Recumbent - My redneck homemade headrest

Yeah I know, whitetrashrepairs.com, thereifixedit.com, etc. etc.:D Anyway, this is my solution to the lack of a commercially available headrest for my Sun EZ-TAD CX.

It is made from aluminum tubing, hose clamps, and a swimming pool "noodle" float toy. I did file the cut edges of the tubing smooth so there's no sharp edges, but the hose clamps still have some. I keep the whole thing covered with a towel while riding so there's no danger of cutting myself on the edges of the hose clamps.

It's solid and comfortable too. I made this last summer and I've never had a problem with it.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5295/5506953608_f0242607a6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5506953608/)
Homemade headrest on Sun EZ-TAD CX recumbent 2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5506953608/) by kittyz202 (http://www.flickr.com/people/29998767@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5059/5506953714_ed16f97dbf.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5506953714/)
Homemade headrest on Sun EZ-TAD CX recumbent (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5506953714/) by kittyz202 (http://www.flickr.com/people/29998767@N07/), on Flickr

That is awesome home engineering. Congratulations. How much does it weigh?

That is awesome home engineering. Congratulations. How much does it weigh?
Thank you:) I never weighed it, but I don't think it's very heavy. The pool "noodle" is very light, as is the aluminum tubing. The only steel parts are the hose clamps. I like how it all worked out. The tubing is 3/4" diameter, which just happens to be the inside diameter of the pool toy, so I didn't have to do any extra work to make it fit properly.

Necessity is the mother of all invention. Good and inexpensive solution for you.

I had to go the opposite direction - and remove my headrest on my trike. It was doing the exact same thing the DFs were to my neck..... just in the opposite direction. But it was caused by my height (or lack there of) - and I never had that problem on my SWB USS bike.

Thinking of stealing/swapping the seats out.

Necessity is the mother of all invention. Good and inexpensive solution for you.

I had to go the opposite direction - and remove my headrest on my trike. It was doing the exact same thing the DFs were to my neck..... just in the opposite direction. But it was caused by my height (or lack there of) - and I never had that problem on my SWB USS bike.

Thinking of stealing/swapping the seats out.
I can adjust the height and fore/aft position on mine, so I was able to get the perfect angle to avoid neck pain. I don't know if the commercially available headrests from Greenspeed, Catrike, and others have that capability or not.

Great "jakeleg engineering", in the most positive sense. I would guess those twin LED taillights make you hard to ignore, too!

Great "jakeleg engineering", in the most positive sense. I would guess those twin LED taillights make you hard to ignore, too!
Thanks:) Yup, I'm pretty visible at night. I have a third taillight on the rack bag, and flashing multicolor LED Christmas lights on the safety flagpole from top to bottom. In front I run 3 flashing LED headlights.

Well, there's nothing wrong with hose clamps as long as they hold. You just oughta cover them over with duct tape.
Haha, just kidding. Get a pocket knife and cut some small piece of foam to glue over top of the hose clamps so they don't stick out. Double-stick tape ought to keep the pieces in place.

Well, there's nothing wrong with hose clamps as long as they hold.

They should hold. I put on a set of Rans 3-way chopper bars and used the stock bars as a syssy bar installed somewhat like, Frighttraininguphill did. It will hold three to four heavy grocery bags filled with milk, cans of dog food, etc. without a problem...I just hang the handles over it. I also have a large leather travel bag that goes good on there. It's taking more weight, etc. than his head.

BTW, IMO, the 3-way bars look better and can be adjusted perfect for you giving a custom fit...and for the weight savin` people, they are LITE!!!

I cut the handle bar off even with the cross bar at an angle...ground down the bottle holder screw-ins...filled all of that with bondo...took it down to metal and painted black, including the hose clamps to match the seat tubes. People think it was just part of the seat.

Bob

I used the foam from an old weight bench (the leg riser thing that no one uses). Very comfortable.

That can't be a redneck assembly. There's no beer can involved! :)

Besides, it actually looks nice...

That can't be a redneck assembly. There's no beer can involved! :)

Besides, it actually looks nice...
LOL! Thank you:D