My issue is this: I bought the ST thinking I could park and cover it under the eaves of my garage (yes, I know, the garage is the proper place, but that's not an option). The problem: my driveway is really steep, my side yard entry is gently sloped and narrow, and the gate itself is 41" wide. Inside the gate is a bump in the sidewalk and a bit of a dip right next to the house. The day I got the bike I found I could turn it around in front of the gate (after about 8 rounds of alternating turns) but getting it lined up to go through the gate and backing it in through the gate (up the slight hill) proved really difficult. In fact I'm ashamed to admit I dropped it in the process. I've been looking at dollies and have found a decent one at LegalSpeeding.com, which would really make turning the bike a breeze. However, the wheels are pretty small and the ground clearance of the dolly looks miniscule, so I'm concerned that it won't negotiate the sidewalk bump very well. Also, since it relies on the bike being on it's center stand, I can imagine trying to push it over the bump and bouncing the bike off the center stand - I'd have to remember to only pull the bike over. What I'm wondering is if there is any unit out there you know of that might work better for my purposes.
Need a recommendation for a good Dolly to move my ST
- Thread starter Matman
- Start date
Matman....
I have one of these, and now don't know how I got along without it. It works well, once you get the hang of getting the bike on it. The first time, I tweaked my back, and was sore for a week...now I think nothing of it.
On to your problem: Have you considered getting the sidewalk "de-bumped"? I will warn you that ANY small defect in the concrete will stop you from moving the bike with a dolly. I have to be careful of air hoses, bits of wood in the way, etc. It would likely work if you had the sidewalk "smoothed" out, and a concrete guy would likely do it quite reasonably. If possible, opt for cut expansion joints, rather than "formed" ones....they are smoother.
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I have one of these, and now don't know how I got along without it. It works well, once you get the hang of getting the bike on it. The first time, I tweaked my back, and was sore for a week...now I think nothing of it.
On to your problem: Have you considered getting the sidewalk "de-bumped"? I will warn you that ANY small defect in the concrete will stop you from moving the bike with a dolly. I have to be careful of air hoses, bits of wood in the way, etc. It would likely work if you had the sidewalk "smoothed" out, and a concrete guy would likely do it quite reasonably. If possible, opt for cut expansion joints, rather than "formed" ones....they are smoother.
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Thanks for the advice. I had bought some concrete patch mix but, the more I think about it, the less I'm sure that will work - all that pressure on those 4 tiny wheels will break it up in no time. I can roll the bike over the bump, which would mean putting it on the stand in a more confined and somewhat sloped place. Can you give me any tips that you learned while you were "getting the hang of it?" Just getting the bike on it's center stand seems like a struggle to begin with, so the thought of adding 1/2" or so in elevation at the stand point seems a bit scary. I don't want to tip it or wrench my back in the process...
Matman...
I am not huge....6'1", 180 lbs. It was a struggle for me at first as well. It is more of a learned thing...I don't even think of it now! I admit, it is JUST about all I can do to get it on the dolly. As I said in my former post, I DID tweak my back a bit getting it on the first time. After that, I was careful to keep my back straight, and do most of the work with gravity assisting- in other words, pushing DOWN with my foot on the center stand. I use the fold out handle mostly to balance myself, but I am sure I do exert a bit of force UP on it also. I am not a really "built" guy, but I am in pretty good shape.
When you do it right, you can feel that it is going to work...like you're in the "groove"...kinda hard to describe! Another poster had a GREAT suggestion...run the back wheel up on a piece of wood, like a piece of 3/4" plywood, which you've cut a chamfer or angle (miter) cut on one end to allow it to move on easier. THEN try rolling the dolly under, and putting it on the center stand.
Good luck on it!
PS< Harbor Freight has a cheaper one which uses the side stand!
I am not huge....6'1", 180 lbs. It was a struggle for me at first as well. It is more of a learned thing...I don't even think of it now! I admit, it is JUST about all I can do to get it on the dolly. As I said in my former post, I DID tweak my back a bit getting it on the first time. After that, I was careful to keep my back straight, and do most of the work with gravity assisting- in other words, pushing DOWN with my foot on the center stand. I use the fold out handle mostly to balance myself, but I am sure I do exert a bit of force UP on it also. I am not a really "built" guy, but I am in pretty good shape.
When you do it right, you can feel that it is going to work...like you're in the "groove"...kinda hard to describe! Another poster had a GREAT suggestion...run the back wheel up on a piece of wood, like a piece of 3/4" plywood, which you've cut a chamfer or angle (miter) cut on one end to allow it to move on easier. THEN try rolling the dolly under, and putting it on the center stand.
Good luck on it!
PS< Harbor Freight has a cheaper one which uses the side stand!
My brother-in-law put bigger wheels on his HF dolly. It seems to roll over big cracks and uneven concrete pretty well. I think he got the bigger wheels at HF as well.