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Author Topic: Bob yak  (Read 9312 times)

hephzibar hunt

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Bob yak
« on: December 04, 2003, 05:55:03 PM »
Looking to use a suspension Yak cycling across France in the spring. Anyone got experience of Yaks vs panniers? Anyone had sickly Yaks?
Ta
HH
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Chris Land

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Re: Bob yak
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2003, 09:32:48 AM »
In my experience a yak is awful if you have long chain-stays and is more suited to being towed by an MTB than a tourer.  Other people disagree of course, but I have used one for fairly long rides (100 miles+) on an MTB with no troubles or complaints, whilst 10 miles on my tourer left me tired from struggling with unpleasant handling.  Wife had the same problem and is back on panniers after trying it.

Haven't tried the suspension version though.
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Istanbul_Tea

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Re: Bob yak
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2003, 01:51:09 PM »
Their milk is supposedly quite good in tea and coffee.
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hoogie

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Re: Bob yak
« Reply #3 on: January 11, 2004, 08:57:46 PM »
quote:
Originally posted by Chris Land

In my experience a yak is awful if you have long chain-stays and is more suited to being towed by an MTB than a tourer.  Other people disagree of course, but I have used one for fairly long rides (100 miles+) on an MTB with no troubles or complaints, whilst 10 miles on my tourer left me tired from struggling with unpleasant handling.  Wife had the same problem and is back on panniers after trying it.

Haven't tried the suspension version though.


That is an interesting comment Chris ... I have towed a BOB Yak for many many miles, but only behind my MTB ...t he handling does take a bit of getting used to ... I have never tried it behind any of my long chainstay bikes [Trek 520, Thorn Nomad, Giant Yukon].
When I was towing my daughter in a child trailer, it worked perfectly well behind a MTB, but it was a real handful behind a racing bike. The racing bike was an older model with longer chainstays than the current crop of racing bikes ... I put it down to the racing bikes 700C wheels and skinnier tyres [25mm] and didn't try it again.
I might test your theory on my long chainstayed bikes and report back ... if I don't report back, then you may assume that your commetns were correct and I am laid up in a ditch somewhere [B)][xx(][:(][:I]

cheers hoogie
timaru/oamaru, new zealand
http://cycletouring.iscool.net
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Chris Land

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Re: Bob yak
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2004, 08:37:13 AM »
On my Nomad it was less than perfect, whilst a 2 wheeled child-trailer is perfect for that bike.  I think it is something to do with having the weight balanced between the trailer's wheel and the bike's rear wheel (Yak) instead of having the C.O.G. over the trailer's wheels (kiddy-trailer).  

With my wife's bike (a custom tourer with fairly similar geometry to a Nomad) there was no weight on the front with a loaded yak, so no steering [:0].  The only way to solve the problem was to stick our really heavy kit in a pair of front-panniers to keep the front on the road and the load balanced, but even that wasn't perfect.

Hoogie - Let us all know how your experiments go!

HH - what did you decide?  Still going to France?
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hephzibar hunt

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Re: Bob yak
« Reply #5 on: February 07, 2004, 06:03:43 PM »
Sorry, been busy with stuff and haven't managed to log in for ages. Ta muchly to all for the advice/ help. Have decided to go for a Bob Ibex - will mostly be towed behind a Trek 7000 MTB converted to tourer mode. Found out the other day that some friends had bought an Ibex last year and have toured with it (using MTBs) and highly rate it. Will buy it soon and report back on how we find it.
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Pedaldog

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Re: Bob yak
« Reply #6 on: February 07, 2004, 08:55:22 PM »
Hi Heph,
I bought the Ibex a week or so ago and took it out for a test spin this very day!
I covered about 48 miles with it loaded for bear in the Southern Lake district on the back of an ATB and it ran really smooth.
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Dave Whittle Thorn Workshop

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Re: Bob yak
« Reply #7 on: February 11, 2004, 01:15:03 AM »
« Last Edit: February 11, 2004, 01:17:16 AM by Danger Mouse »
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hephzibar hunt

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Re: Bob yak
« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2004, 09:55:54 AM »
Many thanks Pedaldog and DM. Have e-mailed Weber about the Monoporter - looks interesting. Mind you, considering the standard of my German......
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bandgap

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Re: Bob yak
« Reply #9 on: November 01, 2004, 05:16:49 PM »
Don't know about the suspended ones but in my experience with a standard one:

Short (MTB) towing fork much stiffer than long (700C) towing fork, so much less tortional shudder if you hit a bump on a fast bend.

Yak more streamlined, so noticeably better into headwinds.

Panniers lighter (5kg?) so better up hills.

With Yak:
Have to detach before lifting over a fence for sneaky camping, rahter than just throwing panniers over.
If ride though shallow ditch, get shot out by trailer weight.
Can park bike without leaning it on anything by turning at right angles to trailer.
Parked Bike/Yak makes great back rest for lunch :-)

Steve
« Last Edit: November 01, 2004, 05:21:59 PM by bandgap »
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