1/21/2013 Checking out the Tree/Bike equipment on a Job.

She's Bradford Pear has been needing some pruning for a while. The last time I worked on it was after the Ice Storm almost destroyed it 4 years ago. It had recovered but there was way too many interfering branches and it was hard to get around or under it. There was a lot of pruning to do and a lot of branches to clean up. Before I started on the tree I worked on the big cart; putting on new tires and finishing the tongue. Then I took out the back board so it could haul long brush. The big cart had no trouble taking all the brush; which I cut down narrow so it would all fit. There wasn't any real difference using the Bike equipment or a truck. The trailer was plenty big for the job and it could have hauled more than I put on it. I kept it hooked up to the bike and when it was full I pulled away as if I was going to haul the brush off. Actually I hauled it with the car because I had to go several miles but if I had a closer site it would have worked fine and the bike could pull it. Big Cart and Tools.

Bike, Cart, Me and Tree.

Loading Brush

Pulling Brush to Cart. Actually this equipment has an advantage in being able to pull right up to the tree and loading it so pulling brush is much easier

Full load/w/tools stowed in the brush.

Getting on the Bike; pulling full Cart.

Hauling it. So easy!

Pretending to dump the load.

Actually; cart hooked up to car's back rack to haul off the brush.

1/19/2013 Finish and Show.

It was a big day that began by finishing a lot of the things I worked on and painted this week. Then She and I made a lot of photographs. Then I hooked up the ladder and loaded it and the bike with equipment as if I was going to go out and do a job. She took lots of photos of it going down the hill; testing brakes and then back up and seeing how well I could pull the hill with a full load. Everything performed perfectly and then we weighed it. Empty the bike weighs 48 lbs. With equipment; 195 lbs. So I added 147 lbs. It would be a little more with the big saw and more ropes and spikes; as much as 50 lb more; but I think I could still stop it and pull a big hill. Experiment; a Success!! Parts of the Xtracycle Hitch. To keep from scratching paint I used pieces of PVC pipe.

Hitch; showing u bolts.

Hitch installed.

Hooked up small cart with newly painted tongue.

Installing newly fabricated and painted big cart tongue.

Hooked up to big cart.

Ladder Tongue.

Gear going onto Xtracycle.

Gear stowed in bags.

Moving out with gear.

Approaching the decline.

Heading along, down the road.

Coming Back.

Making the turn.

Pedaling hard up the hill.

Making it up the hill.

Riding in a circle and appearing to be going the opposite way of the ladder.

Back at home. With all that weight and the hill I got a good workout in about a quarter mile.

She comes home and we take some pictures and I take her for a ride.

"You're Crazy!"

Isn't she cute? I'll take her for a ride. Easy!

This is the engine. Me. I love the way it feels to stand up between those huge handlebars and pedal!

1/11/2013

I've been busy making more hookups for cargo bikes and trailers and have been able to go from concept to working model in just a few hours. I've done 2 hitches and 2 tongues this week. My secret is this great guy in town who I've known for over 30 years. He's been really good to me in the fabrication. Thank You Jack! God Love You! He doesn't realize what a blessing he is to everyone on "The Planet" when he helps me with these great Earth Machines that people can use to make life better! LLTAB

The next pictures you will see in this post will be after I get my hitch on the extracycle and a tongue for the cart and ladder for it. Love Light Smith

1/8/2013

Love Light's Trees and Bikes is this cool idea I had for a business that would also spread Love Light at the same time. So I had a choice to make it "Trees, Bikes and Love Lights" or "Love Lights, Trees and Bikes" and my friend Marc said call it "Love Light's Trees and Bikes" because my nickname is Love Light Smith. So I immediately said "Yes!" and we shook on it. I've been doing Love Light like a mad man for the past 6 years....... News Flash! 6 Year Anniversary coming up 1/17/2013! 9 Days. That's Significant! So that's the Love Light's. Trees is what I've always done for a living and I Love Trees and the People who hire me to work on them! I've been doing it full time now for 42 years! I started climbing trees for a Summer job in 1965 when I was 16. Two of my younger brothers also own Tree Businesses. Bikes are what I love in Transportation. I only had a clunker when I was a kid and I graduated right into cars and trucks when I got a drivers liscense but in 1989 I got back into bikes in a radical way. I bought a bike for myself, my wife and all my kids; which was 6 bikes at the time. I rode a lot and took my kids on rides and we took bike vacations. At the moment I own 2 Xtracycles, a bikeE, a Mountain Bike, a Tandem, a Folding Bike, and about 4 others. I also have 2 bicycle pulled carts and a 32' ladder on wheels I can pull. The idea is to do work on all 3 aspects of the Business. 1) Love Lights; building them and publishing Love Light. 2) Trees; working on them; using self propelled equipment. (Possibly with electric assist.) 3) Bikes; all aspects of them; building and repairing. I have already done an experiment back in '95 using a bike to pull my equipment and do Tree Jobs and it is one of the most blissful memories I have and I want to do it again. Love Light Smith