# (Wooden) design help/advice needed



## stuckinthemud (25 Apr 2022)

This is going to sound rambling but please bare with me.
I drive to work. There I said it. 10.5 miles across Caerphilly mountain to the near centre of Cardiff. Currently I can park near the school I teach at. There is no staff parking and the council are about to implement a series of cycle lanes that will mean I will probably end up parking a mile or more from work. I will need a last mile transport solution. Even if I switch to the train, I will still be a mile from work but the trains are incredibly unreliable right now.

Anyway, school uses Pedalpower and I get to play on the ICE Trikes and I love them BUT my 5’6” frame means I virtually sit on the front axle, especially as I use the centre of my foot not toes. This means the trike wheel spins on any kind of slope and pulls spectacular stoppies when I brake hard.

I need to add I am a skilled woodworker with a garage full of timber and my budget is a little less than zero

I want to build something to get from car to work. Upright, bike, trike, recumbent, I don’t really mind. Of the bikes I have owned, my favourite was my 1980s Peugeot road/race bike but I haven’t found a mountain bike I enjoyed riding: my all time favourite maker is Sano.

Some kind of folding recumbent appears to be the most straightforward to build but maybe not the easiest to ride? Pretty much my only criteria is it must fit on the back seat of a small hatchback. As you can see I am largely clueless please can you give me advice/ help/ ideas/options
Thanks
Andrew


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## classic33 (25 Apr 2022)

Have a gander at this thread
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/wooden-recumbent-trike.191606/


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## stuckinthemud (25 Apr 2022)

Thank you


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## cyberknight (26 Apr 2022)

Are you building it purely as a cost issue ?
Have you tried the local freecycle pages to see if you can get a bike for nothing ?


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## stuckinthemud (26 Apr 2022)

I am not building entirely down to cost, I have often toyed with the idea of building a wood frame as a way of using up some of the timber I have acquired and as a way of learning some new skills, but, cost is a significant factor and I will definitely check out free-cycle, if nothing else to source donor parts


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## midlife (26 Apr 2022)

Can usually walk a mile in about 15 mins, is walking an alternative?


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## stuckinthemud (26 Apr 2022)

Yes, but where's the fun in that? I spend all day on my feet and then have to walk the dog when I get home!


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## Andy in Germany (27 Apr 2022)

A colleague has built a recumbent from laminated pine; he steamed and bent the strips and glued them together, then filed and sanded them into an oval. It works extremely well, although it doesn't fold, which I think may be the biggest problem: screwing into pine will work but I don't know how well it would hold long term when it's being opened and closed every day, and if you use a hardwood it would be much heavier.

As this is a "Last mile" solution maybe a fairly normal folding bike would be simpler?


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## stuckinthemud (27 Apr 2022)

I will probably end up with a normal folding bike, but as I have seasoned oak, ash, holly, mahogany, hazel, yew, apple, cherry, sapele and more, it is good to explore all my options. Just wish I had access to decent bamboo.........


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## Andy in Germany (27 Apr 2022)

stuckinthemud said:


> I will probably end up with a normal folding bike, but as I have seasoned oak, ash, holly, mahogany, hazel, yew, apple, cherry, sapele and more, it is good to explore all my options. Just wish I had access to decent bamboo.........



My colleague has made a bike from bamboo as well. I think he's investigating methods for making a recumbent our of it. Will have to ask. He's usually making something ingenious from something you wouldn't expect...


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## classic33 (27 Apr 2022)

Andy in Germany said:


> My colleague has made a bike from bamboo as well. I think he's investigating methods for making a recumbent our of it. Will have to ask. He's usually making something ingenious from something you wouldn't expect...


How about...
https://www.instructables.com/Building-a-Recumbent-Bamboo-Trike-Frame/

https://texasrecumbents.wordpress.com/bamboo-recumbents/

https://www.recumbent.news/2012/02/19/how-to-build-a-recumbent-trike-out-of-bamboo/


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## slowmotion (28 Apr 2022)

Home -builders of light aircraft have a faint interest of their mode of transport not falling apart in the air. Have a look at this article.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?esrc=s&...0QFnoECAgQAg&usg=AOvVaw1WnzlxXTzquXp1FaWYtAkX

Sitka Spruce and Douglas Fir are very popular. Back in the 1970's you could get aircraft Spruce with a grain that didn't deviate from parallel by more than 2 degrees. The stuff of dreams!


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## midlife (28 Apr 2022)

Spruce Goose


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## chriswoody (28 Apr 2022)

classic33 said:


> How about...
> https://www.instructables.com/Building-a-Recumbent-Bamboo-Trike-Frame/
> 
> https://texasrecumbents.wordpress.com/bamboo-recumbents/
> ...


 Or this as well

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/self-build-bamboo-bike-frame-kit-build-thread.225144/


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## Dogtrousers (28 Apr 2022)

Scooter/kickbike? A lot less fiddly to build I'd have thought. Just a thought.


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## classic33 (28 Apr 2022)

chriswoody said:


> Or this as well
> 
> https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/self-build-bamboo-bike-frame-kit-build-thread.225144/


That's a DF though.


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## chriswoody (28 Apr 2022)

DF?
Ahh Diamond frame?

I know, it was more a slightly tongue in cheek reply about my own Bamboo bike which is definitely not a recumbent. 

Your post was infinitely more useful and on topic, as well as interesting, I do like to see other Bamboo builds.


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## classic33 (28 Apr 2022)

chriswoody said:


> DF?
> Ahh Diamond frame?
> 
> I know, it was more a slightly tongue in cheek reply about my own Bamboo bike which is definitely not a recumbent.
> ...


Just to give his colleague something to think about.

You still have that bike?


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## chriswoody (28 Apr 2022)

classic33 said:


> You still have that bike?



I do still have it, it's a definite keeper. Whilst I don't ride it as much as I should, it still brings a big smile to my face every time I ride it, it's a lovely bike and completely unique.


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## grldtnr (29 Apr 2022)

midlife said:


> Spruce Goose
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 642130



Didn't that come to a 'sticky' end tho'?


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## Time Waster (29 Apr 2022)

In a museum in oregano. Still good apparently.


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## Time Waster (29 Apr 2022)

There's a fair amount of info on materials selection including those plots on properties like stress, youngs modulus. Mike Ashby wrote a few got books on materials selection including good plots on materials suitability. I'm sure there's a few plots giving wood types and their properties. 

Wood is quite a good composite but you need the right one for the job as mentioned upthread. However if you haven't got bamboo or spruce then checking these plots out you might find a wood you have or can get is close.


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## Andy in Germany (29 Apr 2022)

I was visiting my colleague's work area today, and he let me photograph his bike:







He rides about 40k a day on this. A back brake is currently being sourced...






The next generation is under construction:


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## stuckinthemud (29 Apr 2022)

Thankyou, much appreciated! Your colleague is very skilful.


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## classic33 (29 Apr 2022)

Andy in Germany said:


> I was visiting my colleague's work area today, and he let me photograph his bike:
> 
> View attachment 642382
> 
> ...


Did he let you try riding it?


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## Andy in Germany (29 Apr 2022)

stuckinthemud said:


> Thankyou, much appreciated! Your colleague is very skilful.



He is, and great fun to work with: normally when I explain my loony ideas people give me funny looks, but he says thing like "Yeah, and then we could add..." or "And if we did it like this, we could..."

I really like having my own department but I miss working alongside him in the workshop...


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## Andy in Germany (29 Apr 2022)

classic33 said:


> Did he let you try riding it?



He's a lot taller than I am; I couldn't reach the pedals...


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## classic33 (29 Apr 2022)

Andy in Germany said:


> He's a lot taller than I am; I couldn't reach the pedals...


Did you try?


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## stuckinthemud (29 Apr 2022)

How does the gearing work if the pedal cogs are fixed on the frame but the front wheel twists to steer, how is it the chain doesn’t come off?


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## grldtnr (30 Apr 2022)

Time Waster said:


> In a museum in oregano. Still good apparently.



Thanks for eludicating, shows wot I know,


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## Ming the Merciless (30 Apr 2022)

stuckinthemud said:


> How does the gearing work if the pedal cogs are fixed on the frame but the front wheel twists to steer, how is it the chain doesn’t come off?



The idlers will keep the chain in place and you don’t really turn the forks much when steering, it more about lean.


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## stuckinthemud (30 Apr 2022)

Thanks


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## Andy in Germany (1 May 2022)

stuckinthemud said:


> How does the gearing work if the pedal cogs are fixed on the frame but the front wheel twists to steer, how is it the chain doesn’t come off?



I asked my colleague that but apparently as @Ming the Merciless says, the wheel doesn't turn that much. It does rub slightly though so the Mk II version will allow the chainwheel to turn with the wheel, so his feet will now have to follow.


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## stuckinthemud (1 May 2022)

That triggers a design decision: front wheel drive or rear wheel drive. Probably a can of worms, but, are there clear advantages to either one?


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## stuckinthemud (7 May 2022)

So I’ve been reading around a bit and now am really knotted up. I mean, first off I thought a plank or slightly bent laminated plank was my best option, then Andy posted his colleague’s bike, and that remains my favourite but then that led through mid racers to low racers and then the dark world of pythons and flevo bikes and now I feel completely befuddled. To whit I need a compact machine, light in weight I can bundle into the back of a small car and where I thought there were few options, it turns out I am literally spoiled for choice.


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## Gareth (13 May 2022)

I have built and sold a few of these "bent plywood" bicycles in derailleured, IGH and flip-flop configurations. 
For the flip-flop and IGH versions I used eccentric bottom brackets so the chains could be properly tensioned. Thorn Tandem "stoker" bottom brackets are the ones I used.

One of them that I built was laminated from 1.5mm layers of Hazel, Holly and Hornbeam that I harvested from my local woods after a storm. This I seasoned for 2 years in my garage before ripping the timbers down and planing to size using a thicknesser in a friend's joiner workshop. I made an internal style form from OSB and plywood and worked inwards when laying up and glassing down. This kept the strips of wood under tension against each other by clamping up and without having to clamp it down and this process made the whole laminating of the curved frame so much easier.







Here is a link to the Instructable on how to laminate the plywood: www.instructables.com/Bent-Plywood-Bicycle


Next year I hope to make a bent wooden laminated frame sail-touring tadpole trike.


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## stuckinthemud (13 May 2022)

Ok, so I bought a pair of 20” wheels from Cardiff Cycle Workshop- great place gonna be going there a lot I think! One came with a Shimano 6 speed gear set (cassette???) . Result. Time to do some drawing and make some firm decisions. Got a LOT of yellow pine I cut into 10mm thick strips to build a strip canoe. I am really taken by the flevo cycle concept as a light weight compact bike I could easily put a hinge in to make a crude folder a bit like the Sticky Toffee Pudding on
mosquito-velomobiles.com except with the seat less laid back. Any thoughts?


Thanks Gareth, that bike is very lovely


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## stuckinthemud (16 Jun 2022)

I am thinking of something like this: 2 x20” seat height about 14”, fwd (probably) I could do with some input on this


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## Scoosh (16 Jun 2022)

This might help you with some of the details ...
Raptobike Low Racer – notice the mahoosive front ring !


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## stuckinthemud (16 Jun 2022)

Yes, I see what you mean that really is pretty big. I’ve never looked at the raptobike as it’s a 26 20 and I’d always intended going with 20 20 but now you pointed it out I can see it is quite similar to my sketch


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