Building a high speed bike (Suspended...)

[myosis]

Hi,

So I would like to start off by saying that I'm not going to finish this project.

I actually already dropped it.
The idea was to do it all and document the process a little.
Been doing that and got right to the part where it was going to get interesting.

However I've decided to spend my money elsewhere. (Traveling)
But here's what I had done and what the idea was. It was mainly going to be interesting for people with no experience building bikes, or building stuff in general. What I do have are some modeling skill.

So here it goes:

I started very ambitious and made a topic asking whether or not my ideas where possible, you can check it here:
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=71749

I had to drop that idea and when with something of a higher success rate, since its not cheap all this custom building.
I went with a hub motor, I know its not as elegant as a mid drive but its easy, definitely for me as a first timer.

I bought a Scott gambler 2009 it had all the parts I needed for the custom frame. It was way cheaper then buying all parts separately, plus it gave me a change to make a prototype.
So I bought all the electronic parts and transformed the bike in to an E bike/shooter, its working really well, goes about 70 km.

I'ts a 3000w hub motor with 72v 10ah lifepo4 battery pack.

I actually did not get to the point where I build the frame, the idea was to make molds and make it out of carbon fiber.

Maybe I'll finish it once I'm back. In the mean time is there anyone with tips about mounting barrings/shells in a carbon fiber frame? or any tips in general?
All is welcome

Greetings,
Tim
-
Ps: Some people were interested in some production renders, I would like to let you know that I am up for that.
http://www.instagram.com/myosis

 

[spinningmagnets]

That's an awesome looking design, someone needs to produce that.

 

[macribs]

Too bad really you didn't complete the build you sketched up earlier. I was really hoping to see the come to life. Well maybe in future who knows, right?
I liked what you have sketched up here. Looking smooth. This will be really stealth, and totally silence with the hub motor.

Pls tell me that the "hello kitty" is just for fun

I've done a lot of carbon fiber work earlier. And I got to say the prep work is what takes a lot of time, it is kind of boring but has a huge impact on the end result. Starting with you molds you need to pay a lot of attention to the design, and sand it down. Start with rough paper maybe 300 and work your way up. Use polish to finish of and ensure a great look. If you larger flat panels a tip could be to embed custom cut glass panels to fit your molds. That will save you a lot of finishing work. Using glass panels really helps with the finish and a "mirror like" look.

Use vacuum to infuse the resin, that will make a big different in your end result as well. Not only do you get the resin worked into all the fibers but vacuum pull out any air bubbles and makes for a stronger structure as well. You could also look around town to see if you can find an auto clave you can use.

When you embed metal into carbon fiber ie for head tube and BB if you choose to use thick walled aluminum to save weight be sure to wrap all the aluminum to avoid direct contact between aluminum and carbon fiber. As that will cause galvanic corrosion(correct term?) If you wrap metal with ie kevlar you will be fine.

Carbon fiber has become very cheap compared to just a few years ago. Now it is a material well suited for DIY projects. The strength of carbon fiber is fantastic. And you can scale up with more layers in the stressed areas of the frame. When you consider making a bike from carbon fiber you should really think of making more then just 1 off. Because so much of your time and energy goes into the molds it really makes sense to get some mileage from them and get your money back. If you have some spare time on your hand you could possible make a little side income by doing frames for friends and neighbors as well. Or even the crowd here at ES. So try to think of a design that can fit the needs of others as well. The sketches you've done are amazing.

 

[myosis]

Thanks for the carbon fiber tips!
Especially the ones regarding the shells/barrings, saves me a lot of trial and error.
Hello kitty was just for fun indeed, it looks quite good in all black too. Loving your enthusiasm for the work I did, much appreciated
I'm traveling the world for a year, but once I resume this (or the other project) I'll make sure to let you know.

 

[Lurkin]

Super sweet work. Hit me up with pricing when you are closer to a finished product! 8)

 

[Rube]

Great looking design, what is the rear shock travel? Swingarm looks close to the frame.

 

[myosis]

For the rear shock I'm using a: Fox DHX 5.0 190-230mm. It should be able to compress fully.
However looking at it again I might take a little bit more of the frame indeed, just to be sure.

 

[myosis]

For those who are interested in designs or renders, you can also contacte me directly on: http://www.timsprangers.com/