My next project - Tadpole Trike

[Dockspa1]

"The price I pay for living outside so called civilization."
Ahh, Van, the price we pay for living in our so called Civilization IMO is far worse.
I don't live in the city, so at least I have that.

 

[Alaskavan]

The Wheel is here, the wheel is here

Alrighty now. James Burkman (The Wheelmaster) is the man. This sucker looks like it will handle anything short of a 30 mph impact. And it's purty.





The second pic is about life size of the 10g spokes. Solid.
James added the tire, tube, and chrome valve cap.
Thank you James.

Tomorrow I'll set everything out and measure stuff to verify that it will all fit together. If that goes well, the next step will be cutting and welding.

 

[beast775]

wheels

i might look into gettin a set this spring,that wheel is amazing.does he have a website alaskavan?

 

[Dockspa1]

Wow, That wheel looks strong. Looks like you could put it on a Harley.
No bent spokes in the future for you my friend.

 

[Alaskavan]

Hi Mark, the website is:

http://www.thewheelmaster.com/

Hey Doc, I think it's more impressive in person. All the posts I've read about busted spokes,... It would take a Monster engine to provide enough torque to cause any problem for this wheel. It would take some work to mount a Gebe ring on a 26" made like this, but there would be No spoke breakage. Ever.
I'm likin' it.

It might have cost a bit, but I won't ever need to buy another rear wheel for this ride. Easily worth it.

 

[imperfectionst]

I would ride one of those of there were no cars on the road. Isn't it too low to be safe?

 

[zumer]

If the steering's too quick, rather than changing the geometry, you could consider adding a steering damper like a lot of motorbikes have?

 

[Alaskavan]

1) Safety: I am a little extra careful when riding in the Downtown area. Here, that's 2 blocks (that I rarely ride). On the plus side. If I was to hit a suddenly opened door, I'd hit it with my feet, not my chin.

2) Steering: I got used to it pretty quick. Since I put a dual pull brake lever on it, I don't use the brakes to drift corners, or snap 90 degree turns. I kinda miss that.

 

[Alaskavan]

Test fitting The Wheel

I went to the shop today to test fit The Wheel.

First, I thought I'd show you how I put a rack on there. I took a front rack and cut some braces. Looks almost like it's supposed to be used like that, doesn't it? When I get done, I plan to reinforce and modify the rack so that it will be the frame for a rear fairing that will be strong enough to hold a b***h seat.


A couple of shots of the shop. It seems like no matter how much space you have, there's always stuff to fill it.




The old wheel and The Wheel. Even with this poor resolution you can see how much more substantial the new one is.


Here's The Wheel mounted, with the left-side freewheel and strap brake. The frame strap for the brake is made to attach to a regular frame. It'll be simple to create a frame hanger for it. It's snug, but the outside portions don't move, so it's all good. The dropouts are vertical, so I'll probably need a chain tensioner, but the clearances look pretty good. Without a chain tensioner, I think the chain would just barely rub the frame.


The Wheel is true. There is a hair over 1 1/2" on the right for the freewheel. My 8-speed cassette is about 1 9/16" wide, so I'm hoping a 7-speed freewheel will fit. I ordered one today from Nashbar (None of the ones in the Parts Pile where good enough). It is 13 - 34. I would have liked to have an 11t for high gear, but this should do. I also ordered a 62t chainring to replace my 53t. The 62t is standard for RAN's recumbents, so it's relatively cheap $55. The next larger size starts around $125.


I also pulled the boom out and tested the frame extension bar for fit. It kooks good to me. Next step is to make arrangements for cutting and welding. This being a fishing town, there are some good aluminum welders around.

 

[Dockspa1]

Can't wait to see the finished project Van. Won't be long now when we see other Tadpoles trying to look like yours.
I built a 24x50 shop and after 2 years had to add a 14x16 storage shed on the back.
Still running out of room. Now that I'm sorta disabled it should stay good for awhile.
Ya, you can sure see the difference on those wheels when you put them next to each other.