SimpleSimon
Active Member
I don't own a camera, so no pictures have been taken.
Right now I have a tadpole trike of my own design and construction which cost me $68.19 for wheel/tires - front two are 5 spoke resin 20" wheels with 1.5" tires I got for $25 each, the rear is a 26" wheel from a donated salvage bike with a $14.50 Walmart 2.125" tire and a $3.69 tube. I spent $12.89 on a box of 3/16" welding rods, about half used up. The 1.5" x 1.5" x .125" angle iron in the frame was "found" materials (old bed frames). The two headtubes came from salvage bikes (thanks, Dave!), the steering linkage is a combination of parts from a salvaged four-wheeler and a disassembled "found" chrome floor lamp. The Shimano three-speed hub mid-drive I already had ($20, used, 5 yrs ago). The GEBE drive ring and R/S EHO-35 engine I got from a friend, used, for $50. So far, that's !51.08. The rear shock came from a salvage mountain bike.
*"found" - items acquired by picking them up curbside before the garbage truck comes down the street.
I have no lights on it as yet. The fuel tank started life as a Heineken beer mini-keg - I might have $5 in it, as the keg was a donation. The seat began life in an office as a reclining executive swivel desk chair - it was given to me as useless by the owner when the shock in the seat column failed. The steering yoke came out of a Cessna 152, gotten from the local airport mechanic for free. I might have $10 in chain links to bring together the various salvaged chains. The pivot point jackshaft and two freewheel 12 tooth sprockets I salvaged from a previous build.
So, well under $200 invested, plus who knows how many hours spent fabricating it - cutting angle iron with a hacksaw is tedious, as is grinding/filing joint surfaces. The sheer enjoyment of building it and riding it is priceless. Freaking out cops is worth the $200 by itself - I have a prescription letter for it from my Dr as a "handicapped mobility device", so they can't ticket me.
Yes, it is pedalable - I always start it by pull starting the engine, then getting to about 3-5 mph with my legs before running up the throttle (thumb throttle, also salvaged). Front brakes are discs I salvaged from my previous delta trike conversion (fabricating the mounting hubs to mate them to the cast resin wheels was a REALLY tedious task) , as of right now there is no rear brake.
It will hit 28 mph, but I mostly cruise under 20.
Steering geometry is full Ackermann and zero point - at speed I can make a square turn on a street corner with no wheel scrub at all.
I suppose I can claim it is an under $200 custom trike. I could also (if I claimed the hours I spent researching, designing and building it, at $15/hr), claim it is at least a $30,000 custom trike. All any of us has to invest is our time and efforts, in the end. If we count the hours and begrudge their cost, none of us will ever build anything.
Right now I have a tadpole trike of my own design and construction which cost me $68.19 for wheel/tires - front two are 5 spoke resin 20" wheels with 1.5" tires I got for $25 each, the rear is a 26" wheel from a donated salvage bike with a $14.50 Walmart 2.125" tire and a $3.69 tube. I spent $12.89 on a box of 3/16" welding rods, about half used up. The 1.5" x 1.5" x .125" angle iron in the frame was "found" materials (old bed frames). The two headtubes came from salvage bikes (thanks, Dave!), the steering linkage is a combination of parts from a salvaged four-wheeler and a disassembled "found" chrome floor lamp. The Shimano three-speed hub mid-drive I already had ($20, used, 5 yrs ago). The GEBE drive ring and R/S EHO-35 engine I got from a friend, used, for $50. So far, that's !51.08. The rear shock came from a salvage mountain bike.
*"found" - items acquired by picking them up curbside before the garbage truck comes down the street.
I have no lights on it as yet. The fuel tank started life as a Heineken beer mini-keg - I might have $5 in it, as the keg was a donation. The seat began life in an office as a reclining executive swivel desk chair - it was given to me as useless by the owner when the shock in the seat column failed. The steering yoke came out of a Cessna 152, gotten from the local airport mechanic for free. I might have $10 in chain links to bring together the various salvaged chains. The pivot point jackshaft and two freewheel 12 tooth sprockets I salvaged from a previous build.
So, well under $200 invested, plus who knows how many hours spent fabricating it - cutting angle iron with a hacksaw is tedious, as is grinding/filing joint surfaces. The sheer enjoyment of building it and riding it is priceless. Freaking out cops is worth the $200 by itself - I have a prescription letter for it from my Dr as a "handicapped mobility device", so they can't ticket me.
Yes, it is pedalable - I always start it by pull starting the engine, then getting to about 3-5 mph with my legs before running up the throttle (thumb throttle, also salvaged). Front brakes are discs I salvaged from my previous delta trike conversion (fabricating the mounting hubs to mate them to the cast resin wheels was a REALLY tedious task) , as of right now there is no rear brake.
It will hit 28 mph, but I mostly cruise under 20.
Steering geometry is full Ackermann and zero point - at speed I can make a square turn on a street corner with no wheel scrub at all.
I suppose I can claim it is an under $200 custom trike. I could also (if I claimed the hours I spent researching, designing and building it, at $15/hr), claim it is at least a $30,000 custom trike. All any of us has to invest is our time and efforts, in the end. If we count the hours and begrudge their cost, none of us will ever build anything.
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