Building a trike

[Ian H]

What's the front brake issue? I would have thought that was the easy one, leave as is? Presumably sorting out a rear brake is trickier, presumably needs to be a disc brake on the axle ?

Lightweight barrows traditionally had two brakes on the front wheel. Tourers sometimes had two-wheel drive and a drum-brake on one rear wheel. I think the latter became illegal, hence latterly George Longstaff built his some of his tourers with two drum-brakes.
Conversions can be a bit difficult to handle because the steering angles aren't quite right.

 

[PMarkey]

Don't quote me Ian but if memory serves me rightly the trail needs to be increased roughly 3/8" (10mm) on a conversion ? not having much experience with trikes I'm just enjoying the challenge at the moment but if a full on trike should turn up I may just be tempted .

Paul

 

[Ian H]

It would possibly handle much better. I remember George looking at my conversion (many years ago) and laughing—"That's just a toy!". Mind you, mine was a Ken Rogers axle, so not a patch on a Longstaff.

 

[voyager]

I would love a barrow if I only had room .
regards Emma

 

[PMarkey]

Like it! More close-ups of the technical bits, please

a few pics of the axle conversion and brakes

 

[Ian H]

That I think is a very old conversion set. I'm fairly certain that George had stopped making them by the mid-80s. I like the reversed block to allow bigger sprockets. That double centre-pull is neat too.

 

[PMarkey]

Unfortunately the reversed block is a trick of the light Ian the block is a six speed 14-24 that was all I had at hand other than 5 speed blocks and was a tight squeeze ,the brake was the easiest option as I had no luck finding a cantilever braked fork that I liked the look of (I wanted something with a cast fork crown) and most of the other options involved either side pulls behind the fork or expensive lateral pull aero brakes .

Paul

 

[Ian H]

Ha! Fooled again.