Cheap bso trike - 20" vs 24", how to power it front hub or m.d.?

[Chalo]

The steer tube in the diagram is 9.5" (plus or minus a lot, given the haphazard measurements given). But at least the top 2" of that will be above the top triple clamp, and another 1/2"-3/4" within the top triple clamp. You'll have a lot more than 12.5" of space under the bottom triple clamp, depending somewhat on how long a head tube your trike has.

In my casual observation, 29" is a more common leg length for such forks, and they can either protrude up above the top triple clamp, or be cut to length as desired.

 

[ebike4healthandfitness]

Looking at the listing for the chrome version of the fork I see pictures where the triple tree clamps have Allen screws which would allow adjustment of their positioning on both the steerer tube and the fork legs:

https://www.bicycledesigner.com/bike-parts/bicycle-forks/26x4-fat-tire-extra-wide-chopper-fork-chrome-1.html

So (via these allen screws) it is totally adjustable for steerer tube length and fork leg length via cutting with a saw.

Too bad these triple tree clamps are aluminum and not steel. The fork legs are steel and so is the steerer tube I believe.

 

[Chalo]

Too bad these triple tree clamps are aluminum and not steel. The fork legs are steel and so is the steerer tube I believe.

There's nothing bad about it; it's the right material for the job. The best stems are aluminum, the best seat collars, and yes-- the best triple clamps. The only times manufacturers ever use steel triple clamps instead is to cut costs.

 

[dogman dan]

Curious why you need a particular steer tube size. The stock steel fork on these trikes should be fine, especially if you weld a disk brake mount to one.

 

[calab]

I have some spare 1-1/8" steel forks and all my other bikes are the same. The 1" will do fine but I like to switch my bikes up and try different setups and tire sizes. For the trike, I would install the mid drive, but I would also try out a front hub and for that, since I have only rear hubs, I would need a fat fork and the only fat forks I have are, you guessed it, 1-1/8 threadless.

Curious why you need a particular steer tube size. The stock steel fork on these trikes should be fine, especially if you weld a disk brake mount to one.

 

[Chalo]

I would need a fat fork and the only fat forks I have are, you guessed it, 1-1/8 threadless.

You reckon?

https://mbrebel.com/product/26x4-fat-tire-extra-wide-chopper-fork-1-chrome-black/

 

[calab]

Cool, if in stock but I know of that website for pedals I was looking for.

I would need a fat fork and the only fat forks I have are, you guessed it, 1-1/8 threadless.

You reckon?
https://mbrebel.com/product/26x4-fat-tire-extra-wide-chopper-fork-1-chrome-black/

 

[Chalo]

Cool, if in stock but I know of that website for pedals I was looking for.

I would need a fat fork and the only fat forks I have are, you guessed it, 1-1/8 threadless.

You reckon?
https://mbrebel.com/product/26x4-fat-tire-extra-wide-chopper-fork-1-chrome-black/

Last time I needed a 1" version of a 1-1/8" fork, I got on the lathe and cooked up a substitute steer tube. Since it's all clamped or pressed together, it isn't major surgery

 

[calab]

Ah yes I follow you now but if the bicycle is 1" and the fork is 1-1/8" then the 1-1/8th fork wont fit in the 1" bicycle.

Cool, if in stock but I know of that website for pedals I was looking for.

I would need a fat fork and the only fat forks I have are, you guessed it, 1-1/8 threadless.

You reckon?
https://mbrebel.com/product/26x4-fat-tire-extra-wide-chopper-fork-1-chrome-black/

Last time I needed a 1" version of a 1-1/8" fork, I got on the lathe and cooked up a substitute steer tube. Since it's all clamped or pressed together, it isn't major surgery

 

[Chalo]

Ah yes I follow you now but if the bicycle is 1" and the fork is 1-1/8" then the 1-1/8th fork wont fit in the 1" bicycle.

It will if you make a 1" steer tube for a 1-1/8" fork. I would funish a picture, but it's in my shed offsite.

 

[calab]

Gotcha, isnt that to much material off the 1-1/8 fork?

Ah yes I follow you now but if the bicycle is 1" and the fork is 1-1/8" then the 1-1/8th fork wont fit in the 1" bicycle.

It will if you make a 1" steer tube for a 1-1/8" fork. I would funish a picture, but it's in my shed offsite.

 

[Chalo]

Gotcha, isnt that to much material off the 1-1/8 fork?

You either use a thick enough piece of material or you sleeve a 1" steerer to fit the triple clamps. I did the former.

 

[calab]

Going through random search images on how to make my own diy trike for cheap I came across this picture below.
I just came across this but its a neat idea where the bike always stays upright without needing to use a kick stand.
I would switch it up and move the side backwards and have it go on both sides, to free up the pedals, keep the rear drive wheel in place, use 16 or 20" wheels on the cargo area, can find the kids wheels for free very easily, then find a ladies steel bicycle for free.

 

[LewTwo]

Going through random search images on how to make my own diy trike for cheap I came across this picture below.
I just came across this but its a neat idea where the bike always stays upright without needing to use a kick stand.
I would switch it up and move the side backwards and have it go on both sides, to free up the pedals, keep the rear drive wheel in place, use 16 or 20" wheels on the cargo area, can find the kids wheels for free very easily, then find a ladies steel bicycle for free.

That is a common design used in Thailand for street vendors (both small motor-cycle and bicycles).
They sale everything from soup to dress goods from those things.

 

[Chalo]

Going through random search images on how to make my own diy trike for cheap I came across this picture below.

Many years ago, I made a sidecar three wheeler kind of like that, and with the same problem.



The design flaw of the bikes in both pictures is that the side wheel isn't in line with the bike rear wheel. That means at least one tire has to scrub when turning. It really slows you down, especially when there's a heavy load, and it wears out tires. You can avoid this problem by having the sidecar wheel axle aligned with the bike rear wheel axle, both on the same line.

 

[calab]

Lots of great ideas here
https://www.guidepatterns.com/diys-on-how-to-make-a-bicycle-sidecar.php

And these kids are having lots of fun
https://goodsparkgarage.com/sidecar-bicycle-build-project/

Having a dedicated trike or sidecar will take up to much room, I like the idea of adding heavy duty adult bicycle training wheels and using a normal bicycle trailer. There are lots of great pictures on the internet. 3 days ago I found a Norco 20" frame mens bicycle that just needs wheels to try my idea out on, then for the constant getting off and getting on the bicycle, I will just need to find a really cheap ladies bicycle because I rarely ever find free ladies bicycles laying around.

 

[dogman dan]

The sky is the limit once you get a cheap wire feed welder. Let your imagination fly! Trailers are really easy to make. I did one using two bmx forks and wheels, and an old aluminum ladder. Put 600 pounds on it once in a test run.

 

[calab]

Is there any method of gleaming information from pictures alone if a bicycle frame is aluminum or steel?
Molded, non-linear tubes would lean more towards aluminum and linear tubes to steel?

 

[Chalo]

Is there any method of gleaming information from pictures alone if a bicycle frame is aluminum or steel?
Molded, non-linear tubes would lean more towards aluminum and linear tubes to steel?

Aluminum welds are fat and earthworm-like. Steel welds are much smaller and less bumpy. Usually.

Hydroformed, goofy curved/tapered/flared tubes are much more likely to be aluminum than steel. But that's not a hard and fast rule either.

 

[Badger2]

Hello Everyone,

Unfortunately here at ES, there is no numbering system for posts, so one is forced to take more time describing where in the thread we are pointing to so that readers can swiftly retrieve it themselves. Considering that the OP (post #1) has glossed over some important aspects of the trike, we should point out that there are many by people (elderly persons included) who would go with a trike if they had more reasons for doing so: the philosophy of the trike, more so than a two-wheeler, always already challenges the space arrogantly and overconfidently acquired by the petroleum addict, puppets of the Petroleum Pimp. In Wisconsin, there is the capability of riding all year round. The trike is ideal for meeting the challenges of ice and snow. This trike philosophy is, for example, unlike the bike town Groningen, or the rainy topology of the Northwest Coast of America.

In addition, there is a pic of a cheap trike in this thread. Badger2 has recently purchased such a trike for experimental purposes. It is from China. Its name is supposedly Prijesse, though there is no name on the bike itself. Not surprisingly, the great Japanese motor on badger's 500w EG has no name, either.

 

[amberwolf]

Unfortunately here at ES, there is no numbering system for posts, so one is forced to take more time describing where in the thread we are pointing to so that readers can swiftly retrieve it themselves.

There is, although the number is not directly stated in the text of any of the posts. The number is in the link for each post, which is available at the
subject line / title in each post or the icon just below it immediately to the left of the "by (membername) (date/time)" line.

This is the link for your post
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1717961#p1717961

You can also use the quote button for any post to quote all or part of a post within yours, to reply to it. This is available either before you reply, or while you are typing up your reply in the list of posts below the text entry box you're typing in, after you click the Reply button to the thread.

 

[Badger2]

Thanks for the reply. The post # you refer to is probably too long to transcribe/read, let alone hunt for. If the reader is familiar with the thread, they will already know the relevance of a reply, which should suffice: "Amberwolf mentions post numbers." The quote button is something like a 7-11 convenience store for bulemics. Large bulemics.

So the cheap Chinese experimental trike badger2 mentioned, "Prijesse, ~$300," does have the correct fork dropout for a 1000w front hub motor. The motor shaft is about 11mm and has been used on a Schwinn Meridian for about one year now. Double torque arms will be used, because the motor will walk right out of the Prijesse forks without them. One can almost lift the Prijesse with one arm. It should scoot, although Mickey Mouse derailleur supplied has a plastic wheel.

Obviously, the problem to tackle is to replace the single-speed of the Meridian with the 7-speeds of the Prijesse, although the latter's axle is smaller.

 

[amberwolf]

Thanks for the reply. The post # you refer to is probably too long to transcribe/read, let alone hunt for.

There is no need. Simply either:

--use the quote button, which will implant this link automatically into your post as an up-arrow next to the header of the quoted section (see above quoted segment as an example),

or

--copy/paste the link manually to the relevant section of your post.
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=115081&p=1718601#p1718090
Then any user can simply click the link to take them to the relevant post you're posting in reference to.

You can do this plain as I did above, or more fancily if you like.