Well I have finally gotten a chance to get out today on the buggy I bought from BeamerBob. Winds at my house seemed to call for Blurr 5M. My flying field is only 3-4 miles away but the tree lines around it always mean less wind than at my house. Got the buggy moving several times on the Blurr but even trying to really work the kite didn't help as the wind just wasn't consistent and the kite ended up eventually dropping to the ground. Next up, the 8.3 Reactor I got from RonH (love this kite.) Same basic thing though, by this time the winds have died down even more and I could get moving but just couldn't keep it going for very long. I had fun though trying something new and look forward to a better wind day. Still a good day even with the flat rear tire I picked up!

I do have a question though, I couldn't seem to change directions and maybe it's just not understanding yet how I need to move with and against the wind? Maybe I just ended up out of the wind window but the way I couldn't maintain tension on the lines seemed more like it was because the wind just wasn't strong enough to keep the kite in the air, thoughts? Oh, & speaking of the flat tire, is this something I can seat myself like changing a mountain bike tire, or does it need to go to a tire shop? And where does one buy these type of tires? Pardon my newbieness, but I really want to get proficient on the buggy...

It's not an intuitive first lesson.
You have to steer slightly upwind once you get going to keep the tension on the lines.
You'd think that'd slow, or stop, your moving, but it actually keeps the speed building (esp. with that Blurr) :-)

The very best way to really learn fast and boost your confidence is get to a hard-packed beach with a steady, on shore wind.
You'll be amazed how much a better flyer you really are!
:karate:

First thing I noticed when I got in a buggy was how much more wind I needed compared to static flying. Gusty inland conditions can also be a big challenge. Keep an eye on your line tension, if it starts to slacken, turn upwind a little. Whenever you have a little bit of speed or power, use it to get you back upwind if needed. Keep the kite forward of your shoulder - should you accidently let it get behind you, you can simply steer the buggy towards it to avoid ejection. I occasionally do this when I'm not paying attention and all of a sudden the kite is going in the wrong direction - not enough time to turn the kite but I can whip the buggy round.

Be as aggressive as you need to be with the kite - show it who's in control!!!

If I'm flying a fast kite, I might actually turn the buggy a fraction before I turn the kite. If I'm flying a slow kite - say, 7.5m Apex, I will turn the kite and wait till it's nearly at my shoulder before I turn the buggy. And I will generally turn the buggy very tightly to avoid getting any slack in the lines. Kite high in the turns if you don't want power, low in the turns if you do.

Took me many hours to start to come to grips with.

Those wheels are really easy to change tires on. You probably only have a thorn in the tire. If you can't feel it with your finger, you can locate it by rubbing a catchy fabric like panty hose over the tire. You can either put in a wheelbarrow tube or put a patch on the inside of the tire if you can find the hole. If thorns are indeed your issue, you should save yourself lots of trouble and install tubes in your tires and put Slime in them which is available at walmart or most any other place that sells bike or wheelbarrow tires and equipment. I never had to dismount the tires on your buggy so I'm not sure if they have tubes or not. It will help if you will inflate the tires and note and mark where the hole is either by submerging the tire in water and watching for bubbles or rubbing soap suds on the tire and watch for new bubbles to form over the hole where the air is leaking out.

If you haven't read Angus's buggy tutorial, take the fast track and read it several times. Then read it again after you have your next session. It will really help.

Buggy Basics

Thanks for the input Bobby. I'm familiar with slime and some of the other tricks from my life as a mountain biker. It's good to know I can do tubes/patches myself on these tires. I just wasn't sure as I'm still a bit out of my element but certainly trying to figure stuff out...

Ok good. Those tires on those wheels aren't any harder to deal with than a mtn bike tire. Sometimes you can mount/dismount even without any tools. Certainly easy with bike tire tools.

In review Angus was right. He captured my issue to a "T" in his tutorial. Unfortunately these were the best winds I've had in a awhile and I couldn't stand not getting out on the buggy any longer. Thankfully no lines got caught in buggy and no major bowties. If nothing else, my first buggy experience confirmed for me that even though I had issues with a big kite in light winds, I'm REALLY glad I have this kite in my quiver.

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If you start with a larger kite and try to compensate by waiting for a lighter breeze, it will work, but will be more difficult to learn. When you turn downwind, you will be chasing your kite for a moment, and in a light breeze with a bigger kite, this can lead to trouble if you do not time the turn of the kite and the buggy just right. If you get it wrong, you will out-run your kite in the downwind turn, the lines will go slack, then the kite may luff and bow-tie (deflate, fall and get a line wrapped around it). At best in such a situation you can re-position the buggy, shake out the kite, and re-launch. At worst, you run over your own kitelines and risk wrapping them around a wheel and axle.

The big kite will be your friend soon, but smooth winds with a ~3m decently powered will put it all together for you.

You mention a tree line and that scares me!
Wind will be messy for 7 - 10 times the distance downwind as the object is high. That is a LONG way downwind and why so many fields around here look like they should work but don't. Is it possible you are too close to the trees?

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Originally posted by John Holgate Be as aggressive as you need to be with the kite - show it who's in control!!!

Fly the kite DON'T let the kite fly you!

I've been lucky, I enjoy flying my kites- hard. But I have prided myself (so far) on using good common sense in that I tend to fly more on the under powered side. This is party due to age and injury recovery won't be as easy as it once was, but is also due to the fact I have no one to teach me so I try to be methodical and safe when I try new kite related stuff/equipment.

As far as the tree line, well yes, it is not ideal but most of the time the winds are pretty good. If anything, at times my frustration on this field has been false winds i.e. flags flying smartly but can't get the kites going. I sometimes fly on another field at a state park and the trees more frequently cause more disruption issues there.

Hmmm , never heard of " false winds " ? Flags flying smartly yet you can't get the kite going ?

This sounds to me like " bad location " ?

I have a strong feeling that it is your location that is working against you ? It is kind of hard to get an 8.3 Reactor to drop out of the sky once you are in motion with the buggy. It will fly on apparent wind. Bad wind will do that.

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Originally posted by Bladerunner Hmmm , never heard of " false winds " ? Flags flying smartly yet you can't get the kite going ? This sounds to me like " bad location " ? I have a strong feeling that it is your location that is working against you ? It is kind of hard to get an 8.3 Reactor to drop out of the sky once you are in motion with the buggy. It will fly on apparent wind. Bad wind will do that.

Ken... How about the flag a Vanier??? It can be a very bad wind indicator...

AnnieO

I think you had a few things against you...

-learning to buggy
-not the best wind
-learning to buggy

I still remember one of my first days in a buggy. I had borrowed a 7.8 butan and I could get going in one direction better than the other. Kite dropping out of the sky all the time while others were cruising.

Keep at it. You will get it and after a few sessions, things just click and your off to the races

Ron

Annie, beach wind will put it all together for you too, I'm still pretty new at it too and I had A LOT of sessions like the one your described. But then I got out on the beach with some good clean wind, and it felt like I really knew what I was doing.

And I have heard it said many times that flying gusty inland wind gives you GREAT training for when you get to the beach,... I can say that I feel like that is pretty accurate.

I have a great number of field that are probably similar to yours, and all I can say is do your best with what you've got, and when you get somewhere better (like a beach) you will really be doing awesome. ...

I wish I had as many kites as you

Ron,

As you know if the flag is flying and yet the wind is bad a Vanier it means too much south. Those trees etc. waaay far away create wind shadows + squirely wind. I guess it is an example of " false wind " ?
That is why it is a " bad location " for anything but West / NW winds. Thanks goodness for GP to get the most out of the East and South.

Same goes with GP on a west. Those trees + that shop will really mess things up even though they are far way.

I think the common point here is that you shouldn't be too hard on yourself AnnieO . It is hard to get it all together without good clean wind on your side. Like Ron points out, you will have a strong side and a weak side . WORK THAT WEAK SIDE !

The tire made be leaking around the rim. In order seat a tubeless tire you need lube the tire with a soap solution. Wipe a soap cloth around the tire bead and hub and then inflate while it is still wet. If you don't use lube it almost never seats properly and it leaks.
welcome to buggying.
S

I suspect a puncture. I never had any issues with these tires. I bought all this new and those tires have never been dismounted and always held air.

Yes, I'm sure it is a puncture because it immediately went flat. Like I said, as a mountain biker I understand flats are a part of wheeled sports. Bobby, please don't think my comment about getting a flat had anything to do with the condition of the buggy. It's awesome and way exceeded my expectations! It was just a funny kind of irony to me that of course the first day out I would pick up a flat :wow:

Anyway, thanks to all who have replied and been supportive. I've continued to read/study and have given myself some homework for the next time out. Overall, I was still pleased with my first go and I'll keep trying until I get it all figured out!

Annie, I was just responding to Scudleys guess about a leaky bead and I didn't figure that was likely, given how the tires all held air reliably for over a year for me. His guess was a reasonable one but not applicable in this instance. Something suddenly changed for you which spelled puncture to me.

Realize that I didn't "get it" in the buggy till my third try. All 3 tries were on a beach with a smooth onshore wind, then it clicked. You'll learn something every time you go out. I love the technique of setting up cones perpendicular to the wind about 30-40 feet apart, first walking it while you fly the kite to pull you, then do it in the buggy. Keeps you moving in the right direction to the wind and keeps the speed down too.