LuckyDave
08-13-2012, 05:37 PM
I took it for a trial run.
The front gears are not yet set up, the rear are, the brakes work. As does the steering :cheesy:
Some things I have noted...
The bent plywood seat is SO much better - Many thanks for the links (@texastuff) and the advice on that one. (@several posters)
The (very) tiny play in the linkage is not a problem at all.
I had to "fix" the USS as the original steering tabs were effectively longer at the forks, resulting in a gearing effect. The wheel turned less than the bars. (not good)
Some thoughts on riding the bike.
- You can't easily move your body to balance. Counter Steering Helps a LOT. I learned this driving BIG motorbikes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countersteering
- It's way easier to start off down a slight hill.
- There's no suspension. I do appreciate that's obvious. But you can't lift up our of the saddle. I may "spring" the seat. I've seen suspension seats for normal bikes. We shall see.
- The USS bars have a lot of leverage back and forth. Even tightening the bars a lot at the bracket does not stop me from moving them about if I push or pull to hard. I am thinking of welding them at a suitable angle.
- A VERY light hand on the USS bars makes the bike travel in a straight line. Less is MORE. Hauling out of the bars as you start off makes for a very short journey.:(
- Foam sleeping mats for camping are perfect for lining the bent plywood seat.
I like it, a lot. It will need a little more work. Some tweaking. Lights, mudguards, pannier brackets, paint, etc. Once it's presentable I'll post some pics.
My welding needs a LOT of work. Right now I can make stuff stick, and it will hold against a car jack. But I'm scoring about 0.2 our of 10 for artistic merit, and that's only cause they hate to give you 0.
It will take a bit of practice before I'm prepared to go out in traffic, and I need a decent helmet mirror.
I'll be out of the loop for a week or two, so pics will be a while.
Thanks Guys.
(Already trying to decide between Warrior and Marauder for the next build, or perhaps a Roman Chariot style trailer for the kids)
Dave
The front gears are not yet set up, the rear are, the brakes work. As does the steering :cheesy:
Some things I have noted...
The bent plywood seat is SO much better - Many thanks for the links (@texastuff) and the advice on that one. (@several posters)
The (very) tiny play in the linkage is not a problem at all.
I had to "fix" the USS as the original steering tabs were effectively longer at the forks, resulting in a gearing effect. The wheel turned less than the bars. (not good)
Some thoughts on riding the bike.
- You can't easily move your body to balance. Counter Steering Helps a LOT. I learned this driving BIG motorbikes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countersteering
- It's way easier to start off down a slight hill.
- There's no suspension. I do appreciate that's obvious. But you can't lift up our of the saddle. I may "spring" the seat. I've seen suspension seats for normal bikes. We shall see.
- The USS bars have a lot of leverage back and forth. Even tightening the bars a lot at the bracket does not stop me from moving them about if I push or pull to hard. I am thinking of welding them at a suitable angle.
- A VERY light hand on the USS bars makes the bike travel in a straight line. Less is MORE. Hauling out of the bars as you start off makes for a very short journey.:(
- Foam sleeping mats for camping are perfect for lining the bent plywood seat.
I like it, a lot. It will need a little more work. Some tweaking. Lights, mudguards, pannier brackets, paint, etc. Once it's presentable I'll post some pics.
My welding needs a LOT of work. Right now I can make stuff stick, and it will hold against a car jack. But I'm scoring about 0.2 our of 10 for artistic merit, and that's only cause they hate to give you 0.
It will take a bit of practice before I'm prepared to go out in traffic, and I need a decent helmet mirror.
I'll be out of the loop for a week or two, so pics will be a while.
Thanks Guys.
(Already trying to decide between Warrior and Marauder for the next build, or perhaps a Roman Chariot style trailer for the kids)
Dave