Sidecars?

Mick29, always good to hear from you and thank you for the kind words. Hey, lots of photos as you go along.
Maybe we can get the world in sidecars.
Glad your joining those of us who are working on the dark side.

Steve.

I just ran across something interesting I didn't know existed. While I want to build a real sidecar capable of carrying an adult someday, I'd also like to do something more immediate and have had in mind adapting a bike trailer I have just for the dog... wouldn't need to be heavy duty, but would need to be safe and ride well. The sticking point for me has been the hitch setup. What I found today is a light weight Chariot bicycle sidecar for a child. This is very cool and also way expensive for my budget. It looks like a potential goldmine for ideas on mounting a light weight sidecar.
Chariot SideCarrier Bike Child Carrier | Chariot Bike Trailers | Bike Kid Shop
On that page is a link for the owner's manual which shows lots of photos and details of the hitch setup which allows the bike carrier to flex up and down on turns. It even looks like just the hitch hardware can be ordered so that the carrier can be used on a second bike. I have no idea what the hardware would cost, but the rest of the carrier would be fairly easy to fabricate (I say without having done it). Carrying capacity is 55 pounds, which isn't a lot, but plenty enough for my dog and lunch, a toolkit and maybe extra gas. Maybe somebody here smarter than me can figure out how to make the hitch setup. It is a far cry from Steve's jewel, but still would be a cool thing if we can figure out a way to make our own light duty version. Here's the link to the owner's manual...
http://chariotcarriers.com/english/pdf/owners_manuals/2004/2004_chariot_side_carrier_ebook.pdf
SB

All the support seems to be in that front mount at the crank(looking at the parts list) That might explain the 55 lb limit,w/only one pivit suport ,it would be a smooth road not a rough road machine

That is a good looking side car,,,,One good Idea I saw in the directions was the wheel height adjusted which would make fabricating a frame and atachment to different bikes very forgiving (I am for the older style ways to hook it to a bike) and I think the ability to align the side car to the direction of the bike is stronger on the old style hook-ups

Yes, with just the one attachment point it is definitely light weight and no you wouldn't want anything but a smooth roadway. I do like the way it hitches, though, as it allows the trailer to pivot and it gives a way of attaching it at the front. What I'm thinking is to use the attachment arm from a rear trailer (the kind which attaches at the rear axle) fixed to the trailer so that it is no longer coming off the front, but is reversed and attaches to the trailer further back. It would become the rear anchor while the front could use the basic idea from the Chariot side car. It would have then two attachment points, each of which could easily release the sidecar when you weren't using it. The front one would have to connect to the sidecar itself in such a way that the distance between the front anchor and the sidecar frame was adjustable so that you could get it parallel. Each attachment point would allow for pivoting so turning the bike left and right shouldn't be a great problem. I'm going to give it some more thought. Also with two anchor points I would think the carrying capacity could increase a bit. On my instep trailers it is a hundred pounds. Any more than that and I would think something like Steve's would be needed. And of course I'm talking about just a sidecar and not a sidecar pusher. What do you think?
SB

I agree ................

My simple sidecar became what it is because of the fact that I was advised by the supplier of my hub motor that I couldn't get a rear wheel on the Monark without a multi gear cassett to take up the space since the hub motor was so slim.

I've tried front wheel hubs and didn't like the feel of the front wheel pulling as I was trying to steer. Simple Simon on the other sight suggested putting the power wheel on the sidecar and showed me what some other guys had done and that made sense. At least to me.
Time will soon tell just what to expect.

If I was to do it as a ride along sidecar, aluminium would be the choice. Costly to have welded but then if there is any chance you have to peddle that lump I built, aluminium welding would be cheap about a half mile down the road.

Where I have the steel reinforced plate on the bike, that could be replaced by a piece of alumium plate. Where the sidecar attaches could be done differently. Instead of an iron rod like I used, the pillow blocks could have a U shaped piece of aluminium with a hole in it and a bolt through it and that piece welded to the frame so it pivots.
A good welder will apply thier experience to these ideas and keep you out of the weeds.

I gave a lot of thought to what to do to make it adjustable and came to the conclusion that the chance of me ever putting it on anything other than a 26 in. bike was not going to happen and if it did I would make another mounting plate that I could leave on the bike.
Easier to let some one ride the bike as it is.

Got a question please ask.

Steve.

Steve,
I think your sidecar "Chris Craft" speaks for itself in beauty. The genius of the undercarriage and mounting system is less obvious to anyone who has not spent some time trying to work out the nuts and bolts of actually making a working sidecar that powers the bike. Its a wonderful setup and will be perfect for the Monark. When I looked at the flimsy little Chariot sidecar of tubes and fabric and saw the price tag I thought of your sidecar and wondered "if that Chariot is worth $500.00 then what is Steve's sidecar worth?" Out of my league for sure and had you not built it yourself, no doubt it would be out your reach, too. Down the line I'd like to build something with real craftsmanship in it that an adult could ride in and when I do it will be your undercarriage and mounting setup. In the more immediate future I'm hoping to convert the little dog trailer into a dog sidecar this summer as something fun to experiment with at the other end of the scale. Your bike is just about ready to start putting together isn't it? Great paint, great new chrome, fantastic sidecar... can't wait to wee the photos!
SB

It just dawned on me that I kind of took your thread in a different direction with the side discussion of the light weight sidecar (Chariot and home made conversion of a bike trailer). That should have been it's own thread. I apologize, my friend. I hope this weekend brought you a little closer to having the bike together. Rain here on the east coast, so not much happening here. Looking forward to more pictures!
SB

mick29 said:

Its mick29 here just wondering you guys with vintage styled motorized bikes does anyone have a sidecar atatched I myself have a vintage styled bike and think it would look great with a sidecar I myself havent seen one PS someone with some photos would be great thanks mick29

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I have tried to post pictures of my side car bike here with no sucess. Feel free to contact me at [email protected] and I will send pics of the coolest side car bicycle you have ever seen.
Rick/cinelliphyle

Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket

Made a fender for the sidecar and put it on. Used an old piece of duct work for the metal. Tried to solder it but it wan't holding well so I made another fender top and added the skirts off the first fender but riveted them on. Filled the pop rivet holes with JB Weld and sanded them smooth.

Little hard to see the fender on the sidecar but I couldn't get help to carry it out side.

Hope you enjoy it. Putting the decals on the bike tomorrow and hope to have it on it's wheels by this week end and the sidecar attached.

Steve

That powered side car is pure art! What a looker...

cinelliphyle said:

I have tried to post pictures of my side car bike here with no sucess. Feel free to contact me at [email protected] and I will send pics of the coolest side car bicycle you have ever seen.
Rick/cinelliphyle

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Rick,
I have emailed you and hope you will pass along the photos. I'd be happy to post them here if you like as I'm sure others would like to see them, too.
SB

Steve,
You did a wonderful job on that fender... what a shine! I can't wait to see the bike now. This rig is going to be a classic!
SB

Thank you.

Steve.

Very nice my man.... wish i could see it up close

mick29,thank you. Yes the battery/batteries are going in the rear of the side car under the hatch. The two scoops on the rear are kitchen drawer handles so I can lift it up. I'm going to use Lithium Poly batteries as big and as many I can afford. Probably one. The company that supplied the wheel has them and they are first rate at about $850 Canadian.

The idea was that I am going to use this to make short hops around the area and the next town 20 minutes away also as a camp ground, get around when I'm on the road traveling. The ugly fact is that when it's running right I'll run the wheels off it given that gas here is getting close to $1.20 a liter. About $5 a gal US.

Putting the Monark together slowly. Seems when your old, everything happens slowly except getting older. Hope to have most of it done this weekend.

Steve.

Mr. Weekend Fun, I thank you for your encouragement. If you are still in St. Louis in the early summer I will do my level best to get to see you as I travel to see my son in New Hampshire. Probably in the early summer/mid July.

Have someone to see in Iowa and I'll be able to duck down and see you then. If not I owe myself a trip to California because I haven't been there since the summer of 1966. Didn't think of it at the time but I went the full length of Route 66 in 1966 in a 1966 Triumph sports car.

How are your bikes coming?

Fast"travelin"eddy.

Rick has emailed me some pictures of his very neat sidecar and bike which I'm going to pass along in two batches since there are six photos.
I really like it! Thanks Rick...
SB