My Hyperbike is HERE!!!

[drivin*me*buggy]

Whoo hoo- arrived right when Bob at Graham Carriage Works said it would. Tonight I unpacked it and my hubby helped me attach the seat...then put it all together. It was pretty easy. I am tool challenged, so was happy to see once the seat is on- you really don't need tools. LOL.

The workmanship is top notch and the design is so cool. It is so easy to take apart and put back together.I can't wait to try it out! It is raining here now, but maybe tomorrow afternoon I can give it a try. We put it together in my laundry room in the basement and I was so tempted to bring Buck in to see how it fit LOL....but I didn't. I will introduce him to it outside tomorrow.

Angie

JUST added pix further down!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

That's great, Angie!! Glad you're happy with it. Have your hubby play "horse" with you sitting in it so you can get the balance adjusted right tonight then give your son pony rides so you can feel it. Hyperbikes are almost as good for rickshaw rides as they are with the horses!

I don't know what instructions Bob sent with it but I'd recommend setting the wheel callouts as low as possible for your horse and having the stirrups short enough that your knees are braced so you can flex with fast turns like you're skiing. It isn't very comfortable that way at the walk but it's perfect once you're moving.

Can't wait to see pix!

Leia

 

[drivin*me*buggy]

OK...I have the balance set. My tire pressure is set at 45 lbs. My husband, Ash and I played with it.

Leia, You need to do a video of how one gets in and out of the 'Bike. Ash and I were laughing at the various ways we could come up with. My favorite was a small trampoline at the back of the seat to bounce then spring over the seat and land there..LOL...

I grabbed Buck's harness so we could kind of guesstimate where he will be and how much room I will have to get in and out...and do you know I am not tall? (5'1 1/2") LOL those shafts are interesting to step over.

Angie

 

[jleonard]

That was fast! I'm so jealous, I ordered a new cart at WEG (September) that is supposed to be arriving this month and I am impatient to get it here and play with it (despite the fact that the pony I bought it for doesn't drive yet

)

Don't worry about size and getting in. I'm only 5'0 and I know Leia's not much taller than me, and once you figure it out it's pretty easy! I just put one foot over the shaft, sit down, then swing my legs up, same in reverse to get out. I like the trampoline idea though

I love my 'bike more as time goes on. I took it to a driving games day last weekend and loved the fact that I could easily lift it into my trailer's tackroom, fully assembled, and then maneuver it once I got it in there, so much easier to deal with than my EE!

Be sure to take pictures ASAP!

 

[Carriage]

"I don't know what instructions Bob sent with it but I'd recommend setting the wheel callouts as low as possible for your horse"

I do try to set the wheel callout at the shop for the horse size and shaft combination. The open wheel callout is my best guess as the one needed. At minimum it gives you a good starting place. Remember to replace the axle callout caps to keep things sealed.

Also 45lb sounds a bit high. You want a bit of squish, try backing down to 35-40 lbs.

Bb

 

[shorthorsemom]

What is a wheel callot? Hyperbike dreamer wants to know.

 

[gatorbait4sure]

5'4" does the same for getting in and out.......That part is the most inconvienience you'll experience....once your in, it's like "Butta". I had trouble eith my right lower leg rubbing the stirrup until I reset it....now it feels like an old comfie recliner.....

I pack mine in my tack room but I put the wheels in the back seat of my truck as I don't want them rolling around w/o me. Bob will tell you ALWAYS check the hub of your wheels EVERY time you use it, BEFORE getting in, to be sure they are locked. ENJOY!

 

[drivin*me*buggy]

OK EVERYONE! I have pix! Granted they are not the best, as I rushed home from work, fed the dogs and got the 'Bike out. Buck and Wish watched as I assembled it. It rained all night and was windy and cold. I put on my big fluffy coat. The yard was a bit muddy but I HAD to try it out! LOL

*DISCLAIMER* I drive Buck in the wind and as it is getting dark all the time and he is just as steady as when it is calm. I know my boy like a book and knew he'd be fine. I have had him since he was 9 months old- he is 4 1/2 yrs old now and have done all his training. LOL

Now, back to the story I lunged him in the round pen just to warm him up. Then brushed him and hitched. I will still be doing a little tweaking with my harness and may drop my tugs another notch.

He stood like a rock while I got in. It was easier than I thought it would be! I am no spring chicken at 37 w/ a finicky knee and was just fine! I found it very comfortable and secure!

Off we went! I could tell Buck noticed it was easier to pull and was liking it. But he listened like the good boy he is and we had a blast!! It is so cool how easily it turns. I couldn't stop smiling.

It does feel similar to riding, as you can feel the motion of the horse more.

I drove for about 15 minutes then let Ash have a turn. SHe loved it too. I relunctantly had to stop since I needed to do chores and make dinner and it was just about dark. LOL

Bob deserves a huge round of applause! What a gift he has designed for our little horses! I think I will have to name my next horse Bob or Graham in honor of him!

So if you are thinking about getting a hyperbike, Go for it!! Tell Bob, Angie loves hers

You won't regret it. It is a quality piece of equipment that you and your horse will LOVE!

So here we are- not the greatest pix as the lighting was bad-

Angie

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Leia, You need to do a video of how one gets in and out of the 'Bike. Ash and I were laughing at the various ways we could come up with. My favorite was a small trampoline at the back of the seat to bounce then spring over the seat and land there..LOL...

Love the trampoline idea.

I can do video but it's sort of like getting into a show cart- hard the first few times until you figure out what works, then it's so easy you don't even think about it. I put my horse on a firm "Whoa, Stand" so he knows to stay planted on pain of death, face the cart with my reins in one hand and step inside the wheel and stirrup area with my left foot. My right foot steps over the shaft and takes my weight as I pivot to get my butt on the seat. I sit and lift my left foot to the stirrup then get my right foot up on the other stirrup. It's pretty quick! My goal is to minimize the dangerous time when I have a leg in front of a wheel or am standing in front of the seat where it could take me out if the horse were to jump forward. Once I'm safely in the seat I take time to settle myself properly, gather the extra rein length, etc., then drive off.

I grabbed Buck's harness so we could kind of guesstimate where he will be and how much room I will have to get in and out...and do you know I am not tall? (5'1 1/2") LOL those shafts are interesting to step over.

I'm a little under 5'3" myself so I know what you mean but it isn't bad! I think many "little women" like the 'Bike because it's easy for a small person to load and unload by themselves.

What is a wheel callot? Hyperbike dreamer wants to know.

The 'Bike has several measures of adjustability, one of which is different slots you can slide the wheel pin through to make the cart sit higher or lower. Those are "wheel callouts!"

Leia

 

[hobbyhorse23]

The problem with posting at work- I write over a long period of time in between calls so I didn't see the new post with pictures!

*DISCLAIMER* I drive Buck in the wind and as it is getting dark all the time and he is just as steady as when it is calm. I know my boy like a book and knew he'd be fine. I have had him since he was 9 months old- he is 4 1/2 yrs old now and have done all his training. LOL

*snort* No finger-shaking here! If I didn't drive in weather like that, I'd never drive nine months out of the year!

I will still be doing a little tweaking with my harness and may drop my tugs another notch.

Sounds good! The rest looks good from what I can see.

Bob deserves a huge round of applause! What a gift he has designed for our little horses! I think I will have to name my next horse Bob or Graham in honor of him!

LOL!!

Leia

 

[shorthorsemom]

Do you mount the hyperbike from the left? Do you need shorter traces for the hyperbike, or do most of your harness parts fit with adjustments? Hyperbike dreamer asking questions.

 

[drivin*me*buggy]

I got in on the left- guess it doesn't matter though.I stepped in with my right foot, hopped on seat- well didn't really hop- just say then swung my left leg in.

All my harness stuff fits fine. I have buckle in traces and that makes a difference I think. With my regular carts I am on last slot and 3rd hole(on Buckle) and the bike I am middle slot and last hole (On buckle)

I may get shorter reins.

I love it

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Do you mount the hyperbike from the left? Do you need shorter traces for the hyperbike, or do most of your harness parts fit with adjustments? Hyperbike dreamer asking questions.

You can mount from any side you find comfortable. I usually do it from the left probably just because I'm used to mounting a riding horse from the left!

The traces will usually fit as there's only about as much variance as I find from my show cart to easy entry to my Bellcrown. Different carts fit differently, that's all. You will need a shorter whip and if your reins are too thick to hold comfortably doubled up it wouldn't hurt to buy a special shorter set. My leather reins are narrow enough to be comfortable even with my tiny hands but I suspect if I had beta reins I'd need a shorter set so I didn't have to hold the extra at the end.

Leia

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Very exciting! I've never seen one in person. Sounds like a fun, versatile vehicle!

 

[shorthorsemom]

What about even shorter?. I am 4'11''. Not as thin or as limber and bendable as I used to be. Would the bike be a challenge for an even shorter person with some physical limitations? Wouldn't want to have to use a mounting block, LOL. My mini is 32 inches tall and a bit wide right now with all that hair. Might be hard to get accurate measurements right now too. I have had to let out my harness and my britching to account for hair bulk already.

My fear is that I will finally order one and have mounting be a challenge. I am currently using a meadowbrook but have a split seat and mount that cart from the rear rather than go over the shaft. I just look at the hills on our farm here and think that I would be giving my boy an advantage on hills with something like the hyper-bike, for now I am avoiding some trails because of how steep they are.

Come on girls, I still need some convincing.

 

[drivin*me*buggy]

I will try to take some other pictures this weekend and see if I can also get you some measurements, like how high the shafts are to step over. Buck is 34.5"

I think that if you bought a 'Bike and it didn't work out for you- you wouldn't have a hard time reselling it.

Angie

 

[shorthorsemom]

Good point Angie.. it would retain its value.

Any of you bikers have trouble switching back and forth from the hyperbike say to a meadowbwook? My trainer was concerned that my boy and I would be cutting tight turns and then have trouble switching back and learning how to properly handle a larger cart.

She wants me to learn how to handle myself in the meadowbrook first really well before I go hyperbiking. Me... I want some wings

 

[jleonard]

Good point Angie.. it would retain its value.

Any of you bikers have trouble switching back and forth from the hyperbike say to a meadowbwook? My trainer was concerned that my boy and I would be cutting tight turns and then have trouble switching back and learning how to properly handle a larger cart.

She wants me to learn how to handle myself in the meadowbrook first really well before I go hyperbiking. Me... I want some wings

Like I said, I'm only 5'0, so not much taller than you. It does take a little manuvering, but you find what works for you. I do not notice any difference switching back and forth between the 'bike and my EE. I feel like the bike makes my horses more confident (which neither of them really have a problem with anyway

) and also makes it easier for me to work on skills like bending, which then transfers to the EE. It also allows them to build up muscle without as much stress as a larger cart.

(Sorry for any typos, I really shouldn't respond this late!)

Oh and by the way, love the pics Angie, looks like you two were having fun!

 

[shorthorsemom]

Thanks for writing back. That helps me alot. I had hopes that I could use a lighter cart to help him get fit and build some strength. He drives great, just out of shape like I am. There are hills around here too that would be a breeze in a lighter cart that I avoid right now because he isn't fit enough to haul me and the meadowbrook up the incline. Gonna go put some more money in my hyperbike savings fund.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

What about even shorter?. I am 4'11''. Not as thin or as limber and bendable as I used to be. Would the bike be a challenge for an even shorter person with some physical limitations? Wouldn't want to have to use a mounting block, LOL. My mini is 32 inches tall and a bit wide right now with all that hair. Might be hard to get accurate measurements right now too....My fear is that I will finally order one and have mounting be a challenge.

You're worrying too much.

Bob custom designs each of these so if you need the shafts to be lower, ask him! He'll know what you need. With a horse who is only 32" you'll be on the upper wheel callouts anyway (lowering the entire 'Bike including shafts) so you should be fine. You won't need precise measurements for your horse; this is a cart, not a harness. He just needs general height/length/width and mostly it's the height.

Any of you bikers have trouble switching back and forth from the hyperbike say to a meadowbwook? My trainer was concerned that my boy and I would be cutting tight turns and then have trouble switching back and learning how to properly handle a larger cart.

Trouble, no. Things to watch for, yes, a little. Kody does get in the habit of spinning the 'Bike fast and can get a little sloppy on his bending but that's a simple matter of being strict and insisting that he work properly no matter what cart he's in. It doesn't take much! He's actually MORE willing to handle turning a larger cart after driving the 'Bike because it gives him confidence about shoving into those shafts.

I worry that he'll resent the heavier cart when he's been driving the 'Bike for awhile but he's generally fine with it. He clearly prefers the 'Bike, but he doesn't give any trouble about being hitched to my regular carts afterwards.

A light, safe vehicle like the 'Bike is great for reconditioning an over-weight horse without too much stress but be sure to intersperse drives with the heavier cart. I made the mistake of using the 'Bike almost exclusively for winter training one CDE season and found that while his cardio was phenomenal come spring he tired quickly during dressage because he simply hadn't built up the muscle strength for prolonged hauling of a regular cart. Oops! Now if I'm conditioning over the winter I'll make sure at least one drive out of every three is with the EE or Bellcrown and I make the horse WORK (lots of bending, transitions and collecting/lengthenings) on those Hyperbike drives. As the competition season approaches I use the 'Bike less and less not because I don't want to use it but because I want the horse at the peak of his strength and that means weight over distance. That way when I put him in the 'Bike for the marathon he can all but fly.

A purely recreational driver can use it all the time with no worry. I wouldn't use it for conditioning a green horse (besides the mounting issue I think they should learn to handle a heavy cart properly before being allowed to "fly") but I do use it for horses recovering from injury or severely out of shape. It's great for both!

Leia