RECYCLED RECUMBENTS!!!!!!!
BEFORE YOU BEGIN - GENERAL NOTES
These
plans go farther than (what I still think are) Garner Martin’s book and
sketches, or the other clone plans available on line, to describe the process,
the salvage of parts, the measurements for a great bike, and the new hardware
you need to make what is commonly called a TE Clone.
The Recycled Recumbent draws it’s original inspiration from that
geometry and that sketch, and from Warren Beauchamp's article on this
construction - http://www.recumbents.com/home.asp
I hope Recycled Recumbent takes the next step in detailing what to do for the
new builder.
These pages do not teach you how to weld or braze
– you need a friend for this, or a course at your local community college.
Les Sutch has an interesting plan non-welders - a LWB bike that is put
together with pop rivets and sheet metal gussets.
Drop him a line at lsutch@sympatico.ca
if you want to buy a plan set for the “Apartment Dweller’s Recumbent.”
I do not touch deeply (yet) on the process of
bicycle assembly – the mechanics of finding and fitting wheels and shifters
and brakes. Far better and
more articulate mechanics than I cover this.
Sheldon Brown ( http://www.sheldonbrown.com/
) has a wealth of mechanical advice online - you just need to figure out when he
tells a joke, which he does often and well.
I just found www.bikewebsite.com/
- which seems to have a wealth of maintenance
information as well for the burgeoning mechanic in you.
For the Recycled Recumbent, you
need a few bike tools and a will to learn, or friends with the skills and
generosity to help.
ORGANIZATION OF THIS PROJECT
The ‘book’ here is put
together in two phases. The
first part is the straightforward process of creating the ‘original’
Recycled Recumbent. That bike is called in 10 drawings and my 'script' the
“EZ Clone.” The easy
plan is strongly recommended for first time builders.
Build this bike – maybe even build it twice and learn from your
mistakes on the first one. Ride
it, decide if you like it, upgrade it as your time, money and inclination allow.
The EZ Clone is most similar to Warren Beauchamp’s project, and similar
in geometry to the Tour Easy commercial bike.
Then
see if you want to tackle the more complex bike.
The Mach 2 bike is sleeker, narrower, and has more carefully considered
and adjusted handling characteristics.
Layout requires a bit more thought and is less forgiving of your learning
mistakes. Choice of donor
bikes may be more selective – based on what you learn from the earlier bikes.
You will learn to add rake to the fork to improve handling - a finicky
task at best.
Many people have asked me about
the difference between the two bikes. The bottom line difference is
subtle, hard to distinguish, and highly valued by the experienced rider, a
matter of sure footed-ness for the bike and steering responsiveness to the rider
(they go hand in hand). Again -
start with the EZ Clone - you are far less likely to have a do-over level
mistake. Until you have ridden
1,000 miles, the difference between the two styles is not apparent to the new
rider.
What I have learned. So
far.
I have
delighted in learning the hows and whys of making the Recycled Recumbent.
I crawled into this doing what you are doing now, reading and researching
on the internet. Only my
obsessive love of the hobby, and the encouragement of my friends to put it out
here for folks to see separates me from you.
My hope is that these pages address your particular interests and
abilities as a novice home builder. If
you are an experienced builder (or when you become an experienced builder), feel
free to embellish and change – and let me know what works better!