There are many of us who not only have a passion for 4WDing, but also for cycling - specifically mountain biking. It's a sport that is just a natural fit with our Land Cruisers.
The biggest problem however is that it has been almost impossible to carry bicycles safely and above all conveniently over rough 4WD terrain. Over the past 30 years I have found that no single product will do it all. Some may be convenient but will fracture in the middle of nowhere with a hundred km of currugations to go. Some may be robust enough but damage the bicycle frame because of rubbing at mounting points. Some may be tough and secure but do not allow convenient access to the rear of the vehicle etc. etc. In other words, each product may perhaps be excellent at a particular function, but nothing that covers all requirements.
The requirements are straight forward:
- Easy access to the rear of the vehicle
- Tough construction
- Absolutely safe on light alloy or carbon fibre framed bicycles
- Large departure angle
- Centralised and narrow width with multiple bicycles
- Fast and convenient loading / unloading of bicycles
- Easy attachment / deattachment to vehicle
- Configurations for large spare tyre on rear
- Security provision to secure carrier and bicycles to the car
Frankly it's entirely understandable that not one single product ticked all of the boxes because the bicycle industry is generally not intimate with the demands of 4x4 touring, let alone rough, tough and highly fatiguing tracks that lead to the best locations or indeed the pressures of weeks on the road.
The writing was on the wall that we'd have to design and build one that just nailed all of the requirements.
That was 2007.
To cut a long story short, iSi Advanced Bicycle Carriers are now arguably the ultimate bicycle carrier for the Land Cruiser 4x4 enthusiast with a strong sense of adventure, who desires to travel to remote places and sample the best cycling on the planet.
The following selected images taken with permission from iSi briefly highlight some of the design features that address each of the operation requirements of a 4x4 bicycle carrier. Please note that the design features of the iSi Advanced Bicycle Carriers are protected by product design registrations.
For more detailed information, you should visit the iSi web site http://www.isi-carriers.com
1. Easy access to the rear of the vehicle
The whole assembly pivots down for excellent access to the rear of the vehicle and room for large swing-out rear doors. Takes seconds to raise or lower.
2. Tough construction
Computer aided design and finite element sturctural and fatigue analysis.
Huge structural components that will never fail.
3. Absolutely safe on light alloy or carbon fibre framed bicycles
Weight of the bicycles supported by strong wheel hoops - each individually adjustable.
Zero load frame support hook is designed to simply keep the bicycle upright.
4. Large departure angle
Huge 40 degree departure angle that is greater than almost all highly modified Land Cruisers.
5. Centralised and narrow width with multiple bicycles
Each bicycle is offset vertically to keep the load compact. Individual support rails for zero sideways offset and to permit the slimmest profile possible.
6. Fast and convenient loading / unloading of bicycles
It's pretty easy really. Raise the support hook, lift the bike and ride. Takes seconds.
7. Easy attachment / deattachment to vehicle
Pull the two pins and remove the whole assembly. Takes seconds.
8. Configurations for large spare tyre on rear
Three sizes for different rear tailgate configurations.
9. Security provision to secure carrier and bicycles to the car
Provision for security lanyard for security cable from the vehicle to the carrier and then to the bicycles. Prevents theft of bicycles and the carier.
|
