# recumbent trike build



## stuee147 (17 Mar 2014)

well about 10am this morning the metal for my trike arrived unfortunately so did the rain  
just after lunch the rain let up and we even had a bit of sun well sort of lol anyway i had a few hours to work on the frame so i cut and welded the rear forks made the main frame section and the back rests then welded that all together. 









then i made the front wheel axle and head tube mounts and welded into position 












then i had to pack up as my dinner was ready lol 
im hoping that i will be able to get the front wheels on and make the bracket for the bottom bracket and then fit the chain brakes and test it tomorrow lets hope the rain holds off ...

stuee


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## fixedfixer (17 Mar 2014)

You don't hang around...let the sparks fly!


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## stuee147 (17 Mar 2014)

it can take me mouths to get round to doing something but when i start i dont stop until its done lol


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## Scoosh (17 Mar 2014)




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## fixedfixer (18 Mar 2014)

stuee147 said:


> it can take me mouths to get round to doing something



Do you mean you talk about it a bit first then crack on


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## stuee147 (18 Mar 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> Do you mean you talk about it a bit first then crack on



talk about it think about it plan it then think about it a bit more lol 

well today didnt get much done due to the rain and a meeting i had to have this afternoon. but still the front wheels are all on and the headtubes are welded on and the bottom bracket bracket is done so lets hope i have better luck tomorrow


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## stuee147 (20 Mar 2014)

well yesterday was a good day spent a few hours working on the trike got it up and running and had a few dozen spins around the garden i cant wait to get it finished even without the seat it was so comfy and easy to ride the only problem is iv not done the brakes yet i have fitted the front brakes but there not connected up yet. and i only have the rear gears iv not sorted the front out yet but its still great to have a trike i can ride 

i forgot to take pics as i built but here is a couple of where i had got to yesterday evening 










iv used 2 skateboard wheels with a channel cut into them as chain guides for the drive side of the chain. but i found the slack return side of the chain dragged on the ground so i dismantled and used the 2 cogs and frame from an old rear deraila to lift the chain and take it out slightly so it didnt foul on the drive side of the chain. 
the handlebar you can see isn't going to be the finished one i just stuck it on so i could sort the chain and gears and test it. when i have the seat fitted i will work out exactly how i want it and make it up to suit me. and before someone points out it only has one handlebar there is a reason iv not just forgot lol its only going to have a handle bar on the right. on the left i will make some form of arm rest, iv been thinking of maybe a small box type where i can stick things like keys phone ect. and there will also be a rear brake leaver which will also be a hand brake and then a front gear leaver. i may try a handlebar to start with but im not sure yet ill have to see how it feels when im on it. 

anyway today i dont think ill get much done its peeing down with rain here  god i miss having a workshop where i can work in the dry


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## Scoosh (20 Mar 2014)

You could always MTFU and go fixed /SS ! 

Looking good thus far !


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## fixedfixer (20 Mar 2014)

Looking good. Great progress here. Thanks for sharing the build. Can't wait to see the end result if there ever is an end as I'm sure you'll keep tweaking it.


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## stuee147 (20 Mar 2014)

thanks im pleased with it but i think your right it will never be really finished there will always be something ill want to change or try out.
iv already started planing my next build im thinking about suspension iv seen a few with fount and rear suspension and i like the looks of it im just not sure how to do the front yet. but im sure i will work it out and get it done sooner or later lol


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## Scoosh (20 Mar 2014)

The rear suspension on my Nazca Fuego bike is 'hinge plate' and a damper fitted between the seat and the frame - as here.


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## young Ed (20 Mar 2014)

great thread!  looking forward to even more piccies! HEHE
Cheers Ed


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## fixedfixer (22 Mar 2014)

Ref the brakes. I can't see clearly from the photo what type of caliper you are using, but I wonder if a couple of those brakes fitted to the rear of womens bikes might be good. They are a single pivot but the cable pulls from below rather than top. In your situation it would mean the cables would then go upwards rather than down towards the road. Hope I am making some sense with my description here? Try this linky to an example on Amazon.......

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rear-Alloy-Brake-Calipers-White/dp/6254388200/ref=sr_1_28?s=cycling&ie=UTF8&qid=1395509482&sr=1-28&keywords=bikes brakes


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## young Ed (22 Mar 2014)

any progress @stuee147 ?
Cheers Ed


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## stuee147 (23 Mar 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> Ref the brakes. I can't see clearly from the photo what type of caliper you are using, but I wonder if a couple of those brakes fitted to the rear of womens bikes might be good. They are a single pivot but the cable pulls from below rather than top. In your situation it would mean the cables would then go upwards rather than down towards the road. Hope I am making some sense with my description here? Try this linky to an example on Amazon.......
> 
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rear-Alloy-Brake-Calipers-White/dp/6254388200/ref=sr_1_28?s=cycling&ie=UTF8&qid=1395509482&sr=1-28&keywords=bikes brakes



yes i think i know what you mean at the moment the cable is run to the top thats how the brakes were delivered, but i have been toying with the idea of bringing the cable in from bellow and also if you can see from the picks both brakes have the cable on the left but im going to reverse the left brake so the cable comes in on the right and at the bottom giving a better run for the cable, the way i have run the cable is from the brake leaver it runs down the head tube and along the top of the frame and under the seat base, it then travels along the top of the main frame and into a clip that holds the outer cable the inner cable then goes around a pulley at the end of the frame tube, the cable then leaves the pulley running along the underside of the frame and up towards the front. the cable then goes into one of the splitter clip thingys that you have on v brakes. then i have 1 cable running from one front brake along the bottom of the wheel arm frame into the middle under the seat where it runs threw the v brake clip thingy and off up the other wheel arm frame and to the other front brake. it seems to work quite well.

yesterday i spent most of the day running cables and testing and rerouteing then testing and so on i did finish the seat frame and i have just put some webbing straps around the frame as a temporary seat to test before i get the proper cover sorted. i did get to take it for its first proper run up the road im getting a lot of problems getting the gears to change properly im thinking of swapping the rear wheel and gears for a set iv used and been able to set up before. 

once i have got the gears and brakes all sorted and working properly i will then strip the frame down and do a final clean and sand down then paint then rebuild and away i go 

hear are a couple of pics i took yesterday evening you can see the seat and how iv done the back so i can adjust the angel iv not sorted the way of locking it at different angels yet but i have an idea of how i will do that 











the last picture is of how i have the chain guides set up and it seems to work quite well


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## young Ed (23 Mar 2014)

is the chain not rubbing on itself?!
Cheers Ed


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## stuee147 (23 Mar 2014)

young Ed said:


> is the chain not rubbing on itself?!
> Cheers Ed



no i will take a few more pics when i remember the lower section of chain that runs threw the derailier cogs is set about 15mm off to the side of the top section of chain running under the skateboard wheel its hard to see from the pic but there is loads of clearance


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## fixedfixer (23 Mar 2014)

Getting it together well. Nice build. Thanks for pics.


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## Scoosh (23 Mar 2014)

young Ed said:


> is the chain not rubbing on itself?!
> Cheers Ed


D'ya think ?? 

Look carefully first and give it some thought, @young Ed


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## stuee147 (23 Mar 2014)

her you go @young Ed this pic gives you a better view of the chain


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## stuee147 (24 Mar 2014)

well its official i hate indexing gears  iv spent the best part of 3 days trying to get the gears to work but the best i could do was get every gear (with some difficulty and chain jumping ) apart from 1st gear (largest on the rear) and yes i was using the indexing gear leavers and derailers and cogs from the same bike they worked fine on the bike but now they just wont play ball. so this afternoon i got feed up with it and took it all apart and started again this time iv used different gearing from an old bike i had this time with good old fashion friction leavers so i can now tweek the gears how i want and guess what it went together 1st time and worked lovely.
the only other thing iv managed to do is i had to make a new track rod for the steering as the chain had started to rub a little in the lower gears but i think that is sorted now i may adjust the guide pulley to give myself a bit of extra clearance. 
so now its just the final sorting and adjusting the brakes then its strip down and paint before the final rebuild.


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## Scoosh (24 Mar 2014)

Just a thought - is the old derailleur chain guide too close to the rear (active) derailleur, thus not giving the chain enough slack sideways movement to move across the rear derailleur ? Is the 'guide derailleur' too fixed and not allowing the chain to move side-to-side ?

It's looking very good, though - and I'm in Edinburgh when you're ready for a ride ....


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## stuee147 (24 Mar 2014)

Scoosh said:


> Just a thought - is the old derailleur chain guide too close to the rear (active) derailleur, thus not giving the chain enough slack sideways movement to move across the rear derailleur ? Is the 'guide derailleur' too fixed and not allowing the chain to move side-to-side ?
> 
> It's looking very good, though - and I'm in Edinburgh when you're ready for a ride ....



i did think of if it was the chain guide was stopping it but from what i can see looking down the chain it shouldn't be an issue and the distance its set infrount of the wheel is a good 2 to 3 feet in front of the rear derailleur and its set roughly in-line with the centre gear on the rear cog so should give plenty of movement either direction. having said that i am thinking of moving the chain guide forward on the frame (further away from the rear derailleur ) mainly to give me a little more clearance between the track rod and the lower section of chain so i will see if it makes any difference to how the gears work. to be honest i think its more me with indexing gears i have never managed to get them to work in the past its always been a visit to the local bike shop, where as old style friction gears i can normally set up within a few minuets. i think im just jinxed lol

and give me a bit of time to get back into rideing and i might well take you up on the ride as i dont come from round here im not to sure of any good routs lol


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## fixedfixer (24 Mar 2014)

I rather like 'old school' gears. You get to know where to move the lever to get a smooth change. Also nowt to go wrong.


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## fixedfixer (24 Mar 2014)

To index. put chain on little ring at back. make sure lever is in highest gear i.e. 7. now click lever to 6 whilst turning crank. If chain doesn't shift to 6 smoothly turn index knob anti clock wise until it does go into 6 (keep turning crank whilst you do that). Once chain in 6 click lever to 7 and try again. this time it should work. if not tweek again. once it works between 7 and 6 it will work in all the other gears. I assume you have set the limit screws?


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## stuee147 (24 Mar 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> To index. put chain on little ring at back. make sure lever is in highest gear i.e. 7. now click lever to 6 whilst turning crank. If chain doesn't shift to 6 smoothly turn index knob anti clock wise until it does go into 6 (keep turning crank whilst you do that). Once chain in 6 click lever to 7 and try again. this time it should work. if not tweek again. once it works between 7 and 6 it will work in all the other gears. I assume you have set the limit screws?



yea iv tried setting and resetting the limit screws its strange i can get it to change smooth between 2 or 3 gears normally top or bottom ones but then as i get to the other end it seems to not fully shift and the chain jumps. im sure its something im doing wrong like i say i can set up the old style friction shifters without to much trouble and just the way you described, i just cant seem to do it with the indexing gear leavers. 
but the gears are now working fine with the old style leavers so ill probably stick with them just give them a clean up. 
hopefully i can get the brakes done tomorrow then give it a good test run and if all is well i should get the paint done this week but dont hold your breath lol


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## Scoosh (24 Mar 2014)

So we're good for a ride at the week-end ? 

Whereabouts are you in Midlothian ?


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## stuee147 (24 Mar 2014)

Scoosh said:


> So we're good for a ride at the week-end ?
> 
> Whereabouts are you in Midlothian ?



lol i wish i could get it done and on the road quick i really miss my bike rides i used to ride all the time but the last few years iv not been able to ride but thats all going to change with my trike  
and im mayfield way just south of Dalkieth


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## fixedfixer (25 Mar 2014)

Have you checked that the drop out where the rear mech bolts onto bike is correctly in line? Looking from the rear of the bike the two jockey wheels should line up with the teeth on the rear cogs. That might be the cause of the problem as you say everything worked on another bike. Anyway, you've got the bike running. Good man. Enjoy.


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## starhawk (25 Mar 2014)

When I changed from twist-grip shifters to bar-end shifters I fully expected to have to be using the friction setting. The only 8 speed bar-end shifter I found was Shimanos Ultegra and the rear derailleur is a SRAM X9 and according to all "wise men" they shouldn't work together in indexed mode. But stubborn as I am I set the shifter to indexed mode and set off for a testride. To my amazement it worked wonderful, there was one or two gears that rattled a little but they are at the end of the range and seldom used so it doesn't really matter. And I really didn't set up the gear, I just tightened the wire and screwed the clamping screws tigh


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## Scoosh (25 Mar 2014)

starhawk said:


> When I changed from twist-grip shifters to bar-end shifters I fully expected to have to be using the friction setting. The only 8 speed bar-end shifter I found was Shimanos Ultegra and the rear derailleur is a SRAM X9 and according to all "wise men" they shouldn't work together in indexed mode. But stubborn as I am I set the shifter to indexed mode and set off for a testride. To my amazement it worked wonderful, there was one or two gears that rattled a little but they are at the end of the range and seldom used so it doesn't really matter. And I really didn't set up the gear, I just tightened the wire and screwed the clamping screws tigh


Good one !  ....


... but you really know how to p*** someone off, don't you ?  Stuee has spent all this time and effort - and yours just 'worked wonderful'. 

Meannie !


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## stuee147 (25 Mar 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> Have you checked that the drop out where the rear mech bolts onto bike is correctly in line? Looking from the rear of the bike the two jockey wheels should line up with the teeth on the rear cogs. That might be the cause of the problem as you say everything worked on another bike. Anyway, you've got the bike running. Good man. Enjoy.



yea i checked that and it all lines up lovely the only thing i wondered was i have the rear dropout and the attachment for the rear derailluer are all in a straight ling and i have noticed on one of my old bikes the derailluer bolt hole is set about 4mm in towards the wheel im not sure how or even if this will effect it.



Scoosh said:


> Good one !  ....
> ... but you really know how to p*** someone off, don't you ?  Stuee has spent all this time and effort - and yours just 'worked wonderful'.
> Meannie !



ill just hunt him down and hold him hostage untill he fixes my indexing gears 

im sure indexing gears are like the old seven day timer on the old vhs machines you can either do it and it works or it feels like your trying to do brain surgery wearing scooper gear while singing we will rock you by queen


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## fixedfixer (25 Mar 2014)

I'd be surprised if the 4mm made a difference. What's important is that the limit screws let the mech move the full range from say 7th to 1st. More critical perhaps if you ran 11 speed where the smallest cog is a fag paper width from the drop out. Sorry I'm not closer or I'd come and help. Looking forward to a ride report when you go out with Scoosh


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## stuee147 (25 Mar 2014)

Yea I wasn't sure if the offset would matter I was wondering if it could be why I had problems as each cog is space about 4 to 5mm about the same as the offset. But iv just noticed there is quite a few washers on the axel so I might try moveing them about to see if it makes any differents 
Well I'm out in the garden now so ill have an update later hopefully with pics lol


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## stuee147 (25 Mar 2014)

well had quite a good day outside today even though its been threatening to rain all day.

first up iv moved the bottom chain guide forward only by about 4 inches but iv also spent time making sure its in aliment with the wheel cogs and the pedals. i also found i had an old deraillure with large cogs almost twice the size of all the others i have so i swapped out the front cog for a larger one this has given me plenty of clearance on the trackrod now.





the next thing on the list was to make a final decision on the handlebars. i finally went with one left and one right hand bar both cut and angled slightly differently, to allow for my left arm weakness. i also played about with different types and sizes of brake leavers, and gear leavers and i found a way to set them up and iv found it to work well for me. 




then came the fun with the front brakes, i needed to make them pull from the bottom and i also wanted the left hand brake to receive the cable on the right instead of the normal right.
first stage was to dismantle the brakes and cut the two connector holders sections off making it so i could swap the connectors around giving me cable in from the bottom 



cut and ready to weld



and here it is welded and then the welds ground smooth the brake pad you can see next to it is to show the part i used to rebuild the brakes i used the part off of and old set of v brakes that holds the pad to the arm this screws into the threaded hole where the cable guide used to screw in then the hole where the brake pad used to go is where the threaded cable guide goes 



and the finished brake with the cable in from the bottom. unfortunately i was unable to work out how to get the cable in on the right on the other side, the only way i managed it was to put the brake on underneath the brake arm not quite what i wanted but it will have to do until i can figure out how to work it.







here is a view of the pulley that the cable from the front brake leaver comes around and then splits into 2 going off to either front brake in the second pic you can see the splitter and how the cable runs underneath the main frame 








and here is the finished trike working brakes working gears it all seems to be up and running lovely 
now if i get time tomorrow i will carefully strip the bike down grind down and tidy up the welds on the frame and then paint it all and then rebuild it i cant wait


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## fixedfixer (25 Mar 2014)

Good work. I still can't believe how you just crack on with stuff. I like what you've done to the brakes to alter the pull. Looks a great bike. Looking forward to seeing the photos of the painted bike.


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## stuee147 (25 Mar 2014)

yea if i have something to do i will crack on until its done i really hate having things dragging on lol 

i think its going to look good the paint i have is Massey Ferguson bright red i think its a lovely colour and i used to use it on my old landrovers so i know its very hard wearing and easy to apply and drys quick. its also an easy to see colour in day and night so its good for safety. 
depending on how i go this week i should be able to strip the trike down and prepare the frame and parts for painting in about 2 days then i will be able to put 2 good coats of paint on in a day easy it can be recoated after 2 hours with the paint i have. and i will be painting it at my house as i have a large spare room that i dont use so im going to line the floor with plastic sheeting, and i have a couple of fans that run off usb and i can use my free loader usb battery pack so the fans will help clear the fumes and as its not using mains power no risk of a big spark catching any fumes. also the paint i have will be applied with brush and gloss roller gives a perfect finish quickly and easy. iv been thinking of maybe tack welding a few pieces of 3 or 4mm rod a few inches long that will hold the frame off of the floor and could be touched up after. my other idea is to make a sort of cross out of some 3x1 iv got laying about and knocking a few 6inch nails threw to hold the frame as it drys.
and on the day i paint the frame i can clean up the parts that dont need paint. then i think a day to build it back up and a day (or 20) to set and adjust the gears  brakes steering ect and of course make a better seat cover lol so with my workings i might be on the road (god help everyone else lol) by sunday or monday


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## starhawk (26 Mar 2014)

stuee147 said:


> ill just hunt him down and hold him hostage untill he fixes my indexing gears



OOOps  didn't want to p*** someone off, more like an illustration to that sometimes it works like clockwork without any hitch at all and othertimes it works against you every step of the way and develops new problems along the way


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## stuee147 (26 Mar 2014)

well another good day i started off with the left hand front brake, about 3:30am i had a brain wave about how to make the brake cable enter on the right so i got my mini drill and started work.at 11:00am



the left brake fitted under the support arm to receive the cable on the right 



this is the finished brake just how i wanted it and it only took me 20 mins







here is my home made track rod i used the top section of the down tubes of my two donor bikes and welded on a pice of 6mm plate steal with a hole threw to attach it to the wheel bearings. then a seat tube gets slotted in. and to adjust you simply undo the bolts that hold the seat tube in place and slide it to fit then tighten. as easy as changing the hight of your seat 



by 12:00 after two hours i had the frame striped and ready to prepare for paint 

then by 5pm this evening i had this 







a frame striped welds ground down and a primer coat applied and ready for paint. and a big box of parts with the parts that need painting cleaned up and primed ready for paint.

so it looks like i need to rethink my time scale as im already a day and a bit ahead of what i thought lol


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## Scoosh (27 Mar 2014)

This could be one of the quickest home-design-and-build trikes ...


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## stuee147 (28 Mar 2014)

Scoosh said:


> This could be one of the quickest home-design-and-build trikes ...



really ? i honestly feel like im going slow.. 
a few years ago it only took me 6 days in-between doing 8hr shifts to remove strip down and rebuild a series 3 landrover engine that included grinding down the valves and there seats by hand. but then again i was a few years younger then and had full use of both arms lol 

anyway last night i put the 3rd coat of paint on the frame and parts so today im going to spend the day cleaning and preparing the bearings and clean all the brake leavers and gear leavers and clean out the threaded holes from excess paint. then. tomorrow all going well i will start to rebuild the frame .
here is a couple of pics of the painted frame and parts 








oh yea and at some point i still have to make a cover for the seat lol 
iv ordered a new chain well 3 lol and iv also ordered new inner cables for the brakes and gears. when i was building the trike i used old cables off of the donor bikes to set up and test the brakes and gears so i could test out different ways of routing cables without wasting new stuff. the only drawback to this is there isnt always long enough lengths of cable to do one run, the way i have got around this is on the longer runs of cable such as the rear gears and brakes i didnt have long enough lengths to test so on one of the longer straight runs of cable i welded on the cable guides i had cut off the donor bikes. this left me with a long section of exposed inner cable just the same as on a normal bike. as i was having to use old cable to test fit it was a simple case of joining the cable in that exposed section making 2 short cables into 1 long one. and now i have the new cable on order when i fit it on that exposed section of inner cable i will slide on a few of the little rubber rings iv got hold of and best thing is they are red so they match the frame lol


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## fixedfixer (28 Mar 2014)

Looking good. I do like the Fergie red. I have seen single speed chain in red - don't know if you can get it for 7/8 speed but it could look ok. I really like what I see here. My bent is a EZ clone via Recycle Recumbent plans but I could be tempted with a trike build. You are an inspiration stuee147.


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## stuee147 (28 Mar 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> Looking good. I do like the Fergie red. I have seen single speed chain in red - don't know if you can get it for 7/8 speed but it could look ok. I really like what I see here. My bent is a EZ clone via Recycle Recumbent plans but I could be tempted with a trike build. You are an inspiration stuee147.



iv looked for a red chain but i can only find a single speed in red so iv ordered a nice shiny silver one lol iv got cable outer casing in red and the little cable end crimps i was looking at going with red material for the seat but i think it would be to much red so im now looking at black as a contrast. 
i looked at several designs on the internet from autonomic zombie and a few other sites and i couldn't find just what i wanted there are some great designs out there with some great ideas. so i basically picked the bits i liked and designed my own version around them i made a rough prototype to test and to get some measurement from and then drew up something i could work from but i have to admit a few things have changed along the way lol 

and i dont know about an inspiration but if it gets more recumbents on the road who am i to argue lol


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## Scoosh (28 Mar 2014)

If you need longer than normal brake/gear cables, check out ones for tandems, as some of them they obviously need to be very long. An LBS needed a tandem gear cable when I had issues with my DF bike with SRAM kit.


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## stuee147 (28 Mar 2014)

a standard cable is long enough its just the cables i used to test fit everything were off of the donor bikes i had so had been cut down for them. the ones i have ordered are 2 meters long each which should be long enough i just have to wait for them to be delivered im hoping they come tomorrow so i can get it all done and test it out but knowing my luck they wont come until mon or tus lol


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## XRHYSX (30 Mar 2014)

stuee147 said:


> really ? i honestly feel like im going slow..


My home built trike has taken me 18 months so far, (doing 5 minutes here and there between looking after the kids and working)
I'm riding it and having fun on it this summer in its bare metal state and a bodge up gear leaver, but will be striping it down at the end of summer and will be making it look pretty,
You seem to be doing a good job, I'm watching with interest, I have the same thing with my brakes and may take some tips from what you have done


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## stuee147 (30 Mar 2014)

XRHYSX said:


> My home built trike has taken me 18 months so far, (doing 5 minutes here and there between looking after the kids and working)
> I'm riding it and having fun on it this summer in its bare metal state and a bodge up gear leaver, but will be striping it down at the end of summer and will be making it look pretty,
> You seem to be doing a good job, I'm watching with interest, I have the same thing with my brakes and may take some tips from what you have done



Wow that would drive me mad haveing a project like that sitting not finished for that long lol
Ill be posting on here how the brakes work out they seemed to be working fine when I tested them but time will tell 
I'm hopeing to start the frame re build. Today I was a bit unwell yesterday so did nothing but today's looking better so I might get the first test ride in today


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## XRHYSX (30 Mar 2014)

stuee147 said:


> Wow that would drive me mad haveing a project like that sitting not finished for that long lol
> Ill be posting on here how the brakes work out they seemed to be working fine when I tested them but time will tell
> I'm hopeing to start the frame re build. Today I was a bit unwell yesterday so did nothing but today's looking better so I might get the first test ride in today


the joys of having a young family, they wind the missus up so she comes looking for me in the garage,  im not aloud to escape until they are in bed and by then that's all I want to do


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## stuee147 (30 Mar 2014)

XRHYSX said:


> the joys of having a young family, they wind the missus up so she comes looking for me in the garage,  im not aloud to escape until they are in bed and by then that's all I want to do


 lol yea been there know just what you mean but dont worry it will all be over and quiet you will only have to wait another errrm  well actually i dont think it ever stops to be honest lol 
they joys of family's


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## stuee147 (2 Apr 2014)

here is the latest update 





one rebuilt trike the brakes all work as dose the gears and steering well as far as iv been able to test. and the paint job has come out quite good i think anyway.

there is however 3 things that i need to do firstly the seat iv used some old canvas i had as a temporary seat cover but im planing on changing it as soon as i decide on what to cover it with lol 
the second thing thats come to light today as i did my first test ride something is catching on the bottom section of chain, iv noticed every now and then when im putting some power threw the pedals quickly to accelerate or if im pedalling very fast in a low gear the chain seems to catch and the rear derailler extends forward as if the chain suddenly got shorter. iv not been able to work out why or where its catching im wondering it its the derailler section im using to hold the lower section of chain away from the ground. 
heres a pic of what i mean 



the upper section of chain is guided by the blue skateboard wheel (i know im looking out for red wheels lol) and the lower chain is guided by the derailler cogs. if you look at the first pic of the finished trike you can see i have the chain guides set about 3ft in-front of the rear wheel so sideways movement shouldn't be a worry and its a brand new 8spd chain. also it catches in all gears so i dont think its that im wondering if i change the front cog for a smaller one making the rout the chain takes a bit straighter my only issue with that is the reason i fitted the larger cog on the front like that was to make the chain drop bellow and clear the track rod shown here





but the more worrying issue i have found is im fine riding along slow handles well and smooth but as i start to get a little speed about 8 to 10 mph the front wheels start to wobble i dont mean shake i mean a real wobble. i managed to get to about 15mph and i thought the whole thing was going to flip over it was that bad . on getting back i had a look at the wheels something i should of done long ago i know but i thought they would be ok but they dont run true in fact they are well and truly
knackered. on close inspection iv found that both wheels are slightly out only by about 2mm either way but its not like one buckle in one spot if you follow the rim of the wheel its like the sea up and down up and down its almost like one spoke is pulling it one way and the next spoke has twisted it the other way. if you spin the wheel and look at the tiers its true they dont even rub on the brake pads because its not far out its just wavy. and i think it must be that thats giving me the wobbles im going to try and source a new set of front wheels and see if that helps i hope so as i cant find anything else it could be ?? anyone got any other ideas ??
i have checked the wheels alinement's and tracking and that all seems fine there is no play on the track rod so it cant be that im not sure.

but still it looks good but then again so dose a chocolate tea pot but its still useless until i sort this wobble out i can live with the seat and the chain i can pedal slower lol but this wheel wobble has me worried. lets hope i find a couple of 20" wheels soon and they sort it out for me.


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## fixedfixer (3 Apr 2014)

Looks really good. You are right about the red paint it suits the trike. Now those front wheels. Any up and down or side to side movement is going to have an impact and more so on the front of a trike where the wheels work together to make the problem worse. First thing I'd have a look at would be spoke tension. Are they reasonsble tight or slackish? Lack of tension can make em wobbly.


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## fixedfixer (3 Apr 2014)

You mention 'new chain' and I'm wondering if the chain rings are worn and therefore giving you some chain suck? New chains can catch on the 'hooks' on the teeth of worn rings. Just a thought.


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## stuee147 (3 Apr 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> Looks really good. You are right about the red paint it suits the trike. Now those front wheels. Any up and down or side to side movement is going to have an impact and more so on the front of a trike where the wheels work together to make the problem worse. First thing I'd have a look at would be spoke tension. Are they reasonsble tight or slackish? Lack of tension can make em wobbly.



yea they are quite loose to be honest they are only cheap cycle trailer wheels although off of a heavy duty trailer i dont think they are up to much. iv looked about and i was thinking of using 20" bmx wheels iv seen some with a 14mm steal axel i think that would be strong enough and the axel should be plenty strong enough. and it shouldn't take much to change the fixings on the trike. 



fixedfixer said:


> You mention 'new chain' and I'm wondering if the chain rings are worn and therefore giving you some chain suck? New chains can catch on the 'hooks' on the teeth of worn rings. Just a thought.



it may be i must admit the larger (plastic ) cog on the chain guide has got some wear on the teeth i was thinking of using my dremill type tool to smooth the cog off a bit where it has worn. the teeth on the rear wheel are ok i checked them before i started the build. although iv just thought iv never checked the rear (working) derailler as i was going to use a different one which i cleaned and checked. but then i couldn't get the indexing system to work so i swapped it over. i will have to give that a once over while im at it to lol. 
thanks for the ideas lets hope i can source the wheels and sort the chain out soon as the short test ride iv done was great apart from them 2 things lol i cant wait to get it out for a proper run 

stuee


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## fixedfixer (3 Apr 2014)

Some BMX 20 inch wheels should be good. I think you'll need to get the strongest you can because you get more sideways forces cornering on a trike than a two wheeler that leans over on corner. Some hard core BMX wheels look as if they have 40 spokes rather than 36. Never been into BMX so can't say too much about them.

What I meant about chain ring wear was more to do with your triple crank chain rings up front than the plastic cog. Worth a look too.


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## ufkacbln (3 Apr 2014)

"Wobble" is often due to the alignment of the front wheels.

There are reams of options, opinions and advice on the art of "toeing in" depending on the trike

Basically the resolution involves lengthening or shortening the tie rod to align the wheels.

If I have read your design correctly then you have a single tie rod that links the wheel support assembly......

This Catrike video should explain what I mean




If you want more generic info. Try Bent Rider and search

(Bent Rider just does not translate from the American and sounds sooooo wrong!)


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## stuee147 (3 Apr 2014)

Cunobelin said:


> "Wobble" is often due to the alignment of the front wheels.
> 
> There are reams of options, opinions and advice on the art of "toeing in" depending on the trike
> 
> ...




that's a good video i like the idea of the areal to measure i always use a tape measure.
i spent some time adjusting the toe in and iv checked it since and has not changed but i have about 4mm toe in so i might try reducing that to about 1 to 2mm and see if that helps. 
iv also checked the measurements from the frame to the front and rear of the wheel are the same on both sides after i checked from wheel to wheel. ill give it a try and see if it helps. i am thinking of moving the tie rod to the front of the front axel line as this will help with the chain clearance if i have to change the cog on the chain guide either that or make a smaller dia tie rod i made it nice and big in-case anything whacked it as i ride along. and also because i had two bike frames to chop up and use lol. but i will give that a try as soon as the rain clears up a bit (god i miss my garage lol ) and ill let you know how it goes


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## spennie (4 Apr 2014)

If you used a link extractor to connect your chains, your chain might have a link pin sticking out a little bit.


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## stuee147 (4 Apr 2014)

spennie said:


> If you used a link extractor to connect your chains, your chain might have a link pin sticking out a little bit.


I was quite careful when I put the chain together and checked the pins were evenly threw but I must admit I never checked the entire chain ill have a look at that before I do anything with the chain guide cogs thanks for that I hadnt thought of that.
I just realised that now means iv got about 330 links to check I must remember to mark where I start or ill just keep going round for days lol


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## Scoosh (4 Apr 2014)

330 links/ 114 links/chain = 

I'm due a chain replacement soon, too ...


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## stuee147 (4 Apr 2014)

Scoosh said:


> 330 links/ 114 links/chain =
> 
> I'm due a chain replacement soon, too ...



yea i had to buy 3x 114 link chains and i have about a dozen spare links i had to remove to make it fit lol but then i have quite long legs


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## Scoosh (4 Apr 2014)

I had to add about 6 links when I bought my Nazca ... the previous owner was big but shorter in the leg than I am.


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## spennie (4 Apr 2014)

just wind it throw very very slowly, you should see or feel it catch.


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## fixedfixer (5 Apr 2014)

Some stuff on AtomicZombie 
http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php/3259-Wobble
May help.


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## stuee147 (5 Apr 2014)

spennie said:


> just wind it throw very very slowly, you should see or feel it catch.



checked chain today and i can safely say all the links are clean, and all pins are seated correctly and i checked it 4 times that i know of but i think i may have gone round a few more lol 



fixedfixer said:


> Some stuff on AtomicZombie
> http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php/3259-Wobble
> May help.



thanks iv never had any real fixed plans for this build its all been done by eye and measurements that iv worked out by trial and error so iv never had a set caster angel what i have done is read a lot and played about with old bikes and scrap metal to get a rough idea of what i need do. 
with the wheel set up i started off by welding the dropouts onto the bottom of the head tube so that if you drew a line down threw the head tube it would hit the ground at the same point as the centre of the tier where it also hits the ground. 
i then have fitted the headtube tube so that if a line was to run threw it it would hit the ground about 2" infront of the centre point of the tier contact. 

if that makes sense im a bit reluctant to start grinding the welds and repositioning the headtubes when i dont have a working angel to set towards if you know what i mean, i could end up grinding the welds and re welding so many times i could end up with a very narrow set of wheels lol id rather try easy minimal destruction to the frame first and if all else fails i will have to resort to that 

just a thought could someone one here with a trike with 20" front wheels and a 26" rear have a look if its not to much trouble and tell me the angel of the caster/canter or which ever it is lol


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## ufkacbln (6 Apr 2014)

I don't know if you are aware of this site:

Recumbents.com

Their design page  covers most aspects of design and building


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## stuee147 (6 Apr 2014)

Cunobelin said:


> I don't know if you are aware of this site:
> 
> Recumbents.com
> 
> Their design page  covers most aspects of design and building



that looks like a good site thanks i hadn't seen that one before i will have a good read and see what i can find thanks again


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## stuee147 (6 Apr 2014)

right quick update. sorry no pictures today as iv only been doing little bits and bobs.
firstly i seem to have found the problem with the chain catching, as i rode around the garden every time the chain grabbed i was able to stop and look at the chain run and i found that it seemed to be jumping off of the larger cog on the chain guide when i pedalled fast .i found after removing the larger cog on the chain guide that there were 3 teeth that were ever so slightly twisted. (maybe a stick or something hit it in its past life) so i had a look and couldn't find one to match size wise so i picked the closest one i had which is only a few teeth smaller and i whacked that one on took a few spins around the garden and no chain grab at all so far. iv also played about with the steering brake levers and gear lever positions. iv changed the angel slightly of the handlebars and its a lot more comfy now. iv also altered the gears, my original thinking that i would struggle with a gear lever on my left was right (but i had to try it ) so i have rearranged the levers so i now have 2 gears and 1 brake lever on my right and i have just the one brake lever on my left. im going to make this my rear brake as i wont be using it as much. im also going to put a light switch on the left so when i fit the lights i can control them from there. im keeping the left handlebar i wont be using it much but iv found it reasonably comfy but its also gives me a bit more feeling of control in tight turns. im still going to make some form of pod/armrest on the left to rest my arm i just need to sort this wobble out first.

as as for the wobble iv been measuring and thinking and reading ect ect and iv come to a destitution unless i get any other ideas between now and when i get the parts lol. anyway iv been thinking my best line of attack is.
1; get new 20" bmx wheels with 14mm axles then fettle the axles for trike design (im thinking of replacing the axle with a m14 high tensile bolt)
2; cut away existing dropouts and make new ones for 14mm axle 
3; grind off and re set head tube angels for caster/camber 
4; have a fully working trike 

now the only problem i have is i still haven't found a good set of angels to work to. everything iv read has agreed that a line drawn threw the tube should hit the ground at the same point as the centre point of the tiers contact with the ground. i have that its the other part iv read everything from 50 degrees to 70 degrees and everywhere between. iv also read that if you take a line threw the head tube it should contact the ground about 2" infront of the centre line of the wheel.
like iv said before i would rather not have to keep grinding the welds to re position the head tubes. so any advice as to the angel or settings would be gratefully received.


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## fixedfixer (8 Apr 2014)

Some stuff on AtomicZombie http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showt...ster-Angle-Orientation?highlight=Caster+angle
This might help make sense of what is going on. Not having built a trike I'm out of my depth here. Have you thought about buying some plans from them - could save a lot of messing about?


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## stuee147 (8 Apr 2014)

well iv been doing bits and bobs iv played about with the seat iv used webbing strap just because i have some laying about. i have overlapped the strapping this is to help prevent skin nip between two pieces of webbing iv also run it so the overlaps are at the tops of the webbing not the bottom my thinking is when its raining like it was in the photos, rather than any rain landing on the top of the seat or my shoulders will hit the first overlap in the webbing and run through and out under the seat rather than it makeing little rivers that run all the way down to the base. ill let you know if it works lol 





as you can see i haven't done the base yet but will soon 



the new chain guide



just clears the tie rod may make a slimmer one ill see 




the new gear lever position just cable tied to try out but will be bolted and cables run neatly 




almost there 




iv been trying out where to fit the rack for my panniers i think that looks about right i just need to make some fixings up for it now .

today i have ordered a couple of 20" bmx wheels with 14mm axels so as soon as i have them i can start sorting the head tubes out and get working 

a few more pics


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## fixedfixer (8 Apr 2014)

Might be worth fitting the new wheels and then taking for a test run to see if the wobble has gone prior to doing surgery on the head tubes. You never know....


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## stuee147 (8 Apr 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> Might be worth fitting the new wheels and then taking for a test run to see if the wobble has gone prior to doing surgery on the head tubes. You never know....


yea i was thinking that i still have to cut off the old dropouts and make up new ones for the new 14mm axel. but i dont mind that to much as i want to alter the angels of the brake arms so they run more inline with the ground.

iv also been reading about how folk are welding there headtubes are welded inside a pice of box section then that is welded to the box of the wheel arms that way you dont need to muck about trying to make a round tube go into a square tube with fiddly cut outs while trying to get the angels right. so if i do go down the rout of redoing the headtubes i think i will give that a try.

im also planing on taking a trip to halfords or a local cycle shop and i was going to check the angel of the headtubes on a 20" bikes and finding an average and setting to that. im sure it would work i think lol in theory the caster/camber should be about the same regardless of where in relation to the wheel the headtube is. i hope lol

oh i forgot to say i go on the atomic zombie site a lot its quite good and iv got a lot of ideas from there but i have noticed that in the treads any set angels or sizes of the builds seem to be hidden or deleted so unless you buy the plans you cant get the details  i have been thinking of buying some plans but iv never found one i like enough to buy lol


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## fixedfixer (8 Apr 2014)

Found some stuff on this site http://www.hellbentcycles.com/work_shop.htm
look for the pdf called trike primer. It gives measurements for caster / toe in etc. Maybe that will help.
I also read that using round tube is easier to make these different angles with the help of tube mitre programmes. you feed in the angle and it makes a paper template which you wrap around your tube and make the cut to the line.


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## stuee147 (8 Apr 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> Found some stuff on this site http://www.hellbentcycles.com/work_shop.htm
> look for the pdf called trike primer. It gives measurements for caster / toe in etc. Maybe that will help.
> I also read that using round tube is easier to make these different angles with the help of tube mitre programmes. you feed in the angle and it makes a paper template which you wrap around your tube and make the cut to the line.



nice link that is my bed time reading sorted lol 
yea i have a couple of the tube mitre programs i have used on projects in the past but the front arms are 40mm box section and its that that needs the fish mouth in iv looked everywhere i know of but a box to tube mitre program seems illusive but i bet thats more because of all the dater about the material you would need before it could work the mitre out.


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## BlackPanther (8 Apr 2014)

With your many skills, can we expect to see a fairing on this beast? Wish I could weld. And also that I had a welding machine thingy.


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## fixedfixer (8 Apr 2014)

BlackPanther said:


> With your many skills, can we expect to see a fairing on this beast? Wish I could weld. And also that I had a welding machine thingy.


check out that link - there is an all weather trike that would be just the thing to have for Doncaster in the winter


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## young Ed (8 Apr 2014)

looking good
sorry if i haven't been reading enough and if it has already been said but is frame powder coated?
Cheers Ed


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## stuee147 (9 Apr 2014)

BlackPanther said:


> With your many skills, can we expect to see a fairing on this beast? Wish I could weld. And also that I had a welding machine thingy.



lol funny you should say that  i have been thinking of something along the lines of this








i like the idea that it can be used with just the top for a sunshade or top and sides when its wet. i have a large selection of carbon fibre and fiberglass tent poles that im thinking of using for a lightweight easy to pack away frame. 
i also love the idea of solid panniers on the back like in the first pic iv built and designed the bike more as a long distance touring bike. hence the reason the back wheel is set a bit further back than i needed it was so my weight or COG (im learning the lingo lol) is slightly further forward so a little more weight is on the front thats so i dont overload the rear wheel wheel when the panniers are on and full and im also planing to make a trailer so iv considered that weight to in my designs.



young Ed said:


> looking good
> sorry if i haven't been reading enough and if it has already been said but is frame powder coated?
> Cheers Ed



no worries @young Ed no its not powder coated the paint i used is a farm paint designed for tractors and farm machinery. its quite expensive about £15 for 500ml but its worth it. you can spray it on if you have spray equipment or like i did i just used a brush and one of them little 4" gloss rollers you would use for doors or that. the paint goes on really well and you dont need primer but i did use it anyway. and its recoverable in 2 hrs and dry in 24hrs and its very hard wearing. i used to use it on my landrovers offroading so i can say for sure its hard wearing lol 

and @fixedfixer you deserve a cigar thanks to your link i read last night i think i have worked out my wobble problem (the trike's wobble not mine personally lol) 
i was reading bits and looking round and i was reading a bit about wheel flop so this morning i removed the tie rod and sat on the trike and tested each front wheel individually and low and behold wheel flop. now i know that in its self shouldn't cause such bad wobble but here is my thinking. and please correct me if im wrong at low speeds its fine the wheel flop is easy controlled and its no problem to hold a straight line. but then as speed increases the slight buckle and waviness of the front wheel rims starts to shake the steering out of the straight line position and this causes the wheel flop to kick in thus increasing a slight buckle wobble into what i have. the more i think about it the more it sounds right lol anyway anyone with any other ideas im always happy to hear them


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## fixedfixer (9 Apr 2014)

No cigar required, just glad to help a fellow bike builder and share ideas. Got a feeling the strong wheels you have ordered will go a long way to solving the problem. (hopefully)


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## Scoosh (9 Apr 2014)

My concern with the yellow shade in the top one of your cover photos is the strength of the whole things and its apparent lack of aerodynamics. 

When you are riding along, touring, doodling, commuting or whatever - you will, at some point, come to a decline, a not-going-upwards- hill ... this is why you have really built your trike.  You start to pedal, change up through the gears, reach you top gear, your grin is spread so wide, the wind is making your cheeks do that flappy-wobbly thing much loved of people going fast ... and what happens to your 'roof' ?  Will you remain on the ground, or does it provide aerodynamic lift - with potentially "interesting" consequences ?


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## stuee147 (9 Apr 2014)

Scoosh said:


> My concern with the yellow shade in the top one of your cover photos is the strength of the whole things and its apparent lack of aerodynamics.
> 
> When you are riding along, touring, doodling, commuting or whatever - you will, at some point, come to a decline, a not-going-upwards- hill ... this is why you have really built your trike.  You start to pedal, change up through the gears, reach you top gear, your grin is spread so wide, the wind is making your cheeks do that flappy-wobbly thing much loved of people going fast ... and what happens to your 'roof' ?  Will you remain on the ground, or does it provide aerodynamic lift - with potentially "interesting" consequences ?


yea i know what you mean i think the one in the photo has a steal frame looks like about 10mm steal bar not quite what i want its more the concept of having something lightweight that can be put on and off with ease and minimal tools and thats versatile for different situations. 
this is a good design but i think it could be warm in the summer




or this looks more like the type of thing i want


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## young Ed (9 Apr 2014)

just noticed the front hubs
how have you done these? are they special axles? assuming these are normal biycycle wheels?
Cheers Ed


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## BlackPanther (9 Apr 2014)

stuee147 said:


> yea i know what you mean i think the one in the photo has a steal frame looks like about 10mm steal bar not quite what i want its more the concept of having something lightweight that can be put on and off with ease and minimal tools and thats versatile for different situations.
> this is a good design but i think it could be warm in the summer
> 
> 
> ...




Erm, I was thinking of something along the lines of.......


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## young Ed (9 Apr 2014)

BlackPanther said:


> Erm, I was thinking of something along the lines of.......


first he needs to make moulds and then do them all out of fibre glass and when he is happy with that carbon!  (sorry but i am addicted to the carbon!)
Cheers Ed


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## Scoosh (9 Apr 2014)

BlackPanther said:


> Erm, I was thinking of something along the lines of.......



   


£££££ =


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## fixedfixer (9 Apr 2014)

That needs to be painted matt black - it would look proper stealth!

Oh, ans this thread is going really well but we have someway to go to match 'the recovery'


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## BlackPanther (9 Apr 2014)

young Ed said:


> first he needs to make moulds and then do them all out of fibre glass and when he is happy with that carbon!  (sorry but i am addicted to the carbon!)
> Cheers Ed



Moulds? Fibre Glass? I'm going to have a bash with Correx. Just ordered a few sample sheets to see how easy it is to shape. Then I'm thinking of doing a Carbon wrap. It worked well on my ZX12R seat cowl.


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## Scoosh (9 Apr 2014)

BlackPanther said:


> Moulds? Fibre Glass? I'm going to have a bash with Correx. Just ordered a few sample sheets to see how easy it is to shape. Then I'm thinking of doing a Carbon wrap. It worked well on my ZX12R seat cowl.


Looks like you we'll need a new thread for following that !  

"This thread is will be useless without pictures !"


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## ufkacbln (9 Apr 2014)

For all of this... look at my earlier post about Recumbents.com


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## stuee147 (9 Apr 2014)

young Ed said:


> just noticed the front hubs
> how have you done these? are they special axles? assuming these are normal biycycle wheels?
> Cheers Ed



yes in a way they are normal bike wheels but off of a bike trailer not a bike its self and had these quick release bits on the trailer frame so i just cut them off and welded to the headtubes so i can realise the wheels without any tools, but the new wheels i have on order are bmx wheels with a 14mm axel that im going to alter so they work with the trike. ill make sure i take some pics when i do it  


BlackPanther said:


> Erm, I was thinking of something along the lines of.......



i have to confess i have been looking and thinking about that but like @Scoosh says lots of funds that unfortunately i cant afford on disability but maybe one day ill find a cheaper way mmmmmm maybe hot glue sticks from the pound shop melted together  lol 

well here are a couple of pics i took this evening iv been riding it round and round the garden i cant wait to get it on the open road lol
















the last 3 pics ar how i have fitted the rack on the back it seems to be ok iv sat on it and it didnt give way so it more than strong enough for anything i could put in the panniers lol.
the bottom bracket i have made for the rack is bolted threw the box section with the nut inside the box. im making cover plates that will just screw on to the ends of the box section and im considering using reflectors as the end caps. the reason im wanting to have removable end caps is first i can bolt things like the rack on and the bolts are hidden but also so every now and then i can remove the caps and give it a squirt of duck oil so no condensation in the tube can rust it from the inside. out


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## stuee147 (9 Apr 2014)

Cunobelin said:


> For all of this... look at my earlier post about Recumbents.com


 and a very good link i dont know how @Cunobelin and @fixedfixer do it but they find some great links they have helped me no end as has all the people on here that have given me ideas and advice i thank you all for the advice, ideas and guidance so far and for all the help im bound to need in the future 

stuee


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## ufkacbln (9 Apr 2014)

I always had a fascination for bikes and engineering, just no skill or ability in the latter

I used to look at "Cycling Today" and the original few Neatwork recumbents with interest

Then in the late 80's I broke my hip /pelvis / several robs and a collarbone when a wayward tree stepped out in front of me on a mountain bike trail

That gave me the excuse to try and buy, but the only one I could afford was a second hand Linear







Then in 1994 I went to Cornwall and bought a Peter Ross Trike... this is me at Culdrose in 1995!






I then donated this a few years ago to the Cycle Magic charity and replaced it with a Catrike

This was followed with the purchase of a second hand Challenge Hurricane, the first that was brought into the UK, and still bearing the original elastomer suspension design.

I now own the Hurricane, a Street Machine, a Catrike Expedition and a pair of Gekkos, one with electric assist






Over these years I think that I have foowed most developments, improvements, design changes, and seen the recumbent market change completely

That is where my knowledge comes from.


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## stuee147 (10 Apr 2014)

similar to me iv always liked making and engineering things normally out of nothing lol i think i get it from growing up on and around farms. you dont just go and buy a part if something brakes you have to make it by hand at least in the good old day you did lol. i can remember learning to weld when i was about 6 or 7 i used to help weld the new hardened points onto cutting heads and ploughs edges they were the days rigging it up so you could do running repairs in the middle of a filed lol

id never even heard of a recumbent until a few mouths ago. iv always loved cycling but after my accident just over 2 years ago now iv not been able to ride without a lot of pain for the following week but with the recumbent iv not got any weight or pressure on my arm and shoulder so hopefully that will help me back into bikes and give me some freedom iv lost


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## fixedfixer (10 Apr 2014)

"I now own the Hurricane, a Street Machine, a Catrike Expedition and a pair of Gekkos, one with electric assist" Cunobelin - very nice fleet you have. 
Which one gets most use then?


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## ufkacbln (10 Apr 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> "I now own the Hurricane, a Street Machine, a Catrike Expedition and a pair of Gekkos, one with electric assist" Cunobelin - very nice fleet you have.
> Which one gets most use then?



Gekko as it folds and goes into my locker at work, and the Catrike second as it so fast, for the days when I feel like a fast ride

The two wheeled ones are used less rarely, the Hurricane is good for realy fast days out and train hourneys where the CAtrike i not possible.

The Street Machine is a tourer and work horse for heavy loads

All the bikes get used at least a couple of times a month and more so in the summer.

The second Gekko is my wife's as she is disabled and needs the power assist. Thisis used at weekends and in the evenings. When out on this I tend to use my Christiania trike as it takes her mobility scooter for when we get to our dstination


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## fixedfixer (11 Apr 2014)

Is that a camera mounted on the front of the non 'e' Gekko?


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## stuee147 (11 Apr 2014)

well wheels came today a day late and when i opened the parcel i found they sent me the wrong ones 
they sent me 10mm axels instead of 14mm ones. 
i emailed them stating that i payed extra for delivery thurs and i didnt get it till today and that they sent me the wrong ones just waiting for there reply it better be a good one im not happy now going to hide in the corner and sulk


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## Scoosh (11 Apr 2014)

Sulk ??? 

Nae chance ... 

Ge' intae them !


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## Scoosh (11 Apr 2014)

That's a boggin' shame - I was looking forward to a CC Ecosse bent ride with you ...





Soon, though, by the sound of it .


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## fixedfixer (11 Apr 2014)

Total bazza's. I hate it when that happens.Grrrrrr


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## stuee147 (12 Apr 2014)

i was looking forward to getting out there either i have had an email back. they have offered to send me a freepost label to send the wheels back then once they have them they will send me the correct wheels out so that will probably be another week before the wheels arrive 

but i have been busy doing the little bits so at least when it is on the road i wont have to worry about them lol. iv also been considering making the brake arm come right round the wheel so i could use the 10mm axles . maybe i should try and be a bit more patient lol 

oh and iv gone and got myself 6 plans from attomic zombie they were doing an offer lol so i now have details on the camber caster. and i have about a 68 degree angel on my head tubes all the plans are asking for around a 75 degree so i might change that while im waiting lol


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## ufkacbln (13 Apr 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> Is that a camera mounted on the front of the non 'e' Gekko?



Yep- I was playing with the GoPro for effect, but all you get is two feet rotating through the image - not a good look!


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## fixedfixer (15 Apr 2014)

Have the new wheels turned up stuee147? And, are you now itching to build each of the bikes in your new plans.....


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## stuee147 (15 Apr 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> Have the new wheels turned up stuee147? And, are you now itching to build each of the bikes in your new plans.....



the fun carried on with the wheels the seller wanted me to send him the wheels and when he got them he would send out the right ones but the free post bit he would send me to send the wheels would be standard 5 day delivery and then the correct wheels would be sent out standard 5 day delivery. so with waiting for the return label to be sent out i could of been waiting for another 2 weeks. needless to say i wasnt to happy about that so i had a chat with the bloke and we came to a deal. i have kept the wheels with 10mm axles iv had my 48hr postage refunded and iv had a refund for the difference in price of the wheels i have and i checked the blokes listings so i know i got the right price and then he also refunded me a bit extra for the hassle iv had i was quite happy with that so iv been modifying my designs to give support both sides of the wheel rather than just the one side. and iv redone the camber/caster angels and iv made a new track rod (slimmer profile to give extra clearance on the chain. and then about 3oclock today i opened the side gate and went for a ride round the block a few times 
and apart from needing to fit the front brakes and tightening the rear i had great fun, right up until the point of coming down the big hill and realising i didnt have enough power in the rear brake to slow down for the drive way so i had to abort my turn and fly off down the path untill i had slowed enough to turn round lol 
heres some pics 










iv still got to grind the welds to tidy them up then paint the bare metal but im up and running iv only done about a mile so far to test ride it but that will soon change lol


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## stuee147 (19 Apr 2014)

i was out for a good ride yesterday did a few miles with some hills and had no real problems. i noticed that when going down hill fast if i tried to pedal i would get that effect back where the slack side of the chain seems to lag, im sure its due to the angel i have the cable guide its causing to much friction and the chain cant keep up at speed, so today i have taken the cogs out of the guide so im not using a guide on the bottom so far (now the gears are working and adjusted) the chain is sitting well not dragging on the floor so im going to try it out on a ride today. 
iv also managed to sort out a seat back adjuster using a quick realise bolt and a plastic chopping bored ill take some pics of it today and post them. iv also changed my handlebars i spent several hours trying different shapes and positions and iv gone for a lower handlebar angled out towards the rear. and iv also changed my front brake leaver for one that i have adapted to take two cables one for each front wheel and the brakes are a lot sharper and better. i think the pulley system i was using before wasn't giving me very good braking again i will get some pics of the new system today and how iv adapted the brake leaver and post them. iv also now fitted lights and tested them last night not bad at all 

here is a couple of pics from my ride yesterday 







oh yea and i put my panniers on to lol


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## stuee147 (19 Apr 2014)

well iv been out a couple of times today testing and setting things up. the only problem i have is the rear chain guide for the top half of the chain has bent slightly and now the chain is clicking slightly on lower gears. it bent as i was doing a standing start from half way up a very steep slope so i was really putting some pressure threw the pedals. im thinking of making up a bit of C section out of some 6mm plate i have. and bolting the chain guide into the and welding it to the frame that will support the bolt on both sides and should be a lot stronger i will use pieces of 10mm pipe as spacer sleeves so the wheel wont move about in the c section. 
apart from that iv not had any real problems im not sure how far iv been about 10 to 15 miles i think but im not to sure. and i was picking places to go that gave me some good tests like some big hills twists and turns and even across a field, think im defenetly going to make one with rear suspension next lol 
as promised here are some pics of bit iv done 
1st front brake lever 




as you can see i have run two cables (one from each front wheel) and into a spreader bar i made from ally and threaded so the cable adjusters screw into the spreader. 










the inner cable runs threw the adjusters and then threw a piece of steel rod that runs threw the point where the cable nipple would of sat, the nipple on the end of the cable is what stops the cable pulling threw the steal pin. iv found this system a lot quicker (once id mad the bits) to set up and its a hell of a lot easier to set up to im still using 2 cables as i was before but this time if one cable brakes i will still have one working front brake. where as before i would of been left with just the rear brake. so i feel its a safer method and in my honest opinion i think they are more powerful. with the old method you could feel the stretch and spring in the system as you applied the brakes but now you can feel the brakes instantly. and they are a lot better at stopping me lol. 
2nd the seat support 







iv used (starting from the back of the seat) parts of a seat to seat post bracket welded to the seat frame. then two pieces of a old plastic chopping bored at the moment iv only made one cut out for the quick realise bolt but im going to put 4 or 5 cut outs on so i will have several angels to chose from. the black and yellow thing just bellow the bolt is a holder for my lock so iv always got it to hand as you can see from next pic




as you can see its a good fit even when i have the extra notches for adjustment it still wont foul the lock 

then there is the front light iv used a bracket that used to hold a saddle stem in place and part of and old plastic fixture 







iv not really tested it properly at night its held nice and strong with no bouncing and going round the garden at night it worked quite well but then it is a good torch iv used with a nice clean beam thats great for distance and then a wide radiant light to give a good close wide lit area. i just need to test it at night on the road lol

then iv also had chance to tidy up and repaint the front end after having to change it all for the new wheels 







im quite happy with the way the new handlebars feel so i think i might keep them as they are now iv tried 4 different shapes and styles and this seems to be the best so far. i just need to get some grips for them now. 
as you can see the new track rod iv made is a lot slimmer than the old one and a lot neater and its given me a lot more clearance on the chain. 
and the bottom of the chain is running lovely now iv taken it out of the chain guide iv not noticed and lag on the bottom of the chain all day so hopefully trhat sorted and can be crossed off my list.


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## fixedfixer (20 Apr 2014)

Sounds like you are getting there with the build. Some clever stuff going on with the brakes. Excellent work stuee.


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## stuee147 (21 Apr 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> Sounds like you are getting there with the build. Some clever stuff going on with the brakes. Excellent work stuee.


thanks im pleased with it so far as for the brakes i would like to say it was my idea but really i found this pic on the net





unfortunately this has been the only image i have found showing the duel cabled leaver and iv mad something similar. now that iv had a try and got it working really well im going to make a better version that is cosmetically better looking, TBH i dont think i could get it working any better lol. 

well the last couple of days iv made a new chain guide to replace the one that bent, i was considering making a C section out of some 6mm plate i have laying around, but then i thought if at some point i change the type of guide im using and its a slightly different diameter i could have problems with the C section and there was also the issue the if i used c section and bolted threw it i would need some spacers to hold the guide in the centre of the c section, and i have enough trouble trying to put a nut on without the washer falling off so it could take me a week to slide spacers in as i feed the bolt threw lol 
so i sat outside next to my trike with a box full of bits and bobs, and eventually came up with what i think is a neat and strong method.



iv fitted a new 8mm bolt (its the bolt from a handle bar stem) iv welded on a washer in the correct place which is at the bottom of the pic then iv used an M8 nut thats cone shaped at the top of the guide im not sure where that nut came from but i think it may be from an old saddle stem quick realise lever. also not the elongated hole in the bottom of the seat support behind the guide 










i found i had an m6 bolt with a hoop at one end and the hole in the hoop is 9mm so just slightly bigger than the 8mm guide axle so it slides on nice and snug then a nylock washer holds the m6 bolt in place on the m8 axle, then a 2penny washer and m6 nut secure against the seat support which when the trike is on its wheels is directly above the guide axle so hopefully that will give a good downward pressure and help prevent the axle from bending up like it did under pressure. so far its been working really well i went out yesterday for a ride and i went to the same slope in the woods and did the same thing as before but this time the guide axle stayed firmly where it is. so hopefully thats that sorted

iv also fitted my dynamo and connected it all up today. and it works lovely charging my phone while i was out today. i use my phone as a gps and speedo and it charges off the dynamo via a usb socket on the handlebars. its a system i have had and used for a few years now and its never let me down, and it means iv not got half a dozen bits like speedometer gps phone ect its all in one.

iv also been working on a head rest not got far with it yet its still in the idea design stage but hopefully ill work something out soon lol


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## fixedfixer (22 Apr 2014)

You have done well to turn that one photo into a working dual pull lever. Good man.


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## fixedfixer (23 Apr 2014)

I was thinking about the brakes and how to get an equal / balanced pull on each side. Found this diagram on another site. The red line seems to be a continuous cable and a second (blue cable in diagram) pulls towards to the top (a standard brake lever) to provide the balance. Should automatically adjust itself for pad wear.


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## stuee147 (23 Apr 2014)

@fixedfixer i was wondering about getting an even pull so far it seems ok but as i was building it and setting it up i made sure everything was as even as possible, on that diagram it looks like a pulley at the top and a single cable to the lever, my biggest concern is that if the cable brakes then you lose all front brakes. thats what i like about the way i have done it at the moment, if one cable brakes i still have the second cable to keep braking, 
i wonder if there is a way to have one cable from the lever and then somehow changing to 2 independent cables one to each front wheel but some how having an system to keep an even pull on the 2 cables so i dont over brake on one side more than the other.
i think im gona be doing some serious head scratching and playing about with bits and bobs.

another idea i have had is to have a lever for each front wheel and not having a lever for the rear brake. iv been considering using a friction gear lever on the rear brake and using it as a parking brake. but thats just one of the million silly ideas that run round my head lol


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## fixedfixer (23 Apr 2014)

For a parking brake try an old toe strap and clamp lever back on handle bars. Touring bike trick. Light simple


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## stuee147 (23 Apr 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> For a parking brake try an old toe strap and clamp lever back on handle bars. Touring bike trick. Light simple



at the moment i have a piece of inner tube on the handlebar grip all i do is pull the rear brake lever and pop the inner tube round it to hold it closed. it was more because i was thinking of having a separate lever for each front brake it would be strange to see a 3rd lever for the rear and thats when i thought of a gear lever as that will hold the brake on with minimal setting up sort of thing i was thinking i could even have the lever on the main frame infront of the seat or even just a short cable and have it nearer the rear wheel, 
but like i say iv a thousand and one ideas its just getting round to making or finding the parts and getting round to testing them lol 

talking of trying and testing my first idea for a neck rest has taken shape im not sure if its a good shape yet or not i need more testing lol here are a couple of pics 







i just used what i had laying around, namely an ally seat post, an off cut from one of the bikes i used to make the trike, a suction mount for a mobile phone and a padded thingy that goes on your seat belt in the car im not sure where it came from but i found it in the kitchen draw lol its amazing the rubbish i keep lol
it works really well even though at the moment its held on the trike with cable ties lol im thinking of cleaning it up a bit and giving it a proper try. unless i find something better lol


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## Scoosh (23 Apr 2014)

Are you bringing the trike to Pedal on Parliament on Saturday ?


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## stuee147 (23 Apr 2014)

Scoosh said:


> Are you bringing the trike to Pedal on Parliament on Saturday ?


I would love to but I'm not sure if I can make it I have been hopeing to go but it really depends on my health if I'm haveing a bad day I struggle to even get out into the garden if its a good day ill ride the trike the 10 miles or so there and home again and make a day of it. I hate things like this I would love to go but can never say how I will be on the day lol


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## Scoosh (23 Apr 2014)

Hope you have a good day, then !


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## fixedfixer (24 Apr 2014)

Fingers crossed for you having a good day. Looks like a good event and would be nice to show off your new trike. If you get there pictures are required otherwise it never happened.


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## stuee147 (24 Apr 2014)

thanks i hope its a good day to but i have a slight problem today i went out for a ride and look whats happened 




as i took a turn (luckily at slow speed) the right front wheel buckled up underneath me. it turns out the head tube has separated if you look close its a nice clean brake










the two pieces slide back together quite nicely and the head tube goes into the base section around about 25mm (1")




now i have a destitution to make and i would appreciate and feed back or ideas 
the way i see it i have 5 options 
1) i go out and try get another set of forks and cut them down and weld the wheels dropouts onto that . (lot of work + need to find forks to match, but is going to give me the strongest end results )
2) cut the dropouts and frame away insert the tubes and weld from underneath then reset the angels and weld the frame and dropouts back on (this is what should of happened to start with but as i had no plans or anything to go by i wasn't aware there was two tubes like that )
3) carefully drill threw the 2 tubes just bellow where the bearing seat goes and insert a pin (poss 2 at 90degrees to each other) and weld the steal pins into place (i would need to use about a 6mm steal pin )
4) i could drill an 8mm hole in the centre of the base just above the wheel nut (the base is 6mm steal plate) then cut down a handlebar stem and fit it so the inner tube is held down (the nut holding the inner tube would be upside down just above the wheel nut) 
5) with a 2mm cutting disk cut about 1/2 way threw the 2 tubes (when inserted together) and fill the cut with weld binding the 2 tubes together ( i know my welds are strong but will the cut weaken the tubes ????)

im not sure which way to go 3 and 5 are the easiest and quickest ( take me about 1/2 hour ) but will they be strong enough ???????
method 4 i think is a stroke of genius i mean the handlebar stem is designed to go inside the tube and lock onto it and as long as i cut the bolt and bits down it shouldn't inter fear with the handlebar stem with the handlebars fitted in the top 

i did have another idea iv got a tube of that chemical steal stuff that you mould together and when it sets its like steal and can be drilled and taped just like steal, well i did consider stuffing a load in the bottom and fitting the tubes together then with a bit of dowel or something push it down the tube so it fills all the gaps, that would work maybe combined with idea 3 so it would mould round the pins. 

anyway there just ideas i would love to hear your thoughts and ideas im hoping to sort it one method or another either tomorrow or sat that way it up and running for sunday 

stu


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## young Ed (24 Apr 2014)

stopped getting alerts from this thread so sort of forgot about it  but looks like you are doing well!

sorry no help what so ever on above problem without seeing it in person in a well equipped workshop behind a very well stocked bike shop!
Cheers Ed


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## stuee147 (24 Apr 2014)

young Ed said:


> stopped getting alerts from this thread so sort of forgot about it  but looks like you are doing well!
> 
> sorry no help what so ever on above problem without seeing it in person in a well equipped workshop behind a very well stocked bike shop!
> Cheers Ed


where's the fun in having a fully equipped workshop and all the parts, you get more fun trying to make things out of something else. or is i i just grew up watching to much A team lol


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## classic33 (24 Apr 2014)

Dual brake lever




http://www.bikecare.co.uk/product_info.php?acc=Brake Levers&id=89


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## classic33 (24 Apr 2014)

Would a tube inside, used to strenghten it work?


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## classic33 (24 Apr 2014)

I made a small piece that fitted inside the standard lever, that replaced the single cable, that took two cables. Both operating the rear brakes.
Another option would be a cable splitter from a BMX. Gives a bit more scope for brake cable lengths.


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## stuee147 (24 Apr 2014)

classic33 said:


> Dual brake lever
> View attachment 43339
> 
> http://www.bikecare.co.uk/product_info.php?acc=Brake Levers&id=89



Wow that's perfect how did you find that ? What search engine do you use I use Google but never get anything I'm looking for I'm sure there must be a trick to it lol 

Iv noticed on that same site they have a parking brake I like the look of that but im sure I can make one now iv seen the pic it might not look as good as the ones they sell but I much prefer to have the fun of playing about making things and of course there is nothing better than being able to say with all honestly I have designed this trike myself and iv custom made most of the parts myself


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## classic33 (24 Apr 2014)

Dual brake cable for tandem bicycle, and went from there.
I'll agree, making your own and being able to say it beats buying one any day.
Parking brake, use a toe strap as suggested or make a small insert that fits between the lever and the body of the lever. Sold some years(20+) ago for around a tenner.


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## stuee147 (24 Apr 2014)

classic33 said:


> Would a tube inside, used to strenghten it work?


Yes that's sort of how I ment with useing a bolt threw the bottom sort of turn the peace one the wheel frame into a handlebar stem 




classic33 said:


> I made a small piece that fitted inside the standard lever, that replaced the single cable, that took two cables. Both operating the rear brakes.
> Another option would be a cable splitter from a BMX. Gives a bit more scope for brake cable lengths.



I have a large brake leaver quite a square body and I was thinking I could convert that quite well as its body is so big but would that not make the pulls on the cables different surely the cable further away from the hing bit of the lever could get an extra 5_6mm pull and with more power ? Or am I now over thinking it. If it was a standard bike and you used it for front and rear you would want that slight biass on the brakes so the rear didn't lock up


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## classic33 (24 Apr 2014)

I'd fitted two brakes to the rear, using the same lever to operate both.
For single cable read single cable holder. Not your standard bike. Four gear levers to operate the five speed hub & standard external gearing.

Dual Pull lever on Ebay item number:161267959328


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## fixedfixer (25 Apr 2014)

I find it difficult to work out from the photos but has the steerer tube come apart from the original fork crown? Perhaps the brazed joint has suffered due to extra heat of you welding in that area? I could be quite wrong here.


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## stuee147 (25 Apr 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> I find it difficult to work out from the photos but has the steerer tube come apart from the original fork crown? Perhaps the brazed joint has suffered due to extra heat of you welding in that area? I could be quite wrong here.



yea thats exactly what has happened. its my own fault really as i didnt have any plans or guide to go by i knew the tube and the forks were 2 pieces but i never thought of how they might be joined, it was only a few days ago as i was reading threw the plans i got from atomic zombie that i found that once you trim the forks leaving just the crown with the bearing seat on the end of the tube that i should of run a small weld around the bottom where i had cut it down to fix the two sections together. 
as soon as i read it i began to worry but i thought i would of got it when i welded the dropouts on, but it looks like i was wrong lol. but hey thats how we learn just give it a go and if it dont work try a different way 
in the plans i have it shows that there is a weld run around the bottom holding the tube to the fork crown and there is no sign of brazing on it at all. and i cant braze anyway lol dont ask me why i really dont know iv tried but can never get a secure joint lol


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## fixedfixer (25 Apr 2014)

"lol. but hey thats how we learn just give it a go and if it dont work try a different way" 
Like your attitude to making stuff.


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## stuee147 (25 Apr 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> "lol. but hey thats how we learn just give it a go and if it dont work try a different way"
> Like your attitude to making stuff.


i think its so much more fun and rewarding to make things even if they dont work its the trying and playing about i like you just cant beat it


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## fixedfixer (30 Apr 2014)

Any progress on this build or have you started a mk2 ?


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## stuee147 (7 May 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> Any progress on this build or have you started a mk2 ?


not much been done im afraid i fixed the headtube but iv not tested it apart from a couple of runs round the garden. iv got lots of ideas of things to try but not been good enough to get out and do them  
but on the bright side i have received a pair of 20" bmx wheels with 14mm axles and 48 spokes wheels today and i have some steel box section on its way and a bike with rear suspension and disk brakes on order and should arrive by the end of the week so mk2 is on its way


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## fixedfixer (9 May 2014)

sounds like you've got plenty to be working on then. Keep the progress reports posted with photos.


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## stuee147 (9 May 2014)

well i have received the bike with suspension and rear disk brakes and i have carefully dismantled it after having a quick play lol and i have the parts to be welded all ground down and sanded ready to weld. iv also now got the inner tubes, tiers and rim tape for the 20" wheels and iv put them all together. now im waiting on the box section to make the frame from and ill be away. i haven't taken any pics yet but i will try and remember to get pics of all the bits and bobs so far tomorrow, 
i think this build will be a little slower i just cant seem to get motivated properly, its taken me 2 days just to clean the 3 parts up ready to weld  but im hoping that when the metal arrives it will give me the boost i need but we will see. but as soon as i do anything ill take some pics and pop them up here


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## stuee147 (12 May 2014)

well today the last of the bits i had on order for MK2 has arrived iv now just got to prepare cut and weld it all together 
iv not got much done so far just a few little bits of cleaning up and stuff i have made a duel brake leaver here are some pics 





the leaver and a plastic thinggy you find on the guide ropes on tents 




slot cut out for the plastic thinggy 




plastic thinggy inserted 




2nd plastic thinggy with the 2 outer holes drilled out and taped to take cable adjusters







here is the completed duel control for the front brakes the 2 plastic thinggys are secured with self tapping screws and of course the tension of the cables,
iv not tested it out yet as iv not built the trike lol, but i cant foresee any problems with it the 2 plastic thinggys from tent guide ropes are very tough and dont have any real flex so i dont see a problem with them but just in case iv also made 2 metal ones for if i need them. but i think the plastic looks better as it matches the brake leaver quite well.
iv also started work on a leaver for the rear brake that will lock on at the push of a button but if you pull the leaver it unlocks automatic, so there shouldn't be any risk of locking it on as im riding. im trying to find the right stiffness spring. i started off with quite a stiff spring and 6mm bar but it was to bulky so im now playing about with an old cheap tent peg (the type that bends when you use it ) and the spring out of a pen and it seems to be working quite well im just having to fine tune it so it looks and works well. 
the other thing i have made is a couple of jigs to hold the front wheels. on my first build the biggest problem i had was trying to hold things in place with clamps and by hand and weld with one hand and its not easy i can tell you i ended up sitting with one leg wrapped around the front wheel while the other had the frame balanced on the knee and still trying to hold the angel finder and make sure everything was in line. not easy i can tell you many a blue word was said 

so a couple of bits of 2x2 screwed together with a 14mm hole drilled threw at the hight of the axle on a 20" wheel and tada 






a couple of wheel stands then once the trike is built to a point where i dont need the stands any more i will trim down the axle on the side of the stand the free side is where it will connect to the trike im also going to make a couple of other jigs up as i did struggle with MK1 on my own some parts are easy to clamp but a lot are very hard if not impossible to get clamps around due to the size, shape and even angel that there at. one thing i can recommend for anyone thinking of doing a build themselves get your mates around to help the more hands to hold bits the better, or if your a billy no mates like me  then the best things you can buy are the magnetic welding clamps if i didnt have a couple of them i would really struggle.

anyway hopefully depending on the weather and on how i am i will get the frame started tomorrow so fingers crossed 

stuee


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## ufkacbln (13 May 2014)

Peter Ross used to use a similar system on the Trice, but he used to drill through the normal cable end hole and insert a piece of metal rod. This then had two holed drilled at the ends. These were then countersunk to take gear cables

Worked fine


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## fixedfixer (13 May 2014)

Will the MK1 survive or are the parts going on MK2? The wheels look the business and the use of a jig to hold it all together whilst you measure angles will help. Tricky with trike to keep everything in line.


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## stuee147 (13 May 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> Will the MK1 survive or are the parts going on MK2? The wheels look the business and the use of a jig to hold it all together whilst you measure angles will help. Tricky with trike to keep everything in line.



yea MK1 will live lol and i have plans to use some of the things i try out when building MK2 to improve MK1 i suppose im planing MK1.5 lol
and tricky is an understatement lol im planing that when i line up the front wheel jigs with the rear wheel i can use a pice of 20mm box section with holes drilled in and then i can pop a screw threw into the wooden base of the jigs so it will secure the jigs so i if i knock them they will stay aliened, and iv made the axle holes in the jigs about 1mm over size this then gives me a little play to ensure the wheel is set true to the frame rather than the jig. so hopefully iv covered all the bases (famous last words ) we will find out soon as im planing to get out side in the next hour or so to start wok on MK2 

stuee


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## stuee147 (13 May 2014)

MK2 day 1 








my home made frame jigs using old bike frame sections and concrete slabs and a well positioned skateboard that i used the wheels off for chain guides for MK1 







the main boom fitted to the rear section and the seat post/suspension support welded into place and bolted up 

and i had to put the front wheels roughly in place just because it had to be done 







i have also cut the two boom arms for the front wheels i just need to weld into place and then trim, 
iv also cut out the dropouts for the front wheels, i had to cut 4 pieces of 6mm plate and weld 2 together to make each dropout and iv started to drill the holes for the wheel axles starting with a small 4mm drill and slowly working my way up to the 14mm i need iv only got it to 6mm holes in each dropout so far but iv got one problem. iv not got a vice !!!!!!! and i cant hold the pieces by hand normally i wrap a bit of inner tube around the work piece and put it between 2 pices of 4x4 timber and stand on kneel on the top piece and that holds it all together but it dont work with this as the pices are quite small and the thickness of the metal and the size of hole i need its just not griping enough so iv had a cunning idea........





iv used a scrap bit of 40x40mm box section and run a weld along the top of each dropout to secure it to the box section and now all i do is shove a bit of 1" box threw the 40mm box and stand on it and that holds it as good as a vice when the holes are finished ill just grind off the weld and im good to go 

not a bad first day considering the rain showers that stopped play a couple of times and the doctors appointment i had this afternoon lol lets hope i can get a bit more done tomorrow 

stuee


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## fixedfixer (14 May 2014)

Nice work. I see the four legged foreman is making sure the angles are correct. Are you following atomic zombie plans or doing your own thing?


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## stuee147 (14 May 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> Nice work. I see the four legged foreman is making sure the angles are correct. Are you following atomic zombie plans or doing your own thing?



im sort of following the atomic zombie plans but with a few mods of my own like im adding an extra bit at the top of the seat back that will go over the rear wheel for a set of panniers. but im trying to keep rough dimensions and angels right specially the front wheel geometry.

here is the progress from day 2 







the dropout have been drilled and iv welded them to the stems it took me a few attempts to get the angles right but it seems about there now 







the head tubes fully assembled and bolted to the wheels 




the seat back/suspension support all welded and started to grind the weld smooth 







the front arm boom welded together and then welded to the frame, the plans call for it to arms to be welded to the top of the main boom as i have done. i have wondered if it would be strong enough but it seems ok i did think of dropping it bellow the main boom but i tried it and it set the front quite high as well as the seating position 







once again i had to lay the wheels in position to have a look lol. i still need to trim the wheel arms down at the moment i have almost 40" wheel track id have fun trying to ride that threw my back gate lol im going for a 30" wheel track as that should just fit threw the gate with about an inch either side. you can see i have left the seat back long so i can cut it off and weld on a pannier support arm when i have all the wheels on the ground that way i can ensure its not at some strange angel lol.

im hoping to get some more done tomorrow id like to get the front end sorted so i have a rolling chase but i have an appointment again tomorrow just after lunch so im not sure how much time ill have but heres hoping. 

stuee


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## fixedfixer (15 May 2014)

What is the plan for front brakes on this one? Looking great so far. I can see you learnt lots from Mk1.


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## stuee147 (15 May 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> What is the plan for front brakes on this one? Looking great so far. I can see you learnt lots from Mk1.


the front brakes are going to be similar to MK1 but i have better brake callipers slightly bigger and with a better pull on them so they should be a lot stronger iv already made the new duel brake leaver,
i did want disk or drums on the front but i couldn't find anywhere that sold them ready built i could only find the hubs, spokes and rims and iv never made a wheel and don't feel confident in trying just yet. but i am thinking of just getting a hub and bits and trying to make one if it works i can get a second and build that then just swap them over at a later stage.

its been a lovely day and iv only managed to cut 2 pieces of metal today  what with appointments and realising the kitchen was bear so i had to go food shopping god i hate food shopping lol 

hopefully tomorrow will be a better day 

stuee


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## stuee147 (17 May 2014)

been busy the past couple of days but i have been out and done a few bits on MK2 i did take some pics yesterday but for some reason they haven't uploaded yet even though the ones from today have uploaded ??? i haven't got a clue to be honest all i know is that if i take pics on my phone they somehow get uploaded to my Google account. as far as i know iv never set it up to do that it just dose and i haven't got a clue how to do it manually. 
basically if my phone didn't do it for me i wouldn't be able to put pics up myself without getting a headache and probably throwing the laptop threw the window in disgust lol bloody technology give me wood or metal and ill make what ever you want ask me to do things like upload pics or videos and you may as well be speaking Arabic lol

anyway yesterday (sorry for no pics) i got the front wheels fitted with the proper caster/camber ect took a while but got it sorted in the end, i also marked and cut the box section for the front brakes and the 6mm plate for the Ackerman steering and i think that was about it. 

then today iv got the front brake tubes welded together ground smooth and then welded to the head tubes, and then i welded the Ackerman steering tabs on in the right place i also welded together a track rod and iv fitted it and adjusted the front wheels. iv also managed to weld the plates onto the bottom bracket and drilled and bolted them into place. and then i fitted the gears at the front and middle and have run the first length of chain heres some pics 



















the handlebars are just old ones i have fitted for the time being i have better ones i will use. the small pice of 20mm x 20mm box that you can see on the floor just infront of the rear wheel has been cut to fit as a support that will go just under the suspension spring mount on the seat back and reinforce the seat back


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## roadrash (17 May 2014)

excellent stu , i share your enthusiasm , but unfortuately not your skill and ability


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## fixedfixer (19 May 2014)

Good progress there. What with the plans and your experience of building the Mk1 this is going to be a fine trike.


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## stuee147 (19 May 2014)

roadrash said:


> excellent stu , i share your enthusiasm , but unfortuately not your skill and ability



thanks but i always say its really not skill its more trial and error and a lot of luck lol

well the last couple of days iv not been able to do much just 10min here and there but having said that i got a fair bit done.
first job was fitting the front brakes







if you look at the left hand one you will see how iv got round the cable on the outside, iv used the bent tube thinggy that was on the V-brakes of one of the bikes i cut up for the build, the bent guide tube works really well and i think looks quite neat. iv inserted the tube into the adjustable bit where the cable would normally fit and iv used a bit of rubber tubing to hold it into place securely and i think it looks better with the rubber, and i can still adjust the tension of the cable if needed







the new duel brake leaver is working well. iv also connected up the gear levers and have an idea where the cables are going to run or at least i think i know but i may move them a few hundred times lol

then today i have been concentrating on the chain and drive system.
i started off playing with gears im still wanting to try having 2 bottom brackets giving me a total of 63 gears, 21 standard range same as on a MTB then 21 higher range and 21 ultra low range ideal for hills.
so i started off with a standard triple and removed the peddle stem and ground flat i then used the largest gear from an old triple and welded that onto the triple.










it took a few attempts to get it perfectly central, i then cut off most of gear i just welded on leaving the mounting holes for the gear i wanted to use







and then i bolted on the gear that matches the middle gear of my front triple







then fitted the main 3 gears are linked to the rear wheel with a chain the 4th new gear i have fitted is driven by a second chain driven by the front bottom bracket





i was really pleased with the way it turned out i ran the 2 chains and it was working grat some very very low gears all working well apart from the gear was slightly to far off to the right so i had to unbolt it and turn it around so instead of being offset to the right it was inset to the left and i had just enough room so the 2 chains had a few millimetres of clearance, then i shifted to high range gears. unfortunately the weld didnt hold when i really powered into it. when i cut off the gear that i used as a bolt plate off of its original triple i did notice that 1stly it had about a 5mm thick weld all the way around. and then the gear and the peddle stem were both toothed and interlocked and i was a bit worried that just a seam of weld would not be strong enough, unfortunately i was right and the weld broke, i had spent a good 3 or 4 hours just working out what and how i was going to do it and i wanted to do a proper test ride lol.
so i took the triple off in the middle and made a single long chain and went for a test ride and boy its a lot quicker and it feels more stable than MK1 
heres a few pics













the cables are cut to length and i sort of know where to run them but at the moment they are just run anywhere, i still have to make the seat although the plastic bread board held on with cable ties works surprisingly well lol. 

the chain is run using 2 guide wheels the top/power side of the chain runs under the inside guide and the lower/slack side of the chain runs over the top of the outer guide. and this time i made a support for the guide axle,







as you can see i have plenty of clearance on the chain no sign of rubbing or catching.

i am planing on trying again with the quad gear giving me 63 gears  im thinking of grinding the end of the peddle stem bit into a square and then cut the same size square into the bolt plate then weld it together with a thicker weld hopefully the added square rebate should give more strength to the gear rather than putting all the pressure into the weld, but for the moment ill stick with just 21 gears and a single chain. iv got it so when and if i do try the quad gear again i wont need to do much to alter the setup and i shouldn't need to do any welding or grinding to do it so im not worried if i dont try it again before i do the painting

tomorrow im hopping to get the seat made. i also still have the pannier rack to make and fit and if all goes well it will just be a case of strip down grind down a few welds and paint. so not far to go now  i was working it out today its taken me 5 days spending about 5 hours a day so far to build this trike and i think it will be about the same to get it finished, or at least as finished as it will ever be ill always find things i want to change ect lol

just remembered i have found one problem with the trike i set the wheel track so i had about an inch or so clearance between the outside of the wheels and the side gate on the garden. my problem is i forgot to allow for the front brakes sticking out a bit further than the wheels thus making the trike about an inch and a half to wide to fit threw the gate. im not sure what to do id rather not have to cut the front end up just to remove 2 inches it took long enough getting the wheel/steering geometry set up as it was, and i dont really want to lose the front brakes, but at the same time its hassle having to carry it threw the gate. im considering cutting a small bit of the gate post so the brakes will pass threw but then im just going to have the same hassle when i need to go threw a different garden gate. 
any suggestions of and easy way out would be good lol 

stuee


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## Tigerbiten (21 May 2014)

The easiest way to fit a fourth chainring is to use 15mm chainring bolts and some spacing washers.
They are used to fit bashguards to a MTB crankset so they are long enough to take a fourth chainring as well.
But they only come in packs of 4, so you'll need 2 packs.


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## fixedfixer (21 May 2014)

Can't remember where I found this picture so can't credit owner but wonder if this is the type of thing you are trying to do? This guy's set up was for a mid drive bike with one single chain from front to Middle then the second chain doing the triple to rear cogs. Not exactly what you want but maybe the idea can be adapted to avoid the weak welds.


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## stuee147 (21 May 2014)

Tigerbiten said:


> The easiest way to fit a fourth chainring is to use 15mm chainring bolts and some spacing washers.
> They are used to fit bashguards to a MTB crankset so they are long enough to take a fourth chainring as well.
> But they only come in packs of 4, so you'll need 2 packs.



that was original the idea but i was going to cut some small sections of tubing to use as the spacers. but iv not been able to undo the existing bolts on the triple they have a very very shallow allen bolt on one side its only about 1mm deep and iv got a very good set of keys but they just cant grip. the other side is a thin bolt that i can grip and turn that but with nothing to to hold the allen bolt it just spins. thats why i made a bolt plate but i think i may have to spend some time and drill out the bolts and try again.


fixedfixer said:


> Can't remember where I found this picture so can't credit owner but wonder if this is the type of thing you are trying to do? This guy's set up was for a mid drive bike with one single chain from front to Middle then the second chain doing the triple to rear cogs. Not exactly what you want but maybe the idea can be adapted to avoid the weak welds.
> View attachment 45709



yea thats just the sort of thing im looking for except i dont need the peddle arm bit so iv chopped it off.

i didnt get much done yesterday i seemed to be on a bit of a go slow. i have made the seat base frame and got that in position so the plastic chopping bored has gone lol iv made the seat base slightly bigger than on MK1 and iv put some webbing strap around as a temp seat cover. i have ordered a trampoline mat that should be here in the next few days and im going to use that as the seat material for both MK1 and MK2 i think it will be perfect it is weather proof and as its a fine mesh it shouldn't get to hot or anything, but ill let you all know how it is when iv got it i should have enough material for another 4 or 5 trike's lol

iv also started work on the pannier rack which im making myself from scratch. its going quite well so far i think it will look good and hopefully be strong enough. iv been testing it by sitting on it. so far its taking my weight (17 ish stone) so i think it will take a bit of shopping or just about anything i can fit in the panniers unless i get a job delivering lead lol 

sorry i didnt get any pics yesterday i will try and remember today im hoping to get the seat back done and fitted and maybe finish the pannier rack main frame, i have some 8mm bar on order that im going to use for the sides of the rack to stop the panniers from hitting the wheel, so i can only get the main frame fitted untill the bar comes. 

iv come to a designation about the wheel track i measured MK1 yesterday and from widest part to widest part (outer wheel nut on MK1 ) i can fit threw the side gate on MK1 its tight but i can ride slowly threw it and it came out at 34" so i measured MK2 the same way (outer edge of front brake to outer edge of front brake ) and it came out at 35 3/4" its the slightly larger brakes on the front that have made the difference. so what im thinking is i will mark the boom arms and cut a 1" section out of each side of the arms then using straight edges and clamps to hold it in line re-weld the arms back together. this should mean that i wont have to worry about the caster and camber angles as they should stay the same as long as i line the box section up. i will have a look at it when welded up i may use a small section of plate about and inch or 2 wide welded over the joint to strengthen it or maybe use something to slide inside the box section as a support. i think it will be a see what it looks like as i do it and see how it works lol

stuee


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## classic33 (22 May 2014)

I'd be more inclined to work at the ends, rather than introduce a possible weak spot, on the front arms.


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## fixedfixer (22 May 2014)

04.07 ! I take it you are on nights this week Classic33. Good advice, I think I'd work from an end too. Also going to look better in long run.


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## classic33 (22 May 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> 04.07 ! I take it you are on nights this week Classic33. Good advice, I think I'd work from an end too. Also going to look better in long run.


 Just awake!
As in not gone/got to sleep yet


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## stuee147 (22 May 2014)

classic33 said:


> I'd be more inclined to work at the ends, rather than introduce a possible weak spot, on the front arms.



yea i know what you mean i was just sort of thinking of if i could do it without having to redo all the angels for the steering again, its just me trying to be lazy lol. i was thinking of either sleeving the joint and welding at both ends of the sleeve or i did think of using a couple of bits of 6mm plate that i have and making some form of design with them say like a lightning bolt around 6" long and bridging the joint with that on 2 or 3 sides of the box so it strengthens the joint and when painted up (poss in black with frame red) it will give a feature that makes it stand out more.
to be honest i dont think i would be saving any time doing shortening at the ends or in the middle of the arms its just them angles and getting the wheels set right. i have been thinking of doing the adjustments in the middle of the arms just grind the weld off that holds it to the main boom and cut the joint in the 2 sides and shorten then reweld but i think it could be more hassle doing it that way. at the moment i cant do anything as im waiting on some new cutting disks, i was hopeing they would be here yesterday but they never arrived so fingers crossed for today although it raining so i dont think ill be cutting and welding anything in this, iv had a joult of 3 from welders in the past and id rather not try it again lol 

yesterday i got the seat finished and put a temp cover on it to test and it works great the back is a bit high so ill probably cut it down a bit. i also got the main bed of the pannier rack fitted and iv sat on the back of it with no problems and i still had about 1/4 inch clearance on the rear wheel even with 17 stone sat on the back lol but yet again im stuck i cant do the rest of the rack until the round bar arrives. i also spent a bit of time just going around every bolt and nut checking they were tight and trimming down some of the bolts. 
here is a few pics so far 





setting up the rack




i used a piece of 40mm box section as a spacer on the rear wheel and i remembered to cover the rear wheel and bits with a fire retardant cloth so when i welded i didnt damage the tier (yes i have done it before )







all done and roughly ground down 













im quite pleased with how its coming. but i do think the back of the seat needs to be a bit shorter it just looks to big, what dose everyone else think ?? 

stuee


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## fixedfixer (23 May 2014)

Looks a bit high but if it is comfy why worry. Looking nice and the custom pannier rack sounds like a good idea.


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## ufkacbln (23 May 2014)

As always, fine workmanship and a potential fun trike

My only concern would be that few panniers would fit this rack, and there is nothing to prevent the pannier snagging on gears and wheel


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## fixedfixer (23 May 2014)

I think he is going to add some round bar to the rack - stuee would seem to have thought this one through. Agree great workmanship. No doubt it will be red tractor paint too which looks great.


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## stuee147 (23 May 2014)

Cunobelin said:


> As always, fine workmanship and a potential fun trike
> 
> My only concern would be that few panniers would fit this rack, and there is nothing to prevent the pannier snagging on gears and wheel



i have some round bar that has arrived today  and im going to use the shop brought rack on MK1 as a guide to bend the round bar then weld it onto the sides of the rack the top of the rack that i have made already is the same width as the other rack but i have made it a little longer than standard. 



fixedfixer said:


> I think he is going to add some round bar to the rack - stuee would seem to have thought this one through. Agree great workmanship. No doubt it will be red tractor paint too which looks great.



yes how did you guess it was going to be tractor red  but im going to be doing some bits in black this time rather than all in red lol 

stuee


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## stuee147 (24 May 2014)

well i got the seat back has been cut down now i took off about 5" and it looks a lot better and its still comfey and i spent a few hours yesterday cutting and welding the front end to shorten the wheel track by 3" and its worked lovely i can now fit threw the side gate which is always handy lol 
i took my time and spent a lot of time making sure i had all the angles right and everything in line once i had it all welded up i started to refit the handlebars and the brakes then i fitted the right hand side of the track rod then i went to the left hand side and wondered why it wouldn't fit then i realised i needed to cut the track rod down by 3" to match the wheel track. so out came the welder and grinder again. and that was sorted in about 5 mins lol 
iv also welded end caps on the box section. 
iv also started on the seat cover as the trampoline mat has arrived so im in the proses of fitting eyelets along either side.

i went for a test ride yesterday and the steering is a lot nicer no wobble no shakes all the gears work and shift quite nicely the suspension works great its a lot smother ride than MK1 and it seems a lot faster i clocked 27mph as i passed a bus at the stop up the road lol 

ill hopefully finish the seat cover today and ill try and get some pics. 

stuee


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## stuee147 (24 May 2014)

well today has been quite a productive day with only one mishap (i must be getting better lol ) 
here is some pics




i started off with the back end i needed to cap the box section off so




i made up a plate that once welded onto the back of the rack will close the box section off and give me fixing holes for my rear light, 2 birds with one stone sort of thing i must be getting clever in my old age lol 




all fitted and roughly ground down 

then what i think is an ingenious seat adjustment system 












i used the seat stem and the quick realise thinggy it took me a while to find the right angels so the seat stem would slide smoothly










i also got the seat covers sorted and they work great





i then finished off the rear rack and primed it 











its looking good 



stuee


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## stuee147 (24 May 2014)

i then had a mishap i went out for a test run and coming down the hill i decided to test my brakes with an emergency stop (i had already checked there was no other vehicles or anything ) 
all was going great i checked the speedometer and it was reading 26 mph so quick double check in my mirrors and ahead and all was clear. i slammed on the brakes hard. as if i was doing an emergency stop and POP the hard plastic brackets i had made for the duel brake leaver broke. luckily the rear break worked fine so i was able to stop ok lol





so i had a think and a look in my bits box for something stronger and i came up with some 6mm plate steel 













something tells me that the brackets are not going to brake this time no matter how hard i break lol 

iv also had a play about with the handle bars trying a few different angles and shapes and have found ones that seem to work and are comfortable but only time will tell how they will be on a longer ride 

i also had a play about with some scrap tubing and have come up with a nifty way to cap off the top of the tubing on the bottom bracket and at the same time gives me a handy mount for speedometer and headlight 







and iv tested it and there is no way i can catch my foot or leg as im riding

and after moving the safety flag i tried out my panniers on the rack and have a bit of a ride. 












im very happy with the way its going so far everything is working out well.
im just playing about with cable runs and setting bits up how i like it. and of course taking every opportunity to go for a run up the road i can. honestly i need to go on a test ride to make sure the battery's in the lights are working lol 
but soon and im hoping to do it sometime next week ill be dismantling it all doing some sanding and grinding of the welds and if need some touching up of the welds then prime and paint 

stuee


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## stuee147 (2 Jun 2014)

iv not got much done on the trike iv had a few days where i wasn't able to get myself out and do anything typically it was some of the hottest and nicest days weather wise and when i was ok to get out and do things it was poring down with rain 

but i got myself out the past couple of days and iv spent most of the time fettlelin and adjusting things for a more comfy ride.

iv given all the welds a bit of a grind down and clean up, then iv given all the frame a quick coating of red oxide primer, and before i welded up the ends of the frames i gave it a good spray of red oxide inside the tubes, 











sorry the pics arnt as good as normal, iv got a new phone which is great but the camera is not as good a quality as the old phone but then i got it for a phone not for the camera.
the trike has been working great i did a few test runs yesterday and it was running well my fastest speed according to my gps was 29.6 mph it was on a steep down hill. i didnt go far on my rides it was more just testing i started off with some small hills and a few twisty little roads to test the steering and all was fine so i went for the bigger hills i got up the largest and steepest hill i know of around me. its not a long hill only about 400yrds but its steep most folk that walk up the hill stop half way or if there fit they stop for breath at the top. when i came down the hill after i had cycled to the top i didnt pedal yet still clocked 29.6 mph just rolling down the hill. 
and everything is working fine i got up the hills and round all the corners and i could even stop which is always good lol.
the only things i need to adjust is the seat base i gave it some slack thinking it would be a bit more comfy but i think its to much slack as i can feel the side bars now, but i shouldn't take long just to tighten the straps. 
the only other thing i had a slight problem was the chain. i found 2 minor problems with the chain. 
firstly you can see in the pics i left the axle in the bottom bracket just infront of the rear wheel. the reasons i left the axle in was i found the top chain line when the chain is slack was hitting on the rear fork arms, when i pedal the top of the chain is tight and the line of the chain is fine missing everything with plenty of clearance. i also found that when i went fast and pedalled the chain would sometimes jump a bit and a couple of times i found it had somehow got caught under the bottom bracket axle. 
i did consider removing the axle from the bottom bracket but that would mean the chain would rub quite badly on the rear forks, so iv been thinking of a guide wheel instead of just an axle. im not sure how im going to do it yet, i have a few ideas, like using a spare skate wheel i have and i was thinking of removing the 8mm bearings and drilling out the centre so it would fit onto the square axle, the other idea which i think will look better is if i get an old triple crank set and cut the pedals off and the middle and larger gear just leaving the smallest and have the upper (power side ) of the chain run over that as a guide i think the toothed gear would hold the chain better and prevent it slapping the frame.
the only other problem i have is sometimes when im really powering into the pedals i get a slight slip or jump on the chain, im not sure why yet but i do have an idea, i noticed that when turning a sharp left the cable from the gear leaver to the rear wheel would pull slightly not enough to affect the steering in fact i didnt even notice it pulling i just noticed that the gear leaver twisted round the handlebars now and then and it was only by watching it as i was steering that i noticed it pulling. so im thinking that the tension of the cable when i turn must be why now and then the chain slips slightly. so when i can im going to change the outer cable. i have plenty of outer casing and i brought all new cables which i have used but iv not cut down yet so its not that hard to lengthen it. iv learnt from experience that you never cut the cables down until you have a finished bike. while im still adjusting cable runs and bits i want to be able to change things so if i had cut the extra 2ft off the cable id be stuck now lol.

stuee


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## stuee147 (5 Jun 2014)

well iv started the paint iv done the black bits lol and its come out really nice 













as you can see it was a bit wet here yesterday so i only rebuilt the left side, 

also i have a confession the last pics i put up i was a little disappointed with the quality of the pics and just thought it was the camera on my new phone, but when i was doing these pics yesterday i went to wipe the camera and noticed it had one of them silly thin bits of protective film over it like most screens come with now so i pulled it off and wow what a difference its only taken me about 4 days to notice it i wonder what else iv missed  lol 

stuee


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## fixedfixer (5 Jun 2014)

Ha ha. Yep photos looking better. I like the red / black scheme (which tractors are black then ?).
Good work as always. You're getting on well with this one.


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## Dogtrousers (5 Jun 2014)

stuee147 said:


> i then had a mishap i went out for a test run and coming down the hill i decided to test my brakes ... i slammed on the brakes hard. as if i was doing an emergency stop and POP the hard plastic brackets i had made for the duel brake leaver broke.


 
That's not a mishap! That's a successful test!  Problem located and can be resolved.

Lovin' the thread. Keep 'em coming.


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## stuee147 (5 Jun 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> Ha ha. Yep photos looking better. I like the red / black scheme (which tractors are black then ?).
> Good work as always. You're getting on well with this one.


the red thats on it at the moment is just a primer but i have the red i used for MK1 the black well thats not tractor paint its iron gate paint i have the theory that a gate will get lots of bangs and bashes so the paint must be tough and it seems like a tough finish its not chipped or anything as iv been tightening bolts up and putting back together. and its a nice finish on it to. i like the black and red it makes it stand out a bit more.



Dogtrousers said:


> That's not a mishap! That's a successful test!  Problem located and can be resolved.
> 
> Lovin' the thread. Keep 'em coming.



lol yea i was just using the film as a filter for a different affect lol 

well iv been doing bit and bobs today but not finished yet iv got the front wheels all back together and the handlebars back on so im back to a ridable trike i also got a delivery today of my new panniers im halfway through fitting them now and ill try and get some pics up later if i remember to get some before its dark lol 

stuee


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## stuee147 (5 Jun 2014)

here is a couple of pics of my new panniers iv sorted the fixings they just need trimming down now which ill do when i strip them off to paint the frame.











iv held them up to MK1 which already has the red paint work and they match the red really well.

stuee


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## stuee147 (10 Jun 2014)

well what with the bad weather and a few bad migraines iv not had much chance to do alot on the trike. iv been out on a couple more test runs and have made a few adjustments iv fixed the panniers properly now so there is no rattle or banging as i ride. iv played about with the handlebars and brake/gear leavers getting them set just right. oh yea and i managed to roll the trike  on one of my test runs i was trying out the steering and i took a corner a little to fast and i went up on 2 wheels and ended up on my side, apart from a broken mirror which i have replaced already there was only a couple of small scratches on one of the panniers and one of the front brake callipers so i was lucky. but on the bright side i now know that its quite hard to flip it but when it starts to go there is no stopping it. to be fair in normal use there is no way i would be taking a sharp turn like that at that sort of speed, unless i was being chased by a mad dog or something lol but i believe testing things i make very hard that way if it survives like it did even though it did flip over i know its solid enough to handle it. 
any way here is a few pics iv taken today ..

















i want to fit a couple of bars on the top of the luggage rack so i can strap a bag to the top if need be, and then the main frame will be ready for paint its all been rubbed down now and the welds ground down and then the whole thing has been primed ready for the paint.

iv also fitted a spare rear derailer i had laying around just behind the seat to help guide the power side of the chain. i was finding that sometimes (normally on a fast down hill) as i peddled trying to keep up with the speed the top of the chain run would flap slightly and a couple of times it jumped off the guide in front of the seat and end up on the same guide as the bottom section of chain. but since i put the old drerailer in its not happened also its stopped the chain from hitting the rear frame
.
stuee


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## fixedfixer (10 Jun 2014)

Great looking trike. You should be well pleased with that one. Well done. Just try to keep it on three wheels you crazy man!


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## stuee147 (12 Jun 2014)

thanks @fixedfixer i al more than pleased with the way MK2 is coming along, and i always thought that the 3rd wheel was just for show i didnt know it was meant to be on the ground lol 
iv been taking corners a lot slower lately lol at least i know where the tip over point is lol

today iv been out doing a few little bits of fettling iv finished the luggage rack and its all sanded and primed ready for paint. 










as you can see from the pics iv added a few bits of 8mm solid bar to stop things falling threw onto the wheel and as something to strap onto. i also added a a hoped peace of 10mm solid bar to help protect the seat adjustment and then i added a slightly smaller hoped section on the rear to help prevent anything strapped to the rack from sliding off backwards and also helps prevent anything covering the rear light, it also works really well as a handle to lift the rear of the trike 

then i had a play about with some mudguards 







i had to make a fixing bracket for each front wheel, i also had to trim the mudguards so the bracket would sit tight in 





















the brackets bolt on with the front brakes i still have to trim off the excess on the brackets but that wont take much, the main thing is im not going to get spray from the wheels as i turn. it should also help me to not put my fingers on the wheel, which ive been doing a lot as i go for the brake leavers, a couple of times iv stuck a finger in the spokes luckily never to far i normally notice it lol having said that i spent 5 min the other day trying to work out what was catching and rubbing the tier only to find it was my fingers running along the top of the wheel as i went along. iv now raised the handlebars as high as i can without completely changing the handlebars and it seems a lot better at least im not touching the wheel as much and now with the mudguards i shouldn't anyway lol.

im going to paint the mudguard brackets black to match the brake arms ect. then the main frame is going to be red, but im still undecided on the luggage rack. i was thinking of red the same as the main frame, but i was sitting having a smoke and looking at the trike and im considering doing the rack in black to match the black rear wheel frame that's right bellow it so it will sort of tie the frames together if you know what i mean. then the red pannier boxes on either side will help tie the different sections together. but im still not to sure it it would look odd and im not sure where to stop/start the red and black any opinions would be helpful. ill probably not decide until im sitting there with a tin of paint and a brush lol

stuee


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## fixedfixer (13 Jun 2014)

Re the colours. I think the luggage rack will look best in red when boxes are on and black when they are off. Either way ok. Wonder if you'll still get a little spray from front wheels - maybe a mudflap? 
Nice job though. Well thought out.


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## stuee147 (13 Jun 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> Re the colours. I think the luggage rack will look best in red when boxes are on and black when they are off. Either way ok. Wonder if you'll still get a little spray from front wheels - maybe a mudflap?
> Nice job though. Well thought out.



yea i agree i can see the both colours looking good i have been considering doing a base colour of red and then maybe do some design/ pattern in black to help brake up the lines of the box section. (if i get some yellow then i could do flames going up the frame lol)

iv been out for a quick ride in the wet and i didnt get any spray from the front having said that it was raining quite hard so it was a bit hard to tell. if you look closely you can just see i have run the mudguards right down to the brake arms which are bellow the level of the seat so im hoping not to need mudflaps. but i have thought about it and i can easily attach some on if needed. and i was thinking if i do need them i could use either and old innertube or even an old bike tier just a small pice cut out would make a good mud flap. 

stuee


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## fixedfixer (13 Jun 2014)

A bit cut from an old black plastic plant pot is good. Choose the thin flexible pots - they are even pre contoured!


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## stuee147 (13 Jun 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> A bit cut from an old black plastic plant pot is good. Choose the thin flexible pots - they are even pre contoured!



thats a good idea. have a gold star 

i used heavy rubber door mats on my landrover they worked great for years but i think it might be a bit of overkill on the trike lol


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## fixedfixer (13 Jun 2014)

stuee147 said:


> thats a good idea. have a gold star



Thanks. They have worked fine for me. Also those plastic cutting boards which come in various colours ( including red) can do the job.


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## stuee147 (13 Jun 2014)

i love them cheap plastic chopping boards, iv used them for all sorts of things over the years i used one for the seat adjustment on MK1, they also make very good spacers and low friction washers. 
i also find them hot glue sticks are great for moulding into things and there is lots of different strengths of the glue. i once made up a couple of bushes for an old series landy rear door buy melting the glue into a match box and then carving out the shape when it was set. as far as im aware that old landy still has my home made bushes on the rear door lol. i had read about it on a forum and me being me i had to give it a try. it worked really well and me and my eldest used a similar method to make modles for a school project he got a merit for that to lol


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## fixedfixer (18 Jun 2014)

Good weather for painting trikes today. Are you designing some wicked flame paint job then?


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## stuee147 (24 Jun 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> Good weather for painting trikes today. Are you designing some wicked flame paint job then?



 still not got round to painting but i do have a few designs in mind 
the weather has been great for painting but i had bits to do and a stinking migraine for a few days. but i have been out for a few short runs to the shops and things when i could. iv also been playing about with little ideas iv got some have worked others haven't but im glad i havent done the paint yet or i would be forever repainting bits iv changed lol

the first thing i have changed is the seat base i was sitting having a smoke looking at the seat, iv always had a plan of mounting a small 6v lithium battery i have under the seat. the battery charges in about 2 hrs with a small solar panel i have that i can clip to the rack at the back. the battery is very small and light and im wanting to have a couple of usb sockets to charge my phone and gps and im also planing on running the trike lights off of it to. i know from experience that the battery fully charged can charge about 4 or 5 smart phones and run a small led light at night for a couple of nights before it needs to be recharged. so its got plenty of power for my needs and its only about the size of a pack of cigarettes and about the same weight so there is no issue there. 
but then i decided to change the seat base to become a storage/tool area too. i boxed in the seat base with some sheet metal and made a lid that i covered in some foam (an old yoga/sleep mat) i had. i used some very strong contact adhesive to fix the foam to the seat base.










iv used an old set of front forks as a frame for the seat base so it gives a nice curve to the top to help water run off and to make it a bit more comfy. i then used the same spray contact adhesive that i used on the foam to fix on a waterproof cover (and old car seat cover) 







i also lined the inside of the panniers with the same foam to prevent things inside rattling around 





i then had a small issue of the chain rubbing on the new under seat tool box 







so i then fitted a second chain guide just behind the seat but that seemed to pull the chain to low at the back and i was getting some chain slip in higher gears 
so i added a triple at the back to raise the chain back to correct height




but when i went for a test run i found that when changing gears quickly like when going from down hill to a steep up hill the chain would jump off the triple, so after a think i took an easy option of fitting a derailer as a guide to keep the chain on the triple 




and now this setup seems to be working great iv been on a couple of rides with it and touch wood iv not had any problems with it. i will be fitting a guard to the triple i just took it off while i played about getting it right.

iv still got a couple of bits i want to play with before i decide its finished enough for paint lol

stuee


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## stuee147 (24 Jun 2014)

one thing im considering is fitting a couple of supports to the rear rack. i know i can sit on it with no cracking or bending of any type and there is no way i would be putting 17st on the back. but over time say on a long ride with the panniers loaded im a bit worried that the bumps from the roads may cause some twisting or bending in the rear rack, 




this is the area i was thinking of putting a support or two 

im also considering a e bike conversion too iv seen some kits that are quite well priced i have a few things i need to consider first and some ideas to think threw so i will have a bit more of a think first.

stuee


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## classic33 (25 Jun 2014)

Electric wheelchair motor considered?


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## fixedfixer (25 Jun 2014)

Good thinking on finishing the tweaks prior to painting. Some very good ideas here especially the underseat storage. As for electric assist you might like to check out Atomic Zombie forum. Someone who goes by the forum name Twinkle (based in UK) has been doing a lot of experiments with electric assist on their home built trike. Maybe able to help with specs etc


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## fixedfixer (25 Jun 2014)

This thread
http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php/8615-Lean-mean-and-definately-GREEN


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## Dogtrousers (25 Jun 2014)

@kimble has posted elsewhere about an electric assist trike build


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## stuee147 (25 Jun 2014)

classic33 said:


> Electric wheelchair motor considered?



yes i did think of going that way but i think it would be awkward trying to fit it around the rear suspension without it catching or affecting the suspension. im considering using wheel chair motors on MK1 there is plenty of room for motors ect behind the seat and no suspension to worry about. 
also i do quite like the clean lines of the hub motors on the kits they look clean and solid looking 



fixedfixer said:


> This thread
> http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php/8615-Lean-mean-and-definately-GREEN



just been reading some of there posts thats just the sort of thing im thinking of even her frame is similar design to my trike so hopefully i can save myself some trial and error  always better to let others try it first just in case it goes pear shaped 

and i learnt with MK1 that painting to early only leads to more work thats why with MK2 im playing it safe i have a couple of cans of red oxide primer so each time i do something i can give it a quick spray of primer so i dont end up with rust spots before final paint, if you look closely at MK1 you can see where i have had to sand and repaint sections luckily the paint i have is quite good at blending in touched up sections but its still not ideal to have the hassle. 

as long as i get the main paint done before the bad winter weather sets in ill be happy although i think i may have missed the summer lol 

stuee


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## classic33 (25 Jun 2014)

The Atomic Zombie book* shows how to build an electric assisted trike. I'm assuming their site will have similar details.

*Its where the wheelchair motor idea was got.


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## stuee147 (25 Jun 2014)

there is a few electric bikes on there iv looked at one has a great range per charge but then it dose use 3 or 4 full size leisure batteries they must make it heavier than a motor bike lol. 
there is some good ideas on another site i go on http://www.instructables.com/index its a good site some stuff is just pure rubish but there are some things on there that are really quite ingeanius. iv got a lot of my ideas from things iv seen on there most of them iv had to fettle with to get to work for me, but the basic ideas on there are good. iv been looking at lithium batteries there is several instructions for making your own battery pack for an e-bike which is quite interesting. 

iv seen one home made bike that used a motor from a milk float and some huge batteries i can only imagine that it weighed almost the same as a small car lol 
stuee


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## classic33 (25 Jun 2014)

You have your panniers for the battery storage!


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## stuee147 (25 Jun 2014)

classic33 said:


> You have your panniers for the battery storage!



yea iv been thinking that myself i measured the panniers and 2 small 12v batteries would fit snugly in the bottom of each side pannier, the draw back is that it would take almost half of the space by the time iv fitted a cover on the batteries. i have around 11" ground clearance along the main frame and iv been thinking if i get a lithium battery it would fit nicely underslung on the frame if i use lead acid batteries i would need 4 so i was thinking of either fitting a rack either side of the main frame just behind the seat and having 2 batteries on either side. or possibly (depending on hight of batteries ) under sling the 4 batteries in a line under the main boom or even 2 under each of the front wheel booms. 
if i fit any batteries under the frame i was thinking of useing some 8mm round bar i have to make a cage which i would then cover the bottom of the frame with some 0.6mm sheet steel to protect the batteries from stones sticks and anything else that might get thrown up from the road. 

stuee


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## Archie_tect (25 Jun 2014)

This thread is fantastic Stuee... once you have it finished it the way you want it I'm sure you will get loads of enquiries to build them for other people... if you want you could be onto a real winner!


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## stuee147 (25 Jun 2014)

Archie_tect said:


> This thread is fantastic Stuee... once you have it finished it the way you want it I'm sure you will get loads of enquiries to build them for other people... if you want you could be onto a real winner!


 thanks archie_tect im glad you enjoy reading my posts as much as i enjoy posting them 

and when its finished ????  i didnt know i had to finish it lol i dont think i will ever completely finish it there will always be something i want to change, try or add lol 

iv had a couple of people say about making trike for people and i do enjoy making things but to be honest i like doing it for fun if i do it for money i think it loses a lot of its enjoyment especially if your trying to work to dead lines ect. iv told a couple of people i know if they want one im more than happy to help them build it if they buy the bits im more than happy to help them put it all together even using my tools. so far the people who have asked have been to lazy to help lol 

stuee


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## Archie_tect (25 Jun 2014)

In that case what you could do is take the completed trike to a local engineering company and suggest they go into a partnership with you so that you get to provide the tinkering fun/ development part and and they build them up to order.... then you get the best of both worlds!


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## stuee147 (25 Jun 2014)

Archie_tect said:


> In that case what you could do is take the completed trike to a local engineering company and suggest they go into a partnership with you so that you get to provide the tinkering fun/ development part and and they build them up to order.... then you get the best of both worlds!


yea i love the design stage where i can let my imagination run wild unfortunately reality has to come into it so most things stay in my mind lol. iv had little jobs in the past making things for people it was petrol gokarts in the late 90s and the thing iv always missed when making things for other people is when i get an idea half way threw i like to just run with it and see but when building for someone else you lose a lot of that freedom. 
i have been thinking about how quick i could build one and i think if i had all the bits and the weather was with me (remember i dont have a workshop or garage everything is done on the patio in the garden) i could quite easily using MK2 as a guide have a basic trike with rear suspension all up and running just needing paint in 2 days (8hrs a day) then add another couple of days for paint and waiting for it to dry then the rebuild i think i could turn a basic rear suspension trike out in a week on my own but then when do we ever have a week of good weather lol

stuee


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## numbnuts (25 Jun 2014)

Barry Smith from KMX Carts built one for his son and now he exports all over the world


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## stuee147 (25 Jun 2014)

i must admit i have done a bit of research and playing with numbers and wat not, and i can see there is a lot of potential for profit around here and not just this area the whole of the uk. i know there are some very good shops in the uk that do recumbents around but they are quite few and far between. and its mainly new imported trikes they seem to sell big names but at big prices. and i honestly think that is why recumbents haven't taken off as much in the uk as they seem to in other places us and sweden seem to be very big lovers of recumbents, i think that if there was more of a budget version (when i say budget i mean more around the price of a half decent upright ) that you would see a lot more recumbents in the uk, iv worked it out roughly and just with looking around at parts suppliers i could turn out a basic tadpole trike 26" rear wheel with disk brakes and 20" front wheels with calliper brakes. with 21 or 18 speed and rear suspension. mesh seat with adjustable back all for around £200 for all new parts then add say £100 for consumables (cutting disks, welding rods paint ect ) then its just labour and profit to add. this would bring the selling price to around £400 to £500 for a basic model compared to the £1200 to £2000 for the models on the market at the moment. 
the biggest issue would be the legal/ moral side of it. would you give a guarantee to your workmanship, what if something fails and causes someone injury or worse would the builder be liable. yes i could add a sold as seen clause that might cover me if a part or weld was to fail but it would still be a worry that someone could be doing 30+mph down a hill (iv done several times with ease ) and something that i have done fails i may be protected legally but i would still feel like s@!t knowing it was in a way my fault if you know what i mean.
having said that i have been considering selling MK1 on ebay or gumtree and maybe even make the odd one or two just to sell for the money. but who knows MK1 might be gutted to make MK3 yet lol 

stuee


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## classic33 (26 Jun 2014)

MKIII could be the the electric assist version of either of the previous two versions.
Still waiting to see the trailer though!


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## Scoosh (26 Jun 2014)

classic33 said:


> MKIII could be the the electric assist version of either of the previous two versions.
> Still waiting to see the trailer though!


I'm still waiting to see either trike with rider !  ... coming along a road near to me ...


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## stuee147 (26 Jun 2014)

classic33 said:


> MKIII could be the the electric assist version of either of the previous two versions.
> Still waiting to see the trailer though!


oh yea the trailer i have all the parts and metal iv just not got round to putting it all together every time i go to do it i get a new idea for the trike and end up playing with that lol. but i must get round to doing the trailer if i do it right i could paint it at the same time as the trike, now theres a plan 



Scoosh said:


> I'm still waiting to see either trike with rider !  ... coming along a road near to me ...



we will have to sort a time out im getting fitter slowly so a bit more confident on going for a ride im averaging 7.4mph on my short rides now (between 2 and 5 mile rides) i was only averaging around 4 mph before. iv been doing the biggest hills i have near me to which i always used to struggle on a upright bike but now im not worried about balance at slow speeds up hill it feels a lot easier. 
im planing on trying a longer run soon of around 10 to 15 miles once or twice a week, if i can do that then i will be looking for some ride/meets 

stuee


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## fixedfixer (27 Jun 2014)

You'll be making one of these then?

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKAMus3oSdw&sns=em


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## stuee147 (27 Jun 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> You'll be making one of these then?
> 
> View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKAMus3oSdw&sns=em



iv seen that video before somewhere i would make one of them but i think its a little under powered the back wheel didn't go bang lol


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## fixedfixer (27 Jun 2014)

To be honest I'd have been more impressed if he'd done that under pedal power alone....


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## stuee147 (27 Jun 2014)

that would have been impressive lol i can get a little spin on the back wheel on wet grass and in lowest gear ill have to practice a bit more i think


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## stuee147 (9 Jul 2014)

well here is the latest update for MK2 iv not got much done lately due to ill health and bad weather, iv still not got to paint yet but im getting there. 
iv just finished fitting the first stage of the electrical system, under the seat iv fitted a small 6 volt 4ah motorcycle battery. that is wired to a key switch mounted on the side of the seat box so no little scroots can turn my lights on and run the battery down, it then runs to a fuse box also under the seat, then mounted on the side of the seat box near the key switch is 2 toggle switches one is simple on/off for the front and rear lights, the other switch is on/off/on and is wired via flasher units to 2 indicators on the rear of the trike  yes i have indicators and thats not all i also have a brake light that wired via a micro switch on the brake cable  the lights i have used are 6 volt motorcycle lights so nice and bright and iv worked it out roughly i should get about 20hrs of continues use of all the lights on one charge oh and iv fitted a usb socket as well so i can charge my phone lol. 
but then there is phase 2 of the electrics. i have a dynamo that will charge the battery or at the flick of a switch the dynamo will run all the lights. but thats not all i also have a 3000mah lithium battery that will be a back up and also it has a solar panel to keep it topped up and will also keep the main battery topped up. so when iv done phase 2 i shouldn't have to worry about batteries anymore.

the other thing iv been doing is i had to order some new guide rollers for the chain as the ones i had (for MTBs) were to soft and wore away and split so iv upgraded and i found some nylon ones that are for 200cc gokarts and motorbikes so far they are working well the only issue i have is you can feel the links of the chain going over them its not bad but i would imagine it would get a bit annoying on a long ride i did also get some rubber guides again for motorcycles but i found the rubber to soft and i the chain was cutting into the rubber the up side was they were silent as the chain went over them so im now using one on the return side of the chain and im useing the hard nylon ones for the drive side.

there is one issue that has come up every now and then the free wheel on the rear wheel is not free !! sometimes if i pedal backwards the chain wont run round the wheel and the bottom of the chain pulls tight and more worrying is a couple of times now when iv been going at a good speed on the flats or down hill the free wheel locks up and the pedals try to turn to match the speed of the rear wheel unfortunately my legs dont work that quick and it feels like the rear wheel locks up for a second and then a big clunk and it starts working again. iv not got a clue what it might be im guessing the bearings may have gone in the free wheel but im not sure so any advice will be welcome should i just swap the free wheel for a new one or is there a way to fix it ? 
and if i change it for a new one will i need a new gear leaver (the one i have is indexing 7speed ) ? 

ill try and get some pics and get them up soon

stuee


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## young Ed (9 Jul 2014)

sounds like fun in the electrical department HEHE :tumbsup:
oh and i wouldn't worry about the noise of the chain over the rollers being a pain on longer rides as it will never have any longer rides, you will forever be fettling! 
i assume the air con fan and radio and aux mp3 socket are all in the post then? did it pass the MOT and have you got the registration plate sorted?! HAHA

on a more serious note though, all sounds pretty cool and the most technically advanced bike i have heard on yet. surprised you haven't invented the 'stuee electronic shifting system'
as for your free wheel, i assume you know the difference between free wheel and free hub? and as you said free wheel i assume that is what you have as they are not to be mistaken. if it is free wheel then just get special tool for your free wheel and unscrew and purchase and fit a new 7 speed free wheel, that way you get to keep the derrailer, cabling and shifter, this is assuming you are happy with 7 speed and don't want to change?
Cheers Ed


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## young Ed (9 Jul 2014)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_t...et&_nkw=7+speed+free+wheel&_sacat=0&_from=R40
Cheers Ed


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## stuee147 (9 Jul 2014)

young Ed said:


> sounds like fun in the electrical department HEHE :tumbsup:
> oh and i wouldn't worry about the noise of the chain over the rollers being a pain on longer rides as it will never have any longer rides, you will forever be fettling!
> i assume the air con fan and radio and aux mp3 socket are all in the post then? did it pass the MOT and have you got the registration plate sorted?! HAHA
> 
> ...



iv got a dvd player with touch screen to fit next lol
and iv no idea what a free hub is compared to a free wheel ?
the link you gave shows what i have infact it looks like the same one




that looks just like mine so im guessing i got it right lol
i am happy with the 7 speed but i have a feeling (iv not looked yet) i dont have a 7 speed one i know i have a 9 speed one and i think a 6 but im not sure if iv got another 7 and to be honest it seems silly buying one when i have 3 or 4 good ones laying in my shed but would i need to change the rear derailleur to ???
the idea for the electrics was that i hate when out on a ride you run out of battery in your lights, so i decided a bigger battery was needed with a way to charge on the go hence the dynamo to charge the battery, but then iv always been planing MK2 as more of a tourer so i might be in one place for a day or 2 so the solar cell works great for both when im riding and when iv stopped, also the lithium battery can keep my mobile charged and i can run some 6v led lights so when camping (or for running repairs at night) i have some nice bright lights. i have been toying with the idea of fitting an mp3 player under the seat but i have music on my phone so there is no point lol. 
the indicators i thought were a good idea as i have the panniers on the back it could make it hard for anyone behind me to tell which way i want to go and especially seeing as i cant signal with my left arm anyway, i thought the easiest and safest way was to fit indicators and they do look quite good lol i really need to get a horn now i want a musical one like the dukes of hazard lol


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## Rickshaw Phil (9 Jul 2014)

For the avoidance of doubt, the late, great Sheldon Brown gives a good explanation of the differences between freewheel & freehub: HERE

Looking back over the photos of the build it seems likely that it is a freewheel but the info in the link should confirm it. Most of them come apart so it may well be fixable but it's time consuming so most people just replace as they aren't expensive. As a quick fix you could try dribbling some oil into it to see if that helps.

The 9 speed you mention will probably be a cassette, so not compatible, as although 9 speed freewheels do exist they are pretty rare.


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## stuee147 (10 Jul 2014)

thanks @Rickshaw Phil good link i now know the difference between free hubs and free wheels  as a kid in the 70s and 80s i used to strip bikes and rebuild them all the time but over the last 20 or so years the most iv done is the odd puncture and seat adjustment so i didnt know anything about the free hubs or cassettes i just assumed it was different names for the same thing. i should of guessed things would of changed in the last 20 years lol 

i can confirm i have a free wheel  so today im going to get out there and see if i can find a spare in the shed. and you never know i might even get some paint done today but dont hold your breath lol 

here is a couple of pics from yesterday 




rear light cluster 




switch and key placement on the side of the seat box 




inside the seat box electrics one side then tools the other (the tools are just thrown in at the min as im still doing bits and bobs lol)




the new guide rollers the white nylon one is for the drive side of the chain and the black rubber one is for the slack side of the chain iv also made a spacer out of an old plastic chopping board




and on the top of the rack i now have fitted my old hydration pack so i now have 3 ltrs of drink while im out riding


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## fixedfixer (10 Jul 2014)

Impressive additions. I did wonder why the thread had gone quiet but now I Know what you've been up to. As ever good work. Looking forward to next photo's.


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## stuee147 (10 Jul 2014)

well i went out side this morning and i found one 9 speed free wheel(or could be hub not wheel i didnt look TBH) one 5 speed free wheel and two 6 speed free wheels all on wheels but none with disk brakes so i had a look and remembered as a kid removing the free wheels using large nuts with the corners slightly flattened to key in to the freewheel and i thought about it but then decided it was way to hot to be fetteling about making tools to do a job so a quick phone call to the local bike shop and a short bus trip and hey presto the free wheels are removed and a new one fitted all for a couple of quid and a lot less hassle, so another short bus ride home (i love having a bus pass lol) and the rear wheel was fitted and the chain running freely, next step was to change the gear leaver i did ask at the shop but they didnt have any right hand friction leavers, so i decided to use one of the 6 speed grip shift leavers, infact it was the one for the free wheel that i was now using. so on it went and the gears seemed to set themselves up it was the quickest and definitely the easiest indexing gears iv ever done and as you will know by now i dont have a very good history with indexing gears there to high tech for me bit of wet string with a twig tied to one end is more my thing lol. andy way went out for a test run and its all working great gears change and with no jumping or binding of the chain. 

the only thing i will say is i miss the old gearing, i knew what gear to use for what hill but now its all different. i found with the old 7 speed free wheel if i stayed in top gear and put the front triple on the middle gear it was great for slight hills around me and it was also a good gear for a gentle ride on the flat doing about 8 to 10 MPH but now i find its way to hard for even the slightest hill the top gear on the free wheel just isnt as high as the old one. but im sure ill get used to it either that or ill buy a new one lol.

apart from that iv not done much today just been for a short ride and enjoyed the sun lol i looked on my ride with gps profile (iv only been using it with MK2 ) and i was surprised to see iv done 22 rides so far with a distance of 37 miles iv climbed 2,311 ft im surprised at how much iv done seeing as most of my rides are under 2 miles it soon mounts up so now im heading for 50 miles and i want to try and get it done before the end of the month so as long as i do 1 mile a day i should make it


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## fixedfixer (11 Jul 2014)

I remember as a kid removing all the cogs and spacers off a freewheel and then reassembling them on another working freewheel. Maybe have a go taking your old 7 speed cogs and moving them onto one of your other working ones that you have in the shed.


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## stuee147 (11 Jul 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> I remember as a kid removing all the cogs and spacers off a freewheel and then reassembling them on another working freewheel. Maybe have a go taking your old 7 speed cogs and moving them onto one of your other working ones that you have in the shed.



i was thinking the same the bloke at the nike shop asked if i wanted the old one and i took it, i thought i could at least take it apart so i can work out how it works and get a better understanding of a free wheel, weather or not i get it back together is another thing but im sure i will get it apart lol


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## stuee147 (16 Jul 2014)

well heres a little up date i was finding the 6 speed freewheel although works well i just couldn't get used to the gearing, and hills i was able to get up with the old 7speed i was really struggling with the 6 speed. so i had a look on ebay for a 7 speed like the one i had but then i saw megarange freewheels and yes you guessed it.
today the postie arrived with a few parcels for me. and so iv been fitting the new parts 
first the new freewheel 





on the left the 6 speed freewheel i took off and on the right the new megarange 14/34 7 speed freewheel 

then i also got some new fancy dust caps for the front wheels




cant beat a bit of bling on the wheels lol and talking of bling wait till you see my new mirrors 




view from seated position




view from infront 




yes they are skeleton hands holding the mirrors i just couldn't resist and when i finally get round to paint the chrome will look great 




and this is how it looks so far lol

iv not had chance to give the new freewheel a test on the hills yet but its working great around the garden so im looking forward to getting out soon and testing it


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## roadrash (16 Jul 2014)

looks fantastic...,brilliant ,well done , i envy your skills.


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## davefb (16 Jul 2014)

*wow*


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## Scoosh (16 Jul 2014)

It's going to be so heavy, you'll have to have that electric assist !


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## classic33 (17 Jul 2014)

Scoosh said:


> It's going to be so heavy, you'll have to have that electric assist !


Wonder what it actually weighs?


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## starhawk (17 Jul 2014)

Isn't those mirror to close? I initially placed my Mirrycle mirror on the steering lever but could only see a small part of the road behind me, mostly I saw my own arm. I had to buy an extra arm to the mirror to get it out so I could see the road only and not my arm. Now I have fitted Bar ends to the steering levers and placed the mirrors on the ends which works excellent. Would love to have your skeleton arms though


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## stuee147 (17 Jul 2014)

QUOTE="classic33, post: 3183762, member: 299"]Wonder what it actually weighs?[/QUOTE]
Im not sure of the weight I'll have
To try and get some scales to weigh it but iI dontdon't think its to bad I can lift the front and back one handed quite easy.


starhawk said:


> Isn't those mirror to close? I initially placed my Mirrycle mirror on the steering lever but could only see a small part of the road behind me, mostly I saw my own arm. I had to buy an extra arm to the mirror to get it out so I could see the road only and not my arm. Now I have fitted Bar ends to the steering levers and placed the mirrors on the ends which works excellent. Would love to have your skeleton arms though


There quite good believe it or not bad there I had the same problem with the mirrors on the handlebars where most of the mirror was just looking at my arm. But where they are now right out in front like that I get a great view behind me and best of all I can still see directly behind me as I'm turning rather than looking off to the sides. Also with the mirrors out front like that it makes it easier to look at them as there sort of in my view if you know what I mean. Its a bit like the old cars with the wing mirrors out front on the wings rather than on the doors.


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## fixedfixer (17 Jul 2014)

I really like the mirrors. Very rock n roll Stuee .


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## stuee147 (17 Jul 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> I really like the mirrors. Very rock n roll Stuee .


iv had 3 different types of cycle mirror ranging from cheapies off ebay to around £15 a pair and to be honest i found all of them suffered from a bit of vibration and movement as i rode so i decided to go for motorbike mirrors and so far they are nice and solid and clear even over rough ground and they were only £7.99 off ebay lol 
i was looking at flame shaped mirrors they look great but they didn't look that practical with the shape of the glass.
iv already ordered a second set of the mirrors but this time in matt black and they are for MK1


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## starhawk (17 Jul 2014)

stuee147 said:


> best of all I can still see directly behind me as I'm turning rather than looking off to the sides.




I imagine that could be a problem with direct-steering levers as your bike, but I have indirect steering levers so there is no twisting of the handles to consider


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## stuee147 (20 Jul 2014)

starhawk said:


> I imagine that could be a problem with direct-steering levers as your bike, but I have indirect steering levers so there is no twisting of the handles to consider


your lucky thats one thing i don't like about direct steering is that anything fixed to the handlebars twists around out of eye line when turning, but i do like the feel of the road you get with the direct steering and that makes up for its down falls for me any way 

well here is another update iv been out and given the new megarange freewheel a bit of a try, iv not had chance to try it on the bigger hills but so far im liking what i have the hills iv tried so far have been so easy a couple i have had the chain on the middle cog at the front it was just to easy in 1st gear lol im now looking at maybe changing the ratio on the front set now but ill see lol.
other news i got some new gear leavers i love the friction leavers i had but i was finding it hard to use the front leaver, so i decided i would invest in a set of rapid fire trigger shifters my only concern was my very pore history of setting up indexing gears, but i thought i would give it a try and just took it slow one step at a time and it seems to have worked quite well the front derailleur was the hardest and im not completely happy with it now, i can change up with no problems but coming down it wont switch from 3rd to 2nd i either have to give it a little nudge with my heel or go straight down to 1st then back up to 2nd, if i adjust the setting screws so it will switch from 3rd to 2nd it then wont shift up from 2nd to 3rd. so iv gone for the best setting i can, i think its due to the indexing gear leaver and the derailleur are both shimano but the front cogs arnt and i think the spacing is wrong for the indexing thats why im looking at maybe a new crank set. anyway it perfectly rideable just fiddly changing down on the front set but i can live with it for now.
iv also added the solar booster system to my electrics and it works great iv not fitted the solar cell anywhere yet iv got it so it straps onto the rack at the back at the moment as iv been looking at semi flexible solar cells im thinking of glueing of fixing them to the top of the panniers but ill see i may get another idea yet lol

oh and iv ordered a set of bathroom scales so i can weigh both mk1 and mk2 so come on place your bets now for the weights of each trike. the winner gets a gold star  lol im not going to put my guesses up as iv got a fare idea of weight as iv picked them up lol but i will say mk1 fells a lot heavier than mk2 even without all the extras thats on mk2 at least it feels it to me i may just be able to find the balance better with mk2 lol


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## stuee147 (22 Jul 2014)

well i never i got the scales today and i think they are faulty lol my guesstimate of MK1 being heavier than MK2 was way out lol, but in my defence when i weighed MK1 it looks like this




as you can see iv taken the panniers off and apart from the small frame pouch which is empty its just the bear bones of the trike and it came in at what i think is quite a reasonable 20kg dead on 

now we get to MK2 i left the panniers on and decided that i couldn't be bothered to take stuff out but theres only a few bits in them maybe 2kg at most. then there is my 3ltr bladder pack on the back rack thats full so there is another 3kg then my tools under the seat probably another 2 to 3 kgs so by my reckoning iv got around 7kg ish of extra weight. the total weight of the trike with all the electronics solar cells 6v battery ect came to 38kg so i would say the basic bike with all the electronics panniers solar cells ect would be about 31kg.

i haven't taken a pic of MK2 in all its glory yet today but i have got a couple of pics of some fettling iv been doing this morning.
iv altered the seat (yes again lol) iv changed the back of the seat for a semi ridged back with a thin layer of foam and a waterproof cover and iv re covered the bottom of the seat to match 




iv also changed the handlebars (yes i know again iv had more handlebar setups than hot dinners lol) i got some nice ally butterfly bars i love the curves and i like the angles it makes for a more comfy position and i think looks quite cool 







iv also moved my skeleton hand mirrors back down onto the handle bars. i loved them out front and i think they looked great out front but i would when the sun was low and behind me i got some glare from them and although iv not tried it i could see me getting blinded at night from the cars behind so moving them to the handlebars takes the glare off my eyes a bit, but you never know where they might end up or maybe if i fitted a small camera to the back with a lcd screen on the handlebars i wouldn't need mirrors any more and a dvd player fitted in the panniers and wired to the screen now theres a plan the A team would be proud of lol. as long as im not riding and forget im watching a film i would think theres allsorts following me lol


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## classic33 (23 Jul 2014)

stuee147 said:


> your lucky thats one thing i don't like about direct steering is that anything fixed to the handlebars twists around out of eye line when turning, but i do like the feel of the road you get with the direct steering and that makes up for its down falls for me any way
> 
> well here is another update iv been out and given the new megarange freewheel a bit of a try, iv not had chance to try it on the bigger hills but so far im liking what i have the hills iv tried so far have been so easy a couple i have had the chain on the middle cog at the front it was just to easy in 1st gear lol im now looking at maybe changing the ratio on the front set now but ill see lol.
> other news i got some new gear leavers i love the friction leavers i had but i was finding it hard to use the front leaver, so i decided i would invest in a set of rapid fire trigger shifters my only concern was my very pore history of setting up indexing gears, but i thought i would give it a try and just took it slow one step at a time and it seems to have worked quite well the front derailleur was the hardest and im not completely happy with it now, i can change up with no problems but coming down it wont switch from 3rd to 2nd i either have to give it a little nudge with my heel or go straight down to 1st then back up to 2nd, if i adjust the setting screws so it will switch from 3rd to 2nd it then wont shift up from 2nd to 3rd. so iv gone for the best setting i can, i think its due to the indexing gear leaver and the derailleur are both shimano but the front cogs arnt and i think the spacing is wrong for the indexing thats why im looking at maybe a new crank set. anyway it perfectly rideable just fiddly changing down on the front set but i can live with it for now.
> ...


MkII: 31.5Kg(All in weight)
MkI: 27Kg


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## fixedfixer (23 Jul 2014)

Most shop bought trikes seem to be 18 / 19 kg so your mk1 is very good. I'd say lighter wheels and components would get you down to similar weight. But compare the cost of your homebuilt to the shop bikes and those extra kg's look very cheap. Mk2 is so individual that its not really appropriate to compare weights. 
Both your bikes are looking very good.


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## stuee147 (23 Jul 2014)

classic33 said:


> MkII: 31.5Kg(All in weight)
> MkI: 27Kg


close but no cigar lol you are about right for MK2 but MK1 was only 20kg ded on 



fixedfixer said:


> Most shop bought trikes seem to be 18 / 19 kg so your mk1 is very good. I'd say lighter wheels and components would get you down to similar weight. But compare the cost of your homebuilt to the shop bikes and those extra kg's look very cheap. Mk2 is so individual that its not really appropriate to compare weights.
> Both your bikes are looking very good.


 i think with MK1 if i had the front wheels i wanted (with the 14mm axles) i wouldnt of needed the extra steal frame around the wheel that would of saved a couple of LBs and if i had of done a single back support like the ones iv seen on atomic zombie i could of been down nearer the 18 to 19kg mark. and your right about MK2 it is so original with the extras iv fitted i dont think i could ever find anything to compare it with lol 
but your right a shop brought trike all seem to be around £1500 to £2000 mark where as after a few working out MK1 as it stands today cost around £200 and MK2 as it stands cost around £350 obviously thats just the cost of parts and materials and iv not included the bits iv brought then found something better and changed it if i add all that together i would of been better off buying a bike shop with ready made ones inside lol but then where would the fun be in that lol 

iv been out and got some handle bar tape today it works well with the new seat covering 










and i took a pic of how MK2 is looking now in all its glory (and still needing paint )


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## stuee147 (2 Aug 2014)

thought i would do a quick update. iv not done much new stuff iv been playing with updating parts iv got a new set of gear shifters, a new sealed bottom bracket and new front triple, also a new freewheel (yes i know i only got a new megarange one a couple of weeks ago but i got a cheap one then to try and i loved it so iv upgraded to a better quality one) i also have new front and rear derailleur which should be here monday, 
iv also been playing about with paint again, no iv not painted MK2 yet but soon i now have all the paint i need and some tough clear lacquer to give a better finish. iv also got some new paint for MK1 as im changing the colour to purple (my girlfriends choice as she rides MK1 ) iv also got some new material for MK1s seat and its a dark purple to go with the purple of the frame (when i paint it lol) 
heres a pic of a bit of metal i was trying the paints out on 




MK1 will be the purple and black and MK2 will be red and black 
and no my painting isnt all lumpy it was raining when i took the pics lol

stuee


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## BlackPanther (3 Aug 2014)

stuee147 said:


> iv altered the seat (yes again lol) iv changed the back of the seat for a semi ridged back with a thin layer of foam and a waterproof cover and iv re covered the bottom of the seat to match



That's not a seat, that's an armchair!


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## stuee147 (3 Aug 2014)

BlackPanther said:


> That's not a seat, that's an armchair!


i am thinking of fitting fold down arm rests to it  iv got to have my comfort lol


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## stuee147 (7 Aug 2014)

latest update iv got all my new chainset fitted and for the most part its all working well. i am having issues with the front triple and derailleur i can shift quite nicely up the gears but coming down seems a bit slow especially from 3rd to 2nd, it takes a good couple of rotations of the pedals before it finally shifts down, as soon as i push the button to go down it makes the noise but just don't seem to want to go down iv tried playing with the H/L screws but if i get it shifting down nice and quick i then cant get into 3rd. its not to much of an issue just a bit annoying.
anyway some pics of MK2 







and here is how iv attached the solar panel (until i get my new panels that will fix to the pannier lids )




iv also upgraded the gears on MK1 and got some new mirrors for MK1 




i loved the chrome mirrors i got for MK2 so just had to get the matt black version for MK1 lol


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## stuee147 (12 Aug 2014)

well iv been getting annoyed with myself for not getting the paint done on MK2 its all primed so suffice rust was not an issue it just didn't look right, having said that i did have one bloke that was talking to me say he liked the paint color. i didn't have the heart to tell him it was just primer lol
anyway i was getting annoyed as when i had the time to get the paint done it was raining so i couldn't do it and when the weather was good i either had appointments to goto or even more frustrating i was ill and couldn't do it 
so the other day i thought thats it iv had enough and i put up an old family tent that i dont use anymore and iv stuck both MK1 and MK2 inside rigged up a few solar LED lights and bingo i can now paint so i spent a day stripping MK2 then iv spent the last day and half doing coat after coat of paint and then clear topcoat. so far the base coat is done and iv almost finished the top coats then tomorrow im hoping to start the reassembly and do the detail paint work. heres a couple of pics.
















it also works well when i go outside for a smoke in the rain (we dont smoke in the house ) all i need now is a nice heater and a radio and ill live out there lol


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## classic33 (14 Aug 2014)

Paint fumes'd get you!


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## stuee147 (14 Aug 2014)

classic33 said:


> Paint fumes'd get you!


Not had any problems with fumes the tent hasnt got a ground sheet and I've set it so there is a 6 to 8" gap for airflow along the bottom and I have the windows at either end open and there quite high so it vents like a chimney and I leave the door open all the time. It could make for an interesting paint design if Igot to much fumes lol


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## fixedfixer (15 Aug 2014)

Is that the tractor paint or are you using a different spray paint on the mk2?


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## stuee147 (15 Aug 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> Is that the tractor paint or are you using a different spray paint on the mk2?


Im trying out some spray paint on MK2 its the same red just in a spray. But to be honest I'm not that impressed with the spray its the same red but it just doesn't have the depth of color the normal paint has its sort of flat even after several coats of lacquer I'm thinking of rubbing it all down and doing the red again by hand this time it takes more time and a lot more work but at the end of the day its a lot harder wearing and I think a better finish that the spray. But Thats something for the future. At the moment I'm rebuilding MK2 as I have to get it back to my house as my girlfriend is moving so I won't have the big garden to work in anymore. But Thats not going to stop me doing bits and bobs lol


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## fixedfixer (15 Aug 2014)

I found using a quality brush and enamel gloss worked well. The spray seems to fan out and more than 50% misses the tubes. (ok for large flat areas). That flat effect is often due to lack of pressure which the can delivers the spray paint. Give a sort of cloudy finish rather than full gloss. Just my limited skill / experiece mind.


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## stuee147 (15 Aug 2014)

fixedfixepost: 3231620 said:


> I found using a quality brush and enamel gloss worked well. The spray seems to fan out and more than 50% misses the tubes. (ok for large flat areas). That flat effect is often due to lack of pressure which the can delivers the spray paint. Give a sort of cloudy finish rather than full gloss. Just my limited skill / experiece mind.


Yea that sort of what iv been finding the finish is a gloss finish with the spray but its just not as glossy or as deep a finish as with paint and like you say a quality brush, i also find that the small 4" gloss rollers you can get are great to use. i like to use a brush to apply the paint but then i finish it off with the roller and that makes sure i dont get any brush marks left. 
and your right about wasting a lot with the spray its definitely not designed for use on frames.


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## ufkacbln (17 Aug 2014)

Slightly OT, but I fitted the "Stand up aids" on the wife's Gekko












Makes a massive difference to the ease of mounting and dismounting

.. and if you are brave enough to steer without brakes, it now has direct (Aids) AND indirect steering (handlebars)


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## fixedfixer (17 Aug 2014)

On the right handhandle bar is what looks like a mini bar end with something mounted on it. Do you mind my asking what that is? Opposite side looks like a computer mount. I do like the blue paintwork on that trike.


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## ufkacbln (17 Aug 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> On the right handhandle bar is what looks like a mini bar end with something mounted on it. Do you mind my asking what that is? Opposite side looks like a computer mount. I do like the blue paintwork on that trike.




HP velotechnik use a pair of bar ends as "mirror mounts", but they get in the way, so the mirrors were moved to the top of the handlebars

On the left side is a bell, and on the right is the mount of the Bionx control,

This:


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## stuee147 (17 Aug 2014)

did it come fitted with the binox system or did you fit it yourself ?


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## ufkacbln (17 Aug 2014)

stuee147 said:


> did it come fitted with the binox system or did you fit it yourself ?




Came with it fitted

The problem with recumbents is that there are so many parts that are custom made, longer cables etc that it worked out far cheaper than buying all the bits. Also in this case the battery and fittings were also adapted to enable the fold with the battery in place 



The wife had already stolen my Gekko, so she knew which trike we wanted, a single trike was not possible as she has a shortened boom and I need the full length one.

We had researched the Bionx, and considered that he Bionx's method of control from sensing the pedal forces was ideal, as it means we can tailor the input from the motor from 4 stages of regenerative (like riding with the brakes on) through 25, 50, 100, and 200% power subsidy

We also spoke to the UK importer who seemed fairly clued up so repairs and replacements were possible.


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## fixedfixer (17 Aug 2014)

Thanks. Sounds like the business then.


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## stuee147 (17 Aug 2014)

Cunobelin said:


> Came with it fitted
> 
> The problem with recumbents is that there are so many parts that are custom made, longer cables etc that it worked out far cheaper than buying all the bits. Also in this case the battery and fittings were also adapted to enable the fold with the battery in place
> 
> ...



thats one thing iv been worried about with e-bike kits is the wires will they be long enough to go that extra distance to the pedal assist sensor especially. im not worried about making them longer thats a simple job to extend the wires its more of how a kit designed to fit a standard upright bike can be adapted to fit a recumbent trike frame. 
iv been looking at a system called fun8 they have a motor that fits infront of the bottom bracket and replaces the bottom bracket with its own built onto the motor so it would cut down on long cable runs, but im still undecided as i do like the look of the rear wheels with the hub motors i think it looks better than the motor stuck out front ahhhhh to many options lol


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## ufkacbln (17 Aug 2014)

The Fun9 8 is THE electric motor.

Made by a company called Bafang  they account in various forms for a large majority of motors in the UK

I have one on the Christiania you can see in the background of the photos.

It has happily propelled a heavy cargo trike, with heavy rider and a 70kg mobility scooter plus shopping!

The only problem sometimes is the gearing range as some use screw on freewheels limiting the range when compared to the cassette options.

For info on electric bikes and motors try A to B magazine or Peter Eland's  Electric Bike Magazine


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## fixedfixer (8 Sep 2014)

Hey Stuee, did you get around to the finishing paint job or building an electric power assist?


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## raleighnut (8 Sep 2014)

stuee147 said:


> thats one thing iv been worried about with e-bike kits is the wires will they be long enough to go that extra distance to the pedal assist sensor especially. im not worried about making them longer thats a simple job to extend the wires its more of how a kit designed to fit a standard upright bike can be adapted to fit a recumbent trike frame.
> iv been looking at a system called fun8 they have a motor that fits infront of the bottom bracket and replaces the bottom bracket with its own built onto the motor so it would cut down on long cable runs, but im still undecided as i do like the look of the rear wheels with the hub motors i think it looks better than the motor stuck out front ahhhhh to many options lol


Not all kits use pedal rev sensors, mine doesn't.


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## stuee147 (12 Sep 2014)

fixedfixer said:


> Hey Stuee, did you get around to the finishing paint job or building an electric power assist?



Unfortunately no on both counts iv not had chsnce to do much the base paintwork is done on mk2 iv jusr got some detail I want to do ehen I can. Im deffenatly going with an e bike conversion im just working out what and how I want it I will get some pics of mk2 now psinted and rebuilt as soon as I can 



raleighnut said:


> Not all kits use pedal rev sensors, mine doesn't.



But do you not need the sensors to have pedal assist ? 
All im looking for is a pedal assist im not worried if I dont have a throttle


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## raleighnut (13 Sep 2014)

stuee147 said:


> Unfortunately no on both counts iv not had chsnce to do much the base paintwork is done on mk2 iv jusr got some detail I want to do ehen I can. Im deffenatly going with an e bike conversion im just working out what and how I want it I will get some pics of mk2 now psinted and rebuilt as soon as I can
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Pedal assist can be plugged in, the wiring is in place for it and a handlebar fitted assistance level selector, it also has 2 brake levers with power cut outs but again these can be plugged in or left off (I'm using one on the trike for safety but the other one is standard to the trike with a parking brake lock button)
The kit I have is a front wheel kit but they also do a rear wheel kit that accepts up to a 7 speed gear cluster, Importer/brand is Cyclotricity.


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## stuee147 (13 Sep 2014)

raleighnut said:


> Pedal assist can be plugged in, the wiring is in place for it and a handlebar fitted assistance level selector, it also has 2 brake levers with power cut outs but again these can be plugged in or left off (I'm using one on the trike for safety but the other one is standard to the trike with a parking brake lock button)
> The kit I have is a front wheel kit but they also do a rear wheel kit that accepts up to a 7 speed gear cluster, Importer/brand is Cyclotricity.



The brakes are something that's been worrying me a bit iv seen on the kits iv been looking at have the power cut off brake leavers yet I have the leaver with the handbrake. Button on one side and a duel leaver on the other but like you say for safety I really would like the cut off switch iv been thinking of useing a small micro switch and mountain it onto my leavers to give me the power cutoff


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## classic33 (15 Sep 2014)

This is no good you know!
You've come almost to a standstill, when compared to how long it took to actually build it.
Working out what colour(s) to paint it.


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## irw (30 Sep 2014)

stuee147 said:


> The brakes are something that's been worrying me a bit iv seen on the kits iv been looking at have the power cut off brake leavers yet I have the leaver with the handbrake. Button on one side and a duel leaver on the other but like you say for safety I really would like the cut off switch iv been thinking of useing a small micro switch and mountain it onto my leavers to give me the power cutoff



Have a look at micro reed switches- they may be a little more discreet!


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## raleighnut (30 Sep 2014)

I believe in-line brake cable switches are available, but not sure where from. As the kit may not stay on the trike and the MTB it was originally destined for has one-piece brifters on (Acera 7spd) It depends if I can figure out a coupling mod for the trailer so that will fasten to the trike, if so the kit might as well stop on the trike.


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