Forks Parallel with the ground??

[TobyKenobe]

Hi folks

Has anybody ever tried using front forks parallel with the ground (or even lower to the ground) on a marauder type cycle? I would still want to steer too.
I imagine cutting the post from a set of forks and welding the post back on at 90 degrees with this going through the head tube. Imagine the forks parallel to the floor with the pivot going through the hole just below the forks where calibre brakes are bolted.

Any ideas are appreciated. Its just the cool look i'm after!
Toby:cool:

[AtomicZombie]

I did this on a bike a called "Tour-De-Hell"...

http://www.lucidscience.com/temp/tdhell.jpg

Although I could ride the beast (carefully), I certainly would not recommend this design for anything but a crazy chop. Jack-knife city!

This gag bike was my attempt at building a wedgie bike that was the exact opposite of what an upright cycle lover would want. It worked!

Brad

[Gerald_G]

When I was a kid my neighbor's older brothers had built a copper bike with REALLY long forks which bent out parallel to the ground near the front wheel. I never could drive more than about 10 feet on that bike.

... oh and Brad - do you have to get grease on your hand to shift that bike while driving ?

[TobyKenobe]

thanks guys...
looks like a no no ! cheers!http://forum.atomiczombie.com/C:%5CUsers%5CToby%5CPictures%5C1153752504_2

[AtomicZombie]

How about having no front forks at all?...

http://www.ihpva.org/Builders/Images/nofork.jpg

Hero cookie to the fist person that can explain how this thing works. At first, I thougt the pivot was just behing the front wheel, but that would not work as the chain line would get bent. Since it is rear wheel drive, the front wheel must be on some type of U-joint bearing that allows it to pivot left to right around the solid crank axle.

Brad

[Mitdan]

How about having no front forks at all?...

http://www.ihpva.org/Builders/Images/nofork.jpg

Hero cookie to the fist person that can explain how this thing works. At first, I thougt the pivot was just behing the front wheel, but that would not work as the chain line would get bent. Since it is rear wheel drive, the front wheel must be on some type of U-joint bearing that allows it to pivot left to right around the solid crank axle.

Brad

Looks to me to be a pivot behind the front wheel which would change the chamber. Lean with it and around the turn you go. Prolly wouldn't take much of a change in either direction. Of course I'm just guessing.

Mitdan

[savarin]

how about hub center steering?
The fork arm/s can be parallel to the ground and any length you want.
But,, they have to have a large curve at the ends to allow the wheel freedom to turn. Although these guys seem to have solved that problem.
http://www.mas-design.com/x-bike.html

Hmmm, that hubless chain ring assembly would look cool on a chop.
And this guy got around the wheel clearance by making it wide at the bike end.
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/08/23/tryphonos-hub-center-steering-sportbike-design/
How it works
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hub-center_steering
Complex as all hell for a bicycle but kinda cool looking

[AtomicZombie]

A few good guesses so far, but I still think there is some other method. I don't think the cranks move in the nofork design, not does it look like a pivot behind the front wheel, so the hub must have some type of radical constrained u-joint to allow the wheel to turn while keeping the crank axle stationary.

Could be that the front hub rides on a relaxed spline with a connecting arm on a thrust bearing off to one side? I have done a few drawings to try to work it out, but still think there is more to it.

Brad

[rogersp]

This just appeared on Make Magazine Online:
http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/forkless_bike_by_olli_erkkila_14702.asp

It's nothing more than tadpole-type steering head riding on a curved beam.


Patrick

[fultondp]

To bad he didn't do underseat steering, it would look to casual observer that the front and back wheel were not attached at all!

Darren