eggnoggbubble

Hi,

a friend gave me an instep trailer but the plastic wheels are failing, so I need new wheels, and if I'm going to replace the wheels I figure I might as well go fat because I'm hoping this trailer will do double duty: as a trailer for hauling my kayak, and also as a beach buggy (detached from the bike, unless and until I get a fatbike...)for getting camping gear (and the kayak) across the sand to the ocean...I'm also tempted to go 20" instead of 16" as I figure that would improve rolling resistance (esp on sand...).

this video describes the problem and process for my trailer exactly, except for my idea of upgrading to (20"?) fat wheels....

Can anyone tell me what I need to know about the axle/hubs/rims/spokes (etc...) to go about either ordering a pre-build wheel or else ordering the parts and lacing the wheel up myself? I'm a bit of a know-nothing mechanic but I'm hoping to use this as an opportunity to learn some new bicycle mechanical skills....

EDIT: stumbling around in my yard I came across this - I sawed it off an abandoned babystroller to use for experimenting with towing my paddleboard. As an initial solution I thought I could use these wheels, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to remove them from the axle - anyone any idea? Since I don't need the axle (just the wheel) I'm starting to consider grinding the top silver cap off....



EDIT: on second thoughts probably not spending a lot of time (err, a lot more time...) on what is essentially a rusty junk temporary solution - tho I might have a quick go with the grinder...

thanks for any help!

JanMM

World record rusty rims!
I have a similar Instep trailer that I use to haul 2 grandkids around the 'hood. (Got it cheap from friends) Sorry but haven't really examined the wheels - tires are in good shape and the wheels do the job. Not sure I would consider the Instep for hauling anything other than small children but maybe I am fooled by the somewhat flimsy nylon bits.It does seems structurally sound underneath. I'll take a closer look in the next day or two.

Geepig

You have a number of options ready and waiting:

You can pop those caps off the babystroller and once the wheels are off compare the bearings those on your trailer. There is every chance that they will fit on as the world is full of factories making standard wheels for all kinds of kids things.

You can find yourself an old single speed kids bike with plastic wheels as many of these actually use the same wheel front and rear.

You can go to the expense of buying hubs spokes and rims, and get the built at a bike shop.

You can visit a local bike coop, if there is one, and see if they have any 20" front bike wheels.

You could, if you lived in somewhere like Poland, go and ask a farmer if he has an old yard cart. I do, I have a farm, and indeed I have such a cart with old 20" front bicycle wheels.

Let us know how you get one!

eggnoggbubble

haha yup, pulled from the junk pile of a warehouse that was being demolished!
I'm thinking of taking all the nylon bits off (they're disintegrating anyway, trailer is pretty old) and just using the frame as a base to add a platform (wood, or maybe new nylon straps as a weave), and some kind of rack to hold the kayak.

Geepig thanks that's actually pretty helpful, made me realise there are a bunch of other options lying around - reminded me my daughter's bike (too small now, have been meaning to get rid of it) and although no bike co-op, I volunteer at my neighborhood center and they often get bikes in for junking, shouldn't be too long to wait for some appropriately sized wheels. I still quite like the idea of fat tires but I can wait on that, see how I get on with the cheap version first and add fat if I feel the need. thanks!

Yup will post when I get something to show....

eggnoggbubble

success! ground the silver cap off, got the wheel off, then got curious and ground off the rusty bolt, and it turned out that WAS what was holding the wheel on....oh well at least I learned something.

and it turns out the baby stroller and the trailer axles are the same size, so the remaining axle (the one I didn7t ruin!) fits the trailer...basically just need a spacer to keep it rattling....using washers for now, will look into a lock ring to hold them on when the wheel is removed, but anyway, success, thanks for the help I now have a functioning trailer! (at zero cost, nice!)


also nice to know have learned how it all goes together, and that I can pull the wheels of probably any baby stroller or kids bicycle...

thanks for the help!