So after a two week wait they (2) arrived via UPS this morning at 8:30am.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...Fool/Boxes.jpg This is how they're able to fit the trikes into these relatively small boxes. :p http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...ool/Packed.jpg Talk about making it easy for you to put it together..... The "hard stuff's" already done for you (if you find that sort of thing hard) ;) http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...ool/PreFab.jpg These are the small parts you have to mount yourself.. http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...SmallParts.jpg These handy little 'guys' are going straight inot my tool kit. :D http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...Fool/Tools.jpg OK, it wasn't all good news, there was one problem I have to take care of. This is the back of the seat, the carbon fiber part, and *that* is a bash where some part of the frame came into contact with the seat during shipping. :( http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...lFool/Bash.jpg The only other "issue" I had with the trike was with the tie-rod ends. 'Most' tie-rod ends are designed with left-hand threads on one side and right-hand threads on the other. This is so you adjust the toe-in by loosening the locknuts and twisting the rod (like a turnbuckle). The ends both being right-hand threaded wasn't a HUGE deal, but it did kind of make things a *little* harder than they needed to be. Anyway, here's the finished product in the Apple Green color.. I just have to trim the cables and adjust the derailers a little more. http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...l/Finished.jpg http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...reenbydoor.jpg http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6.../BigGreen2.jpg I might replace the chain with something better, too. I'm used to motorcycle chains, so maybe all bicycle chains look like this, but I thought it looked a little flimsy and frail. (bushingless, I think). |
BTW... Here's what the "Burnt Orange" looks like.. It's really Orange and Yellow, but it's not too bad. :D
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...l/ceead664.jpg http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...angeMyFoot.jpg |
Wow !!! :D
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That seat looks like it's fiberglass, not carbon. You can tell by sitting in it. Carbon is as stiff as granite, while fiberglass gives a little bit. Fiberglass also weighs about twice as much, although that'd be hard to tell unless you had one of each! From the pics, it looks like you would have a straighter chainline if you routed the return side under the cross member. Overall, it looks pretty nice! Of course, we'll need some ride reports. :)
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Cool colours. Shame about the busted seat, though. Are you going to try to get a replacement for it? It looks like the damage is *mostly* aesthetic, a few layers of industrial-strength epoxy might be enough to fix it.
I'm looking forward to hearing how they ride. :D |
Originally Posted by BlazingPedals
That seat looks like it's fiberglass, not carbon.
it looks like you would have a straighter chainline if you routed the return side under the cross member. :) It's a work in progress. :p Jeff.. Yes, I'm going to send the broken seat back to Randy at Actionbent and get a replacement. It's only a minor setback. |
Well, I hope you get the replacement seat soon. Did you already email him about it?
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Originally Posted by BlazingPedals
it looks like you would have a straighter chainline if you routed the return side under the cross member. :)
I'll let you know how it goes. http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...l/Tubeexp2.jpg http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...l/Tubeexp1.jpg |
It looks like the tie-rod is connected on the top of the steerer. could you move it to the underside, so that the chain tube can pass over top of the chain tube?
The other thing you could do is, simply not use a chain tube for the bottom half of the chain. |
Originally Posted by jeff-o
It looks like the tie-rod is connected on the top of the steerer. could you move it to the underside, so that the chain tube can pass over top of the chain tube?
The other thing you could do is, simply not use a chain tube for the bottom half of the chain. |
I'm pretty sure that without the chain tube things would be a lot worse. I'm heading out right now to see if I can find a higher quality chain to replace what I hope is simply a crappily designed unit. They can't all be this bad, can they? :(
For what it's worth, the chain that comes on the trike is called a Z9000KMC -T |
Get two 9 speed SRAM chains and put them together.
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Nah, I still don't think he's doing it right. Look at the pictures on the AB Tadpole review on www.bentrideronline.com it looks like both tubes are on top of the cross-tube.
Yes! You can clearly see here, on ActionBent's own website, that both chain tubes are on top of the cross-tube. |
Originally Posted by jeff-o
Nah, I still don't think he's doing it right. it looks like both tubes are on top of the cross-tube..
I would also like to say that the chain is in fact not a "flimsy piece of crap" as I stated earlier, it's actually a perfectly normal bicycle chain... I know, I just got back from my LBS where I had it looked at by the staff. That said, I *will* say this. The chain tool is major pile of crap, and that statement I will not take back later. Since a picture's worth a thousand words, take a look at these. The new ($15.00) tool I just bought today. See how the tool tightly supports the link? http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...lFool/Good.jpg The tool that came with the trike. If you look closely you'll see that the jaws of the tool are too wide and push the links apart. :eek: It's also just an all-around looser fit. http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...dnesssakes.jpg |
The chain tool on the bottom is simple, cheap, but reliable. They're probably sold under many names, but I think mine was a "Cyclo" or something like that. I've had the same one in my toolbox for over ten years and taken apart many a chain with it. The one on top looks nice, though.
Good luck with that chain routing. I agree; it doesn't look very good on either side of the cross beam. The designer put the cross beam and the chain in the same space. Maybe there's a way you can rig a pulley? I know, you shouldn't have to engineer a commercial offering to make it work right. |
Originally Posted by BlazingPedals
The chain tool on the bottom is simple, cheap, but reliable.
The designer put the cross beam and the chain in the same space. Maybe there's a way you can rig a pulley?. As for where the chain runs... It seems to work quite well with one side over and one side under the axle. I may switch the other trike to this system, too. :) Now if I can just track down my derailer woes. :p |
Derailleur woes? As in, adjusting the derailleur?
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If I may make a suggestion, for other than breaking down a chain that chain tool or any chain tool for that matter is a pain in the A##. Go to your LBS and purchase a Sram Power link, they also make one for shimano and Wippermann. It makes adjustments sooo simple.
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These people make semi-decent bike tools.
http://www.parktool.com/ They also have a site that gives directions on how to adjust components. http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=64 |
Originally Posted by jeff-o
Derailleur woes? As in, adjusting the derailleur?
Anyway, here's what it's doing... Large rear, large front sprocket. http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...largegreen.jpg Small rear, small front sprocket. http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...smallgreen.jpg The orange one. Large rear, small front sprocket. http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...mallorange.jpg Large rear and anything larger than the smallest front sprocket. http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...ndanything.jpg It would be great if I could just remove some of the links from the green one and put them on the orange trike, but I doubt I'll get that lucky. :D As mentioned earlier I did try removing about 10 links from the green one before, but it seemed to only make things worse. -T |
You're right, it does look like you have too much chain on the green one, and not enough on the orange one. Adjusting the chain can be fiddly, only one or two links will make a difference. And yeah, just take some links from the green bike and put them on the orange one. You have a nice fancy chain breaker, you can do it!
BTW, it's a good thing you got two different colours, it would be a pain to say, "Black trike 1, black trike 2." ;) |
You really think one or two links is going to be enough?
I guess we'll find out. :p |
Take one of the trikes to a shop and have them show you how to get the right chain length. When you go in, tell them you want to pay to have the chain done right, but ask if you can be instructed in how to do it, in case something happens on a trip. Tell them other riders might use your trike.
According to the Park Tool repair help site, the top pic of the orange trike is how the derailleur cage should be on the large chainring and large sprocket, for both bikes. There must be a bend in the chain as it goes around the pulleys in the cage. Try reading this site. http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=26 Remember, one "link" of chain actually spans three rivets. It's what many people think is two links. It should be one inch long. You shouldn't take out half a link. |
Originally Posted by Stupid
You really think one or two links is going to be enough?
I guess we'll find out. :p |
I agree with Jeff-O. The pic of the orange one shows the chain is already too tight on the middle/big combination. Actually, the small chainring/big cassette gear looks about what you want when you're in the big/big combination; namely the derailleur still has a little bit of movement left to accomodate shifting back to a smaller cog. So you may need to add as many as 6 links (12 teeth) to the existing chain. One link being an inner plate and an outer plate. If that means you can't take up enough chain slack when you're in your small/small combination, then that's the breaks - it's better to have a gear or two that don't work well rather than have a gear or two that will ruin your frame and/or derailleur if you accidently use them.
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