Source for 36"+ wheels.

[rkattufts]

Hello all.

I am new to the bike building game, but a decent enough welder and cutter so I've decided to jump in.

What I want to do is build a "sort of" replica of a 19th century "double eagle" trike. Here is a link to a few pics of one.

http://www.hiwheel.com/antique_replicas/double_eagle.htm

It looks to be really, really simple. Not a single bend in sight. :)

Long story short I want to throw an electric motor on one. But I can't get there without two of those massive wheels.

I can buy 36" or 48" wheels from them, but at $500.00 a pop that is WAAAAAAAAAY too much.

Anyone know where I can get rims the size of a small child for less than the price of sending one to college when they are 18?

[robertwb70]

Since you don't want to pay $500 you'll probably have to make your own.
Some ideas I've seen
http://www.unwheeldy.com/
http://simpleorganicsolutions.com/past.html

somewhere (I think it was here) I saw a link to a flame throwing giant trike that used 4' diameter plastic pipe for wheels that looked pretty cool but involved ALLOT of fasteners and labor.

[n9viw]

If you call around to your LBS, you might be able to find someone who specializes in old highwheelers, and who might have a link to a site that sells the long spokes, big rims, etc. Make your own hubs AZ style, and you're in the game!

Alternately, if you can find lengths of SS rod in 12-14ga, you can make your own with hooked ends, although you'll have to find a shop that has something like a Phil Wood spoke threading machine. You'll still need to find a supplier of large rims, that'll be a real exercise in patience and perseverance. Good luck!

[robertwb70]

A bender that works like a ring roller (they use them to make the arches for those half round green houses and car covers) could make rims out of conduit-then you'd have to cut up some tires and glue them to the rim but there wouldn't be much cushion.

The fire trike I mentioned used wire cable for spokes, looked pretty cool and once tightened look allot like regular spokes.

[rkattufts]

Found some 36 inchers! Turns out unicyclists use them. I can get touring rims for under $100.00. Spokes look a but pricey at $2.00 per, but I might be able to get cheaper. Tubes and tires run about $100.00 per wheel. Again, I can probably do better if I search around. Nice thing is that it looks like I can reuse some old hubs and have the LBS do the build.

Nice thing is that using real tubes and a real tires means I won't have a boneshaking ride as I would with "period" wheels.

[robertwb70]

Cool-do you have any links to them?

[gbbwolf]

http://www.unicycle.co.nz/View.php?action=ProductDetail&Code=RimStealthPro

Spokes are here.

http://www.unicycle.co.nz/View.php?action=ProductDetail&Code=CokerSpokes14G

Will try and find tires lol

Nipples here http://www.unicycle.co.nz/View.php?action=ProductDetail&Code=NipplesXL

Tires Lol http://www.unicycle.co.nz/View.php?action=Page&Name=Tyres

Tubes http://www.unicycle.co.nz/View.php?action=ProductDetail&Code=Inner36Quax

Might get away with 600 bucks by the time you buy all that lmao

[gbbwolf]

Unicycles 439 bucks ouch lol

Some tires tubes and rimstrips here

http://www.cokercycles.com/home.php?cat=2

[AtomicZombie]

A Marauder would be so cool with a 36 inch rear wheel!

Brad

[Pagan Wizard]

A Marauder would be so cool with a 36 inch rear wheel!

Brad


How about a DW with a set of 36 inchers all the way around?? Impractical? Heck yeah.......but it sure would look awesome!!

[AtomicZombie]

Oh ya, that would be a killer! A full fairing would look so cool on a DW with those wheels since the tire would be higher than the pilot's head.

Maybe I will mod my Wolf once again someday.

Brad


How about a DW with a set of 36 inchers all the way around?? Impractical? Heck yeah.......but it sure would look awesome!!

[gbbwolf]

Think I will wait till Price comes down to EARTH first lmao.

[rkattufts]

So far the best I found is www.unicycle.com (http://www.unicycle.com) The nice thing is that if I want I can buy just a rim and have it built at my LBS with a recycled hub.

I'll still probably be in at $1k for this project all said and done.

[AtomicZombie]

It would not be too difficult to make the rims from scratch, but getting tires would be impossible. Even motorcycle tires are not that tall.

Farming equipment, perhaps?

Brad

[Richie Rich]

How about a DW with a set of 36 inchers all the way around??Something like this, perhaps??? :)

...Richie >>

[AtomicZombie]

They almost had it!....

http://www.lucidscience.com/temp/oldie.jpg
Upgrades!

Brad

[gbbwolf]

Like brad's version better cant wait to see him build it lmao

[rkattufts]

Hey, I need height. I live in the least bike-friendly city on the planet...

Boston.

What gave me this idea is that it seems like it would be somewhat safer than a regular bike...

1 - You sit high so the cars see you
2 - The width of the back axle can help "insulate" you a bit from being side-swiped
3 - Looks so funky people will notice it

This city is literally lethal to bikers. As it is traffic laws are viewed as a mere suggestion. I have literally seen people drive in the wrong lane for a block just to take a left turn. There are zero bike lanes.

I shudder when I see a recumbent on the road....

[robertwb70]

Last night I remembered I once saw a bike on the net that used these 36" wheels-it was a regular beach cruiser looking thing but I can't find it now, must not have been a big seller.

[JLB001]

Hey, I need height. I live in the least bike-friendly city on the planet...

Boston.

What gave me this idea is that it seems like it would be somewhat safer than a regular bike...

1 - You sit high so the cars see you
2 - The width of the back axle can help "insulate" you a bit from being side-swiped
3 - Looks so funky people will notice it

This city is literally lethal to bikers. As it is traffic laws are viewed as a mere suggestion. I have literally seen people drive in the wrong lane for a block just to take a left turn. There are zero bike lanes.

I shudder when I see a recumbent on the road....

a problem shared by alot of cities.

10 years ago, i rode my bike.... almost nightly... to my job in augusta.

i lost count of how many times i was almost run into ditches or into curbs.... cut off... passed just to have someone turn RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.

and this i have never really understood.... but the people who come up right behind you and despite you hugging the white line... no traffic coming... PLENTY of room to go around.... they dont. (ultimately they do.... but they ride right up on you for some time before doing so)

i THINK because there arent alot of riders... they kind of... panic.. maybe, for a lack of a better word.

"oh, its a bike rider! WHAT DO I DO? WHAT DO I DO?!?!?!?"

:D

[n9viw]

If it gets as bad as JLB and RKat says around here, this is what I'll be carrying:

http://www.thehomegunsmith.com/12g-pistol.shtml

Load that baby with rock salt, and it'll leave an impression worth remembering.

As for staying visible in traffic, I don't know that big wheels will do anything but cause a distraction, which may be WORSE. Yes, you'll be up in the driver's line of sight, but the Meridian and Bandito do that just fine. About the only thing that's really helped me is BRIGHT. I wear one of these: http://www.alertshirt.com/potmanco.html , sometimes with one of these at night: http://www.alertshirt.com/noname1.html . I have THREE headlights, and FIVE taillights, and reflectors on all rear-facing surfaces.

About the best any of us can do is take away their "I didn't even see him!" excuse by making ourselves so blatantly and stupidly visible we'd be impossible to miss seeing. A fellow over at BikeForums.net was caught with a right hook (woman passed him and turned right across his path), and managed to stop the woman from escaping by gracefully (serendipitously) stuffing his bike up in her SUV's wheelwell (mercifully, without his legs trapped in it). The woman told the first responder the usual, "I didn't even see him!" lie. The officer, glancing at the rider's lights, reflectors, and neon yellow attire, said "Ma'am, if you didn't see THAT, I have a few more things to cite you for!"

[gbbwolf]

Find someone using a xiom powder coating system and use their glow in the dark powder.
If they miss seeing you on a glowing bike at night.
They need their license revoked.

Nelson