DIY longtail -could it be this easy?

[dogman]

Hee hee, the one with the scabbard is a real New Mexico bike. I used to dove and quail hunt and had only a motorcycle for transport. Always my turn at a 4 way stop for some reason. Hard to tell for sure, but that one looked like it had rear suspension.

[oldhaq]

My bike has added 24" mtb rear suspension. It wasn't too hard, welded up a bracket to bolt onto the rear triangle to take a shockie.
It feels great, takes a few corners to get used to the long wheelbase.
That allowed me to mount the batteries with a low centre of gravity, on the axis between the axles, and makes it easy to shift weight.
The hardest part was getting the chain clearance, the chain guide helps stop it swaying.

[spinningmagnets]

oldhaq, thats a great idea! My personal taste is towards a different frame, but now I want one.

I haven't finished my first project, I'm still working on my second, and now I want to start this third...Endless Sphere is really starting to annoy my wife.

[dogman]

I bet that rides real sweet. My mediumtail, that used to be the trike, is just about 4" longer than my MTB. Wow what a difference in the feel of the bike! It really corners nice to me. The seat on it is about 6" lower than the MTB. Unfortunately, it's just about 1" too long to fit on a bus bikerack. Might have to lower it some more, with 24" tires.

[spinningmagnets]

Here's Justin on his "Cross-Canada" touring bike. One of the problems with a non-hub design is finding the space to mount the motor and possibly a 2-stage drive. Another problem is many people (especially older folks like me) prefer a seating position that is a little more laid-back.

I recently bought a MTB because it was the cheapest way to get fat tires, suspension, and a front disc brake. However, my first choice is not the standard handle-bar/seat geometry.

By using a hard-tail with a suspension A-frame added to the back, I can have all 3 things. Recumbent seat that is lower/farther-back than stock seat. Reversed handlebar head with laid-back "moustasche" bars. plenty of frame room for non-hub motor and gear-down. From my younger motorcycle days, I much prefer the Honda Rebel seating position (shown in pic) rather than the "sport-bike" seating geometry.

I now very much like the idea of a 26" front wheel (suspension/disc-brake) with 24" rear (dirt cheap at thrift stores) added to a hard-tail



"At what age do you tell a highway its adopted?" -Steven Wright

[spinningmagnets]

The more I think about it...the next bike I would build might be a 26" hardtail with double disc brakes (I can add a rear V-brake, and use the rear disc wheel to make a left-side-sprocket for my wifes bike) and I add a 24" rear suspension arm from a $20 thrift-store MTB.

I had bought a 26" MTB from WM, for only $200 it had a front disc brake, but after converting it to a semi-recumbent ("beach cruiser" seating position) its a little tail-heavy/nose-light. When going uphill and hitting a small bump it almost pops a wheelie. I also noticed the front tire braking and steering isn't as solid as I would like because of the weight distribution.

Here's another longtail pic just for conversation. Its a "Madsen" saw one today, rear wheel is a 20", rear V-brake, no suspension. This is similar to what I think I might end up doing as far as size and layout...

[Edit: insert link] http://www.madsencycles.com/

[vanilla ice]

I have a few old tandems, one a 60's frame with no rear BB installed. I guess that makes it a longtail. Great kid hauler, and was cheap also. I wouldn't trust the old frame with the weight of two adults anyway so it kind of works out.. I'm thinking of converting it to rear steer like Justin's (or double steer) with 4 heim joints and 2 linkages. Probly sucks to have my back blocking the nice view!

[vanilla ice]

I used to dove and quail hunt and had only a motorcycle for transport. Always my turn at a 4 way stop for some reason.

Lolz. My buddy didn't own a four wheel vehicle until he was in his 50's. For a while he was wanting to take his gun to the shooting range on his motorcycle, and while technically legal, he was talked out of it by law enforcement. I don't think that would fly in socal.

[spinningmagnets]

Heres a DIY longtail build-log with pretty good pics:

http://www.velocide.com/cargo_bike.html

[spinningmagnets]

http://www.oldfool.org/2010/01/old-fools-journal-cargo-bike-update-3-i.html

[colby]

can't believe i haven't seen this thread earlier!

I was working on something like this late last year.

i got a little sidetracked with some other projects and never finished

funny thing is i've been thinking about how i want to finish this bike.

what i still need to do is cut the rear top tube off and add a shock in its place.

[colby]

found a picture.

[colby]

[spinningmagnets]

Colby, nice build! lots of room for batteries, cargo-racks, and perhaps making a non-hub drive using a Bafang/Fusin?

A full-suspension longtail:

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=18157

FSLBhitchinPost.JPG (149.18 KiB) Viewed 1548 times

[spinningmagnets]

Earlier in this thread there's a long-bike link from Vanilla-Ice, I followed that link to another link...

[spinningmagnets]

A 20" longtail...looks professionally welded, but may provide some ideas...

[amberwolf]

I really like the lines of the Bamboo Mixte style. I can feel the pondering beginning....

[colby]

Colby, nice build! lots of room for batteries, cargo-racks, and perhaps making a non-hub drive using a Bafang/Fusin?

A full-suspension longtail:

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=18157

thanks spinningmagnets

hehe, it used to be this bike. (bottom of page)

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewto ... &start=405

for now i'm going to use the electric parts from this, but not these batteries

[colby]

hey spinningmagnets,

i checked out your longtail thread and it looks great!! good job!

once you find your comfort spot you can frame in that seat area and it will be solid

[colby]

I really like the lines of the Bamboo Mixte style. I can feel the pondering beginning....

hey amberwolf,

couldn't agree with you more. great lines

[spinningmagnets]

Another one from the cargo-bike thread Vanilla-Ice suggested. Two common trash-day bike racks and an old skateboard...notice the old derailleur as an idler halfway along the chain. 17 pages of longtail examples (no two exactly alike, many great ideas):
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/377128-home-built-xtracycle...

[vanilla ice]

I did that derailer as a tensioner thing. Worked a lot better than the rigid idlers because of the spring.

[spinningmagnets]

Another anonymous from the web...

http://www.oobject.com/12-diy-bicycles/diy-longtailcargo-bike/5858/

[TylerDurden]

Don't forget DeeJay's PCB:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11453&p=331210#p331210

It folds.

EDIT: Fixed piccie

[spinningmagnets]

A full-suspension from Dogman
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=28389

DogmanFSLB.jpg (54.23 KiB) Viewed 2106 times