Mandatory Foto

At this point it finally looks like something valid is happening with all those bits and pieces I've been collecting. The rear wheels are laced and bolted to the axle, the rear frame is braced and welded to the main tube, the front fork is on and has a wheel in it. The basic frame has come together and has wheels to hold it up off the ground!

No the axle hasn't been split into two yet ... an interesting thing happened while welding the rear frame to the main tube ... the rear frame WAS slightly arched and putting stress on the axle ... but it un-arched somewhat and the axle spins freely now. My grandson keeps asking when it will be done ... my response, "In due time, when I have all the parts."

Well, you can push it around, but it isn't rideable yet ... the seat comes next ... then I'll start working on the gear-train ...

American Bicycling

This is what bicycling in USA looks like ... bicycles attached to the backs of Vans, SUV's and cars. I drove 80 miles across the greater Chicago area today and only saw 3 normal bicycle riders and 1 speedracer.

I have no idea where these people actually stop and ride the bicycles ... or whether they ride more than 30-40 feet on them. I know one man who has 6 personal bicycles outside his back door ... he uses them to ride the 60 feet from his house to his workshop and back again.

I'm thinking of getting one of those folding bikes that have 20" wheels ... so I can toss it in my truck and take it to work with me ... give me something to ride around on when I'm bored or just want to take a short trip to the store ... a 72' long truck that is 9 feet wide and 13 ft 6" tall cannot fit in the McDonalds drive-thru or most "convienience store" parking lots.

Frame Work

It's 91 Degrees and 88% humidity ... so after getting home from delivering the load ... I decided to go out in the shop and do some more work on the 1st DeltaWolf trike frame ... this is the one my grandson has his eye on ...
I tacked the rear frame onto the main tube ... then measured from a common point on the front of the main tube back to the corners of the frame ... made sure the rear axle was evenly distributed ... and measured from the ends to the common point. Both sides were the same ... so hopefully it will ride okay.
Next, I cut a 16" length of 3/4" EMT tubing (cheap galvanized stuff that I got in the electrical section in Lowe's). After I shaped it to fit the space between the corner of the rear frame and the main tube just above the gusset area ... I cut another piece of tubing to match. I filed off the galvanizing along the ends so it would weld better and not gas me. I clamped the frame in the vice and then tacked the support tubes into place. Now that everything was stable ... I could finish welding the rear frame to the main tube ... and both ends of the support tubes.
You'll notice that I put one of the 20" rims that I laced up on the end of the axle ... I haven't trued it or bolted it onto the axle yet. The axle also hasn't been cut in the middle yet. Soon.
I still have to mull over how I will be attaching the seat to the frame ... it's a fiberglas one that I obtained from S&B Recumbents in Gardena, CA.