Classic & Vintage - new life to an old post: second try

a little more than a year ago , i asked members if anyones feelin would be hurt if i turned a nishiki into a trike. there wasnt much support for the idea so i choose a raliegh instead, a better coice as the raliegh had a slightly damaged rear frame member. well folks the raliegh is now a ten speed trike. i rode the beast and its a bit scary as it does not want to turn and is decidedly tippy. it pushes as the nascar folks say. probably a result of having 700cx32's on the rear and a 27"x1 1/4 on the front. should have used a more narrow tire on the rear but im a bit heavy and i wanted tires up to the load. being so high up doesnt help much either. the rear axel assembly was built in my shop from steel and parts from the steel supply house and industrial parts house i frequent. the mischief and blame are mine alone. i did get parts and info from the nice guy at cheap bicycle parts in citrus heights, ca and preforamce bikes in sacramento. there are at present no pictures or plans. if my son is up to it and you folks wish ill try to post some pictures. as for plans there will not be any, and they wouldnt help anyway as this thing was cobbled together from what came to hand. an observent person should be able to copy and adjust what ive done to meet their parts and needs. i know i havent invented the wheel but you have no idea what pleasure i got and still get when i ride the thing. wanted to build this trike for sometime and now onto a recumbent. i love to build. micheal

picture?

Anything with pedals. I want one of those 4-seater carts that pedal, with the fringed cover. They are so cool.

I'd like to give one of these a try.
180400

I am seriously considering this might be a fun toy. http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE1950S-HOLDSWORTH-TRIKE-CONVERSION-KIT-VERY-RARE-/290505582076?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43a37b65fc

http://i.ebayimg.com/24/!B-Wc1Nw!mk~$(KGrHqJ,!gwEzw56vUGeBM8diy6cJ!~~_3.JPG

I really have no clue what to say about that, it's so awesome I can't ignore it yet so odd I can't figure it out :p

Excellent!

There is actually a whole racing culture built up around trike racing in the UK (http://www.tricycleassociation.org.uk/). We don't see very many of the lightweight trikes here in the US.

Aaron :)

this is pretty cool. someone offered me a Jackson Mixte Trike a few months ago. a grail bike popped up at the same time and te jackson was only a 50c soI put it on hold. if anyone is interested I'll give you his handle if I can find it.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=180400&d=1291088825

Racing trikes are cool, let see some pictures!

thanks for the interest. i took the bike apart friday for paint. when temp goes up ill paint it and then try for photos. david newton: go for it, biggest problem is finding hubs to decent sized axel. single speed road bike easiest to build. bianchigrill axel a good place to start for design.

this is pretty cool. someone offered me a Jackson Mixte Trike a few months ago. a grail bike popped up at the same time and te jackson was only a 50c soI put it on hold. if anyone is interested I'll give you his handle if I can find it.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=180400&d=1291088825

The first thing that popped into my mind when I saw this picture was .... "Wow! Just need to drop a small engine on it!"

the weather held long enough to paint the disassembled bike, however i decided to add a disk brake to the rear. took longer than id hoped for. now have pictures to post. Micheal

http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz275/maf4/DSC02678.jpg

http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz275/maf4/DSC02680.jpg

http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz275/maf4/DSC02682.jpg

http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz275/maf4/DSC02681.jpg

http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz275/maf4/DSC02679.jpg

http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz275/maf4/DSC02684.jpg

Sweet!

Nice workmanship Mike. The paint looks good too. I'm impressed.

Very cool! Thanks for sharing.

That is the coolest damn thing I have ever seen. Fantastic job on the paint and well.... everything else.

Wow. The brake mechanism is genius. Trikes are notorious for being stubborn about where they want to go.

You know, figure out the handling (or lack thereof), and you'd have a great bolt-on part you could make some money with!

In the future, I wonder if making it wider would help things...

thank you all for the nice words. i may never figure out the "push" problem , and will just live with it. next stop for me is a recumbent. the pleasure is in the doin'. micheal

If I read your pictures correctly, you have
addressed the differential problem on the rear
by having one wheel only hooked up to the
chain drive? Other rear wheel just floats at
its own pace and connects to the disc brake?

If so, I would guess this is the source of your
"push". Given your skillset, I look forward to
seeing your recumbent.:thumb:

Most respectfully,
Mike Larmer

(also in Sacratomato)

Awesome! And I must say, you do some top notch work.

One thing I don't get - The bars. I've never understood when I occasionally see road bars turned up like that. What's with that?

That is awesome, and your craftsmanship looks very clean. Nicely done. I was quite curious about how you set up the ten speed. My Uncle built a trike and but its only a single speed. He has helped the 'push' by putting in a differential, which I think is quite cool. It still takes a little getting used to riding, but is pretty functional. He rides it all over the place and I brought back 50lbs of dirt from the local nursery for gardening in it, no problem.

the rear end is built around a single axel to which both wheels are directly attached (pinned). the cassett is a standard piece with the center removed , retaining the ratchet mechanism and rings, which lets it free spool. . it is welded to a turned spool that rides on the axel and held inplace by grubb set screws. the brake rotor is on a seperate turned spool and like the cassett is held in place by grubb screws. the whole rides on bearings inside the bridge structure which is bolted to the bike frame. buikema i would be interested in seeing pictures of your uncles differential posted, particully as no one else has posted same.yes the differential is very "cool". hauling dirt is a good uses for a trike. the bars are where they are because thats what i wanted. im old and fat as the photo shows and as in the old days that position helped my back and made it easier to breath. so when you see some one with road bars turned up GET OVER IT. regards my "skillset" im not sure what that means and was put off at first by it. the recumbent, i dont believe, at this time, will be a ground breaker. its something i have wanted to build for some time. im lazy and if something can be done sitting then im going to do it sitting; if it can be done laying on my back , you guessed it , im going to do it liying down. thanks again to all who have posted here. micheal

Outstanding 'barn job' trike! Your fabrication skills are excellent. Looking forward to seeing your recumbent creation.

buikema i would be interested in seeing pictures of your uncles differential posted, particully as no one else has posted same.

Sadly he is in LA w/ said trike and I am not. When I see him next I'll take a pic though.

Disk brakes on that trike. Sweeeeet.

the rear brake was an after thought. that accounts for the odd bracketry. i thought that without it id only done half the job. and it works! ill wait for the differential photos. id really like to see how your uncle did it. at present it seems to me to be a building problem that couild get very very complicaterd. to me the draw of a bike is simplicity. the barest of bits that create a useable whole. again to all thanks for the nice words. it appears that many of the members find criticism a rewarding vocation and will pick at others work for the pleasure of it. the photos of the trike are posted in another location on the forum. micheal

way cool.

With trikes, you should lean to the outside of your turn. If you are turning left, lean to the right or move your rear to the right as you go through the turn to keep from flipping.

it appears that many of the members find criticism a rewarding vocation and will pick at others work for the pleasure of it. the photos of the trike are posted in another location on the forum. micheal

Sadly, truer words have ne'er been spoken.
I wonder sometimes how much valuable stuff
never makes it on here just because some
very knowledgeable people don't want to get
into another cluster++ck series of internet
exchanges with somebody who wants to
demonstrate their mechanical mastery in
words of one and two syllables.:notamused:

Anyway, show me that recumbent when it's done,
because I might want to do one of my own some
fine day in the future.

Regards,
Mike Larmer

thanks for the very nice words mike. ill post the recumbent pictures when its finished. btb do the words sac metro fire have meaning for you. bbattle: you offer a possible soloution to the push problem, however scary, that had never occurred to me and im betting to the critiques as well. scary you ask? yes as "tippy" as the trike is adding more tip is a bit unnerving a thought. but reflecting on it, and given the nature of the rear axel assembly it seems to make some sence. in essence what i would be doing is converting a trike to a bike layout by lifting one wheel, the inside wheel, off the ground even if only a bit. it makes the inside wheels contact with the roadway less strong and at the same time lessening its ablity to "push". further it increases the outside wheel force to the ground and increasings its ability to drive the trike forward. bbattle, if you are right, and the more i think about it, you are. youre a freakin' genius. when the weather inproves and i get up the nerve im going to give it a try. many many thanks. micheal

the rear end is built around a single axel to which both wheels are directly attached (pinned). the cassett is a standard piece with the center removed , retaining the ratchet mechanism and rings, which lets it free spool. . it is welded to a turned spool that rides on the axel and held inplace by grubb set screws. the brake rotor is on a seperate turned spool and like the cassett is held in place by grubb screws. the whole rides on bearings inside the bridge structure which is bolted to the bike frame. buikema i would be interested in seeing pictures of your uncles differential posted, particully as no one else has posted same.yes the differential is very "cool". hauling dirt is a good uses for a trike. the bars are where they are because thats what i wanted. im old and fat as the photo shows and as in the old days that position helped my back and made it easier to breath. so when you see some one with road bars turned up GET OVER IT. regards my "skillset" im not sure what that means and was put off at first by it. the recumbent, i dont believe, at this time, will be a ground breaker. its something i have wanted to build for some time. im lazy and if something can be done sitting then im going to do it sitting; if it can be done laying on my back , you guessed it , im going to do it liying down. thanks again to all who have posted here. micheal

Michael, fine work! I think the "skill set" comment was intended to be complimentary, though I agree it's not always easy to tell here in Networld. Consider yourself patted on the back!

regards my "skillset" im not sure what that means and was put off at first by it.

Micheal,
In general, my feeling is that life is too short
to spend any of it insulting people on the internet.
Besides, it is much more stimulating insulting them
face to face.:D



the recumbent, i dont believe, at this time, will be a ground breaker. its something i have wanted to build for some time.

I've been thinking about one myself, but
honestly have so many bicycles in the garage
and assorted tools and other stuff that it
kind of discourages me.:(


btb do the words sac metro fire have meaning for you.

I believe that's the other fire department
around here, the one's who occasionally
get to sleep through the night and have
reasonably recent equipment. And who
can forget the infamous Metro helicopter?

I worked with/for Rick Martinez for a while
before he bailed and was in the same training
class as Steve Cantelme. Actually, now that I
think about it, I even worked with Gay Jones
a bit when she was a new captain. She still
on the board? But my career, as unimportant
as it was to anyone save me, was spent with
City, deftly weaving my way between Porn Star
Ball scandals and group sex in the firehouse scandals.
No pictures, no proof as we used to say.:roflmao2:

3alarmer id forgotten how you guys uses to have fun. all we ever got to do was eat free doughtnuts, drink free coffee and answer the radio. the only name i know is that of gay. i worked with her in the traffic section while she was waiting to show/tell you guys how it should be done. last word i had on her was that she was working out at marysville and bell. round here to get work done i just shove the piles out of the way and go for it. again to all who have had nice words and encouragement to offer i say THANK YOU ALL!! the glue must be dry and id better get back to work. micheal got to say before i go: chief dan george is got to be one of the funniest guys to ever inhabit this planet. i point to "the outlaw josie wales"

Excellent workmanship on the Trike, a worthy second life for an old Raleigh!!

WOW!!! Nice build and great pics! Thanks for sharing .