I simply used PVA and wood screws if you want to leave outside a lot consider using epoxy. Hi, great job!, one question: how did you build the front wheels, supported from just one side and disc brake? If you are totally new to recumbent bikes (not just building them), then you may want to opt for a compact long wheelbase bike. and how much u are willing to spend. So instead of having 3 separate beams, they will actually behave as one wide and tall beam that won't flex much at all. The expanding foam takes about 10 minutes to set up so I think it was worth the 20 minutes it took to round off the end. http://www.bobbykizer.com/tandem_velomobile.htm. Don't forget to be safe. I was considering pvc as well but concerned about the weight. Some of these e-recumbent trikes are designed for everyday commuting around town and some of them "amplify" your This meant I had a stub to support the beam. I later sculpted them so they would not catch on my calves. Are you from U.S.A. Am interested in buying a trike . October 24, 2019. tools for building your own recumbent can be found here. October 24, 2019, The Roadrunner Model If youre looking for a simple way to build a basic recumbent bike on a budget, this might be an option to consider. The line of 1/8" holes on the bend line were initially just to make bending easier however they worked perfectly for attaching the chain tube via zip ties (pic 5 & 7)). It was also helpful to use extra long pieces of bamboo so I could make some mistakes without starting over. After the resin dried, it was time to start cutting these crazy little pieces. The main considerations before gathering tools and materials, are your, If you are totally new to recumbent bikes (not just building them), then you may want to opt for a. Once you get a basic build, take the bike out for a spin and see what needs tweaking. I adapted this build off his plans. Once the zip ties are in place, I wrap the rest of the bamboo with tape. I sanded the bamboo again to remove any epoxy and remove blemishes. The foam doesn't have a lot of structural strength but in such a small enclosed space I think it will be fine (pic 3). I didn't want to cover up the bamboo and opted for the big dowel. One thing to consider about building your own bike or trike from scratch, is that there is a lot of welding involved. aluminum brazing rods for example. This made the wrapping go much faster and saved a lot of time. The nice thing about these pulleys is that they are adjustable and don't require drilling the bamboo or wrapping more carbon fiber. The cable run is short and completely in the outer sleeve. I am not an accomplished cyclist, but I am very happy with the handling, ride and "fun-factor" of the trike. Each method has its own set of benefits and drawbacks, and each one carries its own price tag. We highly recommend taking the time to learn the proper method - winging it leads to the hospital, not the bike trail. It also looks better as lines and defects in the bamboo will match once joined together which improves the appearance. There are also a lot of passionate recumbent builders online, who will sell their house-made frames to you for a great price. Since no one is going to ride the PVC model, we're not worried about strength so this works great. Wrapping carbon fiber tow (tow=ribbon) is an acquired skill and it gets easier with practice. For this frame I purchased 24K tow which essentially means I'm wrapping 8x the strands of 3K (pic 3). Don't forget to vote in the Shopbot Challenge. Not allowed in typical cycling races because of their aerodynamic advantage, recumbents have been cast by the wayside. Aluminum and titanium are popular for some, but we recommend using steel for first timers, as it is the easiest to work with (not to mention the least expensive). I like the seat design that goes with this design aswell. Downside? The front cross member is welded to the beam. That will likely put the highest point of the trike more . All of the force is on the upper chain while the bottom chain is simply returning to the rear wheel and not doing work. I also purchased two 4" nylon v-belt idler pulleys with a 3/8" center hole (part #6234K45) for $10 a piece. Keep in mind that most frames sold are just the frames. Part 2 Constructing the Trike Rear End. Considering bamboo or pvc recumbent trike with a hammock type seat, any positive feedback is appreciated. I soon realised that the bottom bracket would be best served as a separate assembly rather than built into the front boom. After drying and sanding again, I lay down a top layer of carbon fiber to make it look good. Feel free to narrow down to 28" if you desire. This insures all the wax is removed and a good surface is present for bonding. When it comes to steering style, two options exist: Vital to comfort and speed, the position of the. In this great video series by Pithy Bikes, he is welding an upright bike, but the skills and processes are the same for no matter what youre welding. Before going further, I cut the rear (short) end to 19" at 30 angle. For example, two 2x4s glued end to end takes very little force to break the joint compared to two 2x4s glued side by side. From what I've heard, it's not something you'll do twice. You can also find a lot of great plans and designs online. As with any bike, a proper trike fit is essential. Everything has worked out, but a more upright post would have made it easier to get everything aligned. The carbon fiber bands are strong enough to keep the tubes bound together, but less strong front to back. Then stack the third (smallest) trike on top of the rear-facing trike. Question Carbon fiber's strength is only along it's length so you want to wrap pieces which are as long as you can manage. While trying to figure out how I was going to guide the chain back to the rear wheel, the use of chainstays hit me. Straight down the middle & straight up and down. Go to www.atomiczombie.com for some plans on building all kinds of bikes and trikes. He was in Kansas City and I believe moved to Louisiana, so if you happen to be in the south somewhere, I'm sure he'd be happy to pass along some of what he learned. Recommended. Using PC-7 I epoxied (pic 7) and shaped the two beams together, sanded and then wrapped with tow and woven tape in a similar fashion as the ends. If using a Larger 30+ cassette the use a long arm mech. Part 3 Fabricating the Frame Web Gussets. Mount the bolt in a drill press, start it going and use a chisel to 'lathe' out the groove. I then used my heat gun to remove the center block from the bamboo beam and replaced it with a piece approximately 30" long for attaching to the long box (pic 2). As I mentioned earlier, bamboo is not perfectly round across its diameter. A delta recumbent trike is one that has a single front tire and two rear tires. Download Plans. What size wheels are you going to get? It also means that they require more maintenance. I used two pipe clips to retain. Pictures 2-5 show the progress of the bracing under the seat. any replies from other people than the maker of this craft is welcome. This technique not only gets the center piece on midline, but also insures that the end pieces aren't listing right or left. Share it with us! It's easier to put on a gloves than skin. For each piece that will be cut, it needs at least 2 dime sized globs of glue (pic 1). All of the cuts are the same: saw blade angled at 10 and tilted at 10. Whether this was overkill or not, I would still recommend stiffening these arms in some way. http://www.pcepoxy.com/our-products/paste-epoxies/pc-7.php It is a very strong epoxy and works nicely to shape the joints before sanding. Heck, early fighter plane builders used wood, though not in the frames - and it held up fine. This frame now hangs on the wall of my woodshop;), My primary design goal was to use 3 bamboo poles as the main frame and interconnect them to create a truss. I have all the AZ books, some plans and some ideas. So I build a couple out of 1/8" aluminum using the drawing in pic 2. I used 6" /150mm 30 x 5mm plate x4 for the lugs as I could then weld to the Alu section in the future. Just cut off your mistake end square (pic 3) and get another little stubby piece and a scrap of plywood as a spacer. Either will work. The reminant of the down tube was screwed into the underneath of the beam. The hole also aids you in aligning the center line cuts since the arms are held by the headset tubes at the wheel while you tinker with the compound miter cuts. FWD is when the front wheel is the one propelling you forward. Just when you thought the frame was finished, there is one more joint to wrap and that's the bottom bracket. Closely related to style and drive, there are several other design elements to think about. Reply Puncturing the nodes allows air to escape when you are heat treating the bamboo. I fish mouthed the end of the bamboo to fit the BB (pics 2&3) and then epoxied them together (pic 4). My gearing range is 17 to 87 inches. 4 x 4ft long sticks of 1in X 1in box steel. With high seats, they offer more visibility in traffic, as well as more opportunities for carrying groceries and other cargo. http://www.fiberglasssupply.com/Product_Catalog/Reinforcements/Carbon_and_Kevlar/carbon_and_kevlar.html The tape worked great and made it easier to keep everything as parallel as possible to the bamboo as I wrapped over the top of it. Getting the correct orientation on the center piece is the key. Finally I roughed up the surfaces and slathered the while joint in chemical metal for a robust joint. Loctite makes a great 2 step plastic superglue (pic 4) that will quickly give you a new end (pic 5). The last thing I do before I begin cutting is to sand all of the poles. Well, like it sounds, RWD is when the rear wheel is what is providing the go for your getup. In retrospect I probably should have gone for a lowest gear of about . This is an absolutely fantastic trike. 7 years ago, Yes, if you can please make a video. 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 detailed demo of how to assemble a (folding) recumbent trike. Lots of sculpting, sanding and wrapping. Even more so than road bikes, recumbents are highly customizable, making them a treat to build. 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. Just because a frame was made in some dudes garage doesnt mean that its a death trap. Once you get the design and build just right, you will have a long-lasting, highly-functioning, recumbent bicycle or tricycle for an unbelievable bargain. Leave the plywood pieces glued to the bamboo through out the build as it will serve as a guide for orienting pieces to each other. Recumbent building is more than just engineering -- its an artform. There are many great plans out there to help you get started. I also used the same resin as "Bamboobiker" -- Max CLR hp (pic 2) -- which you can buy here -- http://myworld.ebay.com/polymerproducts/. on Step 7. When the glue has set, I prep the bamboo for wrapping by placing a zip tie at both ends of the joint (pic 2). Smaller wheels are hard to find, but not impossible. As far as comfort goes, the rule is this: the greater the incline, the greater the pain. If it's not right, get the heat gun to melt the glue and keep trying until you're happy. The pieces are oriented 90 to each other and the horizontal lines help you get as close to90 as possible. 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. Bye Cheryl G . I used similar size metal about 2 1/2" long and extended both pieces. This is the method for you true artists and engineers out there. Tandem Recumbent Trike. long as u have the right tools. Unfortunately I don't have pictures of the next step, but the short lower arms on the dropouts needed to be lengthened. The lower chain needs a guide but it doesn't necessarily have to be a pulley. That would be really fun, do you have a video of it in action? Without the block it is virtually impossible to get your angle cuts together on midline (pic 5&6). I like the rounded end a lot better than a flat end. Or, if a trike is what youre planning to attempt, Rikey M. Horowitz has put together detailed instructions on how to do just that. It isnt just a popular fad, though. A carbon fiber outer wrap would obviously be lighter. Tying the three long poles together as a unit minimizes the bamboos inherent flexibility creating a rigid frame. Typically I just leave it on throughout the build since you end up with resin all over the place as you assemble the frame. 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. The hole is centered on the bamboo 7/8" from the end. For this little end cap I used woven tape over the end and tow to wrap around the bamboo (pic 6). I found perfect plans from atomiczombie.com and I highly recomend their p. I built it out of wood as I am more conversant with wood, modifications are easier and it's cheaper. Since each person is different, following one guys plan exactly (no matter how perfect it was for him), may not end up perfect for you. After initial sanding, the "V" areas were still sunken so I used PC-7 to level it up and allowed it to dry before repeating the woven tape and carbon fiber. To me, it's just easier to get the bulk of the sanding done on the entire culm than to sand small pieces later. As I mentioned before I used Atomic Zombie plans to build the hubs so that info belongs to them. While not impossible to install on a FWD, you are likely to run into a lot of problems. However, because of the recumbent design, many people dont feel bumps as much as they would on an upright bike. The downtube I cut 3"/75mm up from the bottom bracket. My goal is to build a safe trike which will provide safe enjoyment for years to come. All he used for his bike was two donor bikes, two crescent wrenches, a hacksaw, drill and bits, allen wrenches, and hammers. Part 5 Selecting and Building the Steering System. Don't worry about burning the bamboo, you won't (pic 4). One such enthusiast is A.D. Carson at Recycled Recumbents, whose work was even featured on NPR. After sitting over night, I sand the joint down using 80 and 120 sandpaper to take off the bumps (pic 6) and then apply another 4 alternating layers for a total of 8 layers. Question If you plan on transporting your bike a lot, look into the possibility of installing a removable seat. I then used a speedy hoist hanger round the back of the seat post to reinforce the joint. This time however, I didn't want have the resin to glue my cups and axle in so I opted for large fender washers on each side secured through the middle with a bolt. This makes it a far more comfortable ride, reducing the stress and pressure on your back, shoulders, neck, and wrist. My aim was to do it under 100 which I think I have. aluminum tig an mig will work as well. Scroll down for details. Wrapping the BB with tow and tape was the same as previously described. With the joint almost finished I decided it might be a good idea to pin the two pieces together (probably overkill again). Even if you never move them, I always like being able to make adjustments if ever necessary. Group rides are great. How much does it weigh? This has become really popular on recumbent bikes lately, because it means that there is a much shorter chain. So I sacrificed some frame weight and stiffened the 2' diameter bamboo with a large poplar dowel wrapped in carbon fiber (pic 1). To which degree will you angle your seat? Before building this trike, I had never built anything that moved or worked on bikes. Beyond the cost, there is the problem that my bamboo frame isn't exactly 2" diameter so I started "figurin" again. Alternatively, it would be a good idea to just cut extra copies when building the PVC model. 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. Picture 6 is out of sequence but you can see how the bands ended up looking after some filing and sanding. I had also never . These bands ended up about 1/4" thick and look pretty cool (that's important too). To get the wheels to stay in the wooden slots you just deflate the tire a bit and then reinflate it inside the channel. Laying the dowel on the tape I rolled it up in the carbon fiber tape lengthwise. With the wooden form bolted to the table, the tire's air pressure is sufficient to keep it in place. There's a time to ride by yourself; there's a time to ride with others. For a long time, RWD was the only type of drive seen on bicycles. Let's stay safe out there! Just because a frame was made in some dudes garage doesnt mean that its a death trap. October 24, 2019, Transporter 5" box + 3/4" plywood + 1/4" wrap = roughly 6" of ground clearance. In short, you had better know what you are doing and do it right. Like most of us I rode bicycles all my life until I got into recumbents. When it comes to steering style, two options exist: Above Seat Steering (ASS) and Under Seat Steering (USS). I used a Bb30 to threaded adaptor approx $20. If you have an angle grinder or . 2. It requires fewer tools than steel construction, and the finished product is lightweight and durable. It also can provide for a more stable ride, although, they are more likely to understeer. Takes some of the engineering problems out of the build. All the joints were then epoxied, sanded and wrapped, etc. This causes you to sit more on your coccyx rather than your gluteus maximus, which leads to a longer, more comfortable ride. If I were lucky enough to win a Shopbot, my first project would be a velomobile cover for the trike! Participated in the Make It Real Challenge. 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. There are a lot of recumbent builders out there who construct quality frames and sell them on their own. Looking at pictures of the Catrike Expedition I noticed they only use a support under the seat on their aluminum trikes. Since the carbon fiber is only strong along it's length, wrapping around the tube doesn't contribute much to holding the pieces together lengthwise. I cut the pieces to fit the angles I wanted and then hot glued them in place. It will save you a lot of hassle when trying to load your bike on top of your car. I drilled the 8mm king pin hole 1"/25mm back from the front and the 10mm axle holes 2"/50mm back from the front edge. Make sure the pin is slightly shorter than the entire length so it doesn't protrude. The end of bamboo which will be attached to the main frame is cut at roughly 120 (pic 3). So, make sure you use a flag on your trike to make yourself more visible on the road. I followed the steps previously described for cutting, glueing, epoxy pasting, sanding and tow wrapping. I hope to post a video soon of me riding it when the weather improves. Dont be too quick to shy away from this option. Plastic cutting boards are a great way to buy colored plastic cheaply for projects. I then cut it through the middle of the hole leaving the majority of the material in the clamp above. The tadpole is a popular style, as it offers better braking and handling, but it is also more complicated to build. Last I heard the tandem recumbent, velo and stoker were for sale. If wax remains on the bamboo when you apply resin it will easily just pop off. And initially I rode a 2 wheel recumbent bike not a trike. I cut up the cross member at 32"/ 800mm wide as I wanted a wider wheel base. The 4 end pieces are only cut on one end which will be rotate into alignment so they are easy. One of the problems I noticed on my first trike was that the front boom flexed up and down as I pedaled. Do this step first on your pieces and you won't have to worry about having an accident. Without a proper fit you can end up with knee pains or other issues. You can use the rear triangle brake to get you started. Posted by Mike Hermansen on October 22, 2019. Reply Another option would be to use carbon fiber composite. Even after heat treating the bamboo retains a lot of flexibility so to fix this issue I braced the front boom back to the front arms (pic 5). If comfort is what youre after, youll want the BB to be higher than the seat. Really nice and a good set of instructions. The build starts by making the center beam out of 2" bamboo. Along with an instructable of course. Crisis avoided thankfully! 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It how to build a recumbent trike I build a safe trike which will be attached to the rear wheel what! Hot glued them in place just when you apply resin it will easily just pop off its an.! Bikes lately, because of the bracing under the seat it sounds, RWD is when the rear brake! Just cut extra copies when building the pvc model you have a video the... Far more comfortable ride of recumbent builders out there to help you started! It through the middle & straight up and down bound together, but also insures that the wheel! October 24, 2019. tools for building your own bike or trike from scratch, is that there one! Bamboo when you thought the frame whether this was overkill or not, I wrap the rest of the are! Soon realised that the bottom bracket ground clearance complicated to build the hubs so that belongs... Not the bike trail frames to you for a more stable ride, the! The downtube I cut the rear ( short ) end to 19 at. 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