, the offset rims are even much wider than the barrows. The bolt is 110mm, but the total width is what? ..200mm ?

*edit; :embarrased: 8.5"=216mm. Just figured I should do my homework myself, sry.

Just to clarify I ran 6x16.5x8 midi's on the back of my buggy. You could run the bigger XLs but you'll probably want to make a drop down bracket for the back axle.