G'day all;
The other day I was looking for tricycle plans on the 'net, but kept coming up with lots of recumbent plans. One of these caught my eye though - a Flipped Frame Recumbent, by Keith Moss at http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageb ... hp?t=74982. It looked like a reasonably easy thing to make so I had a go.
I started out with these-
& ended up with this- A 7-1/2 foot long ripper!
This was 3 days work (probably 1-1/2 if I knew how to weld properly...) & is obviously still a work in progress. It uses the flipped rear end & top tube of a ladies MTB, & the flipped front end & BB of a mens MTB. A bar along the bottom & some bits from the junk pile, & that's basically it!
Keith said it was an easy & comfortable thing to ride, & he was right. I was riding it up & down the road for ages on Sunday arvo - It's great! It still needs gears, brakes, a proper seat & better wheels. I'm working all that out at the moment. I may even put a small jockey wheel at the bottom of the seat tube, to keep the chain up a bit. When I get all that done & it is running nice & smooth, I will strip it to bits, paint it & re-build everything.
Hopefully in a few weeks I'll have some pics of it all finished!
Homemade Recumbent
-
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Tue Aug 05, 2014 3:46 pm
- Location: Renmark
- Contact:
-
- Posts: 1152
- Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2008 5:02 am
- Location: Spearwood, WA
Re: Homemade Recumbent
Postby just4tehhalibut » Thu Oct 29, 2015 8:56 am
Before you paint I'd consider welding one more tube into the frame, going from the bottom bracket up to the toptube and at an angle that would allow a front derailleur to sit at the correct orientation. Even if you don't want a front derailleur this tube will provide a bit more stiffness to the front of that 'main triangle', the bit that has to handle the stresses from your pedalling and steering, as well as making the frame a little stronger by providing support for those long tubes between where your weight sits and where your inputs to the pedals and bars meet.. A LWB like you've built will always be a comfy cruiser, you won't be compromising the ride by adding this support tube but you will get better handling.
And, as I found out the hard way on my recumbent trike, having no front derailleur at the end of a long chain run meant the chain would often pop off the front chainrings over bumps and speedhumps. The trike had a jockey wheel halfway along the chainrun and some chaintubes, still didn't help more than keeping the chain off the crossmember tube.
You're way ahead of me, I've built up a good collection of CrMo frames to cut up to make a LWB, could have built one anytime in the last 4 years, just can't get motivated.
And, as I found out the hard way on my recumbent trike, having no front derailleur at the end of a long chain run meant the chain would often pop off the front chainrings over bumps and speedhumps. The trike had a jockey wheel halfway along the chainrun and some chaintubes, still didn't help more than keeping the chain off the crossmember tube.
You're way ahead of me, I've built up a good collection of CrMo frames to cut up to make a LWB, could have built one anytime in the last 4 years, just can't get motivated.
-
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Tue Aug 05, 2014 3:46 pm
- Location: Renmark
- Contact:
Re: Homemade Recumbent
Postby mitchj » Thu Oct 29, 2015 9:08 pm
G'day just4tehhalibut;
Thanks for the suggestions mate - always happy to listen to advice! I was thinking of adding that tube weather I added a front derailer or not.
Thanks for the suggestions mate - always happy to listen to advice! I was thinking of adding that tube weather I added a front derailer or not.
-
- Posts: 2406
- Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2008 7:15 pm
Re: Homemade Recumbent
Postby }SkOrPn--7 » Fri Oct 30, 2015 8:44 pm
Great build perfect chain line for a home made under/over idler to take away some off that chain sag. I agree with just4tehhalibut about the added tube it would solve many issues down the track.
Ricky
Ricky
-
- Posts: 241
- Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 11:32 am
- Location: Woolgoolga NSW
-
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Tue Aug 05, 2014 3:46 pm
- Location: Renmark
- Contact:
Re: Homemade Recumbent
Postby mitchj » Tue Nov 10, 2015 6:23 am
Good stuff Recycler! I like the curved down tube, I was looking at some ladies racer frames the other day with the curved top tube & was wondering if I could use them in a future project. I guess you can use anything if you think about it a bit! The rear end of your bike looks interesting too.
-
- Posts: 241
- Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 11:32 am
- Location: Woolgoolga NSW
Re: Homemade Recumbent
Postby Recycler » Tue Nov 10, 2015 7:44 am
Ladies bike frames are great for this type of build. I turn the frame upsidedown, put the forks in and you can get new ideas.
The rear end is a front fork on top of a rear fork.
The rear end is a front fork on top of a rear fork.
-
- Posts: 74
- Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2014 8:21 am
Re: Homemade Recumbent
Postby Arakasy » Mon Nov 30, 2015 10:11 am
Nice work guys.... But you need real seats
Gets the whole recumbent thug life feeling going on
Gets the whole recumbent thug life feeling going on
Don't Panic
And I don't know
Ride casual... Not to casual
They might snap out it's comfortable !!
And I don't know
Ride casual... Not to casual
They might snap out it's comfortable !!
-
- Posts: 241
- Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 11:32 am
- Location: Woolgoolga NSW
Re: Homemade Recumbent
Postby Recycler » Mon Nov 30, 2015 4:25 pm
I would call these type of bikes Pedal Scrapers.
They are fun to ride, I have a 3 speed - coaster brake set up on mine.
They are fun to ride, I have a 3 speed - coaster brake set up on mine.
Jump to
- General Australian Cycling Topics
- Info / announcements
- Buying a bike / parts
- General Cycling Discussion
- The Bike Shed
- Cycling Health
- Cycling Safety and Advocacy
- Women's Cycling
- Bike & Gear Reviews
- Cycling Trade
- Stolen Bikes
- Bicycle FAQs
- The Market Place
- Member to Member Bike and Gear Sales
- Want to Buy, Group Buy, Swap
- My Bikes or Gear Elsewhere
- Serious Biking
- Audax / Randonneuring
- Retro biking
- Commuting
- MTB
- Recumbents
- Fixed Gear/ Single Speed
- Track
- Electric Bicycles
- Cyclocross and Gravel Grinding
- Dragsters / Lowriders / Cruisers
- Children's Bikes
- Cargo Bikes and Utility Cycling
- Road Racing
- Road Biking
- Training
- Time Trial
- Triathlon
- International and National Tours and Events
- Cycle Touring
- Touring Australia
- Touring Overseas
- Touring Bikes and Equipment
- Australia
- Western Australia
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Victoria
- ACT
- Tasmania
- Northern Territory
- Country & Regional
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users
- All times are UTC+11:00
- Top
- Delete cookies
About the Australian Cycling Forums
The Australian Cycling Forums is a welcoming community where you can ask questions and talk about the type of bikes and cycling topics you like.
Bicycles Network Australia
Forum Information
Connect with BNA
Brought to you by Bicycles Network Australia | © 1999 - 2024 | Powered by phpBB ®
This website uses affiliate links to retail platforms including ebay, amazon, proviz and ribble.
This website uses affiliate links to retail platforms including ebay, amazon, proviz and ribble.