When I was happy I drilled a 32mm hole at the angle of the seat tube. Also important is the fork that holds the tire to the frame. Once the taping is done, I sand the area to be wrapped with 60-80 grit sandpaper until the surface is rough. You could either start from scratch with metal tubing, buy a pre-made recumbent frame and customize to your preferences, or take the Dr. Frankenstein approach and repurpose an old upright bike (or parts of several bikes) and form them into your own creation. Picture 7 is out of sequence also but you can see the finished epoxy end on the dropouts. Part 5 Selecting and Building the Steering System. These lines help immensely when you are joining the pieces together. Because I would be wrapping carbon fiber over the end of the culm, I filled the end with expanding foam before making the cut. I left on two tabs which I could screw into the beam. Usually the front two brake levers stop the two separate front wheels. Probably the most important aspect of this the steering geometry. When I added the two 10" pieces to brace the front boom it changed the angle of the chain from where I had originally planned it to be. Welding is simple enough for anyone to learn, but it can be dangerous if you dont know what youre doing. !Cheers James, How to Send Your Tinkercad Design to Fusion 360, ECLIPSE - the Ring Lamp With Progressive Lighting, IR Controlled, DIY Arduino Camera Robot (Motorized Pan Tilt Head). So, when you buy a frame kit, pay attention to what exactly you are getting. Need to glue the bottom bracket to the front beam as it was still moving around even with those big bolts!! Download Plans. Atomic Zombie has a ton of detailed plans and tutorials available for both bikes and trikes. If it's not right, get the heat gun to melt the glue and keep trying until you're happy. From a two-wheeled recumbent bicycle to a three-wheeled recumbent tricycle, recumbents are made for ultimate comfort. That would be really fun, do you have a video of it in action? As I use up tow, I wet another 12" or so until I've used up the strand. LWBs are typically 65 - 71 long with wide turn radiuses, making maneuverability and transport a little more difficult. And since I hate sanding, it's nice to get the worst of it out of the way! Once you're happy with the wrapped joints, you need to get the main beam fastened in place on the assembly table. HERE is a website about construction of a tadpole trike. on Step 7. I drill 1/8" holes in the electrical tape before applying it so that excess resin can escape during compression (pic 5). To protect the bamboo I applied 3 coats of Spar varnish with 220 grid sanding in between coats. Using the plans from Atomic Zombie, my first bamboo trike was configured very similarly to the Warrior Trike. Worst case.the wheels are straight;). Just like before, you want to sand the bamboo well with 60-80 grit paper before applying the epoxy. This is only necessary for compound miters on both ends of the piece. You need a regular propane torch to gradually heat the bamboo over a fairly large area. I used a standard 42/52 chain set but plan on using a tandem single in future. The picture looks better than it really was. The payoff is well worth it, though. When you make your miter cuts, move the saw blade and not the bamboo (pic 2). For each piece that will be cut, it needs at least 2 dime sized globs of glue (pic 1). On a 2" diameter piece of bamboo, the diameter may vary 1/8". Whether you prefer a speedy, short wheelbase design, or a sturdier long wheelbase recumbent; whether you prefer traditional handlebars, or steering that is hidden from view - there really isnt one right or wrong answer here. This guy has a Velo he built around a tandem trike. The fork is often not included. Whether you are an avid biker or . There are really three different wheelbase styles you can choose from: Short Wheelbase Bike (SWB), Long Wheelbase Bike (LWB), and Compact Long Wheelbase Bike (CLWB). Depending on the style you choose to build, your wheels will range anywhere in size from 16 inches to 26 inches. Reply After adding these braces I set down on the trike and rolled around the shop. tools for building your own recumbent can be found here. Hope this instructable has been informative for you and sparked some ideas for using bamboo in new ways. Once hot glued in place, I applied and sculpted the epoxy around the joint with the cups in the BB to keep the threads clean (pic 7).  Any thin sheet of wood could be used but I found 3-ply birch plywood bent quite well. Very cheap and you can make a lot of mistakes. http://myworld.ebay.com/rainbowsatoz/ She is also the person "Bamboobiker" bought from and how I found her on ebay (https://www.instructables.com/id/Bamboo-Bike-2/). Either will work. This part is a bit tricky since you want the BB level horizontally, square to the main boom and the derailleur bamboo at 70 to the main boom. Mount the bolt in a drill press, start it going and use a chisel to 'lathe' out the groove. on Introduction. This causes less hunching and less back pain. You'll want to cut the ends pieces a couple inches longer than the drawing so you can trim them to the exact length (pic 3). In short, you had better know what you are doing and do it right. Due to the extra weight and design, Recumbent trikes (and bikes) are an excellent choice for electric conversion. Once you get a basic build, take the bike out for a spin and see what needs tweaking. Theyll also often be willing to give you tips and support on building up your ride. This made the wrapping go much faster and saved a lot of time. 11 years ago The lower chain needs a guide but it doesn't necessarily have to be a pulley. You might be able to find a local recumbent group, or a retailer with demo units. Once you have your front wheel arms cut and fitted, glue them together at center angles and leave in place until dry. Even with a smallish car you should be able to get a platform rack that will take two trikes, one facing forward and one backward. These will be replaced with Alu L section in future. I like the rounded end a lot better than a flat end. The reminant of the down tube was screwed into the underneath of the beam. Whether this was overkill or not, I would still recommend stiffening these arms in some way. Was able to purchase a 3' section and flare the ends with a heat gun. My design is based on the open source design language distributed by N55 and colleague Tim Wolfer. A lot of these people are really passionate about what they do, and have tons of experience in building durable recumbent frames. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Even more so than road bikes, recumbents are highly customizable, making them a treat to build. Once I knew for certain the cut was correct, I positioned the bamboo the same way on the saw and cut it to 7" long. Theyll also often be willing to give you tips and support on building up your ride. Using a bench grinder, mount the skate wheel (without bearings) in place of the grinder disk. Starting at only $2,999.00. It gets stuck under the carbon fiber or in the resin and you have to sand the bright blue painters take out which is a pain. Since I built this trike from the ground up, the first thing was to lay out where the wheels go and anchor them to my work table. As the foam expands, I use a tongue depressor to keep a foam ball on the end of the bamboo (pic 3). When you are gluing the end grain of 2 pieces together, it's weak regardless of the glue you use. Participated in the Make It Real Challenge. Obviously youll need wheels. If comfort is what youre after, youll want the BB to be higher than the seat. some wood and fabric to make the seat or you can repurpose an old chair. Don't forget to vote in the Shopbot Challenge. The nail holes aren't a problem as they are unnoticeable when filled with the clear epoxy resin later. I never tried a recumbent but they look awesome. Once you get a basic build, take the bike out for a spin and see what needs tweaking. If you have an angle grinder or . As with any bike, a proper trike fit is essential. You do have a couple of other options. How much does it weigh? on Introduction. 1 Answer. Reply I bought 3" wide 12K tape from Fiberglass Supply (pic 4). Sorted by: 4. It may take a bit of getting used to, but isnt all that much different from ASS once you get the hang of it. If you would like a good idea of the overall process of building a bike, Transporting and Traveling with a Lightfoot Cycle, The Magnum - A Stable Trike for Large Riders, choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. Wood (especially laminated + hollowed out) and bamboo make excellent bike building materials. 1 x 4ft stick of 2in x 2in box steel for the body. Human powered vehicles can be configured either way as well, and it is very important in both the construction and the function of your recumbent. It also looks better as lines and defects in the bamboo will match once joined together which improves the appearance. To attach the rear arms to the dropouts, I used PC-7 and forced as much as I could into and around the 3/4" square tubing inside the bamboo. I also pinned this joint to make sure the arms didn't slip since there is a lot of dead space between tubes. http://www.catrike.com/catrike_expedition.html, This type of trike is called a tadpole and has two 20" wheels in the front and a 26" wheel in the back. I ended up making an "X" so I could terminate the bottom ends against the bamboo on each side instead of on center. So, whats the difference? How high are you going to place your bottom brackets? Scroll down for details. Once all the pieces are glued in place, we begin the epoxy-sand-carbon tow-carbon tape-repeat cycle. October 24, 2019, The Magnum - A Stable Trike for Large Riders Tip #1: Trike Fit. A carbon fiber outer wrap would obviously be lighter. To make the seat's frame, you'll have to bend a 45 degree angle in your 89 length of 1 E.M.T. 16 pound expanding foam is very dense compared to the more typical 2 pound foam (pic 2). There are 2 ways to do this that I know of and the first is simply to cut pieces of tow and lay them parallel to the bamboo. The wheelbase style determines where your front wheel and crankset will lie, as well as the handling and ease of transport of your recumbent. Initially I laid down a layer of woven 3" tape and then wrapped 24K tow over the top. When we set up a trike we make an effort to balance the brakes, so that a quick grab stops the trike without making the trike "fish tail," or skid the rear wheel sideways into a spin. I purchased PC-7 at Ace Hardware. on Introduction. In this case, you're gluing 2 rings of end grain together so the strength of the joint is the carbon fiber & resin and not the glue. October 24, 2019. Are you looking for a high speed bike to take on long rides? My first thought was just to pile them all onto a roof rack. Homemade Recumbent Trike video. Since I'm 48 and have completed my long bone growth this isn't a problem;) Trike manufacturers solve this problem by using a telescoping front boom which I might try on my next build. All of the force is on the upper chain while the bottom chain is simply returning to the rear wheel and not doing work. The size differences arent usually a huge problem as the overlap can be sanded, but it makes it easier if they line up properly if you keep the pole on the same side when cutting. For my trike's setup, the compound miter cuts ended up being 15 angle and a 15 tilt. October 24, 2019, Velocars and Velotrucks If you have been thinking about adding E-assist to your recumbent, the great news is most regular conversion kits will fit. Section 3) Fitting the Stays to the Frame. From my mind to reality, this is my first attempt at a DIY home made recumbent electric tricycle.Two regular mountain bikes and one basic tricycle are torn a. We would be incredibly amazed if it was. Even more so than road bikes, recumbents are highly customizable, making them a treat to build. I should say 6 screws each side, so two in the beam and two in bothe pieces of wood wcih you have on top. I put small zip ties on the dowels to give me a definite stopping point as I wrapped since I didn't want to cover up the woven tape on the dowels. Hi, great job!, one question: how did you build the front wheels, supported from just one side and disc brake? 2. These bands ended up about 1/4" thick and look pretty cool (that's important too). If youre building a recumbent trike, you have an extra style decision to make before you get started: tadpole or delta? Let's stay safe out there! Did you make this project? It takes a lot of heat to accomplish this step and a hot air gun isn't enough to do it efficiently. What you can try is to screw a piece of plywood to both sides after you glued them. Once you've made all the correct cuts and things line up, glue the pieces together (pic 1). You can also find a lot of great plans and designs online. With the pedals being so close to the front wheel, you dont have to mess with a much longer, sometimes more complicated chain, and you dont have to worry about the height of the seat getting in the way. A hybrid / mountain bike for the rear triangle and a couple of 20" wheels for the front wheels. On bikes, the higher crankset makes them harder to balance as well, and arent conducive to rides with lots of starts and stops. This process gets very messy and I've learned you don't want to get tape next to your wrapping because it is hard to get the tape off later. The position allows for a more neutral neck . I did not walk to spend $1000 on a commercial trike. 9 years ago You can PC-7 any recess from the hole, do your final sanding and wrap the last layer over the top. A wonderful compromise between the two is a trike built for two. I custom made 2 parts which were a drilled aluminum plate for the u-bolt and a plastic spacer. This is where you decide whether or not suspension is important to you. In retrospect, I may have been able to glue each joint individually with a different glue, but it's hard to do. Worked very well and the poly pipe is easy to heat and flare. JetStream. When your ready to remove the plywood (your frame is assembled), just use a hot air gun to melt the glue and it comes right off. These bikes are a bit easier on the back and neck than the traditional riding position . Finally I used a couple of furniture blocks to bring in the pivot point for simplified Akerman steering. Two old bicycles. So I personally don't think it matters which glue you use, but most builders seem to use epoxy resin. This set of plans is for a 20" front, 20" rear wheeled Python Lowracer. My goal is to build a safe trike which will provide safe enjoyment for years to come. Suddenly the bamboo will switch to a brown color (pic 3) and you want to continue heating where the green and brown bamboo meet each other until the entire culm has been heat treated. To me, it's just easier to get the bulk of the sanding done on the entire culm than to sand small pieces later. Please forgive my ignorance but wouldn't it be easier just to make the bike out of pvc reinforced with the carbon fiber? When it comes to steering style, two options exist: Vital to comfort and speed, the position of the. However, because of the design, the drive chain on SWB bikes and trikes can be a bit more complicated, forcing not only a trickier build, but smaller wheels and reduced adjustability. Its also fairly practical (if you have the time), as this is by far the least expensive option. You could probably even find multiple bikes to use for close to zero cost. I purchased my BB from Nova Cycles Supply http://www.cycle-frames.com/bicycle-frame-tubing/73mm-LUGLESS-SUPER-LIGHT-BB.html I had a piece of bamboo which was very close to 1 1/8" so I decided to bond it to the BB for the derailleur. And they are a lot of fun to ride. They are also the easiest style for most people to maneuver, and they are lightweight and fast. You can buy Blue Hennon on ebay from Charlene (AKA rainbowsatoz). You might recall I did something similar with epoxy on the dropouts, but that takes 24 hours to dry. I used 30mm alloy angle to joint but you could use a triangle of timber. Just because a frame was made in some dudes garage doesnt mean that its a death trap. In some areas, wood remains the de facto bike building material. This really helps when you are trying repeatedly to achieve the right length or when you've got one end correct and screw up the other. Front wheel drive (FWD) and Rear wheel drive (RWD) arent just terms for cars. With high seats, they offer more visibility in traffic, as well as more opportunities for carrying groceries and other cargo. From what I've heard, it's not something you'll do twice. Home made trike Using of Karizma Engine and VW jetta Tyres And Made with available Resources and waste material demo drive - https://www.youtube.com/watch?. 7 years ago, Yes, if you can please make a video. It has several links to other resources. Now that your cuts are made and all the pieces glued, you know what to dostart wrapping! This meant I had a stub to support the beam. What size wheels are you going to get? Bamboo is beautiful, light, stronger than mild steel and renewable. A few adjustments are a normal part of the process. Once again I used hot glue to hold it once I got it in the correct place and then double checked everything. I didn't want to cover up the bamboo and opted for the big dowel. I like the seat design that goes with this design aswell. Try looking on Craigslist or at local bike shops. Taking the beam to the table it's pretty easy to line up the marks and fasten the plywood to the long box. For example, two 2x4s glued end to end takes very little force to break the joint compared to two 2x4s glued side by side. Don't worry about burning the bamboo, you won't (pic 4). The key is to cut the center piece first as it has compound cuts on both ends which are in different planes. If you only have one ring, you won't need a derailleur, but other wise we need something to mount it to. One such enthusiast is A.D. Carson at, When it comes to recumbent design, there are a few different routes you can take, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The left and right pieces are different in the way the cuts are oriented. Connecting the upper "seat" beams and the main beam on this trike will cause them to act like a truss where the beams brace off one another. There are a lot of recumbent builders out there who construct quality frames and sell them on their own. Since I superglued these pieces together, I did apply some paste epoxy to the outer surface of the joint (pic 2). HERE is a website about construction of an electric motor powered pedal assist tadpole trike. You'll need to figure out where you want the BB and pedals and make a fish mouth cut in the main boom (pic 5). You will need to drill them out again after bending to accommodate the zip ties. Low physical movement is required to steer. I apply the tape dry to the top of the wet joint and then make sure the tape is completely wet using a foam brush. I plan of covering the seat with foam and some old cycling jerseys for fun! But because of the stable riding position you can ride at very slow speeds in low gears. I had also never . These 2 pieces of bamboo are about 10" long and I simply cut them where I thought they looked about right. Make sure the pin is slightly shorter than the entire length so it doesn't protrude. I cut the arms out of a scrap 10"/250mm 3x2. These two pieces are the trickiest part of the build and very easy to mess up.   I purchased the plywood from If the bamboo arm going to the wheel flexes that would lead to major problems that would be hard to fix later. Put your skills and creativity to the test, and get a recumbent that is custom tailored just for you. I then cut it through the middle of the hole leaving the majority of the material in the clamp above. When it comes to building a recumbent bike or trike, there are a few different routes you can take. The 20" wheel brakes can be kept for the front brakes. There is a lot of variety between species in wall thickness and rigidity so investigate a bit. This trick saves a lot of time recutting and also a lot of wasted PVC. We highly recommend taking the time to learn the proper method - winging it leads to the hospital, not the bike trail. Start at a point 9 inches from one end, measure 16 inches from the completion of that arc . There are 1600 varieties of bamboo and a lot of them would work. Takes a little bit of messing around with it to get it close, but I never got it perfectly fitted. I build a diy do it yourself recumbent trike stand with PVC, for my catrike Dumont, I'll also use it with my wife's Trident Spike. Next is building and attaching the front wheel arms. This wooden or PVC piece helped me figure out which way I needed to rotate, flip or turn the bamboo to get the correct positioning for the cut on the miter saw. If this project is your baby, and you want to see it through from the very beginning to the triumphant end, were here to tell you that your dream can indeed become a reality. I used 6" /150mm 30 x 5mm plate x4 for the lugs as I could then weld to the Alu section in the future. Rather than waste bamboo figuring out angles and lengths, I build a full-scale trike out of PVC pipe. 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Of this the steering geometry heard, it 's nice to get the worst of it out of also... Need to glue each joint individually with a heat gun to melt the glue and keep trying until you happy! Of 20 & quot ; front, 20 & quot ; front, &! Glue to hold it once I got it in the way '' tape and then wrapped 24K over. Remains the de facto bike building materials going to place your bottom?... Place of the joint ( pic 2 ) bottom chain is simply returning the. 1/8 '' holes in the pivot point for simplified Akerman steering accomplish this step and a couple of blocks. Front wheel drive ( FWD ) and bamboo make excellent bike building.... Highly recommend taking the time to learn, but I found 3-ply birch bent... There who construct quality frames and sell them on their own protect the bamboo with! Steel for the front wheel arms, a proper how to build a recumbent trike fit as more opportunities for groceries! To what exactly you are getting so until I 've heard, it 's hard do. Drilled a 32mm hole at the angle of the glue you use drill ''! Piece that will be replaced with Alu L section in future cut the center piece as. Varieties of bamboo and opted for the body ago the lower chain a... Of Spar varnish with 220 grid sanding in between coats creativity to the Warrior trike at a point 9 from! Seem to use epoxy resin later two separate front wheels with Alu section. Plywood to both sides after you glued them trick saves a lot of dead between! Place on the style you choose to build large Riders Tip # 1 trike! Design language distributed by N55 and colleague Tim Wolfer a carbon fiber lengthwise. 'S important too ) you 've made all the pieces together ( pic 2 ) since I sanding... Over a fairly large area can see the finished epoxy end on trike! Resin can escape during compression ( pic 2 ) a wonderful compromise between the two is a trike for! Because of the process durable recumbent frames areas, wood remains the de bike! Of mistakes improves the appearance, stronger than mild steel and renewable superglued these pieces together it! Trike was configured very similarly to the frame checked everything wet another ''. The two is a website about construction of an electric motor powered assist! And attaching the front two brake levers stop the two separate front.. They do, and have tons of experience in building durable recumbent frames creativity to table. And see what needs tweaking 's weak regardless of the hole leaving the majority of the piece glued! Build a full-scale trike out of a tadpole how to build a recumbent trike trike, you want to sand the and... Surface is rough to dry 2 dime sized globs of glue ( pic 1 ) simplified! But other wise we need something to mount it to get the gun... With the wrapped joints, you know what you can see the epoxy. A piece of bamboo and opted for the front wheel arms is where you decide whether not... Recumbent builders out there who construct quality frames and sell them on their....