A new bike build (picture heavy)

[chunkolini]

Looks promising, lengthening the wheel base avoid the tendency to wheelie like hell, a good thing when you are this tall.
Seat post? gallons of WD40 or plus gas, then sometimes giving it a stern belt from above can help to unseize it, or weld a big tube to the top at 90 degrees and use it to twist the sucker out. Last one we did that to came out smoking from friction.
Bottom bracket, they need a special tool that locks into the splines, turn both of them towards the front of the bike.
Watch out for the chainline fouling on the rear stays, mine just brushes them and has not been a problem is a hundreds miles. I had to fit a small jockey wheel by the bottom bottom bracket

Forks? I would reccomend using twin crown forks and bracing them, they are under massive strain.
Bracing the front triangle? I reckon this might even weaken it, lots of heat going into an already welded join.
Here is Godzuki, Son of Godzilla.


Remember doing this kind of thing is officially stupid. But you can make twenty people smile by going to the shops, in my eye that makes it damn cool. Just never fall off it in public.
Last thought, check out how the pedals come and see if you can hop up that high, being able to free mount is essential.

 

[Lanzecki]

Chunkolini,

I have that pic on my laptop from a few years ago. Flattery being what it is, I'm stealing the idea.

And you told me I had to build one next. I obey!

After the kids chopper and standing there with the mock up and a tape measure I'm gonna make a type of fake springer front end to spread the load.

Good point on the getting on. Didn't consider that. Quick, to the tape measure, how high can I get my foot.



Edited for clarity

 

[Lanzecki]

On another note the seat post of 9 inches long and almost fully in the tube. I've welded the top of the seat post up, turned the bike over and filled the seat tube with parafin. Magic juice that is, but horrible stuff.

Taking into account the fact that I don't wanna pay for a special tool to remove the BB, the seat post being stupidly stuck, the head bearings being ropey, and the giant being a giant 22 inch frame... I may swap them around.

Time will tell.

 

[chunkolini]

Good thinking, if it works it will still work.
When I was building lots of ****e bikes we came up with a theory.
Spending money is bad, we allowed ourselves to buy cables and brake blocks. the rest had to be blagged or found.
These things always work if they are not planned.
Interested in this build.
Your next mission is a swing bike.

 

[BrokenBiker]

chunko, your gonna have to show us a swing bike lol

 

[chunkolini]

Swingbike?
A mad idea, they were marketed in the mid seventies.
they have two steering axis, one at the front like a normal bike, and one on the seat tube. Eh? you can go straight or ride crabwise, turning circle of about 900mm.
After building my first tall bike I was told to build a swing bike. orders is orders.

Literally what the hell does this do?
Ten minutes later

Bonkers.

Lanzecki I apologise to your family. You will become the official town idiot, a genuine embarassment. But 20 people will smile when you go to the shops. Grrrrrrrrrrrr. Always remember to be completely deadpan as you cruise the streets.

 

[BrokenBiker]

that looks more like a way of drumming up trade for a&e than a means of transport lol

what does it handle like?

 

[chunkolini]

Crobblers.
It is a means of transport.
Also makes people walk into lamposts and other street furniture.
Simple technology. The second photo above was taken on my first attempt at riding it.
A crap Utube file of one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEVlgTCWzno
this guy is not trying very hard, I can ride mine side saddle.
Simple thing to make.
Mine is full off bind weed, I might have to reactivate it.

 

[BrokenBiker]

alright then, that actually looks quite fun.

I see your swing bike, and raise you this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tViGRhZrj60

this can be your next bike project

 

[chunkolini]

They live some where flat.
There was a mad german a few years back who marketed a hand and foot pedalled bike.
Sadly no Youtube footage, I wonder why.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/AIM/AIMPrograms/BodyBike/Bike.html
I think it is wonderful that no matter how stupid an idea is if it involves pedals it has been done before .The Edwardians and Victorians tried some wonderful things

 

[Lanzecki]

I've ridden a swing bike. Spawn of the devil. I'd prefer to try a unicycle.

That other thing that BrokenBiker link is just too designed and clean.

Since the Kids chopper got driven over by the bosses Discovery and ended up with bent forks and destroyed rear end I couldn't sensibly repair it and be happy letting them abuse it as they did. So it's on the list for scrapping with the agreement that I build another after "I finish what everything else"

On the current list :

A new bike for Child No.3 I've a 24" bike shaped object with the mankiest attempt at full suspension I've ever seen. How the companies that design these can admit to building them don't know. This yoke adjusts it's saddle height as the rear is compressed and there is no damping of the front suspension. The frame is a good alloy though. Strip it, loose the suspension and start again. Spray it pink for child No.3 likes pink, and it'll be sweet.

A new chopper for the ever growing No2 tom boy. "Granny said she'd buy me a new bike, but I want a new chopper." The Boss claims she didn't kill the original chopper on purpose. She did drive back and forth over it though...

I really need to finish this low rider recumbent that started it all. The frame is done, I just need to hang the important bits from it.

And of course the tall bike that is really a tall chopper?? I'm not sure on that though. The designs been there in my head for a while one of those "it's just tooo stupid even for me". Then I appeared on this forum a few years ago and was introduced to Godzuki. It kinda formalised my desire to make a sensible tall bike rather then shoving a frame on top of a frame. Surely they are very unstable front to back.

Anyway enough stupidity for now. I'm off to bed. Get up, service the wife's car, change my brake pads, and then stand there with the two bike frame and hold them up to see how it'll go.

Top engineering here here lads. "Does it look ok?" rather then "It's accurate to 1mm"

 

[Lanzecki]

Update. After changing my brake pads I went back at the seat tube and BB.

After 2 hours I've decided both are too far gone. While I could go at them with heat and weirdness life it too short. After all the frames worth scrap value. So it's the giant frame on the bottom. All problems solved

 

[DrNik]

sorry i cant believe i found one of those swing bike in the scrapyard from the 70's a couple of weeks ago and didnt get it....... squashed now

 

[chunkolini]

Dr Nik, they are collectors items.
Go and sit in the naughty corner.

 

[Lanzecki]

Weld the rear swinger and they are ridable.

 

[chunkolini]

The production ones are a pig to ride, the rear stearer is in line with the seat post, if you have the steering in front of the seat tube they handle much better.

 

[Lanzecki]

Mock up.

Since I cannot get the giants seat post out and the BB needs a special tool (also to seized) I'm swapping bikes around. unfortunate because aesthetically I think the heavier looking bike would look better on the bottom.

All that said : Here it is.

The red marked parts are removed and a new tube to replace the removed seat stays. The giant's headset is removed to be replaced with the black bikes BB. The Giant's top tube extend thru to connect with the black bikes seat tube.

The mock up shows the bikes are approx the right heigt from the ground (Give or take an inch) this gives a pedal height of 20". I can reach to 26" sensibly.

Both frames are angled to the same angle as if they were still used correctly. I'm considering rotating the purple bike to make the chain stays horizontal giving a couple more inches. Obviously rotating the black bike will screw up headset angles. Not happening.

But I'm not intending to increase the height much more. I'd like it reasonably easy to get on and off.

thanks for this picture goto : my vice, a rake and 2 tig welding rods to hang the giant from. The assistance was welcome.

 

[Lanzecki]

Hmmm Shineys. After removing the chain and seat stays

Realy to weld after a little more paint removal.

Finis. I need to add the seat stay. Not too happy with the welds. I need more practice on thin stuff. I was brought up on 2mm + and straight welds, none of this fancy circle stuff. My Mig's never happy when it's not on anyhting other then full pelt. That said it's Over 10 years old, you cannot teach old welders new tricks.

I cut down the giants seat post.

 

[chunkolini]

Looks very promising.
Cables? I think the rear brake one mught just reach, i had to splice my gear cable Drilled a bolt and ran both cables through and nipped a nut up on it.
Fingers crossed for the chain alignment.

 

[Lanzecki]

To be honest I hadn't considered cables yet. I guess either join 2 cables to get the length. Or even.. Buy some length's of uncut cable and sheath.

And as to the the large welds. It turns out I was using pure Argon for the Tig. oopsy