Alt Bike Culture - making forks for a low rider

Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.



PDA

View Full Version : making forks for a low rider

10timesbetter
06-06-05, 10:00 AM
I may have to break down and buy one of long stretched out forks for a lowrider project, the ones that have the massive rake and the spring up by the headset and stem, but I made my bike at the coop, so there's rust and seat tears, nothing that pretty, so I'm not dead set on having to have a shiny new fork. my idea is to take a 27/700 fork, and bend the fork legs forward, so it's the same shape as the low rider ones, and then welding little supports from the end to the crown. Is there a good way to do this without just kinking the fork in half? my other option could be to possibly find steel tubes that are already curved, cut the middle of the fork legs out, and weld in the curved parts, but I'd rather just be able to bend one

phidauex
06-06-05, 10:07 AM
Hmm... I'd say give the bend a try. Try to find a fork with round tubes, instead of 'aero' tubes, since it'll bend easier. I'd practice on a crappy fork first, something discarded from an alley bike. (since you are at a coop, you should be able to find one or 30 of those. ;)

If you have access via a brake hole or fork crown hole, you should fill up the fork legs with sand before bending, that will help prevent kinking.

Then weld up your supports, and enjoy! Oh, and take pictures if you are successful, and show us.

peace,
sam
10timesbetter
06-06-05, 10:17 AM
oooh, that sand idea is a good one, but.......where to find sand in pittsburgh, haha start scavanging the suburbs for a sandbox

bottom-bracket
06-06-05, 12:03 PM
As far as bending goes, try using a conduit bender.
Brian
06-08-05, 02:37 AM
oooh, that sand idea is a good one, but.......where to find sand in pittsburgh, haha start scavanging the suburbs for a sandbox

Shhh. Public building/hotel ashtrays. Don't ask anymore, you don't want to know.
muttblbc
08-15-05, 11:48 AM
[a good idea would be to cut the fork tines off a seperate similar set of forks, trim em down to size (as springer forks are longer then a set of standard ones) and sleave them on to the forks you have now. the longer the fork the better the chance of a gradual curve without crimping, the hard part will be getting the dropouts in the exact perfect position. if theyre not the wheel will slump to one side and the axle nuts can actually work their way loose.