A 180-pound, 8.5-foot-long Frankencycle
Posted 09.17.2012 at 11:04 am
10 Comments
MORE CRAZY BIKE PROJECTS
Brad Graham, the Ontario-based leader of online DIY bike community Atomic Zombie and a former record holder for making the world’s tallest bicycle, may create more strange rides than any other amateur builder. Here are two of his latest.
Timberwolf: Brad Graham
TIMBERWOLF
After moving to a rural area this year, Graham built a bike that could handle large hills and gravel roads. Using scrap parts, he designed a trike with two rear wheels to bear the weight of a cargo box in back. A suspension system below the container smooths the ride on rough roads. He set the seat high to ensure good visibility, but low enough that he can push the backrest hard against the cargo box when he’s jamming up a hill.
Cost: $250
Time: 1 week
Tomahawk Lowracer: Brad Graham
TOMAHAWK LOWRACER
Graham designed the recumbent Tomahawk purely for speed. He angled the seat back to make bike and rider more aerodynamic. By shortening the wheelbase and situating the rider between the wheels with the pedals out front, he improved the distribution of weight on the frame. To make the bike adjustable to riders of different heights, he built a sliding bracket that extends or shortens the steel boom that holds the cranks.
Cost: $150
Time: 1 week
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That's.. .weird.... So hes bike does 15 mph - and it was stated that he has 90 miles to work.
So hes spending 12h each day just going and coming from work?
Also the pedal position is quite bad ...u basically have to hold your legs up all the time.
60 miles a day, which means round-trip. So...just 4 hours traveling to and from work. I guess this guy likes nature more than he likes his family. (if he has one - the article didn't say)
He should have just an electric bike such as the evolve or Zero bikes. The evolve titanium is just $6900 for 100 mile range which sounds like that would be sufficient for his needs. I'd get one but they don't market them in Colorado yet!
I wonder if he has to peddle up hill both ways?
I wonder how loud he will cus, once those batteries come close to their end life and die and he has to peddle that heavy load home?
I wonder how loud he will really cus, when he has to buy new batteries?
Considering the weight of his vehicle, the low speed, I think using a high compression air tank with a air powered motor would be a better way to go. Least for the long run, he has no batteries to replace and he will know exactly how far he can go on a tank of compressed air.
This technology is already established and proven in India.
news.discovery.com/autos/air-powered-car-tata-motors-120509.html
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/08/13/tatas-air-powered-car-cou_n_1771924.html
www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-takes/in-india-an-air-powered-car/26429
now.msn.com/indias-new-air-powered-car-will-cost-just-dollar2-to-fill-up
What's with all the nay-sayers here. Yea, there are better ways. But it's cool and he had a good time doing it : )
I am not a na-sayer. I just gave a different
way-say-suggestion-er. Kudos to the gentleman for being innovative!
Put a vegetable oil mini diesel on the back of that puppy once.
Considering the frame is welded solided, what do those 3 big bed springs actually do, besides add extra weight?
Considering the frame is welded solided, what do those 3 big bed springs actually do?