The front downtube is a square section tube secured to the side rails using 4 bolts so its fairly easy to break down - in fact I can get the buggy into my estate car in two main sections which speeds up assembly. Wheels are standard plastic hubs and 16 x 4.80/4.00-8 tyres as used on most buggies. The biggest difference is the use of huge 20mm I.D. bearings in the rear wheels so there's little chance of the bolts bending (The front wheel bearings are a more standard 12mm I.D.). The buggy is very heavy -approx 20Kg so its a bit awkward to manhandle around !! To complete the specifications is has adjustable footstraps and a splashguard. This particular buggy has a useful kite bag and I've fitted a speedo (Cateye Enduro) which is proving to be very rugged compared to one or two other types I've tried in the past.

So - whats it like to use ? The most noticeable difference between the Vmax and for example a Peter Lynn Competition is the stability under power (or should that the overpower !). The seat and side rails offer superb support and you can literally pin yourself into the seat and hold onto a more powerful kite without the rear end sliding. Obviously the vmax is not for tricks but it tracks very well and turns are still surpsingly quick. For sheer speed, reliability and ruggedness I can't fault the Vmax. I suppose it can be compared to the Peter Lynn Race Buggy. The race buggy has the advantage (??) of its rear suspension and stainless steel frame but the race buggy's seat is far too big (for me anyway) and I feel it still looks a bit like a "parts bin special" rather than the Vmax which has an air of quality and pure functionality.

Disadvantages - yes there ARE a few. The 20mm bearings in the rear wheels mean you can't swap them with Peter Lynn or Flexifoil wheels so you have to get the Libre items. The coating on the frame chips and scuffs very easily however I haven't seen any corrosion after a lot of use. The "silliest" part of the buggy is the front square section downtube. Its sealed at the front (fork) end but its actually open where it bolts to the side rails therefore water, sand etc can get inside. My buggy was bought secondhand and the inside of the downtube was suffering from rust. Having cleaned it out and treated it with WD40 and a car underseal (Waxoyl) I've sealed the tube with a simple rubber bung. I can't understand why Libre haven't sealed both ends ??

In terms of price the Vmax is typically £425.00 and the PL Race Buggy, typically £450.00. Is it worth it - well YES if you want a top quality high speed racing buggy and particularly if you're not into tricks (wheelies , spins etc). The Peter Lynn Race Buggy is more versatile and don't forget that you can start with a standard Competition buggy and add the suspension rear axle, race buggy side rails and seat (at a cost though) and of course you can convert back from the race buggy to the standard for those madder days !! Speaking for myself - I wish I'd bought a Vmax a long time ago - its superb !