Cargo Trike

[Sianelle]

I just thought I'd mention that I saw several of these for sale at a machinery dealers while I was out and about today in the 'Big Smoke'. Big Smoke = largest town in the very rural farming region where I live.
(the photo isn't mine btw, I borrowed it from another topic, - Ludite that I am I had no camera with me and my cellphone is just a plain phone with no camera.)
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z149/motelnoir/chicomTrikeR.jpg

To my absolute suprise the manager told me that the trikes were just $NZ399.00 each which has to be soooooo darn cheap it's not funny. Only when I went and had a closer look at the trikes I could see at once it was a case of 'buyer beware'. Nothing at all wrong with the design, but the quality of assembly and the cheapness and lightness of some of the cycle parts was a major concern for me.
They roll on 24 inch wheels and the rear axle is a plain live rear axle with no differential. To my amazement the nicely sized axle ball races/bearings were open and unsealed; - very much a problem waiting to happen :( The forks were a familiar to me 'stacked plate' design in the construction of the bridge area, only I could not believe how little welding was holding everything together. The forks had a brace on them too, but unlike the ones on my own much more seriously built Indian and Chinese utility bikes they were much too light and poorly designed.
The rear brake is a solid looking external band brake of around 6 inches in diameter and it's of a very clever design too. I really must apologise for the lack of pictures because I know other bike tinkerers on this forum would be interested in the way it was laid out. A real case of the KISS principle in action.
After studying these trikes I came to the conclusion that If I wanted one it would be better if I built my own one in my workshop following the design, but putting some real engineering into the thing.
Btw my elderly Mum was with me today because I'd taken her to a hospital appointment earlier in the morning and the first thing she said to me about the trikes was that she was sure I could build something better. Thanks Mum :love:

[StephenH]

I remember seeing some new cargo trikes with a big box like that on the US Ebay a while back. They were cheap, too. I remember the ad pointed out that they were a fairly small size, but don't know about the quality.

[Sianelle]

These ones weren't that large either Stephen. My own Indian Hercules roadster based tricycle is a much bigger vehicle.

[Artkansas]

With those "fenders" at the edges of the cargo box, I get the feelings that perhaps they were intended as ad hoc passenger seats. Somone small could sit on each one and grab onto the bar at the front of the cargo box.

[Sianelle]

I've seen Chinese photos of people doing just that :)

[Doug5150]

I just thought I'd mention that I saw several of these for sale at a machinery dealers ....
They roll on 24 inch wheels and the rear axle is a plain live rear axle with no differential. To my amazement the nicely sized axle ball races/bearings were open and unsealed; - very much a problem waiting to happen...
Usually if there's no differential, then one wheel is keyed to the axle and the other wheel spins freely on the axle.

The bearings *might* be replaceable with better units you could get locally. There'd be no guarantee however.

Regarding a DIY-trike--I don't know about where you live, but the problem I have seen in the US is that Chinese merchandise is often priced so low that you can't compete with it, even by using your own free labor. I have thought that if I wanted a heavy-duty bike trailer, I would buy a garden wagon like this and make a bike-tow-bar for it:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200311443_200311443
Except I would buy it locally, for only $80.
I was considering building a trailer myself, but you see, there's no point. I can't build anything like this cart, for anywhere near what the local big hardware store sells it for. The best price I could find online for wheels like what this wagon uses would cost $15 each. The metal alone I could not buy new/off-the-rack for $80; if I bought salvage or drops, I might be able to get it for under that much. And I have a welding torch, but it would cost me probably at least $30-$40 for welding gas.
I like making stuff, but sometimes it just doesn't make economical sense.

Also is this trike a two-speed? Did you ride it? Many of these kinds of bikes are dual-speed with no selector, where the "fast" gearing is when you pedal forward, and the "slow"/uphill gearing is where you pedal backwards. (there's a name for this gearing setup but I forget it at the moment) Also such bikes need an external brake, either hand-brakes or a foot-brake, which you specifically mentioned....
~

[Sianelle]

I must say that I agree with you Doug. The sheer cheapness of the Chinese products make it very hard to beat them at their own game. The same vendor had spoked wheel garden carts which would be relatively easy to convert into a trailer and if the trikes were $NZ399.00 the carts would have to be the bargain of the century :bike:
I do a lot of my workshop tinkering using salvaged material which I obtain for free from the council rubbish tip. If I was having to buy steel or bicycle parts then my projects would start to cost me money I could ill afford. On the other hand I happen to like making things and building my own trike would mean that I could size it according to my own needs.

EDIT: Oops I meant to say that I didn't get to try out these trikes because I was dressed for taking my Mum to a medical appointment and going to lunch afterwards so I really didn't fancy messing about in my good clothes. As it was I got down on my hands and knees to have a look at the brake setup which isn't as easy as it sounds when wearing a long 'floor-sweeper' skirt.
I know the two speed transmission method you describe Doug, but I can't think of the name of it either.

[bicyclridr4life]

I have thought that if I wanted a heavy-duty bike trailer, I would buy a garden wagon like this and make a bike-tow-bar for it:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200311443_200311443
Except I would buy it locally, for only $80.

~

Looks like the one I bought at Home Depot, but without the 2 way handle. My handle is 2 piece, the grip section comes off leaving a C channel like piece that you can attach to a garden tractor/ATV plate hitch and a pin.

Works great behind my Miami Sun Trike