carbon fiber trike

[hamburger]

i want to build a carbon fiber trike that is like the ones that have like 63 speeds from 3 dérailleurs ( Derailers ) and use a very small motor like a weed eater motor and run it through the gears. with 63 speeds you should never have to pedal it.

i want to make a small basket behind the seat for trips to the store.

i like the idea of a diesel. but i can not find one.

any ideas and thought are welcome.

[kawboyCAFE]

i would use aluminum if i was you. you would spend a fortune using carbon fiber. its EXPENSIVE. use aluminum, chainsaw motor, and a large plastic tote. plus your gear setup.

[Varn]

Why not make a hybrid and pedal it a bit to get it going.Or for assist on a steep hill. It would be much more eco that way. I have had my pedal powered carbon/fiberglass/steel trike to 49mph. A friend won a 200 mile bicycle race by 30 minutes in his two wheeled streamliner after having to push it up steep hills.

Eco is not about using motors burning electricity or fuel. Anyone that uses the internet is burning unnecessary energy. Self included.

To answer your question, there is a 3.5 hp Chinese diesel available online.

Carbon is not that expensive if you do it yourself. It takes a lot of time however. Make your prototype of DOM steel or purchase a prebuilt unit to get the hang of it. Start making your parts from fiberglass and start with non structural parts.
Good luck.

[Grant-53]

Price carbon fiber supplies at US Composites. Aluminum honeycomb is cheaper and bends rather cracking in a crash. I have yet to find a diesel engine under 200cc. Three derailleurs and 63 gears is overkill with many duplicate ratios. Price some trikes at bicycleman.com or any other reputable dealer. You can buy engine kits online or a commercial small engine, a centrifical clutch, and a #60 chain gear for the rear wheel. See Blue Sky Designs parts listings. I like internal gear hubs so I would get a Shimano 10 spd unit with a disc brake and weld a flat 22T sprocket to the larger chain gear. Add a tensioner if you need one. Pay attention to aerodynamics with a good fairing from Mueller or Zzipper and a tapered rear seat bag. If you shop around you should build a decent machine for $3,000 USD. I have a 23cc two-stroke chain saw engine (1 hp) that pushed my upright bike with a motorcycle windscreen to 25 mph on the level.

[NeilBlanchard]

Ask the Electrathon guys, like Dave Cloud or C. Michael Lewis about electric drive in "bicycles".

[Varn]

Grant53 Gear hubs cost a lot of energy. I won the streamliner series with one but gave up a lot the last race. Derailleurs are much more efficient.

Here is a picture of my coroplast Mueller faired bike.