For our extended fishing trips we finally broke the code on the best car top tent out there. We found a great supplier in Seattle WA.( https://adventure-ready.com/product-category/rooftop-tents/) for the Kane Klassics car top tent. Tom, the owner is very knowledgeable in all awnings, tents and other gear, all top quality. We selected the Nomad 160 by James Baroud Company. Tom’s a distributor for the west coast. We Drove over 800 miles at highway 65 to 75 mph in solid rain and snow and no leaks under the cover!
The Nomad is the easiest deploying and folding tent system with the added advantage of being able to bring in side the ladder for added security.
We have done some mods that are low cost and unique for gear stowage.
The first mods were net stowage system. The one over the tents inside is for clothing, junk, snacks etc that would other wise clutter out the tent. The net over the ladder entrance are for your shoes, wet rain jacket etc keeping the inside dry and clean. The other user issue is when your camped on a hard surface. As you enter the tent when your weight is off the ladder it will sometimes slide in under the tent. So for road trips I found a shop rubber rug matt keeps that ladder extended. You can find the nets at Walmart for $9.00 and secure with
with any number of hooks and climbing hooks all from, again Walmart! Any questions contact Tom or Kane Klassics.
We have always lead the fly rod industry in Bamboo pack & Graphite pack fly rods that travel. Sporting magazines and books have given us many kind accolade over the last
26 years for our pack rods that cast equal or better then standard rods. The pack rods allow you to travel to normal destinations and still have a fly rod available for
a quick afternoon or week of fishing. We recently traveled to Kauai, Hawaii and fished for some fantastic fish from the north island flats to inter island sugar cane lakes.
Hawaiian waters have a good population of saltwater Bone Fish in the 4 to 20 lb. size ranges. The sugar cane lakes have small and large mouth Bass, Talapia and Peacock Bass. While the family does the beach gig, you can be fishing some impressive and unique fisheries.
Pack rods are easily carried aboard airlines today as well. Just dont have knives and pliers in with your rods.
Our guide, Nigel did a fine job sighting and showing us the best flats for the Bone Fish. Contact him at 1-808-652-9038, or at flyfishkauai@hotmail.com.
He can take you fly fishing all over Kauai including trout fishing. Kauai is a little known great fishing destination which lets the family do their thing while you do yours! See the web site for more details on the varied and highly capable pack rods both in Bamboo pack & Graphite pack fly rods that travel. www.kaneklassics.com
Our Folding bike, micro bike 20 inch mountain bike tire upgrade has been tested and improves the usage of the micro bike to the level of normal size mountain bikes with 26 inch tires.
Our experience with off airport landings and remote landing strips has shown us the need for a mountain bike tire to ride on dirt and gravel back country roads that your micro bike will encounter. This option allows
the ride comfort and control of a normal sized mountain bike 26 inch or larger tire gives you.
In the picture comparing the 20 inch to the 26 inch tire you can see the 2.125 inch width of both tires is the same. You get the comfort of a full size bike with the smaller micro bike size which fits more compactly into the aircraft , RV or auto.
You can see the web site for more details and ordering. https://kaneklassics.com/montague-bikes/folding-bike-micro-bike-fits-airplane-rv-car/
When you have your Electric bike, how to use the Bionx Pedal Assist to level your ride effort becomes second nature as you ride. You refer to your control panel and set either
positive clicks for more and higher pedal assist levels or minus clicks to get to regenerate levels which ad recharging to your battery and at the same time creates drag or braking.
The ability to input your level of assist to make a hill climb and then to regenerate on the down hill nicely levels out your exercise. NO MORE heart stopping hill climbs followed by down hill over speeding or melting your brakes.
The chart below can be clicked on for a full size page. You see on this diagram the levels as examples and the speeds are not valid. The purpose of this chart is to explain that on the level just pedal or any level of positive assist you desire: on the uphill again any level of positive assist to make it up the hill: on the down hill click negative clicks to set different levels to suit you as you recharge the battery and hold you back on the down hill. Your owners manual will get you up to speed in more detail which will make this chart make perfect sense.
Once you combine the use of this chart and your Bionx users manual you will be leveling out your bike ride exercise to enjoy miles of touring and fun.
Many combinations of assist and recharge are yours to play with and refine. Electric Bike, How to use the Bionx Pedal Assist to level your ride effort will become second nature.
I have been getting a lot of questions on upgrading one’s older favorite bike with an electric bike pedal assist kit. The best answer I can give you is … YES. The perfect example I have is my 30 year old Schwinn Varsity 18 Speed. Electric bikes are amazing technology that can upgrade your child hood/college bike.
I paid $550.00 in 1984 which in today’s dollars was a very nice bike back then. I choose it for the easy removable front tire and wheel. I wanted it to fit in my airplane and there were not folding full size bikes back then as we carry at Kane Klassics today.
I originally chose the Bionx Pedal Assist system as it is the most advanced electric bikes – upgrading your old favorite bike system out there today. I have owned several Prius hybrid cars and the Bionx system worked in the same manner. Talk about capability, the systems light weight, 48 volt long lasting battery (60 mile plus range) and advance regeneration charge back into the battery on braking/down hill was just plan amazing. The pedal assist senses your input and matches it or exceeds it to your command settings.
Hills and loads were now easily mastered extending my range and ride. You still get you exercise. Here is an operational selection for the down hills, to get maximum regeneration and it holds you back. what that means is you pedal up with the same effort or more on the down hill. This is amazing technology especially for couples where and injury or knee aliment prevents their riding together. Now they have no excuse not to ride together never worried that their riding partner will over exert.
So early on as a electric bikes dealer, just like Kane Klassics fly rod restoration service, why not extend that retrofit service to the biking enthusiast. My Schwinn now stand proudly along side the new bikes in the shop, equal in looks and functionality. We polished up the
Schwinn, new brakes, tires and adjustments. Then added the Bionx 48 volt Pedal Assist System which as in a time machine brought the 1984 bike forward to 2014!
This bike is at the shop and you can visit to see and ride the modernized 2014 capable Schwinn. For technical and further information visit the https://kaneklassics.com web site.
Kane Klassics has always taken the lead in innovative designs, from our multi piece fly rods to the unique design of our Bicycle Cargo Trailer Design . One aspect of design we try and improve on all our products is the aviation technical design knowledge which we used in building the company airplane. Design techniques for weight reduction, materials, and production engineering all play together. Our cargo trailers are the industry light-weight leaders.. the 6′trailer, a mere 27 lbs ! The recommended carrying capacity is 180 lbs. This provides ample load for several float boats, ice chest, camping gear and fishing rods and gear.
In our Bicycle Cargo Trailer Design , this aviation expertise plays a key role. We selected corrosion resistant aluminum for our flatbed bike beds combined with stainless steel components which has produced a bicycle trailer design that will last the original owner many care free maintenance years.
Our suspension system uses no thru axle. This is very key to an off road bicycle trailer design as it affords a trailer that will not hang up over center of the trail obstructions. The wide tubed knobby tire smooths the ride for your gear and never sinks in sand. This
allows less strain and pedal input form the rider.
The Bicycle Cargo Trailer Design of the aluminum bed on the standard trailer is unique for its t-bar slats. This allows sand and water to drop through the bed when loading a wet and muddy/sandy float device. The slats provide numerous tie off places so multiple gear straps will secure any arrangement of on board cargo.
Our Bicycle Cargo Trailer Design does not account for human riders. Our trailer is a cargo bed designed specifically for cargo and fishing equipment in particular. We integrated amber and red reflectors for safe night and dusk riding.
The top speed on down hill runs is a recommended 5 mph. This allows trouble free handling and is more then fast enough on down hill grades of 6 to 20 percent. Loading the trailer is common sense. The heavy load go over the center suspension and lighter loads to front and rear. You do not want to load weight forward putting a large tongue weight on the bike mount. Use the same common load measures used on your car trailers, RVs and truck trailers.
Bicycle Cargo Trailers for Fishing Gear with great cargo carrying ability are few and far between. Most bike trailers use bike tires at the cargo bed so you have a half of a bike tire restricting your cargo. Kane Klassics bicycle trailers were designed for two prime capabilities. The first capability utilizes a flat bed cargo area so your over size float tube and other fishing gear are not restricted and can hang off the beds side. The second capability mounts fat tires under the cargo bed for non interferance of your cargo load that will hang over the flat bed above the tires. These two capabilities offer maximum usage for getting your gear to your destination.
Bicycle trailers need to be light in weight and yet strong. The Kane Klassics bicycle trailers are strong and light (6′ is a mere 27lbs.), using aluminum as the key material which is also quiet corrosion repelling. These we make here in the shop in Reno NV.
In fishing a lake and riding the Fat tire sand bikes in the sand and wet mud, a trailer to carry you float tube or boat needs to be in launch position quickly and afford ease of loading. Our open slat design allows both those key user functions plus gives your unlimited tie down stations and allows water , mud and sand to drop of the trailer bed. The other key design of the Kane Klassics bicycle trailer is the four point mounting holes for rod racks and equipment storage. This allows for secure fly rod storage out of the way of your gear.
The Bicycle Trailers for Fishing Cargo design allows addition of stowage boxes for ice chests, fishing vests and other gear. So in fishing a lake if the fish bite moves you reload you gear and pedal down the beach and relaunch. Utilizing the fat tire sand bike and trailers fat tires affords no stuck car of pickup as that vehicle was securely parked in the hard dirt away from where the bike and trailer took you.
For more information and pricing see the Kane Klassics web site http://www.kaneklassicscs.com
How to care for Bamboo fly rod is very easy and is no more consuming then the care you would give to a fine Graphite rod. Ill take you through the steps:
Female Ferrule care:
Use a clear Q-tip, I recommend the wooden stick ones as they are much stronger then the fiber stick. Use a minor amount of Paint Thinner. If you ooze out excess thinner it wont mare the bamboo coating in back of the ferrule or up on the ferrule. This will remove dirt and grease making your male ferrule insert and tighten into the female correctly. Once clear and clean the female is renewed and no more effort is needed:
Male Ferrule:
The male ferrule needs a light polishing with #0000 steel wool once or twice a year. this polishes any burrs and cleans the male.
Once clean use canning clear wax you would use in canning fruit to lightly lube the male. NEVER USE NOSE OIL. The use of the old fisherman tail of lubing ferrules with your nose oil will corrode and collect dirt in the female ferrule. In How to care for your bamboo fly rods, this alone will save you untold ferrule sticking and damage. By sliding the male ferrule over the wax coats and lubes it correctly. Any excess will be pushed aside as you insert it into the female.
Bamboo fly rod Field sense:
When you break for lunch never lean your bamboo fly rods or graphite fly rods with the tip leaning against a barn, RV or tree in the sun. Over your lunch break, either material can set up with a bend. Always assure you rest the rod with no load on it. you can set against an upright object, just dont induce a load bending the rod. The best method is to lay atop bushes or trees out of the sun with, again no load on the rod. This also keeps the rod elevated for others not step on your bamboo fly rod or graphite rod.
Bamboo Fly Rods and Graphite Rods, a caring return:
Once home simple wipe down drying the rods sections, you can use some furniture wax on an old clean t-shirt to shine and protect the rods coatings. Then leave the rod case open on the dinning room diner table for 24 hours. This is usually a wide open and safe area to let the rod and case return to a dry condition to store the rod . Doing this allows you the time
after a trip to inspect each section assuring the guides and ferrules as well as the reel seat are all in serviceable condition. Fail to do this and ill be hearing from you for a repair or premature restoration. So now you know how to care for bamboo fly rods and the same care is fine for graphite rods. See my link below for help if your rod needs it.
https://kaneklassics.com/custom-bamboo-fly-rods/
You read correctly! Fishing bamboo fly rods with my friend and outstanding Clear Lake Catfishing Guide, Tom Wheeler http://www.gutbucketsclearlakecatfishn.com showed that with the proper design Catfish up to 18lbs were nicely caught on Clear Lake. The Clear Lake Channel Catfish is a hardy aggressive fish and very much a predator. So with that in mind we set out to see if bamboo fly rods would hold true or be splintered by Mr. Catfish!
With Toms years of knowledge chasing Cats on Clear lake, that was half the battle. Once into these large and hardy fish, the rods performed superbly. Tom’s expertise getting us into these fish proved that the rods worked as designed.
With Tom’s Clear Lake knowledge he helped us cover excellent water. I have never caught any Catfish under 10 lbs and up to 18lbs. Very impressive indeed.
Sometimes we don’t as fly fishing warriors ever consider other fish, other then Trout and Bass. Don’t under estimate the aggressive and power of a 10 plus pound catfish ripping line off your reel!
For a exciting day seeking a giant Catfish, contact Tom: http://www.gutbucketsclearlakecatfishn.com
For bamboo fly rods and Spinning rods, contact Kane Klassics and Doug Kulick: https://kaneklassics.com
Doug Kulick with his shop manager, Ken Poole recently tested a new line of bamboo bait casting and bamboo spinning rods in Clear Lake, California north of the San Francisco Bay a few hours. Clear lake is known for its large and aggressive Large Mouth Bass.
Ken has worked for over 12 years at Kane Klassics and for the last few years as the Shop Manager. Ken’s attention to detail and keen craftsmanship has set high standards in the shop. An avid fisherman both fly and spin, Ken often assists in Kane Klassics testing of new designs. That was the case on Clear Lake.
Kane Klassics provides bamboo spinning rods and bait casting rods in various lengths, line weights and sections. See the picture… proof of a successful test at Clear Lake. To order a custom bamboo spinning rod or bait casting rod, here is the link: https://kaneklassics.com