No weld recumbent trike how-to.

I love the whole thing, from the concept, to the construction detail, to the excellent blog. Just think what this guy could do with a suitcase welder and an hours practice.
 
Great job!

I agree, somewhat 'flexible', but....once you get a project together like this, you can take it down to a muffler shop or the local trade-tech school, and you can get the critical joints connected with a decent weld for a very low price.

He totally 'AmberWolfed" that used-bike pile! Good to see examples like this...
 
That is an interesting way of doing it. I don't think I ever considered just essentially bolting all the stuff to a platform (of metal *or* wood), but it's a good idea, especially for something like that.

The front end is very much like CrazyBike2, even down to the way he's got a headtube attached to a seatpost for the remote steering, with the steering stem up front rotated to the same side. Of course, that's kind of a naturally-occuring solution to the problem when using essentially an entire bike frame in front, I guess, so not too surprising it was re-thought-of again. :)

As for flexibility, that would actually be an advantage, in that it will help with suspension when riding over less-than-ideal roads, since each rear wheel can flex a little as they go over bumps and whatnot, helping to keep a little bit of the bumpiness off the rider. The suspension of the lawnchair also helps; it's what I based my own sling seat on (and other recumbent seats I'd searched up).

I may well partially copy his idea to make me a delta trike version of CrazyBike2, just so I can get a trike going faster than any of my previous ideas. :) However, I will likely end up using a Quickie wheelchair frame about where his lawnchair is, so that I can secure the two triangle frames to that for more stiffness under the likely heavy cargo loads I'll end up using, and it will be longer than his so that the back of it is a cargo platform, between the back fo the seat and the rear axle. Don't go looking for the build thread soon, though, as I have too many other things on my plate at the moment. ;)
 
StudEbiker, your post is very interesting, especially for me: I am slightly older an I am building a four-wheel-bike, i. e. adding two stabilizer wheels to a regular mountain bike. I haven't rode since I was 15-16, re-started after 60 and, to my surprise, could ride again! Not as well as in my teen years (I cannot do figure 8 nor even figure 1 no-hands, yet I do not own a car and use my bike almost all year long. My balance is not good now, so starting and finishing, as well as riding at slow speed in general is not easy.
I just started reading your post (I am still on Chapter 1) and have a question already (I have some work to do here and will return to your post time permitting): a bike made of 2x4 will probably be heavy and aesthetically unappealing for sure. Bamboo would be estetically acceptable, yet joining the pieces is problematic now (I still did not read that Chapter) but certainly doable - I know that it was done :D .
Since I have a regular bike, I don't have to build the frame, Schwinn already did it. I only have to build a "framelette", to support the stabiliser wheels (I use standard front forkes). Actually, I alredy made one, of welded steel. But it has needed minor modifications, which meant cutting the original one and welding modified pieces again. I do not weld myself, so it is expensive (and cumbersome too as I have to walk the bicycle to the welder). My next door neighbor is an amateur plumber (he said "It's my hobby") and he suggested two alternatives: steel pipes, say ~1" OD and PVC pipes. The former are very easy to join together with elbows and T's, but the final product will be heavy, even if I need just to support 2 wheels+forks. PVS pipe is even easier to join, is incredibly cheap and, to me, is more aesthetically acceptable. So far I could not find anything re: PVC pipe mechanical strength: the only thing I found so far is it resistance to internal pressure - after all that's what PVC pipe is made for. What is your opinion? To me, the pipe (~2" OD) appears strong enough, especially short pieces. I even wonder why PVC pipes are not used to make bicycle frames, at least for kids. The bicycles will be very lightweight.
 
Hi,

I'm the guy that built the recumbent trike at the beginning of this thread. Thank you all for your wonderful comments.

In the previous post, the author asked about 2x4 building. Here's a site I liked: http://mysite.verizon.net/res88kr1/

Somewhere, someone said that PVC pipe might shatter in an accident, causing additional injury. I've not tested anything like that, but if it were safe, it would be a great building material.

(I think I get the feeling you folks are electric powered.) I am interested in it, I looked into a front wheel assembly from Golden Motor: http://www.goldenmotor.com/ The cost of the batteries stopped me, but one of you nice folks suggested lead-acid would be OK. (I would want it only for hill assist, like the one by my house, that I have to push the trike up :x

Anyhow, I'm happy to be part of this forum.

Thanks again for your emails,
Barry
 
Good to have you here Barry! I really like the idea, but like others I am a little concerned about the flexibility (and possible breakage) of the rig. Especially once you start weighing it down even further with batteries. I also have some concerns about the wood just breaking and that would be bad news indeed. Do you have any videos of the trike in action? You are correct that we are an electric crowd around here. :D

Oops, I forgot there was the short video embedded on your page. :oops:
 
BarryTrike said:
Hi,

I'm the guy that built the recumbent trike at the beginning of this thread. Thank you all for your wonderful comments.

In the previous post, the author asked about 2x4 building. Here's a site I liked: http://mysite.verizon.net/res88kr1/

Thanks again for your emails,
Barry
Click to expand...

Welcome to ES.
Glad you followed the link. People who make negative comments about wood weight vs strength just don't know. Spruce Goose and a million other projects are all the proof one needs. There are also lots of examples of bamboo frames using FRP sockets to make light strong bikes. Glued Spruce laminates or spruce/fir with one coat of fibreglas cloth and resin is very strong and weather proof.
It is hard for newbee's to get over the high cost of LiFePO4 batteries, but when you look at the number of cycles and one set lasting a long long time, plus the weight savings, you will see the advantage. Otherwise go to the electric wheelchair guys for takeout Lead batteries. Many folks with e-chairs have insurance or government programs that replace the batteries at no cost. E-chair guys will often change out perfectly good sets when one is a little low, because they get paid no matter what. I get them free and use them for 12V bench slugs. With a strong trike that you have built, and a short range you need, lead might be an acceptable starting place. Simple cheap charger is another point. Another source for a cheap, limited speed trike motor is e-chair or e-scooter. Find dead one around old folks homes, craigslist etc. :D :mrgreen:
 
For a decent example of such, look at my CrazyBike2. :) I had problems because of the power levels I was trying to run it at, and probably my frame design (it does flex too much at the wrong place), but the right powerchair motor is easily capable of running thru the bike's gears to pull you up hills at it's original low speed (or slower), and still help you out when you are going faster, at the top of your pedal range. Just depends on where you merge the two power sources before the wheel, and what gear ratios you choose for each.

Plus if you look around you can get a pair of motors for next to nothing if you find a used powerchair that has a blown controller or something. :)
 
StudEbiker said:
Interesting.

http://www.greatuserdocs.com/trike0.htm
Click to expand...

Check this photo's:
IMG_1550.jpg


The trike frame is assembled without welding .
 
Interesting. Too bad it's not legal here in Arizona, since it has four wheels in contact with the ground all at once. Not that I expect too many people would complain, but if the police decided to, they could ticket it or whatever for it not being a bicycle-class vehicle just because of that. :(
 
amberwolf said:
Interesting. Too bad it's not legal here in Arizona, since it has four wheels in contact with the ground all at once.
Click to expand...

Not if I were to build it. :mrgreen: Nothing I have ever built has ever had all four legs (or wheels) in contact with the ground at the same time, unless, of course, if the ground were not completely flat. :wink:

Cameron
 
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