Dual Suspension Recumbent???
Discussion
My commute to work is fifteen miles mountain bikes are too slow, road/race bikes are too uncomfortable and hybrids send every grain of dust on the road through my spine. So I'm looking for a recumbent cycle. The problem is most of them have either rear suspension only or none at all. Suspension is a must because of the state of the roads I'll be using (and in general in this country)and a 26 Inch wheel would give me better choice of road, ATB or hybrid tyres depending on weather conditions (I'll be cycling to work even if we have as much snow this year).
I don't mind front or rear wheel drive. Any ideas?
I don't mind front or rear wheel drive. Any ideas?
Had a go on the the wheels are too small and it was like riding a shopper, also the front suspension is "cosmetic only".
I was thinking on the lines of this but dual-sus'.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sofrider-V2-2-Front-Wheel-Dr...
I was thinking on the lines of this but dual-sus'.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sofrider-V2-2-Front-Wheel-Dr...
Max_Torque said:
Not sure really, but for only 15 miles wouldnt you just be better blowing 2k on a "fast" mountian bike ??? (i.e quality light one with suitable wheels/tyres fitted??)
I had seven stollen in five years and the Police do very little about it. A £2000 car get stollen however they call for helicopter support.I like and have owned recumbents before so I'm used to them. Top advice for a beginer though.
The first design was over complicated and would be heavy. I prefer underseat steering as well but it would complicate things.
Using a second rear triangle from a scrap bike with the only fabrication being the front subframe (in orange) and a couple of brackets to hold the seat in place.
Should be do-able and the price of a second hand bike and a few bits.
Copywrite me 11/10/2010
http://www.cruzbike.com/drupal/content/Freeriderv2
A bit "American Chopper" but basically what I came up with. $995 plus $54 international postage (£664-ish).
Very not bad.
A bit "American Chopper" but basically what I came up with. $995 plus $54 international postage (£664-ish).
Very not bad.
Bugger!
http://www.cruzbike.com/drupal/content/conversion-...
I think when I'll be placing an order when the payday fairies come to visit.
http://www.cruzbike.com/drupal/content/conversion-...
I think when I'll be placing an order when the payday fairies come to visit.
I've bought this......
...from eBay for £150!
No suspension and the seat cusion is pants but a good bike at a very decent price.
Is there an Underseat steering conversion for the Dawes Lowrider as it's my personal preference?
Also a few choice modifications will follow.
I have this bike to get used to riding again while I build my previous design (shed clear out permitting).
...from eBay for £150!
No suspension and the seat cusion is pants but a good bike at a very decent price.
Is there an Underseat steering conversion for the Dawes Lowrider as it's my personal preference?
Also a few choice modifications will follow.
I have this bike to get used to riding again while I build my previous design (shed clear out permitting).
Due to working silly hours I haven't been able to get to a shop to buy a front light as yet, but my local petrol station had these for sale at £5.99.......
...so with a screw driver, a bit of reverse engineering and Duct-Tape I turned the torch into this....
....it works just as well as any L.E.D light on the market for a fraction of the price.
...so with a screw driver, a bit of reverse engineering and Duct-Tape I turned the torch into this....
....it works just as well as any L.E.D light on the market for a fraction of the price.
Time to start putting my plan into action.
As well as a Bike I have bought a spare frame and bits as well from a Police auction for £2.12
The plan being to cut the down tube out of the frame and use its crank housing as a base for the project. I went to see the boys at Wisbech Engineering to ask their professional opinions.
They suggested instead of cutting the spare frame about and trying to weld dirty Aluminium I should (at the prototype stage at least) use Steel. This would be less complicated and cheaper (I can use my M.I.G instead of a couple of hundred Pounds of their T.I.G work). So they asked if I was using a standard sized crankset and very kindly gave me this to use.
Other ideas were punted about and I went home to look at the donor frame that is now promoted to mock up frame instead.
The seat post clamp was my original idea to secure the lower part of the frame to the forks but it won't work because it doesn't open enough. The drop out from my old Banshee will either be used as a base for a new design or simply have the top hole reemed out to fit directly to the wheel spindle. Then I took the front mech' off and had a moment of clarity.
A simple hinged pipe clamp welded to the subframe and clamped to the fork legs.
I'm off to a black smiths for the Steel and a D.I.Y shop for the pipe clamps.
As well as a Bike I have bought a spare frame and bits as well from a Police auction for £2.12
The plan being to cut the down tube out of the frame and use its crank housing as a base for the project. I went to see the boys at Wisbech Engineering to ask their professional opinions.
They suggested instead of cutting the spare frame about and trying to weld dirty Aluminium I should (at the prototype stage at least) use Steel. This would be less complicated and cheaper (I can use my M.I.G instead of a couple of hundred Pounds of their T.I.G work). So they asked if I was using a standard sized crankset and very kindly gave me this to use.
Other ideas were punted about and I went home to look at the donor frame that is now promoted to mock up frame instead.
The seat post clamp was my original idea to secure the lower part of the frame to the forks but it won't work because it doesn't open enough. The drop out from my old Banshee will either be used as a base for a new design or simply have the top hole reemed out to fit directly to the wheel spindle. Then I took the front mech' off and had a moment of clarity.
A simple hinged pipe clamp welded to the subframe and clamped to the fork legs.
I'm off to a black smiths for the Steel and a D.I.Y shop for the pipe clamps.
I explained the situation earlier. I can't ride upright for long due to a lower back injury. It may only be twenty six miles a day but I work six days straight. So it's a personal issue for me and not some comersial venture. That's why all the progress is on here and not the Patent Office. Suspension seatposts only deal with lateral movement and not directional impacts caused by pot holes and such.
The issue of low gearing (it is a mountain bike after all and only good for about 25-30mph flat out has been solved thank's to this guy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOZ-_ClKRmg
Check out his other videos. Chris you are a genius.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOZ-_ClKRmg
Check out his other videos. Chris you are a genius.
Oh-kay so I have been bored at work today and have been thinking about the crankset of the bike.
The Dawes one is adjustable so I need to incorperate this into my design to make fabrication a lot easier and also make the bike easier to live with. I'll use my 34 inside leg as a median so taller and shorter people can use the bike just as well.
If the crankset is clamped into place I don't need to be as exacting with the fabrication. I was worried that the crank would be at a slight angle due to the welding process or issues with jigging during fabrication. The tollerances involved with a front wheel drive bike are a lot less than a rear wheel drive one due to the chain lengh. Every time I pedaled the uneven weight would be transmitted through the drive wheel and steering making the bike unstable and possibly unsafe. With a rear wheel drive bike this would be transmitted through the frame and less obvious.
The Dawes one is adjustable so I need to incorperate this into my design to make fabrication a lot easier and also make the bike easier to live with. I'll use my 34 inside leg as a median so taller and shorter people can use the bike just as well.
If the crankset is clamped into place I don't need to be as exacting with the fabrication. I was worried that the crank would be at a slight angle due to the welding process or issues with jigging during fabrication. The tollerances involved with a front wheel drive bike are a lot less than a rear wheel drive one due to the chain lengh. Every time I pedaled the uneven weight would be transmitted through the drive wheel and steering making the bike unstable and possibly unsafe. With a rear wheel drive bike this would be transmitted through the frame and less obvious.
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