lancekagar

Thank you very much. A great compliment coming from you, indeed!

lancekagar

The bike is operational and I absolutely love it. I'll let these pictures speak for themselves. Taking it to Portland this week to let friends have a looksie.

tfahrner

smokin'

wahoonc

Love that color! and the bike. Let us know how much and when for production models

Aaron

ban guzzi

I REALLY like this! It might be too late for your bike but...
The frame break points need to be re-thought! The flanges look good but you still have flexing and basically all the weight on the bolts. Its probably as simple as adding adding a little finger post and hole to each flange or doing what some folders do with a hinged wrap around the flanges and tesionioner bolt. I'm a big guy, car free and looking over my options for cargo bikes. My little flange issue is the only thing that sticks out as a potential problem, to me.

Again, REALLY NICE!! I love that color too!

Dan Burkhart 

Great job. Good timing too. The market is ripe.
I'm sure you will have difficulty meeting the demand. Good luck.

Elkhound

Sort of like an Xtracycle, but in front rather than in back?

squirtdad

I think if you look at the pictures and posts you will see that the connection is is flanges from the front to the "pusher energy unit" and that there has been some welding and other fabrication to the pusher frame to make it work

The OP is clear that he is working on the rear more. All that he has done so far is really great.

IMHO i think he needs to decide on how to go. either complete bikes or provide the front module and hook it up to your own doaner cycle.

I think if it is the latter there is fair amount more engineering to be done to make it slick...ie drop the fork connect to the front and connect braces to the doaner cycle for strength.

But again very cool and really nice color

wahoonc

I vote for the complete bike, but the ability to break it apart of less expensive shipping and in some cases seasonal storage. I hope they use something besides vertical drop outs on the rear so IGH can be used with minimal fuss. Also interested in the possibility of a bare frame allowing a build up of components of my choosing.

Aaron

lancekagar

Friends, no need to worry! I'm happy to say this bike will feature NEW back "ends", internal gear hubs, and disc brakes.

Added gussets and a beefier bottom "joint" is also in the works. Perhaps a slacker seat tube....

Thanks everyone for your contributions! This is a great time to hear all of your feedback, while the bike is still in prototype phase.

Did I mention we'll be at Clever Cycles on Thursday, November 20? Feel free to stop by to check it out.

JoebikerLa

Do you have a price point yet?

wahoonc

I wish! I am about 2500 miles away BUT I did just order some more bits and pieces from them

Aaron

HelluvaStella

This bike is beautiful. Great work, I hope to see news of production specs and pricing soon.

Elkhound

Are you going to do a version with a step-through frame?

brucewiley

Looks to me like that platform section is going to be way too flexible. I would look at the bridge design of the BOB trailer to increase the rigidity.

lyledriver

Heya,

I've been following this project throughout the thread, and I saw the photos of the Clever Cycles tire kicking session on their flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cleverc...7609587687004/

It looks really good Lance. I'm interested to know how you're going to meet the demands of rack customers when this thing takes off? I saw a vid of your shopspace recently too. It looks like you're really doing what you like and will have no problem making it happen.

lancekagar

Thank you very much. The video you're referring to was recently finished and posted HERE.

This video was produced by two guys from New York, who spent the day at my house and shop to talk about working, being self-employed, etc.

I was a little nervous to do it, but couldn't be happier with the outcome. I'm proud of the finished product, and very thankful to Michael and Irvin, the creators.

Elkhound

I do like this. Unfortunately, his preindustrial model of production will put this machine out of the financial reach of those who need it the most.

MrBracket

Please elaborate??? Are you saying that Mass Production is the solution?? If so, do a little homework, we in the US are struggling today because of our "OLD" thinking of how to produce things. Study the real reasons Toyota is kicking our butt at building cars!!! Not saying that Lane has a handle on what Lean Manufacturing is all about, but there is a lot to be said for keeping things small and nimble and sans massive overhead!

Sorry, don't want to hyjack this thread and start some big long discussion. Just couldn't keep my mouth shut....

Sirrus Rider

I've been thinking about this since you've posted this statement and I say not really. He could license out this design to one of the larger bike companies and set it up where he can retain control to the design. With licensed volume production he may be able to get it down in price.

henryamsterdam

No matter what scale/manner of production Lane chooses some will find reason to attack him for his ethical choices. If he hand builds them himself (no matter how efficiently) each frame kit will sell for a couple thousand dollars and he'll be harpooned for making elitist bikes for yuppie scum. Simultaneously others will accuse him of earning a profit (heaven forbid!) thus becoming yuppie scum.

If Lane arranges for production in the far east the bike will become affordable to all those underprivileged would-be transport bike riders who need them (frames would cost $50-100/unit) but he'll violate another set of idealistic taboos thus becoming uncaring yuppie scum anyway.

If he licenses the design to a major manufacturer (who'd never go for that anyway) the entire bikes will be made in China for pennies and the bikes sold for a healthy profit. In that case Lane will have sold out and thus achieve the inevitable status of uncaring yuppie scum applied to all who earn a living wage by making something for a profit.

Clearly there is only one practical option, Lane: Sacrifice yourself to make these bikes by hand, from materials sourced entirely in your neighborhood of Eugene and transported solely by human power, giving them away to those who need them most. A (non-profit) organization will have to be founded, funded by yuppie scum of course, to decide exactly who is currently most needy thus deserving the next fruit of Lane's labor. Do you guys want to start working on assembling a board of directors?

Elkhound

That was exactly what I was thinking. These people come to mind: https://worksmancycles.aitrk.com/

surfimp

I'm all for getting more yuppie scum out of their SUVs and BMWs and onto bicycles. Bring it!!!

crackerdog

The people who can afford them will buy them, some will just buy them for toys, get tired of storing them and then the rest of us can buy them on Craigslist. It is all good.

lancekagar

Time for an update!

Four new frames are nearly finished. Here are a few pictures (for those curious) of the final version, which differs from the bright green prototype in many superior ways.

Namely:

-Mixte rear with two sets of seat stays.
-Disc tabs and/or canti studs.
-A slacker seat tube.
-Steeper head tube.
-Wider and longer cargo area.
-A fortified bottom flange.
-Beefier kickstand.
-A darker green color.

The very first frameset is being powdercoated as my calused fingers press these keys. More pictures coming soon!









Of course, more info and pictures at my site.