I mounted a battery powered hedge trimmer to the front of my older trail bike (Trek DS 8.3). I carry a 12" electric chainsaw on a rear rack to clear trees that block the trails but had this idea when i came across this overgrown railbed trail.
Made a steel bar frame that mounts to the brake mounts and top of the fork. Trimmer is pinched in to the frame so it can pop out if a solid object is hit. I wired in an XT60 connector so it connects to a momentary button on the handlebar to run it. This trail had some really overgrown sections so i just stopped and take the trimmer out and it still works as normal so i could clear the heavy stuff by hand. Also when in areas that im not running it, i carry the trimmer in a backpack with the guard on the blades.
I was walking next to the bike in the video so i could film it but you can ride along at probably a max of 6 or 7 mph and it can keep up trimming if the vegetation isnt too thick. It is a bit difficult to control at first but once i got used to the weight out front its not bad. Once it gets thicker vegetation or rougher trail condition its much easier to walk next to it.
I don't plan to use this a lot, most of the trails are maintained well already, i just found this one branch that the state seems to have let go because there is a small wooden bridge they are waiting to replace.
by jurzdevil
23 Comments
[Picture from the front](https://i.imgur.com/iYwpteD.jpeg)
If I saw you on the trail I would freak out at first then start laughing my ass off, first from sheer panic then the absuedity of it.
Good job! 🥰
Anti-Pedestrian Weapon.
Now, if you attach a vertical one to the rear rack, you can simultaneously trim the plants from farther away that are leaning over the trail!
On your left!
Wait, is this xbiking?
This is like one of those cars from Death race or Mad Max
Ride it
This seems very dangerous for you
it is low possibility but it would be great if you make loud noise on that trail 3-4 min before trimming the bushes, in case if animals hiding in it.
O, I thought about that!
r/redneckengineering
Need to cross post to r/redneckengineering.
I love when the camera pans back and the trail looks exactly the same as before the trimming.
Doing the Lord’s work! I went flying off my bike a few weeks ago because I didn’t see a root lol
This is hilarious. I’m gonna drop some lat/lon points in my area that could use some attention. Seriously though, great to see the proactiveness in maintaining existing trails!
Aaaaaaand he dead
6 or 7 mph is far faster than i expected
We had the same idea… but you had executed it faster lololol
I dream about doing this on the path I commute on, thanks for realising my vision, oh great one!
The kneecapper 5000!
Safety third!
Clever! And, what could possibly go wrong?