Home built xtracycle
 

Thanks everyone for the kind replies!

badmother: Yeah, I lurk a lot more than I post. I feel like an idiot if I haven't actually built anything. I guess I'm still astounded at the internet in general. I'm still using it like huge library, mostly.

johannrissik: That's my new favorite bike to look at. Isn't it beautiful? It's every bit as elegent as a plywood kayak or kit airplane. I've got to try making it. I've still got some boatbuilding epoxy from a while back.

Have re-read this thread from the beginning... again.

Stretch has been resting since winter ended and I have not even gotten around to swapping out the winter tyres yet... I think the risk of snow is long past so should do that tomorrow.

And I have been collecting parts... :)

Here is the latest on my BEER RUN Rat Rod Utility Bike

How do you like my BEER RUN utility bike? I am building it as part of the Rat Rod Bikes Build Off #6.
The skateboard is the actual seat (with the option of putting a normal seatpost and seat if wanted).

http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a...A38C9FB0E9.jpg
http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a...968E65E615.jpghttp://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a...B2FBA003-1.jpghttp://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a...1F70953AF0.jpg

You can see more on the bike at:
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/pos...&f=55&p=416731

Sturmcrow: My little one complained that she wanted something better to hold onto other than the seat post or my back pockets, so I made a mini handlebar from a cut-down handlebar and an adjustable threadless stem. I had to shim the seat post with some metal from a Pabst can, and I protected the stem and the post with a layer of electrical tape.

Also, I replaced the old skateboard deck with a snowboard that's quite a bit longer and more attractive. I'm considering ways to utilize the binding mount screw holes to improve the setup. I also bent some 1/2" conduit to give a little extra support to the tail. I need to find a more elegant way to attach the bottom the the rear triangle, but it's solid as is.

Renamed it "The 'Loper" as "Stretch" has been spoken for.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=210613

Great style points for Kingfish, nice work!

Here is my contribution, taken pretty much what everyone else has done and duplicated. I did find one very nice little bit that i haven't seen anyone else use though. The salsa seatpost clamp with rack brackets. I filed the shoulder off so that it can slide all the way down the seat tube, then used it to support the extended rear triangle. I think this looks a little nicer and is also mega strong. It isn't the most thrifty way though.

Also, i welded a couple large (and heavy) spacers onto the bottom bracket ends so that the spacers just thread into the bottom bracket shell. Very stiff this way.

The clamp (link): http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pub...EUKNUTjbIBjevw

Next steps are to do some paint/stain on that wood deck and then sew up some bags sort of like xtracycle or kona ute bags. My wife doesn't really use the sewing machine, i guess i'll give it a shot!

My bike: more pics in the Gallery

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-d...tail-014_w.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m...tail-019_w.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-u...tail-022_w.jpg

Also, this bike will receive a 36v 14AH pack and a nine continent front hub motor whenever the parts arrive. Just added a kit to my wife's xtracycle equipped cruiser and that is a sweeeet bike now!

Extended my Phillips 20 tourer on the weekend... but only by an inch and a half.

:D

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=212124

Does give me some ideas about acquiring another 20 and doing a full on extrabike conversion as this would address the parking issues one has with a full size extrabike.

Believe I would use custom stays and build up a custom rear rack and deck rather than use salvaged bits.

King rememded me around this forum I forgot about lol so here i'll post pics of my latest build, rides like a dream, almost all my bikes are sturmey archer powered! THis ones a coaster brake 3 speed. its a fantastic ride.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...u/100_2681.jpg

Loaded up with abunch of scrap bike frames.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...u/100_2675.jpg

Thanks Troy. I love your longtail cruiser. You should really post that over on www.ratrodbikes.com. They would love it. If you don't I might post a photo or two.

The end result of my BEER RUN build off bike changed a bit when I decided to go for a fun muscle bike look. Here is the final bike with flashing Cold Beer sign and all. Over 80 beer parts are on this bike. I finished 28th out of the 106 bikes that were complete (200+ bikes started).

http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a...f/IMG_2255.jpg
http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a...f/IMG_2256.jpg
http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a...f/IMG_2257.jpg

And this is my latest build. It is going to be a folding sand bike. Kind of like a folding Surly Pugsley. I call it Fugsley.
I am marrying 20x4 inch wheels from a OCC StingRay to an old Dahon folder.
http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a...Dunethuggy.jpg

here's my try at it. i call it "clutch cargo", 'cause it's pretty sketchy (someone also pointed out to me that younger people won't get that)

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...cargo002-3.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...cargo001-5.jpg

there's a little more on the freakbike nation forum. usually if i'm on the bike forums i'm more likely to be in alt bikes, but since it fits here and i'm lurking for info anyway, here i am.

just got up this point today for a test ride. need to finish the main mechanics and working out ideas for bags or something. i have one kinda odd idea but it's kind of heavy so i'm working on another. also trying to figure out a center stand.

also since ideas seem to come to me in clusters (i have project a.d.d.), this is the first of two cargo ideas. i'm gathering parts and trying to work out the idea for madsen type bike, but just with a regular rubbermaid type tub. maybe pics of that one in the near future if i get it worked out.

More cool bikes. The beer bike is great! On that last cargo bike, i like the way you've got the suspension still in there and the cargo will be (in theory) given some isolation from bumps! I say "in theory" because i suspect you'll have to get a much heavier spring to offset the new leverage of your body weight on the shock plus the weight of the cargo. Lots of potential there though. I've noticed on both my wife's xtracycle and my home-made one that the cargo can take a pretty good whack from time to time on sharp bumps. Suspension would be nice!

Since my last post i've electrified my bike and made a cargo bag. The bag was a lot of work! From conceptualization to design to physical product took several weeks of working a handful of hours per week. For that matter, it's not totally finished yet, but it's functional. I'm kind of dragging my feet on getting to the second bag, lol! After all this work, the $500 for the whole xtracycle kit and bags and all seems pretty reasonable! lol

I based my bag very closely on the xtracycle bags, but simpler in many respects (easier for me to make) and with a lid-flap which is something i think the freeloaders are sorely missing. I've used the bag several times now and it works great so far. I absolutely love the electric assist on both of our cargo bikes. We ride the bikes everywhere now and have a blast doing it!

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3...0/IMAG0491.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-y...0/IMAG0493.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-q...0/IMAG0494.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-l...0/IMAG0495.jpg

Are those pictures visible? Should be 4 of them.

that bag looks good. that's what i need to figure out next for mine, along with a stand. a couple days into fooling with it i dug these out of the garage and worked them into the project

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...cargo002-1.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...cargo001-4.jpg

boxes that go along the side of a truck bed. the size and shape are good, and they also lock, but they're kind of heavy (14lbs apiece) and they weren't really made to hang and support their own weight, let alone what could go in them. i'm playing with them anyway as an option while i figure on other possiblities.

right now i'm thinking maybe a canvas bag of a similar shape (probaly more the shape of the rack framework), with an emt frame inside the bag to keep the shape either fully or partially. when i get to work i'll be weighting emt and trying to get an idea of what the weight of something like that will come out to.

here's the second one, "big bottom"

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...gbottom003.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...gbottom004.jpg

just up to the basic frame being done and a quick test ride. more up to this point and as i work on it later, on freakbike nation.

are there any more side bag ideas out there? i'm already seeing my second bike as being potentially more "able", unless i can find or make some good side bags for the first one. i'm looking at various military and tool bags, but i can't nail down a good size.

i think i'll be trying the folding conference table leg idea for stands. thought i had a chance to pick up some today from a local flea market, but it's raining.

Nice bags troysmith! Green with envy :D

I offten used Garmet bags that youd put fancy suits in, they fit perfect and had lots of pockets, theres all kinds of them, you can offten get them at thrift stores

i've been looking at garment bags, but i haven't seen one that i wanted. right now i'm thinking of a couple of military bags, a-3 flight bags. they'd need to be cut down a bit i think (they're about 24" tall and i'd want them to be about 18") and maybe some reinforcement in a few places, but i think they could work.

if the weather's nice saturday i mean to ride down toward ft knox and look in some of the pawn shops around there to see how much i can get them for, or some other bag that might work better but i'm not familiar with.

found these on ebay this morning

http://www.ebay.com/itm/150665107150...84.m1439.l2649

just like the a-3 bags i was remembering, but only 15" tall, so i wouldn't have to cut them down and worry about how well i could resew them or how much it would be to have it done. truthfully i'm thinking they're like a copy of the real military bags.

but i went down towards ft knox anyway just to be sure. all i found were bags like i remembered, 24" tall and also twice the price. the shipping will be more than made up compared to trying to alter the taller more expensive ones, so i brought them when i got back home.

i'm going to want some more of the webbing along a section where i plan to attatch them to the bike, just to be sure. hopefully the cost won't be too much (a seamstress i go to who's been able to sew up the weird things i show up with). some of these bags are waterproof. since they didn't say so i'm guessing they're not. maybe i could scotchguard them or either cover them with a plastic bag or line them with one.

anyway, they're part of the project now. hopefully they have the potential to be decent bags for the purpose.

How is this for a longtail for you?
Wait til I add the water ski deck to the back!

I finally have a rolling chassis for Fugsley (folding Pugsley) - Harley tires on a Dahon folder.

http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/IMG_2545.jpg

Long distance touring
 

I am considering the design with the rear end of the suspension bike. Just curious, has anyone done any long distance touring with this setup? can this really hold 200 lbs.?

Thank Mountaindave.

By the time i finished that bag (and now, as i contemplate making another one for the other side) i've come to the realization that the commercially available bags represent a pretty good value! I haven't come across any other kinds of bags that seem like they'll work as well for handling the variety of cargo that the purpose-built bike bags will carry. You can put anything from a cooler or very large box, several grocery bags, etc into the xtracycle style bags. They are not a bad buy. Also, the Yuba Mundo bags are available for sale on their own and look to be very nicely made. I like that they have a top. Keeping things out of sight goes a long way toward keeping them from being stolen or messed with when you're away from your bike! Also keeps rain off.

It's hard to compete with stuff made in China or other places with under-paid labor. You can't hardly buy the material for the total coat of the above eBay item. I was going to make some hockey bags when I found new ones for LESS than the cost of all the materials. I don't mind making things for myself as a hobby, it's usually better and fits precisely my own needs, but sometimes my time costs way more than I can give to a project. It's a fine balance.

MD

I am taking the plunge. I think I just figured out, though. how to make a rear suspension system . I just chopped a K-2 SideWinder Mountain bike, alloy frame but wicked sturdy, heavy aluminum. Pics pending, just curious is anyone else has pics of a rear spring setup (as opposed to the standard design here) , and how it rides. I'll probably just crank the spring down relatively tight. I also figured out how to make two cross braces instead of one, hmmm.

When I was building up my extra bike I pondered using the rear suspension as all I would needed to do was not use the steel brace and add an extension to the old shock absorber mount.

The ride on the extra bike is so smooth that a suspension is not required and it would have messed with the rack system and defeated the primary purpose of building the bike.

it's untested but i have one on the page before. i've only sat on the rearmost part of the rack to see what would happen (about 210lbs dressed). it sagged pretty good but didn't bottom on the cross brace i put near the wheel. i'm feeling pretty good about it 'cause it's a light spring. when i switch it out to a spring from an adult bike it ought to do ok.