There are several methods for creating tow systems on the bike. Here are a select few found from other websites in the AR circles.

System 1: Wire Hanger/Fishing Rod Tow

Take some wire (use a coat hanger this works great) and wrap it around your seat rails then twist the two ends together and cut excess. You should have about 3-4 inches. Use a fishing rod and stick one end into the wire end and then tape this up. The wire and rod are just there to provide a place for the sugical tubing when not in use so it does not get jammed in your wheel. The surgical tubing then attaches to your seat rails as well then goes through the line loops on the fishing rod. At the end tie on a small carabiner. Then when your teammate wants to be towed they just grab a hold of the biner and hook it in. Another option is to use a strap then they don't feel like they could get dragged if they wipe out. Again towing works well on fire roads or other open areas. In single track I think it would be a bad idea. Make sure you train with this because it is wierd at first, especially if the person being towed doesn't trust that you won't run into anything.

System 2: Team TnT PVC tow system

Check the following web page for a tow system idea presented by Team TnT:

Team TnT Bike Tow System

System 3: www.ar.co.za tow overview

The following page is a tow system on a .za (Zimbabawe?) website about AR. They just have a quick paragraph and a not too detailed photo of a tow system in use.

http://www.ar.co.za/articles/snippets.html

System 4: NYARA bike tow system - how to build it details

The NYARA website has a decent overview of how to build a good tow system, with pictures, text, etc....

http://www.nyara.org/tips/mn_racing_towing.php

System 5: Don't use this one:

For the Northwest Adventures TRIOBA 24 Hour race (May 17th/18th 2003), I constructed a tow system. I used an aluminum tube about 3/8" thick, which I purchased for about $1.50 at a local hardware (Tru Value Hardware). I then used about 8 feet of 3/8" bungee cord (bought from REI for about $0.35/foot).

I threaded the bungee through the aluminum tube, tied a knot at both ends to keep it in place, and then looped one end around my seat post and tied it off to itself. I secured the tube to the seat rails with zip ties. At the end dangling past my rear tire, I tied a big loop into the bungee.

The towee simply grabs the loop, slips it over their handle bars, and over the stem bolts that secure the stem to the headset. My terminology is probably a bit off here ... sorry.

The system design worked fine. The problem was the aluminum tubes. The aluminum was too thin and almost immediately cracked and broke, rendering the tow system inoperable, and a burden. Aluminum simply doesn't take stress and strain very well, and cracks under stress quickly. Hence you'll never find this 230 pound beast on an aluminum frame MTB (chromoly all the way, baby!).

If you can find graphite or similar tubes (eg relatively large sized tent poles), this system works exceptionally well. However, it's tough to find tent poles with a big enough diameter in the tube to fit a beefy bungee cord into. Most have extremely tiny diameter tubes for 1/16" bungee for the tent pole assembly.

System 6: AARC's version of a tow system - surgical tubing, semi-rigid plastic tubing

AARC uses a setup with a flexible plastic tubing as the housing, with surgical tubing running through that. I don't care for how this setup sits on the bike, if the towee forgets to, or can't quite clip the dangling surgical tubing back onto the seat post rail, it can easily get caught in the back tire.

However, some slight modifications might help make this tow system work well. If you used a slightly sturdier plastic outer tubing - which was a bit longer, and extended *past* the back wheel, this may work well.

Click on the individual pictures and steps below to see a larger version of the picture (it'll pop up in a separate window).

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Step 1: Tie surgical tubing around frame and cover with duct tape.

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Step 2: Tow system stored around seat when not in use. For quick release can be stored on seat post clamp.

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Step 3: Hard tubing is zip tied to bottom of seat for stability. Surgical tubing runs through hard tubing.

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Step 4: Tie loop at end of surgical tubing. Loop will go over goose neck of bike you are towing. It will hold don't worry. Don't ride with tow system hanging. Give good length or you will tire rub.

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Original source for the above tow system from the AARC MSN group web page athttp://groups.msn.com/AARC/biketowsystem.msnw. Shamelessly "borrowed" off their site without their consent or knowledge.

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