Presenting the Redneck Recumbent

[Frank Lee]

Scary!

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Art? It looks like a functional way to re-arrange my huge bicycle junk pile; then only the bottom bikes would be buried in snow.

Frank has a huge bicycle junk pile? +1 status point!

My bicycle junk pile barely qualifies as "fledgling".

[Christ]

My Bicycle junk pile isn't in a pile, but is junk. Most of it qualifies as tinker-metal. Spokes make good welding filler.

[Frank Lee]

I used to run a bike shop and there's waaaaay too much "inventory" sitting around here still.

[TimG]

Nice looking ride, Frank. Can't wait to see it cabled up and functional.

If you do made a low-rider, usually people wear gloves and use their hands to balance at stops...don't have to unclip the pedals that way.

Several other sites you might like:
Other people have built them this way:
www.cruzbike.com | recumbent bicycles

Maybe a redneck, definitely a crazy man:
Joe Kochanowski's Homebuilt Bents

Nifty invention for front wheel drive, the stites hub:
Stites Design | Bikes, Trikes, Tricycle, Transport, Electric, Cargo, Portland

Since Frank likes wood:
XnTRICK Cycles

If you're tempted to do rear wheel steer:
RWSB-page (rear wheel steered bicycles)

[Frank Lee]

Before & After:



Before & After:


Even though we had a real live blizzard 11 days ago, it has since thawed and the bike isn't frozen to the ground anymore. Time for ch-ch-changes...

Next step is to hack the headtube off and rake it out.

So far there are $0.00 worth of parts bought for it and perhaps a few pennies worth of electricity for lights and running some power tools.

[Piwoslaw]

Ooooh, so now it's a lowrider/chopper

How far have you gone on MKII? I can see two potential problems:

• The wheelbase is so long that it probably has a huge turning radius,
• The front wheel is way ahead of the steering tube, which wouldn't make steering easy.

[Frank Lee]

I've already gone 10x further on MKII than MKI. It definitely doesn't turn as sharp as a standard bicycle; however, at 65" wheelbase it is the same as many other recumbents.

The front wheel being that far ahead doesn't make for hard steering- in fact it turns too easily and sort of wants to swing around back and caster- hence the need for more rake. When I rake it out I think I'll reduce the trail... or, more likely, I'll try the drive fork the way it is and if I hate it I'll straighten it out. Just like with the rake- I knew the theory but tested it anyway; now I know it's reality for this contraption at least.

P.S. That excess framework on the bottom of the "drive fork" will go away eventually.

Yes I realize it's much uglier than MKI... with the changes soon to come it should look better and even if not, hopefully it'll get covered up with bodywork...

[euromodder]

I like the ingenuity in the Mk.I better though.

Mk.II seems like it could have some issues with frame torsion due to the long frame tubes.
Looks like it could do with 1 or 2 extra bracing struts between the tubes.

Those 20" tyres certainly look high drag.

[Frank Lee]

^I agree on all counts.

MK I had a purity of design that MK II lacks. But while it looked better sitting there in the pic, it was much more difficult to ride- to the point of unpleasantness- and it wouldn't accomodate a streamliner shell. Now the pics of MK I are all that remain of it in that form. I could certainly duplicate it but I don't want to and unless one moves the seat up near the headtube ala Cruzbike, it's not a user-friendly layout.

The long frame tubes stiffen right up when I put little brace tubes between 'em. It's amazing how effective those little braces are; the frame was so springy it was like a suspension component without 'em. I'm not through hacking and tacking yet and you are exactly right, I plan on putting two more in there.

The 20" tires may or may not roll harder than the 26"ers. For sure the front tire is not a low r.r. design; but the back one might be OK. The main criteria for my tire choices at this juncture was that they hold air. I do have some nice fancy-dancy all-aluminum BMX wheels waiting in the wings if R.R. MKII progresses to where I think it deserves them, and if they go on I would probably BUY some NEW tires!!!