In the spirit of Llary’s thread, I’m gonna ask for advice choosing some (well, two) new wheels.
I’m after the type of handcart you see (here in Taiwan) being pulled behind a scooter, often driven by an old lady, and loaded up with recycling salvage. I’ve had a quick look around in the local all-night hardware stores and they seem to start around a grand, but those ones have solid tyres, the wheel bearings are plain sleeves, and they don’t look very heavy-duty.
I’m thinking I might need to spend a bit more and get something more industrial/robust, perhaps with pneumatic tyres, though I don’t know of a source offhand. I’ve a feeling the old ladies mostly go pneumatic but I’ve never really paid attention before.
So get in touch with your inner old lady and make with the advice. (Of course some of you may actually BE old ladies, such is the Wacky World of the Web).
If you had around NT$3 grand (tops) to spend on a handcart, which would you choose and why? Specifically, would you choose solid or pneumatic tyres? Which are least likely to bounce around in a random fashion (when towed behind a scooter or bicycle) and cause an accident?
Oh, and and anyone replying along the lines of a) If you can’t afford a late model SLK 55 AMG, you should just die. (though I intend to comply with that one presently) or b) If you can only afford a clunky old handcart after 4 years of teaching English in Tainan you should probably consider a career change… will be hung from the nearest virtual lampost, come the revolution, which, given that capitalisms disappearing up its own arsehole (again), may not be so far away, ya dirty blackleg miner.
[quote=“zender”]Yes, but with the reduced friction, don’t expect to see as many sparks.
A shopping cart would be your cheapest option if you wanna go the “wheel” route.
It’s harder to sneak them away from the supermonkeys here than in The States.[/quote]
Don’t know if this influences your decision or not, but a quick straw poll of the laydees in my office* says that they wouldn’t even a look at at a guy with solid wheels.
the hotties in payroll, not editorial, don’t worry.
[quote=“zender”]Why you young people feel the need to spend so much on your wheels to impress the ladies is beyond me.
If you can drive a bike, you can get a door off its hinges.
Just find yourself some bailing twine or tie together enough plastic bags, and drag that door behind your Kymco.
If you do it right, you’ll see some sparks as your metal door scrapes along the road behind you.
Don’t waste your money on anything with wheels!
If you spend three grand on this, I’m gonna kick you upside the hind end with my plastic boots.[/quote]
Saw an ole lady towing one of those angle-iron frames that hold the PVC “Road Works” signs a while ago, when steel prices were higher. They are pretty big, must be if a Taiwanese ole lady cant fit one on her scooter. No cart, just a long bit of rope. SPARK-CLANG-TASTIC! She ruled the road, both sides, and quite a bit of extra realestate on the corners. Parting of the waves, and/or waving of the parts.
Don’t know if this influences your decision or not, but a quick straw poll of the laydees at my local traditional market* says that even shrimp lady would look at a guy if he pulled his door with a premium coupe.
the hotties in produce, not sundries, don’t worry.
[quote=“zender”]Yes, but with the reduced friction, don’t expect to see as many sparks.
A shopping cart would be your cheapest option if you wanna go the “wheel” route.
It’s harder to sneak them away from the supermonkeys here than in The States.[/quote]
Not readily available in Taiwan :no-no:
Old ladies don’t steal, not visibly anyway. :no-no:
And supermarket trolleys have castors, which do that wibbley-wobbly-shoot-off-at-a-tangenty thing in the bloody supermarket, so they’re likely to be worse towed at speed behind a scooter. :no-no:
And the centre of gravity is way too high. :no-no:
And “cheapest option” does not equal “premium” :no-no:
So not a very good suggestion, on the whole :no-no: though I thank you for your interest.
Buttercup has old lady potential, but the rest of you Dont Understand Taiwanese Culture and are Defying The Wisdom of The Ancients.
Supermarket Trolley! Pah!
To quote one of my commonest (and in some ways, my favorite) Taiwanese exchanges.
Taiwanette: “You can’t do that”
Me: “What do you mean? I’ve already done it. Why can’t I do it?”
Taiwanette: “Because nobody does it.”
Has anyone seen an old lady towing a supermarket trolley here in Taiwan? No? Ok then, case closed.
The door idea has some merit BUT I would probably have to steal the door, and old ladies don’t steal. :no-no:
I did wonder about using two (bamboo) poles, (which I could get from the beach) like a Plains Indian travoise, but I’ve never seen an old lady do that, here in Taiwan, and it might have impalement potential.
Is there some sort of equation for calculating the exact number of flat black bungees to attach the cart to the back of the scooter? Seems to me you have to have enough tensile strength there to actually get the load to overcome inertia and follow along, while retaining enough compliance to allow the scooter to lean in corners without tipping the cart over. Of course the number would change along with the load on the cart.
This is like a whole new area of suspension technology just waiting to be explored.
What kind of shopping trolley? Maybe the supermarket ones don’t work, but I think you’d get a lot of mileage out of bungeeing (sp?) one of these to the back…
