This is my solution to getting my buggy on the ice.
The tires are Cheng Shin 3.50-8 and the knobbys have just enough meat to hold a #6x3/8 hex head sheet metal screw. It provides enough traction for some fun if not overpowered. I was thinking of using a longer screw with washers under the head for a little more height ......might work better on softer ice. If the wind,ice & kite size are right I can keep the kite fully powered.. on turn arounds a good feeling but doesn't happen often. Anyways happy snowkiting

http://youtu.be/pzv3ZFdgscQ

Wicked !! Luv the trails behind you... what a playground you have there...

Way to go !

Nice to see a Smart Kite flying out here in B.C.. How does your friend like it ?

Sweet!

Nice innovation! Might not be kind to your kite lines if you run over them but this eliminates the certain slice you'd get from blades. How did the drag feel? They seem to make tracks even if you aren't loading them up sideways, but you seemed to be rolling right along easily.

There really is not much drag until the ice gets really soft . I did get tangled up with my lines once last year....no damage but quite a mess as I couldn't stop promptly. As for the tracks without loading.........theres over 200 screws on each rear tire .....bound to leave tracks loaded or not. :D:D

I have got to make me a set of those. Nice job!

so envious......
that is so cool, I would love to buggy on ice

thx for the vid

For anyone wanting to stud up your tires......about 1 of 20 screws could have damaged the tube ..so screws first then mounting. Also I have #8x3/8 on the front tire thinking the larger head size would help with steering traction...don't know if it has tho

A couple of us have played with this very idea along with a single chain arou d the center of the tire.
one thing we found was the inability to turn quickly or to come do a quick stop because there was no slide in the tires. So loading up the tires with a lot of traction devices eliminates the ability to keep the use as the buggy was originally intended and be able to slide any quick turn or to scrub off speed and stop.
one thing we did find was the front tire need to do have twice the amount of traction that one back tire had.
The other thing we found was the difference in flying fixed bridal kites as opposed to depower kites.

have you done any fixed bridal kite flying with your buggy?
are you able to come to a quick stop somehow?

I like this idea I think it's great fun and having such a large area to play on makes it worthwhile, enjoy the winter and the ice.

He seems to have the traction just right since you can see him sliding in the video. Many times the track of his front wheel and a back wheel touch each other.

Bridal

Jeff, what difference did you notice between fixed bridle and depower..?

Quote: Originally posted by BeamerBob

Bridal

Google speak and not hear.

I can down turn a fb kite and head the other direction in a blink of an eye. Go from 40mph in on direction and in 2 seconds be at 40mph going the opposite direction, all the while the bug is sideways trying to catch up.
You cant turn that quick with a depower kite.
Thats one of the main reasons depower kites and fb kites dont race in the same race in Europe under FILSY rules.

Trying to turn the buggy downwind quickly after down looping is one of my biggest problems. If I turn the front wheel about 45 to 60 degrees I seem to get the best traction otherwise the front just skids way to much . Stopping quickly is pretty much out the question, I haven't had a reason to stop that fast yet but my best bet is to bring kite high and kick the back end of buggy around some. If you guys want I can post another vid. (after editing) 4 days later on same ice but much harder ice - a little more wind and a larger kite.......

damn that must have been some exciting time in your life putting in all those screws...hope the music and beer were good...use a screw gun??

Well it wasn't rollercoaster fun........but yes beer-coffee table-TV-Music & a cordless drill

4 days later........

http://youtu.be/W4Xj0ocZuBc

Stupid double posts

Sorry wrong vid. ignorance maybe but not stupid

http://youtu.be/W4Xj0ocZuBc

actually that was the right vid. Perhaps someone can enlighten me ....... what is a double post?

It's when you click the post button and sometimes it posts the same post twice. I don't see any from anyone in this thread. It has happened to me mostly when posting from my ipad.