More Pictures

[Henthorn]

here are some more pictures of the bike. So far it rides nice but I am still learning how to ride a bent.

[trikeman]

Looks great. I like the chrome fender.

[Richie Rich]

Nice job...!!
Slap some paint on it and you're ready for "Show & Go"...!!

....Richie >>

PS...Did you mount the fork backwards for any particular reason??
.

[TheKid]

Good eye Rich. You may have to change that if you notice excessive wheel flop.

[Henthorn]

I want to get this painted but I think I want to get a few more test rides in to make sure there are no issues with the bike before I tear it down. I was able to borrow a portable sand blaster from my brother and the medium to do this with so as soon as I am sure everything is sound and all of the kinks worked out, I will start the tear down to finish the bike.

I mounted the front forks backwards for a future fender install. I have a small crome fender on it right now but I wanted to add a larger fender and I was planning on using the tabs on the fork to mount the extension rods for stability. Right now it doesn't seem to be a problem with any wheel flop but I will keep an eye on this. I always have another front fork that I can make up for changing this one out.

I had a group of high school students yell in passing that my bike was pimp! Made me feel great and laugh all the way home. Thanks for all of the commments and advice I have recieved from the whole group, it has helped.

[SirJoey]

Great lookin' ride! I like the chrome fender, too! Give us a ride report after you rack up a few miles, & tell us how she does, & what you think.

http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/7131/sirjoeysigmedij1.gif

[rykoala]

That looks GREAT! Sometimes I wish I did mine with a 20" front wheel simply for the aerodynamics and shorter overall length. Who knows, maybe I'll re-do it eventually.

[TheKid]

I went to a 20" wheel on the Hauler, which originally had a 26" wheel. I used what I had on hand, which was the front end from the Streetfox donor bike. Because of the straight fork, in order to get the correct trail, it had to be longer than I liked to prevent the wheel from hitting the cranks when making sharp turns. When I shortened it and relaxed the head tube angle, I got too much wheel flop, and it was still too long. After some fiddling with an old 26" fork and a 20" wheel, I ended up making a new fork for the 20" wheel, which I'll finish tomorrow.

[SirJoey]

In addition to all of the reasons mentioned here for a 20" front wheel, I just like the racier look of a smaller front & a larger back, whether it's a bike or a trike. It just always reminds me of a dragster!

http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/7131/sirjoeysigmedij1.gif

[Richie Rich]

I agree with Joey....I like the racy look of 20-inch fronts, too.
Here's a shot of my quad with 20's up front and 24's pushing....


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3203/2594669594_d0f5c1d9b3.jpg

[trikeman]

Apologies if I have asked this before, but every time you show that bridge, I wonder if it is Little Rock?

[Richie Rich]

Apologies if I have asked this before, but every time you show that bridge, I wonder if it is Little Rock?It's actually a little bit North of Little Rock....I'm in Massachusetts and that's the Cape Cod Canal....a man-made canal connecting Boston Harbor to the Atlantic Ocean. There are 2 identical bridges - one at each end of the canal, plus a unique railroad bridge which is kept raised for ship traffic and lowers for trains.

Both sides of the canal have a 6-mile access road with access for bikes and pedestrians only which makes for a very scenic, relaxing bike ride. Although it's an hour's drive by car for us to get there, we make a day of it cruising and stopping for lunch along the water's edge while watching the yachts and freighters make the trip to and from Boston. Nice....!!

.....RR....

[trikeman]

Wow. If you ever go to Little Rock to the West of the city is a river (the Arkansas River) and it has a bridge that reminds me of that one, as does the river itself and the bike path beside it. Of course I haven't been to Little Rock in perhaps 15 years, so my memory may be faulty on that. I used to stay near the Excelsior Hotel made infamous by Bill Clinton and Paula Jones and jog across the bridge to the bike path. The only thing good about business travel is the expense account lol.

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread.

[SirJoey]

Another good shot, Richie! That area makes a great backdrop for your ride pics! Looks like a kool place to ride, too!

So, now that you've had your "quad mod" done for awhile, how do you like it? Was it worth the work? Any real advantage, other than looks?

http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/7131/sirjoeysigmedij1.gif

[Richie Rich]

So, now that you've had your "quad mod" done for awhile, how do you like it? Was it worth the work? Any real advantage, other than looks?Hi, Joey...I don't want to hijack this thread any more than I already did, so I moved your question and my reply here....

http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php?p=4204#post4204

See you there....

...Richie >>

[JLB001]

good looking bike.

[Norsk]

Has anybody made a suspension for the Meridian. I added a motor drive to the one I built and at 30+ MPH the bike responds more sharply to road bumps. I Thought a rear suspension would make a smoother ride.

Norsk

[jimFPU]

Hey Henthorn, I just realized where you live. I lived in Rockton for 14 months, right down the street and across the bridge from HHS. Rode my Infinity (avatar) to work at Fairbanks Morse Engine many times! I wish Texas has bike trails like they do up there! I sure do miss those.

[trikeman]

Has anybody made a suspension for the Meridian. I added a motor drive to the one I built and at 30+ MPH the bike responds more sharply to road bumps. I Thought a rear suspension would make a smoother ride.

Norsk

I would say yes, since the Meridian is really just a Marauder with a higher rear and a straight chain line. Brad just recently added the new Marauder with rear suspension. I would think you could use the same type of complete rear triangle from another bike to do the same to the Meridian with very little work.

I also find this rear suspension interesting, and it doesn't require a factory-made rear triangle.

http://www.fleettrikes.com/john%20wife%20trike%201.jpg