Alt Bike Culture - Tall bike

Does anyone know a way you can make a tall bike with very little to no wleding involved?

I've seen it done, but it really isn't safe... The problem is that the entire bike's two halves are connected at only two points, the bottom bracket, and the extended head tube. You have to weld the extended head tube on, and weld an extension on the steer tube. I can't think of how you'd avoid that problem. Then the bottom bracket needs to be welded. I've seen even welded BBs break, so we gusset all our bottom brackets for extra strength.

So basically, I don't think it can be done completely weld free, and even if you had the steer tube welded for you, the rest would be highly questionable.

Just find someone who's got a welder who'll teach you. Its really not hard, and it opens a huge set of doors for mutating bikes. Welding is really par for the course. People keep looking for a 'weldless holy grail', but you aren't going to find it, welding is a basic and fundemental metalworking skill.

peace,
sam

agreed. ive bolted together bikes with zero welding, and i've built tall bikes, but i don't mix the two.

if i was going to try, however, i'd be drilling holes all over the thing and bolting support struts everywhere they'd fit.

also, rather than try to use two bike frames strung together, i'd make a bike out of something wacky, like a door or a bed head or some gym equipment.

the national penny farthing championships in Evandale, Tasmania, Australia have a bike made from an old brass bed head. it's called the Evandale nightmare, and looks like it came from a haunted house. it was built by peter matthews, a tallbike trick rider from Dublin, Ireland. (pictured mounting the bike, and also in evandale with my sister)

dear all,I am new,come from china,thank you.

http://www.johnnypayphone.net/tallbikes/popularmechanicsapril64.jpg

Other than the classic method pictured above in Popular Mechanics April 1964, bolting methods have always focused on overcoming that bottom bracket connection. The steer tube is easily bolted in the brake mount, which is what people do when they want to collapse their tallbike to take it on a plane (along with a seat post welded to the bottom bracket and inserted into the bottom frame's seat tube with quick release). Build a big rack, basically, then bolt it behind the bottom bracket or at the back dropouts of the top frame- in some versions of this I've seen, the bottom bracket itself is hovering above the bottom frame. Also consider making a bolt-style chopper fork, but one that runs up and down both frames.

Remember that what's "safe" is pretty irrelevant if you're doing something inherently stupid. I wouldn't be crosscountry touring unless my bolted tallchopper was real solid, but then again look at ole Jon Brown up there riding in the snow with a joystick and a "force fit" steer connection. That guy's gotta be 90 by now, you gonna let him show you up?!?!??! ;)

the national penny farthing championships in Evandale, Tasmania, Australia have a bike made from an old brass bed head. it's called the Evandale nightmare, and looks like it came from a haunted house. it was built by peter matthews, a tallbike trick rider from Dublin, Ireland.

That's great! A tallbike and a bed in one. Here are other bedframe bikes:

Chicago 1930:

http://www.johnnypayphone.net/tallbikes/steindreammachine.jpg

Rat Patrol UK:

http://www.rat-patrol.org/RPUK/MartinBed.jpg

Justin Pogge (?):

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2005/dec/JustinPogge-1.jpg

I finally found a use for the cheap Wallmart Bike. No welding required but is desired for the front fork.
1-Use a donor fork and pound it into the original. Weld or bolt
2-Extend the shock using a donor frame tube. Pound on then bolt or replace with tubing only no shock.
3-Extend cables off a donor bike.
4-Be carefull
Matt-

does anyone know a good website that sells tall bikes? i have always wanted one but i have no idea where i would buy one locally (LA area)

the know-how to make a tall bike like simple cutting and welding is easy to pick up if you have a mechanical type mind, do some research and design, find somone with a cheapy-cheep welder and go to town on some frames for an afternoon

does anyone know a good website that sells tall bikes? i have always wanted one but i have no idea where i would buy one locally (LA area)

Nobody really sells tallbikes. Part of riding/owning a tallbike is building it yourself.

If you do a little research, and know someone with a hacksaw, file, and basic welding skills, they are super easy to build.

does anyone know a good website that sells tall bikes? i have always wanted one but i have no idea where i would buy one locally (LA area)


Sniff around places like the Bike Kitchen and Bike Oven Highland Park.

Someone might help you build one...

I have a tall bike, still a work in progress, did require a little welding. I attached a picture, first time, I hope it works.