bike stabilizer for the old and infirmed

GoldenMotor.com

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
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great looking wheels. I would buy those, except the price is more than I paid for the bike and motor combined. Still they are terrific looking trainers. I went down (much to my wife's anguish) and took apart the trailer. There shouldn't be any problem to make these work. How they ride is another thing all together. The bike should be a heck of a lot more stable. Shouldn't even need a kick stand.
 

rustycase

Gutter Rider
May 26, 2011
2,746
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Left coast
and I thought everyone knew that bones don't knit as quickly for an old goat as they do for a young buck!

Deacon, you could easily do yourself more harm than you might expect !
You can aggravate the healing process so that it could be prolonged, well, forever! Vibration of a MAB ain't good for healing either! Not to mention a bump, jostle, or jolt !

Now might be a good time for even more engineering...
See how yah feel in 6 weeks.

just sayin...
rc
 

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
9
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north carolina
rc I'm going to hide that from my wife lol. just kidding. I know all that but I still do dumb things. I am trying to keep this to a minimum though. I promise.
 

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
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north carolina
I got the two rectangular boxes with wheels inside ready to go. I even regreased one of the wheel's bearings. the other is a coaster brake wheel, Not sure Im going to bother.

Now I have to pick up the L brackets from the bike wheel to attached the boxes. It's raining here today so I'm not sure I will get to the store. Plus I need to take it easy according to my wife, who also has to drive me to the hardware store lol
 

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
9
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north carolina
The design is functional but the material is way to flimsy. I was using a light weight channel. Just isn't rigid enough.
 

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
9
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north carolina
CB2 thanks for the pics from ebay. To make the trailer type stabilizer I would have needed to make it weight about a hundred pounds to get it rigid, Instead I found a couple of pieces of metal at home depot and made training wheels from a couple of scooter wheels i had laying about. I suppose you could use lawn mower wheels just as well.\\

I'll try to shoot some -pics tomorrow. I am about to talk myself into a tricycle with the ifan on the front wheel./
 

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
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north carolina
My daddy always say RC if you baby yourself, you become a baby lol/ Just kidding I'm out in the shop working broken ribs and all. My wife is soooooo upset. Said she is not coming to the hospital to visit again.
 

daRog

New Member
Apr 15, 2011
98
0
0
California
Lookin' good, deacon. Just don't try to register that thing in California. It having 4 wheels changes EVERYTHING. Heh.
 

rustycase

Gutter Rider
May 26, 2011
2,746
5
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Left coast
Nope.
Don't like it.

Sry Deacon... It's not going to accomplish what you wish,

AND,

at any kind of speed above a slow pedal, some very unexpected balance and steering geometry changes will come into play, with generally disastrous effect.

This is from my practical and personal experience.

Would someone with engineering experience pls step in here and point out the design flaws to our valued friend ???

rc
 

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
9
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north carolina
well trust me, it will get really good testing before I do anything more than pedal it along. . I seldom rush into things even though based on the fact that I just got out of the hospital one would think otherwise.
 

rustycase

Gutter Rider
May 26, 2011
2,746
5
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Left coast
Well, Deacon, in part that's what concerns me...

Last time I hit the deck all I had done was step up onto a shovel to dig it into the dirt... and before that I had turned around, in the garden... yah, just turned around to grab something that was kinda behind me.

Point being, YOU are a valuable asset to this community and unfortunately have no recollection of the circumstances leading to your present condition.

.... The OP calls it his 'Zombie Tri-brid', I think... I know you've probably checked that thread out...

IMO, that configuration of a MAB would give you every opportunity to continue your great work in experimenting, AND, provide superior stability than the most recent design you have fabricated.
...were you to suffer from some temporary loss of balance, or ???, at least you would already be in a recumbent seating position and perhaps less susceptible to collateral damage... unless, of course, a close (really close!) encounter with a skool bus or something equally massive is involved...

Best
rc
 

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
9
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north carolina
I know what you are saying and I appreciate the concern I really do.

I got to tell you a story...

over twelve years ago II had a heart attack that landed me in the hospital. The heart doc says you need to have a bipass your left main is 90% closed. If you don't do this you might be dead by Thursday. I said no. He had my family scared to death. He had chaplains from all over the place coming in to pray with me. I mean he really believed it and was trying hard to get me to do the right thing. That was several years ago,

On one of my last checkups before I stopped all treatment he says to me. Charlie you don't understand, if that artery blocks, it isn't a trip to the heart catheter lab, it is to the morgue. In less than two minutes you are dead.

I finally explained that I have a brain tumor that can not be operated on again. If nothing else kills me first, I'm going to end my days in a nursing home unable to do much of anything for myself. So I asked him. Doctor you tell me which is worse, the twenty second heart attack or the year or two being a vegetable..

If none of us take a chance and always live life safe and comfortable, that's our end. A long slow painful death somewhere. So I don't tell anyone else what to do, but I eat bacon, eggs, red meat, and I ride bikes. Bikes I build which are only more or less safe, as opposed to big old cars that if in an accident because my mind "Wanders" I might survive but the kids at the bus stop might not.

I appreciate the concern honest I do, but I choose to do the things I do, knowing full well tomorrow I might fall off the bike, have the big one and die laying in my bed, or not be able to get out of bed because the room won't stop spinning. My preference would be to just have the heart attack while on the bike. Seems like a fitting end. That is not to say that I don't appreciate that you guys are concerned and would feel bad if you didn't at least try to make me do the right thing. But honest, I think I am doing the right thing.
 

rustycase

Gutter Rider
May 26, 2011
2,746
5
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Left coast
Yessir Deacon.

This here keyboard gets uppity and keeps buttin into peoples bizness, but it knows who is boss !

and I'm gonna pour some of this glass of water on it just to make sure it cools down! :)

Best
rc
 

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
9
0
north carolina
you feel free to say anything that is on your mind. I do not have a problem, your advice is good. I'm more than a little hard headed. Hearing someone elses opinions are always good.
 

cannonball2

Well-Known Member
Oct 28, 2010
3,682
221
63
Colonial Coast USA.
Yeah RC, all sides of an issue that arent inflamatory are welcome. My comment was basically agreeing that Deacon had stated his position/philosophy of his situation well. My Dad died this Jan., a victim of Alziemers. He went from being a person that could fly a twin engine aircraft in insturment conditions, to not knowing if his pants were on. Very sad and hard for me to watch. My family is all over me to quit riding my M/Cs. I dont wanna get hurt on one, but I dont want to wind up like my Dad either. Figure I will just keep pushing it as long as I can. My Dad use to say "There are worse things than death". Im afraid he proved it. Sure miss him!
 

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
9
0
north carolina
Well to kind of end this train of thought, I went to the surgeon today for my release. I was told that I could cut the grass the vibration would hurt seriously, before it did any damage. Then the sweet thing said to me. No you can't ride the bike for 6 weeks. It isn't the vibration it is falling off and causing a seperation of the bones that are already broken. If that happens it mean surgery and 6 months to heal. Even if you just hit a big bump in the road it could separate the already broken collar bone and then its operations and pins ect.

Not concerned about ending it all, but I am about surgery and 6 months of this kind of pain. She did tell me I could work on the bikes, just not ride them. I have always said building them is more fun than riding them. So all I have to do is find a test pilot.

My wife went into the exam room so that she could know exactly what was said. If I don't at least follow the rules a little, it will he miserable around here.

So everybody is right and nobody was wrong. As usual if everyone keeps an open mind it works out. I am going to build so that when the time runs out I have something fun to ride. I do need to get the stabilized bike tested but I'm sure someone will be happy to give it a go for me.

I also got an email about trike but it is pretty far away from me.
 

rustycase

Gutter Rider
May 26, 2011
2,746
5
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Left coast
I also got an email about trike but it is pretty far away from me.
So there's a chance you'd consider? :)

There's MotorBicycling members all over the map, and as a community, arrangements could probably be made to shuttle something your direction if you were interested... and some members are travelers.

The forum is a great place where people can get together to help each other and have fun all the while !

Gosh, that's good new from the Doc. At 6 weeks, (she) has confidence that you are a fast healer!

I get my rat-killin' done first thing in the morning, or after 7 in the evening.
Keep myself indoors in the shade for the blazing mid-day sun, much as possible. There's always tomorrow to work on a project.

Best
rc