Part 1 of 3 United States Department of Agriculture MountainMountain BikeBike Forest Service Technology & Development AccessoriesAccessories forfor Program 2300 Recreation April 1998 TTrailrail WWorkork 9823-2812-MTDC

Brian Vachowski, Project Leader

7E72A47–Accessories for Transporting Maintenance Tools 1 Part 1 of 3

Contents Acknowledgments

Part 1of 3 any people throughout the country who are not listed Introduction ______3 here helped on this project with their comments and MM suggestions. I am especially grateful to the following The Situation at Seward ______4 for their indepth contributions:

Benefits of ______5 Suzanne Hanlon, Adventure Association

Not for Everyone ______6 Stephen Hmurciak, Seward Ranger District

Panniers ______7 Irene Lindquist, Seward Ranger District Chain Saw Carrier ______8 Kurt Loheit, International Mountain Bicycling Assn. Part 2 of 3 John Morris, Burley Design Cooperative Trailers ______10 Sylvia Russell, Recreational Equipment, Inc. B.O.B. Yak Trailer ______10 B.O.B. Coz Trailer ______11 Wheele Pac Dog Trailer ______11 Keith Wolferman, Missoula Aerial Fire Depot Burley Design Cooperative’s Prototype ______11

Part 3 of 3 MTDC Staff: Bob Beckley, Windy Hayden, Bob Hensler, Product Sources and Organizations ______14 Gary Hoshide, Bert Lindler, and Sara Lustgraaf.

About the Author______14

Appendix A—Job Hazard Analyses for Riding Mountain Bicycles and for Trailers ______15

Appendix B—Kurt Loheit’s Tool Holder (Fits B.O.B. Yak Trailer) ______17

The Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture, has developed this information for the guidance of its employees, its contractors, and its cooperating Federal and State agencies, and is not responsible for the interpretation or use of this information by anyone except its own employees. The use of trade, firm, or corporation names in this publication is for the information and convenience of the reader, and does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of any product or service to the exclusion of others that may be suitable.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication of program information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice or TDD). To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250, or call 1-800-245- 6340 (voice) or (202) 720-1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity employer. 2 Part 1 of 3

Introduction

ountain bikes. You find them on nonwilderness everywhere. MMContinual improvements in suspensions, brakes, structural materials, and other key components allow mountain bikers to travel faster, farther, and with greater ease and dependability than ever before.

It should come as no surprise that mountain bike enthusiasts who also maintain trails have seen the benefits of using mountain bikes for trail work. This case study shows how the Sew- ard Ranger District on the Chugach National Forest uses mountain bikes. In addition, it describes how the Mis- soula Technology and Development Center (MTDC) worked with the District trail crew to develop a bicycle-mounted chain saw carrier and evaluate several single-wheeled bicycle cargo trailers.

3 Part 1 of 3

The Situation at Seward

et in the beautiful and mountain- has been spreading for the past several and have noted an incredible savings of ous Kenai Peninsula south of years. Each year, more dead trees are time by 50% over backpacking. We have SSAnchorage, Alaska, the Seward falling across the trails. Removing 2,000 found mountain bike travel to be fast and Ranger District has a short summer trees with diameters averaging 15 to 24 easier on the body and mind than hiking season, high visitation, and a shrink- inches is beginning to be the norm. with the gear and equipment in the ing trail maintenance budget. proper situation. For the trails and circum- We are not located in a wilderness and stances where mountain bike travel is In her project proposal to MTDC, the preferred method for trail employees appropriate, we believe a good system District Trails Coordinator Irene to remove fallen trees is with a chain with specially designed equipment is Lindquist (Figure 1) provided some saw, adding to the weight of standard worth investigating. details about the trail program: camping equipment. Heavy backpack loads combined with continuous mount- Currently we mount a chain saw in a ❝The Seward Ranger District has a ing and unmounting of the pack and scabbard on the rear rack. Our front spruce bark beetle infestation which several miles cutting trees is rack holds a set of panniers. A second physically and mentally traveler on mountain bike usually has exhausting. panniers on front and back for the gas/ oil and ax. We are trying new and more We have been experiment- advanced designs of mountain bikes for ing with mountain bike travel the 1995 season. We have not come up for early season tree removal with any new designs for carrying a chain saw, gas/oil, and ax. We would like to design a bike and accessories capable of holding a chain saw (size similar to a Stihl 036 with a 20-inch bar) and 1.5 gallons gas, 2 quarts oil, wedges, ax, safety and first aid equip- ment, and personal gear for the day.❞

At MTDC’s sug- Figure 1—Irene Lindquist and Stephen Hmurciak (right) gestion, the Sew- were principal evaluators for this project. ard trail crew also agreed to evaluate single-wheeled cargo trailers.

4 Part 1 of 3

Benefits of Bicycles

e don’t want to turn trail mainte- nance, it allows the recreating public to The Seward trail crew is experienced. nance into another Extreme experience a less frustrating hike, bike, Crews use loaded mountain bikes on WWSport. Picture it. Barely-in-con- or horseback ride on our trails.❞ single-track trails considered moderate trol cyclists careening down mountain to difficult for ordinary . trails, chain saws in tow, grinning Mountain bikes improve dramatically Their use as described in this report fiendishly as hikers scatter like terrified every year. In 1997, the District had represents difficult conditions and sheep at their approach. six bikes: heavy wear. The scabbard and trailers described in this report make more To the contrary, we want to show you • Two Novara Arribas without shocks, sense and would be safer on easier how members of one trail crew found purchased in 1990 trails. that using mountain bikes for logging • Two Trek 970’s with front shocks, out some pretty tough trails allowed purchased in 1994 On the Seward Ranger District, moun- them to double their production without • Two Specialized Rock Hoppers tain bikes work best for logging out taking extraordinary risks. with front shocks, purchased in trails early in the summer. A two- 1995. person crew typically can log out 8 The Seward trail crew has used moun- miles (12.8 km) in a 12-hour day. tain bikes since about 1989, but has Front shocks are a prerequisite for Crews have logged out as much as increased the use of bikes markedly any new bicycles purchased. 11 miles (17.6 km) of trail in a single during the past 4 years. Currently, the day. This is about twice as much trail District fields three, two-person bike The Seward District’s mountain bikes as a hiking crew can log out in a day. teams to log out trails at the beginning are used hard and require constant Being able to return to the trailhead of the summer season. maintenance and repair. Brake pads, in fairly quickly often eliminates the need particular, need to be replaced weekly, for camping out. That means crews Irene Lindquist reports: ❝Our number or even more often when bike trailers don’t have to carry camping gear and one savings utilizing mountain bike are used. The District expects to spend food in addition to their equipment. travel has been time. Running a close about $150 in parts for each bike per second is a lack of wear and tear on year, not counting the labor to install Mountain bikes have also proven the employees’ backs, knees, and feet. the parts. invaluable for trail contract inspection. Irene Lindquist rode 20 miles (32 km) The savings of time not only benefits the to check a contractor, then rode out, Forest Service by allowing time saved all in a single day. Hiking 40 miles (64 to be used on bridge and tread mainte- km) would have taken her 3 days.

5 Part 1 of 3

Not for Everyone

iding a mountain bicycle on any Look at your own situation carefully In Appendix A, we’ve enclosed two job trail takes considerable skill. The before committing to a bike-mounted hazard analyses prepared by the Sew- RRrider needs to be in good physical trail crew. This is not an easy decision. ard Ranger District, one for using the condition. Controlling a heavily loaded The easier the trail, the more mountain mountain bikes and the other for using bike on rough mountain trails requires bikes make sense. Mountain bikes mountain bike trailers. Tailor your much more—exceptional skill, endur- and other mechanical devices are not analyses to the local conditions and ance, strength, and experience. Make permitted in designated wilderness. hazards—you might have cactus to sure your crew has plenty of experi- contend with instead of bears. ence riding mountain bikes before loading one up with a chain saw or attaching a trailer.

6 Part 1 of 3

Panniers

rene Lindquist also wanted MTDC to MTDC chose not to evaluate panniers ing clip or clasp instead of open clips investigate panniers that would hold because so many good ones are prevent the panniers from bouncing II10 to 15 pounds of equipment: “We available. Basically, you get what you off the racks. have tried several good-quality pan- pay for with panniers. Generally, the niers and have had problems with the most expensive bags are the strongest. Quality retail and catalog suppliers attachment system keeping the pan- Pay particular attention to the weight carry a good selection of panniers that niers on the bike racks. Because we of the fabric, quality of stitching, and should meet your needs. are riding on trails which are not reinforcement. PVC-coated fabrics always smooth and have lots of bumps, look especially strong and weather our panniers have bounced free from resistant. Bags with some sort of lock- the racks, and have blown seams.”

7 Part 1 of 3

Chain Saw Carrier

issoula smokejumper Keith Wolf- company’s dealers on special order. than solid loop attachments to hold erman designed and fabricated Both worked equally well. The Seward both the power head cushion and side MM the simple, yet effective chain trail crew also used the carrier with the scabbard to the cargo rack. saw carrier that MTDC sent to Alaska less expensive Blackburn Mountain- for testing (Figure 2). He built it to fit a eering rack. It worked fine, too. So long as the saw was nearly all that Stihl 036 with 20-inch (508-mm) bar, was being carried, it could be carried a fairly large saw. If you decide you We designed our prototype to be safely, despite its high center of gravity want some of these, build them to fit permanently mounted to the rack and its weight on the back of the bike the saws you will be carrying. We do (Figure 4). This was a mistake, (Figure 5). not recommend carrying saws larger because the trail crew sometimes than the one we tested. The smaller the needed to remove the chain saw The bike’s front shocks limit the ability saw, the easier it will be to transport. carrier without taking the rack off. All to carry offsetting weight up front. the fasteners on the cargo rack had Front cargo racks and shocks are not The rack is simple. Three layers of been treated with Loctite to keep them compatible. A second bike is needed 1 ⁄2-inch (12.7-mm), closed-cell foam from loosening. Future versions of the to transport safety gear like chain saw were glued together with spray adhe- chain saw carrier need to feature chaps, first aid kit, gas, oil, personal 1 sive and topped by a ⁄16-inch (1.6-mm) bendable hook attachments rather protective equipment, saw kit, radio, sheet of aluminum. The rack bike tool kit, ax, water filter, personal fits snugly on top of the gear, water, and food. Each bike bike rack as a cushion carries at least 30 pounds (13.5 kg).

for the saw’s power head Needless to say, use the smallest saw (Figure 3). ➞ that will meet your needs.

The side scabbard was fab- Power head ricated from two pieces of cushion inexpensive, high-density 1 ⁄8-inch (3.2-mm) polyethy- 3 lene plastic, with a ⁄8-inch (9.5-mm) spacer between the pieces. The Seward trail

crew found that the saw Scabbard teeth chewed through the soft polyethylene, and they recommended that the inside of the top of the scab- 1 bard be lined with ⁄16-inch (1.6-mm) aluminum, folded back over the top of the scabbard. Perhaps the teeth could be shielded from direct contact with the poly- ethylene by a tight-fitting Figure 2—MTDC’s prototype chain saw rubber or plastic guard that carrier consists of a power head cushion could be slipped over the and side scabbard. teeth before the bar was placed in the scabbard. We don’t have all the details yet on the best fix for this problem.

We selected the heavy-duty Blackburn Expedition EX-1+ rear cargo rack as a mount for the chain saw scabbard. Figure 3—The power head cushion topped with sheet aluminum We also tried the heavy-duty Burley needs to be high enough so that the saw dogs clear the side Moose Rack, available from that scabbard. The height will vary with different brands of saws. 8 Part 1 of 3

Chain Saw Carrier ➞

Closed

clamps ➞

Figure 4—We should have used clips rather than the closed clamps shown so the chain saw carrier could be removed easily.

Figure 5—Two bikes, one for the saw and one for gear, are needed to outfit a crew. Handlebar bags on the front help to balance weight in the rear. —End Part 1— 9