Racks

[Andrews]

A question for the Krew... Do standard bike racks fit on the Meridian? I want to mount a rear rack, but I'm looking at it and the angle of the rear fork seems much more vertical than a "normal" bike. It seems like the angle would cause most rear racks problems with clearance on the front. I see some bikes in the builder's gallery with racks mounted, so I guess it does work - just doesn't look like it would. Unless those racks were "modified" to fit...

[AtomicZombie]

You just have to cut the rack legs down a bit so the rack is horizontal.

Brad

[TheKid]

C'mon! This is the AZ forum! You did a great job of building a bike, so now, you must, and I mean MUST! YOU MUST BUILD YOUR OWN RACK! :D
It's quite simple really. Just weld two 1/8" thick plates to the opposite sides of a length of 1 1/2" square tube, similar to the way you made the BB mounts. Youll have to weld them at an angle that makes the length of square tubing perfectly horizontal. This will clamp to the seat post, high enough to clear the rear wheel and a fender should you choose to add one later. Make the length of square tube as long as you need it. From there, at a point above the axles, weld a piece of smaller square tube , the size of which depends on how heavy duty you want the rack to be, perpendicular to the 1 1/2" tube. Then take two pieces of 1/2" or 3/4" conduit, one for each side, about 1" longer that the distance between the small square tube and the axle. Flatten one end of each piece of conduit, and round off the square edges and weld the seam shut. Now drill a hole slightly larger than 3/8" in the flattened end of each piece of conduit. Install one on each side of the axle, and position them against the smaller square tube. Mark and cut them, then tack weld to the smaller square tube. remove the unit, and weld everything up. Now you have a base for a custom made rack, and you can make it any way you want. You can extend the sides and add supports for panniers, or just make a grid on top. Whatever suits your needs. It sounds a lot more complicated than it is, but if you figure it on paper first, you'll see how simple it really is.

[rykoala]

I took the rack off my commuter bike and put it on my Meridian with zero problems. I'll put a photo up tonight so you can see it. It works nicely, looks good, and it was one less thing I had to build. No offense, Kid, but some things are better bought ;) The rack was $20 two or three years ago and works better than anything I'd have built :D

[n9viw]

Kid, your method would make the rack weigh FIFTY POUNDS! Holy crap man, put down the welder torch and step away, I think the fumes are getting to you! :eek: ;)

[TheKid]

It doesn't weigh that much. The heaviest part is the main spine going back, and you could actually make that much lighter if you don't need that strong a rack. The 1/2" conduit weighs less than a pound, and the cross pieces combined weigh less than a pound. The point is, you could make it to suit your needs, in a manner that matches your build. The one I made for the Streetfox weighed just under 3 lbs, and carried a 47 lb. welder to my friend's house 2 miles away. I was originally going to make it a permanent part of the trike, but decided interchangeable racks would be better for different needs, until I build a tailbox, which won't be for quite some time.

[SirJoey]

Do standard bike racks fit on the Meridian?

So apparently, the answer to your question is... YES! :D

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

[trikeman]

It doesn't weigh that much. The heaviest part is the main spine going back, and you could actually make that much lighter if you don't need that strong a rack. The 1/2" conduit weighs less than a pound, and the cross pieces combined weigh less than a pound. The point is, you could make it to suit your needs, in a manner that matches your build. The one I made for the Streetfox weighed just under 3 lbs, and carried a 47 lb. welder to my friend's house 2 miles away. I was originally going to make it a permanent part of the trike, but decided interchangeable racks would be better for different needs, until I build a tailbox, which won't be for quite some time.

You got any good pictures of the one you made Kid? I picked up another nice Schwinn 26" beach cruiser last week, when I got it into my mind to make a motor bike. I was thinking maybe I will add a rack to it to go with my wife's grocery getter. I can't do much to the grocery getter, since it belonged to her mom and has sentimental value.

I am having to pay more for old bikes than I used to. People are buying them for transportation again. This guy wanted $45, but when I went to look at it, both tires were flat, the chain had a few links frozen up from rust and it was covered with splashed up dirt from being under the guy's deck outside. I grumbled about what poor shape it was in and was able to walk away with it for $25, but I probably over paid anyway.

It cleaned up pretty nice, and the chain soaked in vinegar a few hours, then some oil and its good as new. Someone tried to sand off some of the decals, but the black paint is pretty decent and the alloy wheels are true. Good center pull brakes after I adjusted them. The wife has my digital camera at work today, but I will post a pic when I finish the tune up. This one has a nice set of those 26x2.125 whitewall tires on it, and it a six speed with humungous handle bars and a big spring seat like the other one. It looks like this one without the fenders:

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/bik/728783030.html


Anyway to get back on topic, I am thinking of building a rack for the new cruiser and maybe converting it to electric with that electric lawn mower engine I bought last week. It is built like a tank, so it should be beefy enough to handle a motor easily. I have been looking at those belt drives you put on the spokes like this one:

http://www.peltzer.net/ebike/ebike3.htm

That guy actually laced in a 20" rim as a pulley, but its prolly easier to just buy the belt adapter (minus the engine) from these guys:

http://www.bikeengines.com/instructions.htm

[trikeman]

Got the old boy back on the road and took a test ride tonight. I am not sure whether I will cut it up for something else. Any good ideas for what to make out of it? I never have cut up that old AutoBike I posted on the old forum. Sometimes you just don' have the heart.

Now to design a rack and a motor adapter for it.

http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/DeltaWolf/Schwin21.jpg

http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/DeltaWolf/Schwin22.jpg

http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/DeltaWolf/Schwin23.jpg

http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/DeltaWolf/Schwin24.jpg

http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/DeltaWolf/Schwin25.jpg

[TheKid]

I left the HD rack with the welder, but I have another somewhat lighter one in the garage somewhere. Bear in mind, they're both designed to be clamped to 1 1/2" square tubing, so you'd have to modify to attach to your seat tube. I'll look for it tomorrow and post a pic. I may also still have a light duty rack I made from 1/8" steel rod and 1/2" square tube. I'll look for that one too.
The ones for the Streetfox don't have struts that mount to the wheel, due to the suspension. (Although, I could have made a pivot on the arm that attaches to the seat tube.) They have side struts that mount to a light bar I welded to the top of the seat tube.

[rykoala]

Here is the picture I promised. Its a standard bike shop Avenir rack, cost me $20 some time ago

http://picasaweb.google.com/rykoala/MeridianBuild/photo#5216277551380656370

I mounted it using the same bit of hardware I had used for my old commuter which had a monostay rear triangle. I had to space it out from the mount some on the Meridian, and I used old side pull (walmart grade) brake center bolt for that. It worked perfectly and is nice and sturdy and fits the bike *just right*.

And yes, the blinker has a busted lense. I usually just tape over it to keep water out. Its been like that for 2 commuting seasons.

[TheKid]

I didn't find either rack yet, so no pics. I was looking for them while getting other parts for the hauler. I may have put them in the garage behind the Streetfox, which at the moment is boxed in.

[Stroland43]

Excellent clean-up!
john (in hot as @#$!!@#$% Kerrville Texas)

[TheKid]

Yes, I forgot. My friend and I went to get some parts from some local yokel who was selling old bikes and parts. He had the same exact bike, black, six speeds, and rust, and he sold it for a hundred bucks. The buyer got him down from $125. Apparently, it's a bike that's in demand. I found a new one, a reissue from Schwinn, for $295. I would imagine that if you restored it to mint, you could get a lot more for it. Originals are usually worth more than reissues. I'd say $25 was a good deal. Here's the reissue:

http://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/bik/732844865.html

And check this out:

http://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/bik/733989559.html

[n9viw]

How about this one?

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/bik/732789192.html

For $40, it might even be worth it. Not to me, but certainly to someone.