Living Car Free - Bicycle Carts

Seen while crawling through Craigslist:

Bicycle Carts for Living Car-Free (http://www.bikecart.pedalpeople.com/)

Hmmm...from the linked site:

Goals

* To design a bicycle trailer that is strong and versatile enough to transport the cargo that you could in a car, but simple and cheap enough that anybody could build one themselves with and for their community
* To distribute the design for the trailers as widely as possible free of charge
* Keep the costs and complexity to a minimum; the trailer costs $30 in parts and can be built in 8 to 15 hours with only a drill, oxy-acetylene torch, and basic hand tools like a hacksaw and a file
* Decrease our dependence on automobiles by making cheap bicycle trailers available as a viable alternative to car use

Of course, I think it's a great idea and all, but is using an O-A torch really that simple? I certainly don't own one...even if I could borrow or rent one, I don't know how to use it - I'd have to pay someone to do it for me. I wonder if the design could be easily adapted to eliminate the neccessity of the torch?

Not sure. I don't have one either, although there's one in my mother's barn. But then there's the little problem of not actually knowing how to weld. For what it's worth, the guy will build one for you for $150.

I have been in the process of building a cart for a while now just using things I have or find
the frame is built out of a twin sized bed frame its basically the same shape as in that link but a flatbed and the same size as a Nomad
dropouts and other bits are cut from a queen sized bed frame
welding is a problem since I dont know how.. everything is bolted together.. I will have to see how that works
all I am waiting on is 2 front mntn bike wheels to fall in my lap :)
I will try to post a picture when ts done

all I am waiting on is 2 front mntn bike wheels to fall in my lap :)
I will try to post a picture when ts done
I admire your ingenuity. As for scoring 2 front wheels -- I'm glad you haven't gone to bike racks and done the "QR Quickstep"! :D

Not sure. I don't have one either, although there's one in my mother's barn. But then there's the little problem of not actually knowing how to weld. For what it's worth, the guy will build one for you for $150.

The design, with modifications detailed in the plans (towards the bottom) will work as a bolt-together design-- then you don't have to be able to braze/weld.



all I am waiting on is 2 front mntn bike wheels to fall in my lap

20-inch wheels would put somewhat less stress on the frame. My plan, if I manage to build a frame, is to buy a single-speed kid-bike at the local thrift store. Then I wouldn't really need two front wheels; i'll just have a sprocket where I have no use for one.

i'll just have a sprocket where I have no use for one.

You can just unscrew the cog that's what I did ( saves it grabbing things and legs :) )

(I built this trailer 100% with handtools as I had no power at the time. )

I built this trailer 20yrs ago and use it yet today. All of
the materials were salvaged from jobs here at home.
Even buying new materials the cost wouldn't be that
bad for a really robust durable bike trailer. My cost
20 yrs ago was $20 today might be about $80 with new
wood.

The plans call for 27" wheels but I used 20" wheels from
an old kids bike to be more stable and extended the neck
up a bit to compensate the difference. I strongly suggest
that you find and use an old OAK shipping skid for the frame
to pickup the strength of seasoned oak instead of plywood.

Enjoy!!


http://www.motherearthnews.com/libr...Bicycle_Trailer