Deacon's Bike

[deacon]

I have discovered that my diy electric bikes lack the guts that I have come to expect from a motorized bike. I think I need to reassess this project. but I did make it work.

I think now that if i am going to build a bike for a senior, it has to be on a light weight frame. It will have to be electric for dependability and ease of maintaining it. I now think the hub motor might be best. Stay away from gears for sure. I might take a look at some step through light weight frames again with a twenty inch coaster wheel on the rear and a 26 inch hub motor wheel on the front. I'm going to have to take a serious look at those motors.

Large wheel in the front with the hub motor will give it max speed and range while the twenty inch rear wheel will give the bike the easy mount feature that it would need for less flexible people. LIKE ME

 

[deacon]

I have also found that in kids bikes there are different sized frames evidently. I had one twenty inch crank set that went into a 26 inch from no problem but I had a 16 inch that was too small over all. Not the length but the bearing were too small to fit in the bigger bike. I made it work but it wasn't right. However I have one small crank set that went in just fine. It will need the small crank set because of the height of the pedals. So it's 20" not 16" that will work. That being the case the clown bike will work after all. I just have to find a twenty inch for the crank set.

I would like to keep the seat low so that the rider could easily reach the ground with his or her feet to give that feeling of control I lack on tall bikes. My gas bike is the ideal combination. If I can replicate it on a hub motor bike it would be ideal.

I was also thinking a hub motor would be ideal for a schwinn stingray.

 

[deacon]

I have decided to revive the clown bike. I'm not looking for a rack friction drive for the rear. I have had so much trouble with the chain drive that I hope to find an alternative. I do want the rack on the rear not the front. I just feel I would have more control of the bike. I think I can make the rack work on the twenty inch wheel.

Im going to have to keep an eye on the tires even if I do go friction drive. In my reading it seems that the knobby tires I have been running do not perform well with friction drive.

 

[Big Joe]

Deacon
I think I have a 20" junk bike with a crankset. If you are interested i will check it out and take it out if I can. Let me know

 

[deacon]

Joe I can buy one here cheaper than you can ship it. the last one I saw at a yard sale was five bucks. Then i get a rear wheel and a front one too for a trailer. I have one front one here now to match up. But I appreciate the offer.

 

[deacon]

Does anyone know of a china engine kit for rear mount friction drive. I guess there is no reason you couldn't mount the kit engine with a friction drive. Now that would be something to see lol.

but seriously let me know if you have any info on one.

 

[deacon]

I gave it another thought and pulled the clown bike from the throwaway pile of scrap metal. I put the new wheel on but with an old smooth tire. Then i reattached the 300 watt electric motor with the friction drive. I used a different kind of mount though. One that supports the motor from the off side as well as the engine side. I also pulled it down on the tire with the mount not springs. Just as soon as I get a good dry day, (tomorrow they say) I'm going to give it a try.

Even if this works I'm going to need a cover for the knurly drive wheel. It is too small and too rough .lol. I like a much larger wheel but for the trial I'm going to go stock this time. But that wheel will absolutely grind a tire to dust. Still I need to know what is what.

 

[deacon]

Ps joe if this works they are selling motor on ebay with build in controllers I might just pick up one to try out as a replacement for my old brush type motor. My question I'm trying to answer is, "Will a three hundred watt motor with friction drive actually be enough to climb hills with minimal assist." I get out of breath (chronic heart disease) too easily for serious help.

 

[deacon]

The clown bike lives if not so healthy

I changed to a smoother tire. I switched back to the drive wheel that looks like a round file, and I pulled the big batteries on a trailer and it all combined to make the clown bike hum. I climbed my test hill pretty easily and might have been able to do it more easily if I had let the bike pull more. I sort of over pedaled it with the assist to assist me rather than the other way. Regardless it worked pretty darn well...

I am giving some thought to picking up a low voltage light dimmer and trying it as a throttle and on off switch. It it doesn't work I will just return it to the store, no harm no foul. Those things cost almost as much as the motor did.

I have a back up bike again. I am going to build an ammunition type caisson/trailer for the batteries though. Also it needs that 20" crank set otherwise clown bike lives

It isn't going to set any speed records but who cares. I like slow bikes.

 

[deacon]

The number one lesson I learned is knobby tires and friction drive do not match up well. I also think I learned that it is better to pull your weight (on a trailer) than to stick it on top of a bike. The bike is a lot more stable. Certain modification are necessary for the people I'm designing this for.

I still have to make some battery decisions but I think I'm getting there. I'm thinking i might put that skinny 3speed front wheel back on the bike. That would really make it clownish I think.

 

[Dave31]

Does anyone know of a china engine kit for rear mount friction drive. I guess there is no reason you couldn't mount the kit engine with a friction drive. Now that would be something to see lol.

but seriously let me know if you have any info on one.

Deacon, when I built my first double suspension bike, I mounted the china motor on the rear. Altough I planned on using a chain and not a friction drive.
I did not like it for what I was trying to do. It was to top heavy and the center of gravity was all screwd up. I think it would have worked great for the pavement, but not for the trail.

I might still have the bracket's that I made, weather it will work on your bike I dont know. I will dig threw my scrap pile when I have time and hopefully I did not use them on something else. If I find it I will post pic so you can see if it will work.

 

[deacon]

Its an interesting idea for sure. I can't imagine how that would look lol.

I suppose all you would have to do would be to weld a drive wheel into the chain gear to make the friction drive. You would still have your clutch which is a really good thing. Nothing else would really be effected.

Ah the gas tank would be a problem since it is gravity fed.

 

[Dave31]

I just finished looking in my big pile of scrap metal, sorry Deacon I must have used it on another project. But I dont remember using it, if I'm lucky maybe I will run across it.
Yeah, it was a ugly looking thing, very strange to look at something you just dont see everyday.
I remember why I did it that way, I had trouble keeping the chain to stay on. I was trying to get the motor to go up and down with the rear suspension. I went with a spring loaded tensioner instead that I made from a Nissan timing chain tensioner.
I'm glad I sold that bike, it wasnt my best work.

The next one will be better

 

[deacon]

I just finished looking in my big pile of scrap metal, sorry Deacon I must have used it on another project. But I dont remember using it, if I'm lucky maybe I will run across it.
Yeah, it was a ugly looking thing, very strange to look at something you just dont see everyday.
I remember why I did it that way, I had trouble keeping the chain to stay on. I was trying to get the motor to go up and down with the rear suspension. I went with a spring loaded tensioner instead that I made from a Nissan timing chain tensioner.
I'm glad I sold that bike, it wasnt my best work.

The next one will be better

Ah chain problems I know them well....

 

[deacon]

My next move is to locate a twenty inch bike with smoothish tires. I need the crank set and the front wheel to match up with one I have to make the trailer.

So here is a question for all you bike guys. I need the crank set for the short pedal throw with the rear 20" wheel, but what chainring would be best. the 20" chain ring is smaller and would amount to a lower gear, and be easier to move, but the larger ring from the 3speed would be larger and get more movement from the rear wheel per revolution. What say you guys large or small.

Remember I will only be pedaling to start the bike moving and to climb the big hills. If memory serves, I can engage the larger chain ring sooner when I'm going up hill. So I could keep the speed up and prevent wheel grind maybe. Or I could use the smaller ring and expend less energy maybe. I don't know which is better.

You know that three speed hub might not have been a bad idea with the friction drive bike. Too bad they didn't make one in a twenty inch size.

 

[Ilikeabikea]

I bet a good bike shop could lace that 3 speed hub into a 20" wheel..................

 

[deacon]

I bet a good bike shop could lace that 3 speed hub into a 20" wheel..................

I spoke to one and they would do it the price wasn't all that good but heck if I really wanted one i would go there. I guess it is one of those, if i found one it would be peachy, but to pay fifty bucks to have it done, isn't going to happen.

 

[deacon]

clown bike is almost complete. It has a 300 watt friction drive engine with 2 lawn batteries for power.

There are only two minor things to do yet. I have to find a 20" CRANK SET and change the tire on the trailer. I have another of those multicolored tires I want to put on the trailer.

By the way the axle and nuts for the trailer were about four bucks. I had the battery box so it was just junk before. The wheels for the trailer are both front wheels from junk bikes I picked up.

The five dollar bikes have donated lots of parts so were a good deal. The tongue on the trailer is a piece of tubing from a fertilizer spreader I bought for the wheels.

I tested the bike it pulls the trailer perfectly I think. It goes up the steepest hill i found without pedal power but it is very slow.

This is the prefect bike to get just a little exercise and to really enjoy the enviornment you are in. I think I'm going to slip it on the bike trail tomorrow. It is quiet enough that I'll have to put a bell on it before I take it out for a ride on the bike trail.

 

[deacon]

My wife got bored so we took a ride. I found a 20" kids bike for ten bucks so I bought it. The crank set now happily resides in the clown bike. I also changed that one white tire to the multi colored one so my entry for the trash bike build is ready. I'll do the final shot tomorrow I think. I think I have built my final bike. I have one more 100% ready for an engine of some kind, so I don't have to build on it. Well it does have a 16" jury rigged crank set but I'm not going to pedal it a lot so I think I'm going to leave it.

I have an extra set of wheels for another trailer so I might build one of those one day. The one I built was just for the battery box. I think I want a general utility trailer now. I really think i need a sidecar lol....

 

[Dave31]

Deacon, have you seen these videos? It's a three step video of a guy mounting a friction drive.

Vid 1
YouTube - How to build a motorized bicycle - Video 1 of 3

vid2
YouTube - How to build a motorized bicycle - Video 2 of 3

vid 3
YouTube - How to build a motorized bicycle - Video 3 of 3