Ekstrasikil, home made longtail cargobike
 

Hi folks.

Currently building this, haven't finished yet. i have to decide where to put grips for 2nd stokers, before finishing with putty and paint.

It is looking good. Hopefully it rides nicely.

Have you been using chomoly?

no Sir, not chromoly for the base frame I use cheapo bmx, a bilboard pole and a computer table scrap. I am not using jig, I just tell the welder to cut this and that, weld this and that. :D

I dont know if it ride nice or not, Idont have reference. I took my sons as stokers, 12yo and 7yo, total 150kg include myself. I feel little bit sluggish when turning

ought to have a fairly low center of gravity with the 20" wheels. pretty nice.

thanks Sir.

but there is a problem, seems I cant get proper tension for shifter cable. first, I use shimano altus shifter, the rd wont move even after several clicks. Later I use a non indexed thumbshifter, rd only move to the biggest sprocket after I push the lever all the way. I try to correct the tension by pulling the cable with pliers before tightened to rd. but still need to turn the barrel adjuster to the edge to get the proper tension.

is it because the lenght of the cable? I am using tandem bike shifter cable here. Should I add custom barrel adjuster somewhere on the frame to add tension?

When I built my cargo bike, I used cable stops and minimum length runs of cable housing.

Have you looked at non-compressible shifter cable housing rather than brake housing?

One issue was clearance of the derailleur with the 20" wheel.

Could you please add more explanation Sir? I dont understand the description

Basically did you have a cable stop welded to the frame?

Non compressible derailleur housing also has the wires running lengthwise, rather than a tight spiral around the cable housing. It is used with indexed shifting. Is it usually plastic or teflon lined?

Cable stops are brazed or welded onto the frame so the housing is only needed for going around corners, otherwise the cables are bare. This would both reduce friction, as well as reduce the compression of the housing.

They are saying there are different types of housing (and cable). If you use the wrong type of housing the housing is going to be compressed (pressed together until it is much shorter than it was). this way shifting is not happening.

I am also thinking what CliffordK is thinking, try to avoid using one long piece of housing. Try to make cable stops like on a mountain bike and hybrid bike often have. This way you can have only short pieces of housing where you really need it (like when the cable is making a curve). Long stretches of exposed cable is good if it can be done.

I made several DIY longtails in the past so i know :thumb:. How are you doing with the bike?

thank you Sir.

so I need to reduce the cable shifter friction by only use minimum housing (instead of full cable housing) and its better to use the shifter housing (the one with wires along the 'tube') not the brake housing.

the bike doing fine, but sometimes I forget tha I am riding a long tail after several minutes and taking akward and clumsy turn at intersections :D , after I replacing the bmx stem with mtb stem the handling getting better

and just this noon when I stop for a red light a truck bumped my bike and since my rear tire is lower than its bumper, its get stuck. both the bumper and my rear tire is fine, but now I am realize the ideas that someone cycling using longtail bike on the crowd at noon is unfamiliar and strange in my city. maybe I should install a pole and flag on the rear, or do you have other idea?

What you say about cabels and housing sounds right, at least according to my experience. This is also why cables and housing is important on folding bikes, the long cables innside housing.

Make sure the bike is stable in traffic. Sounds like a scary place to ride. A flag on the bike sounds like a good idea IMHO. If your bike is low and the truck tall they forget you are down there.

It looks like drivers are more worryed about having theyr wehicles damaged than they are of damaging peopel or property.

Keep us updated :)

recently I replace the crank from 44t to 28 t. feels slow and powerfull with the kids on board, but its spinning hell when I am alone.... :D

Could you manage to have both a big and a small chainring in front? Use a chain tensioner (like maybe an old der) and just hand shift between the two front chainrings depending on what you need? 28t when riding with children and 44t when riding alone? Has been done many times, just search the forums.

http://www.bikeforums.net/search.php?searchid=13002614

:thumb:

it worked, I just need to rearrange the spacer,

paint my love
 

Paint my love
I should paint my love
it's the picture of a thousand sunsets
it's the freedom of a thousand doves
I know I should paint my love

Looking Really good.Id like to see it when your done .

Wow. Looks rock solid :thumb:

Thank you for your assistance Sir

But after several time reassemble I find out the the head tube is slightly tilted, but the seat tube is parallel with the real wheel/rear hub position. :D I thought this was because the extension pipe is not equally welded, but maybe it because it was a cheap bike from the start. but still functioning well anyway.