New here

[melw]

I just got the plans for StreetFox. I gave them a read and started looking around the net for parts. I am kind of on a limited budget.
I found this wheel,
http://www.niagaracycle.com/product_info.php?products_id=13644

It looks correct. I just looked at the plans again and could not tell if I would need two front wheels. I would guess that that would be the way to go but just wanted to ask here.
Thanks!
Mel W.

[TheKid]

Nice find! Thanks for the link. I paid $18.50 for that rim alone. You need 2 for the Streetfox.

[melw]

Nice find! Thanks for the link. I paid $18.50 for that rim alone. You need 2 for the Streetfox.

Sorry I was not clear. For the two front wheels on the streetfox do I get front wheels or back wheels with the longer axle?
Thanks!
Mel

[TheKid]

The front wheels in your link should have enough length to bolt on the Streetfox with no problem.

[melw]

Kid
Thanks for the reply.
Where did you find rims for $18.50?
Mel W.

[TheKid]

They came down on price a little:

http://www.ebikestop.com/alex_dm24_20_36h_silver-RM7504.php

I also noticed that the rear wheels from Niagara are the same price. They have freewheel threads that can accept disk brake adapters, if you decide to use disc brakes instead of caliper or linear pull brakes.

[Bill Cahill]

WoW I'm on the ground and running. My StreetFox is a sweet machine. We could have had a baby elephant faster though. HaHa I took me 2 months. It must be my age. Someday I will learn how to post pics and share them with you. olyumabill

[TheKid]

Brad outdid himself with the method for using the headsets. Much better than what I was using, which were modified wheel mounts from my old quad. My tadpole handles much better than it did before. I just installed an 8 speed internal gear hub, which requires a chain tensioner when used with multi chainrings. I was going to change the chainrings to get a higher gear, but I discovered I could do the same thing by installing a 3 speed mid-drive internal gear hub. I have a couple of old Shimano's that will do the trick. With that setup, I'll be able to eliminate the chain tensioner.

[melw]

Yesterday one of the guys I work with said "I have a old bike rusting in my back yard you can have."
So today I go over and get it.
My first parts bike.
Mel W.

[melw]

I found a donor for the rear end to my street fox. it is a excitor series by magna. The problem is that the rear Dérailleur is mangled. The last owner broke the chain and bent up the Dérailleur.
See the pics for the idea.
The Dérailleur says Tandem on it but try as I might I can not find it on the net. The bike is sold at Target from what I have found so I will stop by there tomorrow and see if I can get any service info.
Until then any ideas where to get one.
here are the pics.
Thanks!
Mel W.

[melw]

Found the maker.
http://www.magnabike.com/
Will contact them about parts.

Mel W.

[TheKid]

You could use the derailler from the Schwinn Varsity, or order a new one when you buy the wheels. I'd also check the rear wheel and freewheel cassette for damage. the derailler may have been mangled because the wheel and/or cassette is damaged. Check the spokes carefully. If any are damaged, they will have to be replaced. Check the cassette for bent cogs and/or broken teeth. If necessary, you could use the freewheel cassette from the Schwinn, but the older wheel may not fit properly. If you order the wheels from Niagara, you may want to order the derailler too. Those wheels were a nice find, and now that the rear wheels are only $16 each, I ordered them for myself. Niagara has a decent derailler, which I have used with no problems:

http://www.niagaracycle.com/product_info.php?products_id=6616

This freewheel is probably better than the one you have on the Magna:

http://www.niagaracycle.com/product_info.php?products_id=6143

[melw]

Kid
Thanks for the reply. It looks like the bike might still be under warranty.
Will find out tonight when I get home. I will try to register it.
I will try to get the parts replaced if not covered then a order to get the parts you linked to will be the way to go.
Is there any good web pages that have how twos on working on the drive chains of these bikes? I pulled a small bike apart this weekend and could not see how the freewheel came off.
Thanks
Mel W.

[TheKid]

You could make a crude but effective tool to remove freewheels, by welding a nut, (or threaded coupling if you don't want to remove the axle) that fits tightly in the center of the freewheel to a long bar or an old left side crank arm. Bang it in and unscrew the freewheel. Or you could buy a tool. This one will remove your freewheel as well as Shimano's:

http://www.niagaracycle.com/product_info.php?products_id=3198

here are som bike repair links:

http://bicycle-repair-4u.com/

http://www.bikewebsite.com/bike_tune-up_index.htm

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html

[melw]

Cool thanks for the links.:D
I will check them out tonight.
Mel W.

[melw]

Just got off the phone with the manufacturer and all the parts including the rear wheel where covered under warranty.:D Lets see new Dérailleur, chain, and rear wheel. Now I just have to wait for them to get here.:mad:
I gave the wheel a spin and there was a most noticeable wobble.:eek:
I am a happy camper!
Mel W.

[TheKid]

Didn't the original owner know it was under warranty? Did he give it to you? Anyway, you're off to a good start with brandy new parts!
That Magna is the same one I found for mine. I believe Brad built the Streetfox with one of those also. I switched to an internal gear hub, and I'm using the derailler as a chain tensioner. The rear wheel and freewheel went to the DW, as did the front fork, wheel, brake, and gooseneck. The rear brake is a parking brake for the tadpole. The front discs are more than adequate. I used the straight handlebars to build the underseat steering. The avatar next to my username is the unfinished tadpole, which is similar to the Streetfox. I just finished putting the light bars on it. It needs repainting and some small detail work, but I won't dismantle it to finish until I have another bike that's ridable.

[melw]

The guy selling it said it was his son's bike. He also gave me the impression the he was not willing to work on it. I only payed $35.00 for it.
Do you have any photos of your under seat steering?
I think that looks like a better setup. The wide bars just look kind of unwieldy. I will probably build it to the plans for the most part. I want to use disks brakes on the front so I will be getting the wheels that Niagara has on sale.
I sure would like to see more pics of your trike and others as well.
Anybody have any idea how many have been built from the AZ plans?
Thanks again!
Mel W.

[TheKid]

Good deal. That's about half price.
If this is your first build, I would recommend sticking to Brad's plans. USS depends on a lot of factors, such as the width of the seat, where your hands would be most comfortable, the type of shifters you're using, and most important, chain clearance. I installed the USS AFTER the chain routing was determined. Basically, I shortened a steering tube to 4 3/4", and a head tube to 2 3/4". The forks were cut off the steering tube, and the fork stem was shortened to 1", just like the steering tubes in the plan. The steering tube is then welded to the bottom of the main boom. I welded a gooseneck to the head tube to secure the handlebars, making sure the bars would not be in contact with the chain. the head tube is secured in the usual way. I made the bars by using the straight bars that came with the bike. (Yours are slightly different - they have a small rise, so to use them you may have to cut them.) I added 1 L shaped piece of an old kitchen chair to each side, so they cleared the seat by 1". From there, I had to fiddle around to get the best hand position with pieces of old handlebars. I originally used bar end shifters, and the brake cables were facing downward. When I changed to the internal gear hub, which has a twist shifter, I had to reverse the brake handle to get the most comfortable position. It's not as good as the first system, but I quickly got used to it. ( I only installed the internal gear hub a couple of days ago.) It also doesn't look as nice. I switched the other shifter to a twist shifter just to keep things uniform.
Using disc brakes with Brad's plans is pretty easy, especially if you use right and left calipers. You'll have to make or buy the caliper adapters, and you'll have to buy disc adapters that screw onto the freewheel threads. You'll also have to use a very strong epoxy to secure the disc adapters to the wheels. I use standard cure golf shafting epoxy from Golfworks. It's extremely strong and reliable. To give you an idea of the strength, it holds the clubhead to the shaft of a golf club that hits the ball at 100+ MPH. I'll post some links for parts later.

[TheKid]

Here are the links:

Left & Right Brake Calipers - # BRK-480L, #BRK-480R

http://www.electricscooterparts.com/brakes.html

The disc adapters from that site don't work with bicycle disks. Here's a link for the disc adapters.
They used to have 68 spoke wheels with the adapter and disc installed for $40 each,
but their prices went sky high on those. Now they're out of stock.
But they have the disc adapter, which includes the disc and bolts:

http://www.bicycledesigner.com/defaulthome.asp?Main=/partsmain.asp%3FType%3Dkits

Here's a link for the caliper adapter (And other braise-ons) - you could make thekse yourself with 1/4" thick plate steel. The adapter is DISKMOUNT on the page.

http://www.gaerlan.com/bikeparts/frame/brazeons/brazeons.html

Here's a link for the epoxy. I recommend the 8 oz. size for a better value than the 50 ml size.

http://www.golfworks.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_EPX1_A_cn_E_33

[melw]

Kid
Thanks for the links.
I checked the wheels and while the price is good the shipping is a bit higher then I expected.
After I gave it some thought I guess not out of line for the large package the two wheels would make.
I guess it bothered me that the shipping was more the the cost of the wheels. The site quoted over $45.00 for shipping!:eek:
I guess it still is better then the local shop that wanted $60.00 per wheel.
Mel W.

[TheKid]

If you're talking about the wheels from bicycledesigners.com, consider that you'd also have to change the axles to 14mm. The axles that come with their wheels are only 3/8", way too thin and fragile for stub axles on the Streetfox.

[Doc Hollywood]

Hello all, I have been reading these posts as I will begin building one of these myself after I finish my 4X4 rockcrawler. I have a question regarding the disc brakes. Do I buy rear wheels with a free wheeling hub and the disc brake adapter screws on to it and then the disc rotor bolts to it? I would rather use disc brakes instead of wheel pinch style brakes.

[melw]

If you're talking about the wheels from bicycledesigners.com, consider that you'd also have to change the axles to 14mm. The axles that come with their wheels are only 3/8", way too thin and fragile for stub axles on the Streetfox.
The wheels are from Niagara.
http://www.niagaracycle.com/product_info.php?products_id=13643
This one.
I will do some checking at other shops here today but if I cant find any at comparable pricing I will just bight the bullet and order from Niagara.
Mel W.

[melw]

Found better shipping here.
http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Alloy-Nutted-Black-Wheel/dp/B000IQ9LRY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1208965096&sr=8-4
They are on the way.
Mel W.

[TheKid]

Excellent. Now that the tadpole is nearly done, I can finish the DW, and possibly make it a Streetfighter. Those wheels will come in handy. While I'm ordering those, I can also order taillights and bar end lights for the tadpole.

[melw]

I received the repair parts for my donor bike last night. I will get a start on fixing it today after a trip to the bike shop for the chain tool.
Mel W.

[TheKid]

Those wheels from Niagara are a rock bottom price. I got mine today. I haven't opened the box yet.

[Doc Hollywood]

Does anyone have an answer for my question earlier. Do you use rear free wheel hubs for disc brakes and buy the adapters?

[melw]

Doc
I don't have my wheels yet. The plan is to use the rear wheels and disk brake adapter to put disk brakes on them. They are going on front of the tadpole so they will not need the freewheel. The wheels I ordered just to be clear.
http://www.niagaracycle.com/product_info.php?products_id=13643

Went for a ride on my repaired MTB this after noon. Still some bugs to work out. The rear brakes are not working. Just need adjusting. Both the front and rear Dérailleur's are out of adjustment.
I am not getting the full range out of the rear and to much out of the front.
When it was broken I guess it was kind of tweaked.
This is the first time I have ridden a peddle bike in more years than I would care to admit.:D
I am so out of shape! I thought I was going to have my legs fall off after going around the block.
Maybe if I was not wearing a black teeshirt in the hot sun it would not be so bad. lol.

Mel W.

[melw]

Brad
Question for you.
I was out at the second hand store and they had some Little kid bikes for cheep. The head tubes where only four inch's long when measured form the top bearing to the bottom. Would these be to small for use in the Street Fox front end?
Thanks
Mel W.

[TheKid]

Sorry Doc. I missed your post. You can use BMX rear wheels with freewheel threads, and screw disc adapters onto them. The disc screws onto the adapter. They're available at bicycledesigners.com, and are sold as a set, 1 adapter and one disc for $25. The links for these, epoxy to secure the adapters, and left and right calipers are on page 2 of this thread. Hope this helps.

[Doc Hollywood]

Thanks for the reply. I have been lurking and have the tadpole design plans and going to build after I get my rockcrawler finished up so I have some room to move in my garage. I am looking to modify the plans a little and have a few ideas as well. I hope to post with the rest of you guys soon. I didn't mean to hijack the thread so please carry on.:D