How do you change a tyre on a cargo trike?

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martinn
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Joined: 1 Dec 2012, 8:20pm

How do you change a tyre on a cargo trike?

Post by martinn »

Hi all,

Whist thinking about how to look at the disc brakes on my cargo trike, it struck me how heavy the front end is... I know how to change the try on a bike, but how do you go about changing it on a trike?? Do you need to carry a jack? I could probably lift it and remove the tyre and tube with some effort, however my wife has a problem shoulder so no way could she do that.
Any thoughts or practicle advice

many thanks

Martin
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meic
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Location: Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen)

Re: How do you change a tyre on a cargo trike?

Post by meic »

A velomobile gets rolled on its side.
A motorcycle combination has a main stand on the bike which makes a central support that weight can be pushed to one side of making the other side easier to lift and support.

A main stand fitted roughly central which the trike can be rocked onto so it can be balanced to raise the punctured wheel. Some stands have a nice curved shape or a foot lever that enables you to use your weight on the stand to lift the weight of the vehicle.
Possibly no better than carrying a jack.

My preferred strategy would be to ask for help from a stranger!
Yma o Hyd
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meic
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Re: How do you change a tyre on a cargo trike?

Post by meic »

On the subject of the jack.
You will already have a pump on board, so something lightweight inflated by the pump should be achievable, though quite what I cant think of right now.
Yma o Hyd
hercule
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Re: How do you change a tyre on a cargo trike?

Post by hercule »

meic wrote:On the subject of the jack.
You will already have a pump on board, so something lightweight inflated by the pump should be achievable, though quite what I cant think of right now.


A child's beach ball? Should weigh next to nothing. Need to check it won't burst lifting the machine though...
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Tigerbiten
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Re: How do you change a tyre on a cargo trike?

Post by Tigerbiten »

You can get a tyre/tube off/on without lifting a trike as long as the wheel has a stub axle.
Lever the top half of the tyre off the rim, roll the trike forward/backward so the levered off part is on the bottom, this then lets you lever off the other half of the tyre to get at the tube.
It's a similar trick to get the tube out and keep going to remove the tyre completely.
You can do the same in reverse to put the tyre/tube back on.
The only tricky part is being careful to not damage the new tube if/when you roll the rim over it.
I've done that trick when I don't want to take the trailer off the trike as I cannot tip then both onto one side together.

Luck ........ :D
OldBloke
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Joined: 15 Jul 2014, 3:34am

Re: How do you change a tyre on a cargo trike?

Post by OldBloke »

One possibility is a short (or cut down) two legged bike stand(s).

Another, if you have parking brakes on multiple wheels, an appropriate length of aluminium flat with concave ends - propped against the kingpin.

Just my 2c worth.

OB
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Cunobelin
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Re: How do you change a tyre on a cargo trike?

Post by Cunobelin »

Add 4 small “stops” to the front of the box.

Most trikes will stand “on end” close to a wall with the seat/ rear frame
leaning against the wall
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mjr
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Re: How do you change a tyre on a cargo trike?

Post by mjr »

martinn wrote:Whist thinking about how to look at the disc brakes on my cargo trike, it struck me how heavy the front end is... I know how to change the try on a bike, but how do you go about changing it on a trike?? Do you need to carry a jack? I could probably lift it and remove the tyre and tube with some effort, however my wife has a problem shoulder so no way could she do that.
Any thoughts or practicle advice

Don't replace tyre and tube at the roadside if at possible. Repair in place (patches for tubes, boots for tyres, sealant canister for awkwards) and replace tyres when needed when there's help.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
Brucey
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Re: How do you change a tyre on a cargo trike?

Post by Brucey »

FWIW in the case of a front wheel I think it should be possible to

a) use the parking brake to immobilise the machine

b) then use a piece of wood to support the machine at the bad wheel.

potentially a simple strut (say a length of 5/8" dowel) might be enough to support the machine well enough for the tyre to be worked on. Just don't put your fingers where they might be squashed should the machine come down unexpectedly.

A can of sealant is a good thing to carry if you think you wouldn't manage a tube change/repair; it gives you a fighting chance of getting to where you are going anyway.

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
plantfit
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Location: Lincolnshire

Re: How do you change a tyre on a cargo trike?

Post by plantfit »

I cut two pieces of plywood (5mm thick) long enogh to lift the offending wheel just off the ground,cut a semi circle (same diameter as frame tube) in end of each piece and stapled some old carpet to both to form a hinge,piece of string threaded through both pieces of plywood to prevent the wood opening too far,when not in use it can be folded flat and stored in a pannier bag taking up very little room, the attached picture might be able to explain better than I have
Image
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: How do you change a tyre on a cargo trike?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

That's a rather elegant solution, even if the implementation is a touch Heath Robinson...

I like it.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
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