danielmramos

I am planning on purchasing a downtube folding bike. I was impressed with the cruzbike conversion that was successfully utilized on a downtube folder. I think that a recumbent conversion kit for upright folders is a great alternative to a recumbent folder, plus you get the advantage of being able to switch back and forth when it is needed. I think the cruzbike conversion kit is a great kit; however, I believe the price is over-inflated. I just do not see how it can possibly be worth $395 dollars for a conversion kit. Heck, that is the price of a completely new bike! Well, I have been thinking that it should be possible to come up with a diy solution that is much less expensive than $395 dollars. Can someone let me know if this sounds like a crazy idea or if it makes sense? It seems to me that all that would be required for a successful conversion would be a bottom bracket boom tube, a way to effectively mount it to the front of a folding bike via a kind of machined aluminum frame clamp, and a way to mount a recumbent seat to the frame as a replacement for the saddle. There was a kit that was created for the brompton a while ago that did just that; although, they used a rubber belt instead of simply using a straight chain drive. A bottom bracket wouldn't even have to be brazed to the boom tube, as there are sliding bottom brackets that can be clamped to a tube that are sold for about $65 online. It kind of reminds me of the setup various homebuilders used to make a custom SWB recumbent using a bmx frame or bmx donor bike. So, does this sound feasible?