Ebay odds

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While this PC has thrown a wobbly and decided to work (for now) I thought I'd just point out a couple of Ebay listings I noticed.
That Pedicab is back again. I assume it's the same one?
There's a set of plans for building a plywood Velomobile. I've seen this one before but can't remember where. Quite nice looking thing.
There's a quad for sale eBay item number:115624926682 which is pretty old by the looks. States Ally but looks steel to me. Looks pretty heavy but built for two and with a steering wheel each! Look like motorbike/moped wheels perhaps and rack and pinion steering. Interesting oddity.

I'd put some pics up here but afraid my PC may decide to go on strike again so better not try.
Regards all
John

PS I know I must have missed something but Paul, why can you not make the front beam of your quad design angled back to an attachment point further back on the boom to give more foot clearance? It's done on lots of tad's so you must have discounted it for some reason I guess.
 
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While this PC has thrown a wobbly and decided to work (for now) I thought I'd just point out a couple of Ebay listings I noticed.
That Pedicab is back again. I assume it's the same one?
yes about £300 worth of parts
There's a set of plans for building a plywood Velomobile. I've seen this one before but can't remember where. Quite nice looking thing.
Yes I only wish I could use one for my rides , very tempting still
There's a quad for sale eBay item number:115624926682 which is pretty old by the looks. States Ally but looks steel to me. Looks pretty heavy but built for two and with a steering wheel each! Look like motorbike/moped wheels perhaps and rack and pinion steering. Interesting oddity.
Surry quad looks like one of those seaside things for a family 2 adults and 2 children
PS I know I must have missed something but Paul, why can you not make the front beam of your quad design angled back to an attachment point further back on the boom to give more foot clearance? It's done on lots of tad's so you must have discounted it for some reason I guess.
To mount a tadpole you approach from in front of the front wheels and straddle the pedal and reverse onto the seat.
If you look at mine compared to a tadpole it is not possible to do that my front wheels are to far forward and the seat to far back , so the only way mount is between the wheels.
Now any mounts angled forwards or back can only be in the 5" gap the wheel turns in so severely restricting the turning circle.
 
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Yes gotcha Paul. Knew there had to be a reason you'd discounted the angled axle beam. I'll keep watching with interest how you guys get over the problems.

Popshot That German delta does look interesting. I hadn't even realised that's what it was till you pointed it out. Too pricey just for something to play with though.

BTW those Alloy bike/Wagon wheel rims on the 'Bay eBay item number:165605697376 look nice. Good price for wheels and tyres and got to be pretty strong I'd think. I wonder how heavy they are compared to a spoked cycle wheel. A set of those on a bent could look really good.

John
 
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Yes gotcha Paul. Knew there had to be a reason you'd discounted the angled axle beam. I'll keep watching with interest how you guys get over the problems.
That may change ;) due to shortcoming found

That German delta does look interesting. I hadn't even realised that's what it was till you pointed it out. Too pricey just for something to play with though.
Even more expensive as it's in Germany , you do realise it is a hand cycle , missing all the hand cycle parts ! I assume they are implying the front ends will fit it.

BTW those Alloy bike/Wagon wheel rims on the 'Bay eBay item number:165605697376 look nice. Good price for wheels and tyres and got to be pretty strong I'd think. I wonder how heavy they are compared to a spoked cycle wheel. A set of those on a bent could look really good.
Problems with them ?
a) no brake , I assume they would have drum brakes as rim looks unsuitable for rim brakes.
b) suspect solid tyres , no values visible ?
c) 24" neither small [ 20" ] nor normal size [ 26" ]

Paul
 
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Yes Paul a) We could probably overcome but- b) one pic shows 24x1.25 but I hadn't noticed the lack of a valve or hole for one. so solid by the looks. No way to know if the rim could be drilled for a valve or if a tube could be fitted so obviously a no-go for me at least. c) is OK by me as I have a small stock of 24" wheels and tyres from my big buyup recently. They seem to be standard on the upright bikes/bits he supplied.

Yes the German frame was much too expensive anyway but again I hadn't seen it was a handcycle machine.

John
 
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Those wheels are Mobike ones designed for single side mounting. Mobike front hubs are 90mm drums and are about £20 per hub from the same guy selling the wheels. They are very suitable for what we build but as said have solid tyres. Whether the rims can be adapted to pneumatic I do not know. If I do end up building a 4wd, 4ws quad after the church pod it'll be those wheels with Mobike rear hubs that occupy the corners. That'll have suspension all round so solid tyres will be less of an issue. Solid tyres are typically poor on rolling resistance but it'd be no worse than trying to pedal off road tyres on the road.
 
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Hi both

Yes it is a rim issue , it depends whether they have the correct profile for tubed tyres.
IIRC Schwalbe tyres come with a warning about only fitting J type rim profiles ?

Before the 1970s, the only choice for racing was a tubular rim, whereby a tubular tyre would be glued on. For all other types of cycling the only option was ‘wire-on’ tyres, which had a rigid wire bead and were heavy and slow.

The arrival of Mavic’s Module E rim in the mid 1970s changed all that. It incorporated a hook shape to capture a lighter, foldable bead and prevent it from blowing off under high pressure.


Paul
 
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It's worth suggesting that regardless of the rim profile of the mobike wheels they could be fitted with tubular tyres with the simple addition of a valve hole. Tubular are in effect a tyre and tube made together that form a torroid shape requiring no rim attachment.
 
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When I first saw these I immediately thought that it would be possible to make up a pair of axles which bolted onto the wheel hub through the existing holes and the shafts running through plummer block bearings to the centre of a rear delta frame similar to the upright trike arrangement. With a gap between the axle ends they could each have a freewheel and brake disk giving good braking and the psuedo 'diff' arrangement. A bit pie in the sky considering 'my make it- cut it apart- make it again' progress to date.
I may order a couple anyway if I can persuade Joan they'd be really handy for making a trolley for her allotment perhaps. If so I'll try getting a tyre off and check out the inner rim profile.

John
 
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John
That would be a neat solution if your design is good with rear wheel brakes'
Lots of people will tell you only brakes on the rear is bad ?
I am happy with them YMMV

Perhaps Popshot can tell us the weight of an individual wheel ?
With suspension the puncture proof tyres may be worth a punt ?
Paul
 
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Just noticed in the listing description it states tubeless tyres and a schrader valve??? Not quite sure what to think as some other listing details don't make much sense ie.
------------------------
Set Includes:
Hubs, Frame Only, Crankset
Colour:Orange
Brand:Unbranded
Type:Tubeless
Brake Type disc Brake
Valve Type:Schrader Valve
Manufacturer Warranty:
Lifetime
Item Weight:2500

-------------------------

Doesn't say 2500 what!
Says tyres are studded!

Think it's a bit of a lottery but still interesting.

John
 
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Front hub and brake







Rear hub and brake







The rear hub has a magneto. The magnets have been removed from this. I tried like buggery to get the ratchet out. I assumed it must be an interference fit and probably glued too. I went as far as drilling through the hub on the outside to get a drift to it with no luck. In the end I decided to sacrifice this one hub to see just what was holding it. It was screwed in - doh! Oh well at least I know now for the others. The pawl carrier just knocks off and turns round if you want to drive the other way.

A wheel and tyre is 2.55KG. Tyres are solid kenda kwest 24x1.25. The Mobike lite which uses both side mounted wheels uses 26" wheels again with solid tyres. Neither have a valve hole.
 
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The rear hubs, because of the drive mechanism, will automatically behave as a freewheel diff if paired across an axle. One ratchet and pawl will require reversing to work on the left. This piece when turned over screws into the 5 holes so will act as a retainer to prevent the ratchet unscrewing instead of driving. Simples. No gap or extra anything. Just a shaft with a socket at each end to mate to the hub and a drive mechanism in the middle. Instant diff axle with disc brakes.

The Mobike front hub looks like a disc but that's just fakery. It's a 90mm drum.

 
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It's a shame the wheels are 5 bolt fixing ?
If they had been and even number it may have been possible to insert the kingpin inside the wheel hub , then there is no need for the centre point steering angle and thus making it easier to make a mounting for and looking very neat ?

Paul
 
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The part with the 5 bolts for the wheel is the rotating part so it's never going to have a kingpin in it. The part that has 5 bolts sticking out the back is the non rotating part and if you could weld two lugs on opposite sides you could negate the need for a kingpin mounting the lugs to two rod ends on the chassis for a virtual kingpin. It'd be close enough to centre point. It's ally so you'll need an ac tig to add the lugs.

Failing that you're still able to mount it to a traditional kingpin via the original mountings.
 
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Great info Popshot. Saves a lot of guesswork. Surprised to see a few mobikes for sale on ebay. Later ones apparently used a shaft drive rather than a chain and were single side mounted. That could make an interesting drive system for a Taddy or a peripheral frame Delta or Quad! Seller doesn't appear to have any hubs at all now so must be sold out?
No idea how 2500 gramms compares to a 24" spoked wheel and tyre? The solid tyre must be heavier surely.

How do those solid tyres actually feel? I had imagined they'd be like riding on steel but they must be a lot softer than 'pram wheel' type compound. It would certainly be nice to have no worries at all about punctured tyres.

John
 
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The seller has loads of them - just not listed. Contact him via ebay for what you want and he'll list it. The tyres feel very hard and alloys are always going to be heavier than spokes. A spoked 24" would probably come in just under 2kg with a tyre. As said, for the effort of drilling a valve hole you could use a tubular tyre regardless of rim profile. If sticking with the solids you'll probably want suspension. The Mobikes for sale will still be for sale months from now. Nobody wants them as they're 16kg, single speed and need special tools to service them. The hubs themselves need only security torx, phillips screwdriver and circlip pliers at most. The chap who sells the bits on ebay must have come to the conclusion that it's better to sell them in parts rather than not at all.
 
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Thanks Popshot. I may get a pair of wheels but don't think I'll go for the hubs. I want simple from now on and also low weight. The wheels will likely be handy even if not for a trike. Shame about post costs as it makes sense to buy quantity but right now I can't persuade myself that more than two is justified.

John
 
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Well Mrs J was fine with getting the wheels so I ordered four. Not sure how I'll use them yet but hey! there's a tiny spare corner of the shop with nothing in it just right for them.
Now back to the delta. Rear band brake needs fitting in place which will give me two brakes- plenty for stopping from the 10mph I'll likely be spending my time doing (assuming the front hub motor actually works).

John
 
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