Hey fishslab. How many paddles would you suggest for our stock Trailblazers. I was thinking about an extra set of tires and wheels for our trips to the Silver Lake dunes.
Thanks, BryceGTX [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

I way about 140#s and you have to be an agressive rider and keep the throttle wide open at all times if you want to go out dunen with a group. When you let off the throttle thats when you get into trouble of getting stuck. I find that I can go further in the dunes on stock tires with very low tire pressure at the back, and I have alot more fun because i can let the back slide around and it keeps the rpm's up. My suggestion is if you want to put paddles on I would get the 8 paddle haulers or if you can get the 7 paddles on a 8 inch wheel and run low tire pressure......I can lead a group of riders on a stock set up with no problems but I cant get up the real steep hills. Since you have some mods done to it you might be ok with the paddles. What i found out with the paddles on the stock set up was that the paddles would bog the motor down but i think you would be ok with the haulers because they are very light....The dunes is all i ride and so I have been there and done that with about everything and anyting about the 250...I hope this helps....have fun

 

when we moved to Lake Havasu, we bought 4 trailblazer 250s to see what it was like. My youngest was 70lbs and I'm 170 and we had a blast without paddle tires or upgrades. We couldn't climb the biggest hills but we went where everyone else was, but it was wide open most of the time. I piped and clutched one and put paddles and it helped alot, but I still barely made it up Oldsmobile hill. My youngest daughter doesn't like it with paddles, not as much fun. My wife now has a piped and clutch 400 Scrambler and loves it. She beats me on my DS 650 until I'm into 3rd gear. Have fun and try it first before you spend money on paddles.

 

Talk about a small world. I lived in havasu for 18 years "grew up there". My family and freinds are still there. I visit there all the time. I will be there tomorrow and plan on riding in Bill Williams area on Thursday. Bring your DS!? We will be putting around Window rock thru Sunday. Wonder if we know eachother?

 

We've only been here a little over 4 years and love it, sure beats Chicago. We usually ride up in Williams or back in the mountains past Bison Blvd. or go to the Desert Bar, especially every Thanksgiving.

 

Well I left about when you got to Havasu. Well anyway, if your around, come up to Window rock.

 

I have a TB 250 also and I have done Silver Lake a few times, My friends are regulars and ride 660 raptors, so I gave up trying to hang with them and just try to have a good time. If you are familier with Silver Lake, you may Know test hill, on a good day, I can make it, the other hills are much easier to climb.I have a stock quad with a K&N filter, a set of Douglas rims, and a set of 7 paddle haulers(20-10-10). I run 3-4 psi in the haulers depending on the sand. I don't know if some type of sand tires for the front will help any but they sell wheel tire combos cheap enough, I'm going to try. I was going to re-gear it with a 42 tooth rear sprocket, but my brother in law brought his 2000? up to the dunes, mine is a 2003, and in a simple race between my stock geared with paddles vs. his re-geared with stock 489's showed no clear winner. I want to try my tires on his quad before I buy gears. I do not want to lose any of my top end. I have played with air pressure in the front tires, but have not noticed any difference. It does feel like the front is plowing, I agree, so that is why I will have sand tires on the front next time I go. There are a lot of people riding with stock tires that get along fine. I only had about 18 hours on my quad, (yes I have an hour meter) and had ridden mostly on trails where full throttle is rare. I still had not used very much oil from my injector tank until I went to the sand. Full throttle is all the time, and the oil goes fast! I also think the paddle tires hurt the gas mileage, because the first time out on my stock 489's I don't remember going though as many tanks of fuel.
Hope my ramblings help, maybe I'll see you in the sand!

 

You will find arguements pages deep on what size and how many paddles to use. First rule here is no matter what get some type of paddle for the sand period. Even the worst type is better than no paddles. I know you can still get around with out them, I did for almost a year. When I finally got some it was night and day. For a stock 250 Tblzr a pair of Sand Devil, Sand Shark, Sand Skates in an 8 paddle work very well. Yes Haulers are probably the best, but on a 250 the performance difference will not be dramatic. It is especially important if your trip to the dunes is a once a year special event. It would make the time far more enjoyable to ride the dunes with paddles and not get stuck everywhere all day long.

 

whats wrong with the Geckos, i have a set but yet to use them.
I have been at the Bull Gap sand hill and Silver Lk. without a problem with the stock tires, just wanted better launch and performance with the paddles. I have a piped and clutched 400 Scrambler 2x4.

 

Again, any paddle is better than no paddle. The problems with Geckos are they are heavy, the carcass is very rigid, and they lack continuos paddle surface. The plus for them is they are generally very cheap to purchase.