
I write
these notes for who wanted to be a dreamer like me.
Who really is
interested to my “ADY” will be able to contact to
me for designs, photos, advices and in order to avoid to do again my
errors. It is rather heavy,
remember that is not a “racing bicycle” but
a “tourism coach”.
First
don’t trust cyclist stores, some could better be a
representative of sewing-machine, but if you found one that listen to
you and is skilful MARRY him!
To find parts, Internet and the sales online are a
blessing. I also have found many in the
“Decathlon” store.
Bottoming drill to column, mini power drill, oxygen-bottle for
brazing, tube-bender, a disc cutter, vice and clips and cyclist wrench are
indispensable
and “a kind” friend with lathe, favourable.
The
larger problem are
the smaller parts because nobody sells them. The posterior
part is recovered from a mountain
bike in steel from a boy bike 24”, used or new. If
it's new the important
is the chassis and its welding. From a bad one, price 50
€ in super-offer
from supermarket, the chassis is recovered above all, from a more
expensive,
also shifter, brakes etc can be used and often the detached parts cost
more.
For the pedals support, from a scrap iron, it's
better to save the
bottom bracket and the relative tube.
The chassis is in rectangular tubes and the seat in
round. The seat type deckchair has the
merit to be adaptable and not to make
sweat.
Tubes and blacksmith can be found in the “make
yourself” stores
except discovering that in order to find measure
and thickness you will have to visit some of
them.
The normal tube-bender that are sold are for copper tubes and, if you
do
not want to construct a “Bent” of copper, you must
by force modify them, mine, reinforced like in the photo, works for
16x1,5 tubes.
The more
complex parts are the
supports for the front wheels (stub axle), and they must be
precise! They must support the
brake, the spherical joints, the arm of the steering and the wheel
axis.
Eventually ask someone to make them in workshop, you will
avoid buying
drill and males outside measure, with problems in order to find a
bottoming
drill of the apt measure. The axle of the front
wheels, since is supported from a single part and not by a fork, must
be
special because otherwise it will fold, therefore there are three
possibilities: to modify the steel axle of the hub with a more large
one,
minimal 12 millimeter, maintaining the spheres in the hub, to mount a
fixed axle but with bearing in the support, to use a special hub from
“down hill” with 20 millimeter hole so a 20 mm axle
can be used.
I have thought that the last solution was the best one, it costs a
little
( I have found them on the Internet at 60 € each) but they
eliminate
turning problems and allow to have the right angles of the
steering.
For
welding if you are
already able is better, otherwise do like me and learn from the easy
things
(eventually at the beginning ask help), DO NOT BURN YOU!
You can
find bottles to lose of gas and oxygen (100/200 bars) and relative
tube, for the
bottles to reload the price increases. Follow your country
rules about oxygen.
The problem is that you use
“some” bottles. On the Internet
there are always
optimal advices but to have good brazed pieces they must be tight.
Cleanliness,
deoxidizer, good bars and high flame, are indispensable.
For
the steering I used a single hand, with a
joystick command that does everything, but can be easy modified with a
double
joystick or a double lever.
I have inserted an ulterior shifter, which is an innovation; also if in
order to use it you must pedal in the opposite
direction. The normal shifter is a little limited, being from a
boy bike with 24" wheels. I thought that
it was an expedient but indeed it's a comfort, when stopped half of a
climb, the possibility to shift down and then restart.
Because we can not rise on the pedals the gear change is used a
lot.
I have realized a design in AutoCAD, but I am not a professional
designer, however photos, material list, designs and explanations are
available and would have to be sufficient for the men of good will.
I have dismounted the 20” front wheels , throwing hubs, have
shortened by 1,5 millimeter half of the spokes and I have threaded them
2
millimeter, therefore using down hill hubs, I have mounted
them again
for discs using a micrometer, the problem has been to give the just
traction at spokes. Thanks to Internet I
have found the procedure and the dimensions of the
spokes. It is a bad job
An advice, before begin, make your sum, the tools cost and verify also
the capability to find parts, seems impossible but you can be lost
searching for the spokes or a piece of
tube!
However consider to use between the 1000 and 1500 €, less if
are used
also recovered parts.
In Italy there are some importers of recumbent bicycles but the high
costs is because are quality products.
Pay attention to
confront turn capability and dimensions since you drive in road or in
the cycle tracks and not in superhighway.
Luciano
De
Lorenzi
Realization (Text)
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Realiz.(Photo)
Recumbent
(Wat is it ?) ADY (Here
I am)
Characteristics
Joystick
Seering
Stationary
brake
Extra
shifter
ADY Mark 2
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