Urban Fatbiker
Well-Known Member
Short time lurker, but figured its time to post about my newest creation and plan for the next. SO....hello y'all.
My cycling ended with my teens, and so did the hobby aspect of it. But, a bit of life came along and prompted me to do something....or die. That story is at this link.
Why The Urban Fatbiker?
The story covers the first half of 2017 where I went from sick guy to cyclist. Until this point I had not ridden a bicycle since 1982. The ride that goes with that story is a 26" fatbike, aluminum frame, fitted for the street and for an old man with prostate cancer. I rode that thing thru the radiation treatments, and 10 days later rode it in the Tour De Nash.
View media item 61694
After the Tour, I had radioactive seed implants. That put me off any kind of upright seat for over a YEAR. And I had no money for a recumbent. But I had scrap bikes. By Labor Day I was riding, and yes it looked like crap. This was a learning experience, but it was also an emergency. I was NOT giving up cycling! It had to roll, no paint, pillows strapped to the back, on Wallyworld hardware. Tiller steering wheel-flopping monster. But I rode it and was happy to be back in the street.
View media item 61695
By spring, the junkpile had transformed to a sweet ride. I stripped a Trek MTB for hardware, made an expansion-spring seat support, new custom forks, even a cooler rack and bluetooth speaker mount.
View media item 61696
Rode it in last year's Tour De Nash. That was 5 months after I was terminated from my employer of 23 years. The hits keep on coming. But, I always fight back.
OK. Getting healthier, feeling committed to the cause, and I LOVE cycling. But I am old. And I would like to extend the range. So, I started lurking here, checked laws, looked at what I had on hand, that included another bike I had bought from Goodwill.
Wanted to keep it simple...but just didn't want that engine hanging off the side. So, the Buzzbike is what I came up with using a Ryobi 30cc. I will make a build thread on this, still need to tear it down and clean it up, but hey, had to ride. It works well. I swapped rear sprockets a few times to add torque, first too little (but a screamer in the flats), next too much, touch the throttle, the drive roller breaks loose. The final works well, and takes small grades, and lets me take larger grades without busting my balls. A success. Got about 60 miles on it so far, but its dead of winter, give me some warmth and Ima rolling. The DIY exhaust gives it more dirt-bike character. Pics from last weekend before the bitter cold ran me back inside.
I am now prepping the next construction for riding the 15th Annual Tour De Nash. Another 70" wheelbase LWB recumbent, only this time I have a plan from start to finish, much better hardware, better donor bikes NO wallyworld. Building it with two BB for easier future power. It will get Maxxis Hookworms for that Urban Fatbiker-Longbike look. I will be making a detail construction thread on bentrideronline. FINALLY started cutting tubes this week. I gotta get on it or I'll be riding last year's longbike for the TDN.
Either that, or ride the buzzbike without buzz. That'll rattle the tree-huggers and clean air activist crowd, and the lycra-clad team riders.
After the Tour the NEW longbike will be getting a motor...that will be another build thread for HERE. I have an idea for friction drive / chain drive hybrid, using a mower wheel on the rear BB of the next longbike, driving the crankset, and front BB sprocket will be a freewheel, using pivot for lift clutch. I need gears, its hilly around here!
Then what da hell, I'll be an Urban Fatbiker / Longbiker / Buzzbiker.
Got more lurking to do, lot to learn.
My cycling ended with my teens, and so did the hobby aspect of it. But, a bit of life came along and prompted me to do something....or die. That story is at this link.
Why The Urban Fatbiker?
The story covers the first half of 2017 where I went from sick guy to cyclist. Until this point I had not ridden a bicycle since 1982. The ride that goes with that story is a 26" fatbike, aluminum frame, fitted for the street and for an old man with prostate cancer. I rode that thing thru the radiation treatments, and 10 days later rode it in the Tour De Nash.
View media item 61694
After the Tour, I had radioactive seed implants. That put me off any kind of upright seat for over a YEAR. And I had no money for a recumbent. But I had scrap bikes. By Labor Day I was riding, and yes it looked like crap. This was a learning experience, but it was also an emergency. I was NOT giving up cycling! It had to roll, no paint, pillows strapped to the back, on Wallyworld hardware. Tiller steering wheel-flopping monster. But I rode it and was happy to be back in the street.
View media item 61695
By spring, the junkpile had transformed to a sweet ride. I stripped a Trek MTB for hardware, made an expansion-spring seat support, new custom forks, even a cooler rack and bluetooth speaker mount.
View media item 61696
Rode it in last year's Tour De Nash. That was 5 months after I was terminated from my employer of 23 years. The hits keep on coming. But, I always fight back.
OK. Getting healthier, feeling committed to the cause, and I LOVE cycling. But I am old. And I would like to extend the range. So, I started lurking here, checked laws, looked at what I had on hand, that included another bike I had bought from Goodwill.
Wanted to keep it simple...but just didn't want that engine hanging off the side. So, the Buzzbike is what I came up with using a Ryobi 30cc. I will make a build thread on this, still need to tear it down and clean it up, but hey, had to ride. It works well. I swapped rear sprockets a few times to add torque, first too little (but a screamer in the flats), next too much, touch the throttle, the drive roller breaks loose. The final works well, and takes small grades, and lets me take larger grades without busting my balls. A success. Got about 60 miles on it so far, but its dead of winter, give me some warmth and Ima rolling. The DIY exhaust gives it more dirt-bike character. Pics from last weekend before the bitter cold ran me back inside.
I am now prepping the next construction for riding the 15th Annual Tour De Nash. Another 70" wheelbase LWB recumbent, only this time I have a plan from start to finish, much better hardware, better donor bikes NO wallyworld. Building it with two BB for easier future power. It will get Maxxis Hookworms for that Urban Fatbiker-Longbike look. I will be making a detail construction thread on bentrideronline. FINALLY started cutting tubes this week. I gotta get on it or I'll be riding last year's longbike for the TDN.
Either that, or ride the buzzbike without buzz. That'll rattle the tree-huggers and clean air activist crowd, and the lycra-clad team riders.
After the Tour the NEW longbike will be getting a motor...that will be another build thread for HERE. I have an idea for friction drive / chain drive hybrid, using a mower wheel on the rear BB of the next longbike, driving the crankset, and front BB sprocket will be a freewheel, using pivot for lift clutch. I need gears, its hilly around here!
Then what da hell, I'll be an Urban Fatbiker / Longbiker / Buzzbiker.
Got more lurking to do, lot to learn.
