Live the dream: Combine biking & kayaking
Mark Pizzini is a member of the James River Outdoor Coalition, and he lives the dream. He has devised a clever way to get his kayak back to the vehicle he left at the put-in and get good exercise at the same time. Pizzini wanted to be able to cut out part of his route […]
Mark Pizzini is a member of the James River Outdoor Coalition, and he lives the dream. He has devised a clever way to get his kayak back to the vehicle he left at the put-in and get good exercise at the same time.
Pizzini wanted to be able to cut out part of his route when he kayaked, so he bought a trailer that attaches to his bike. He had to modify the bike, and he first drops the bike and trailer off at the takeout at what will be the end of his run.
“I purchased it from E-bay and stripped it down to just the base and wheels. I throw all my gear in the boat. Pull the spray skirt over the cockpit to hold the gear in. Then strap the boat down with a few bungee cords,” he said.
When he gets off the river, he can hop on the bike and take his kayak back with him. When he gets back to his truck, load it up and done — no more having to drive back to the takeout. He saves gas, time and gets some exercise along the way.
“I don’t think this was originally intended to haul a kayak but there were no issues. It was very easy to handle and it packs up nicely in the back of the truck with the quick release wheels. I removed most of the hardware the trailer came with…there were no other modifications necessary,” Pizzini said.
I’ve seen this in action. I was driving past Pizzini as he headed the other direction with his bike and on Semmes Avenue about a month ago and almost stopped to turn around and get a look for myself. I have my own bike trailer, and I’ve always wanted to trick it out to use it with my kayak.
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