HaHa Skip, I am NOT defending the trike...the damn thing has been up on blocks for 2 weeks and it
broke down twice while riding it many miles from home...last time it came back in a van. As a
Prototype the trike was supposed to give me an idea what could be improved for another version. What
this Prototype has taught me was that I should have bought a TerraTrike. I am however excited about
the "other" prototype, the model engineered and partially assembled in Oregon. This trike is a
winner in every respect (except for the steering) and I'll have that worked out soon. What excites
me the most is that all 3 wheels are to be suspended and both front wheels will have disc brakes.
My criticism was directed at the word "homemade", if the 1st trike was made by my hand the trike
would cave before it left the garage. As it stood, I had it welded by a Professional framebuilder
and went about 25 miles before it caved (both brakes broke and both front wheel hubs shredded). This
was NOT the fault of the welder, this was a design booboo.
It had been my plan to drive the trike into a wall and see how it held together (actually I was
trying to convince my darling wife to drive it into the wall), but the front crashbar broke away
before I got to the wall and then driving down a hill in heavy traffic I looked at my front wheels
and what to my wonderous eyes did I see, but chunks of metal flying off and my brakes falling apart
before my eyes.
I must have broken a world record....I gave a whole new meaning to the phrase "Lean Steer", as my
right front wheel detached itself and was last seen rolling into a park, I leaned as far to the left
as I could while pedaling in order to keep the right front axle from touching the pavement. I went a
city block on a trike missing a front wheel. I'll wager Fast Freddy couldn't do THAT and he'd need
his head examined if he tried it intentionally.
It has always been my goal to design a trike that could withstand my stupidity...so far my stupidity
is winning Stupidity 1, Trike 0 I'd love to suggest that things can only get better, but
realistically things can and probably will get a lot worse before I have trike that "I' feel is safe
for others to pilot.
I figure that just MY saying a trike I designed is WHAT everyone should buy will be enough reason to
send everyone out to buy my trike.
You get Fast Freddy or Sam Wittingham endorsing a new 2 wheel bent and everyone into Speed will line
up to buy the bent they endorse. You get ME endorsing a trike and everyone who is concerned about
being killed as they accidently drive their trike off the edge and fall into the Canyon...followed
by the Anvil will then buy my trike....hmmm confusing cartoon example. What I mean is that IF I can
ride the trike in the same "unusual" way that I ride 2 wheel bents and the trike is able to
withstand the degree of abuse I put it through....then THAT trike will provide far more riding
safety than any trike they will ever need.
Re: Nigel Mansell drove his car into a wall at 200+ mph and survived
it....people would line up to buy the front bumper of any car that allows you to live after smaking
a wall at 200+ mph. I want a trike that can play chicken with a SUV and not have the trike pilot
on life support because the SUV won.
I am half way there, the "side crash bars" on the trike will take far more impact abuse than any
trike on the planet. When the (Dragonflyer-ish rear suspension) goes on, I'll then have a design
problem with the Roll Bar.....but in time I will figure this all out and a trike that I feel good
about will be hatched and released to the heaving masses.
Funny...2 people seeing me on my trikes have come up to me and said...you know seeing you riding
around on your recumbent trike has convinced me to stop riding a Mtb and get a (2) wheeled
recumbent.....I think I was insulted. 3rd chap seeing me going at my trike with my new Angle Grinder
said he is now building his 1st SWB bent...hmmm Seems my Trikes are convincing the Un-Bent to get
into (2) wheel bents. Maybe if I was building a LWB people would be buying trikes!
************************
"skip" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Look if you're gonna defend your trikes against unwarranted criticism I'm gonna have to start
> calling you "Fast Wile". ;-)
>
> "Wile E.Coyote" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
>
news:[email protected]...
> > OUCH A certain homemade trike? Not sure you'd call it homemade given that it was done by a
> > shop that
> builds
> > very expensive framesets as the only business and it took 8 months due
to
> > the long waiting list for framesets the shop builds.
> > ----------------------------------------
> >
> > "William Meacham" <
[email protected]> wrote in
message
> >
news:[email protected]...
> > >
[email protected] (Bill B) wrote in message
> > news:<
[email protected]>...
> > > > Twas Thinking. There have been some homely bents made in the past[Re-bike,Bike-E etc] and a
> > > > lot of butt ugly cars like: Ford Pinto,Chevy Chevette[I call it a shy vette
], AMC
> > > > Gremlin[yuck]
and
> > > > a bunch more. Now get a roof top or trunk rack and vote which homely bent goes with your fav
> > > > ugly car.
> > >
> > >
> > > First Place
> > >
> > > Filus on a Thing
> > >
> > > Second Place
> > >
> > > BikeE on a Thing
> > >
> > > Third Place
> > >
> > > A certain homemade trike from Toronto on anything
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Bill (can make any bent ugly) Meacham
> >
>