diy recumbent

[skewbe]

inspired by trebuchets recent efforts, I finally put something that could be called a recumbent together. It's a no-weld experiment but some cutting (grinder with cutoff wheel. I took the back triangle from a boys mountainbike and left a couple inches on the top tube so it could saddle into the fork (minor grinding on the fork for decent fit), then two ubolts with an extra bar going across them to pull the two together and smaller ubolts to hold the bottom of the fork to the triangle.

The second ride was a LOT easier than the first one :)

http://www.gassavers.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=983&stc=1&d=1192411331
http://www.gassavers.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=984&stc=1&d=1192411337

Still needs some work, need to get some more caster (arms get a workout just gliding), but happy it works as well as it does on the first try. That's a piece of 2x3 with a piece of stadium pad and a ubolt btw.

It went together in a couple hours.

[SVOboy]

You're nuts, but I like it!

What kinda looks do you get?

[MetroMPG]

Awesome. Post video!

[UfoTofU]

Very cool!

Me rikey rots.

[theclencher]

yer wackier than a pet coon

[2TonJellyBean]

Do you think the front wheel drive will help in snow? :D

[MetroMPG]

Definitely! He will be able to apply power to pull himself out of oversteer situations.

[theclencher]

... if the crank is in the right place

[skewbe]

Heh, I'm glad you guys like it :)

Snow?!? Yikes, I would bust my but in a hurry. I've done snow, and I have to slide my feet on the ground a lot in the stuff.

This thing is not the leisurely cruise I was hoping for, will have to try something like this next (or a fwd tilt trike)

http://www.gassavers.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=974&d=1191780077

[beatr911]

You scare me.
You do earn lots of creative points though!

Reminds me of building choppers when I was 7. Chopped off tubular forks below the crown and slipped the open end of one onto the drop out end of the other. The fork was 3 lengths long and S shaped. Good thing I was light, it was pretty rickety, not even bolted together. Glad I lived through it all.

[trebuchet03]

What kinda looks do you get?

The most simple answer to that question is... Yes....

Even on professional built 'bents you'll get "the look" :D

------
Totally cool skewbe :thumbup: Hows the pedal steer though? And looks like brake should be the next order of business (I know, I know - brakes are the last thing on my list too :p).

That looks like a build that goes together too easily - so that almost no one else thinks to do it :p

-----
So for the stability... The problem is a combination of wheel sizes and lengthening the front fork.... You've got a lot of trail (caster) - possibly too much making strong arms required for steering... Hrmm, looking at it again - you've got a bit of negative trail (hub behind steering axis) -- the picture is kinda deceiving without putting a straight edge to it :p Is it trying to center by twisting the wheel 180 degrees?

I'd flip the pink fork around to attempt to restore the original steering geometry... You should be able to loosen the stem and flip it around to keep those handle bars nearby ;)

And if that bike isn't quite pink... my apologies (I'm a bit color blind when it comes to reds :p)


I've been meaning to post the almost final iteration of that monstrosity I posted a few weeks ago :p Soon :)

[theclencher]

i''ye wonder about putting the power to the ground as the only things opposing each pedal thrust are resistance to acceleration and your arms. since legs are stronger than arms you must have to learn to really pedal gently. in any case it's prolly a great upper body workout. i thot bents generally gave the upper body a break?

[trebuchet03]

i''ye wonder about putting the power to the ground as the only things opposing each pedal thrust are resistance to acceleration and your arms. since legs are stronger than arms you must have to learn to really pedal gently. in any case it's prolly a great upper body workout. i thot bents generally gave the upper body a break?

Generally, you won't use your arms on a 'bent (other than steering and such) -- it's better on your back (in general) as your back has more support... Your legs also get a different work out as a different muscle set is used.

The only thing that sucks about a 'bent is hill climbing capability.... You can't stand up and use gravity to your benefit, so you have to compensate with smaller chain rings and larger cassette combinations.....

[rangerbentman]

Generally, you won't use your arms on a 'bent (other than steering and such) -- it's better on your back (in general) as your back has more support... Your legs also get a different work out as a different muscle set is used.

The only thing that sucks about a 'bent is hill climbing capability.... You can't stand up and use gravity to your benefit, so you have to compensate with smaller chain rings and larger cassette combinations.....

You also do not get all the pain assocciated with riding a normal bike aka DF as you peddle in a seated position not balanced on a saddle. As to hill climbing that is a cobination of engine power ( your stamina ) and the configuration of the recumbent. My lwb Ranger sucks going up hills and my swb Vision r40 races up hills. Somewhere there is a tradeoff of what you can buy and what you are happy with. It may require you to forgo racing DF's up hills but you can wax them on downhills and the flats ( assuming that you are evenly matched with energy ).

[jdalend]

awesome!

I like the idea of extending the front fork the way you connected with the u-bolts.

How does it ride?
What is "caster" and have you had a chance to fix it?

thanks
kjdale@polarcomm.com

[JV-Tuga]

Well done! Just yesterday I came across a site with a bunch of interesting creations in this same vein. If you need more inspiration check this out:

http://www.atomiczombie.com/gallery.htm

They sell the plans to their bikes for less than $20 bucks, if you decide to go that route.

[theholycow]

If you're interested in DIY recumbents, take a look at this:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=rec.bicycles.tech+diy+recumbent

Try other similar searches there, too. That group is great for that kind of stuff.