hi dom,
My bentech is finally completed ... i am very pleased with
the outcome and the ride is awesome once you get the hang of it
and build up some
'recumbent legs'.full story here ... http://www.hoogie.co.nz/bikes/bentech.htm
cheers,
hoogie
timaru/oamaru
new zealand
Hi,
Just completed my bike from your plans.It has been an experience.
In keeping with your philosophy I used most of a girls huffy ten
speed I found in the dumpster in Las Vegas and another huffy bmx
bike that was donated. The main tube was cut from the bmx bike
and hand fitted in my basement using your jig. Head tubes and
crank tubes were used along with the steering stems. MiG welded
by a coworker. After I lost the huffy derailer(I think it fell
into the trash) I received an aluminum wheel with a classy Heroto?
derailer. I tried to incorporate a center pull brake using a front
fork for the rear fork but put the studs on the wrong side, so
I had to cut on off to clear the chain. Oh well! I've found it
to be a smooth road bike from the lack of suspension and the steering
is a bit on the sensitive side. All things considered I've got
$50 in chains, seat mesh, and bolts. The novelty of the recumbent
seems to keep me motivated to ride. Although my dog buster can't
keep up with me any more. I do like the contraption and will probably
spring for a nice powder coat this winter. Looking at your photo
page I see mike smith is a neighbor of mine if it's Mogadore in
Portage county he's only 10-15 miles from me
Maranatha!
Jim Rose
Hi Dom,
It's been a long time but here we are at last.
You'll find attached to this email a few pictures of the bike, my test ride, and of my son Vincent as a very helpful mechanic for the final tweaking. The picture is blurry and badly framed, sorry for that.
The pictures were taken early September but sat in the camera until the film was finally finished and sent for processing, hence the summer clothes... I think I definitely need to get a digital camera for Christmas, but I digress.
On the first week end I logged 180 Kms - 90 kms Saturday and Sunday - and I'm now routinely out for 40/60 Km sessions. It's good to ride with a group of cycling friends and be the only one who is relaxed on arrival.
I had a few buddies take a test ride on it and surprisingly some just rode off without any problems and others just couldn't get their balance at all... Anyway riding a recumbent almost guarantees instant fame.
You've designed a great bike! I'm very pleased with it and hope to keep it for miles and miles (well, kilometers..) to come.
I'll be sending more pictures when I've finished assembling the most useful accessories for my long-range cycling: fenders, rear rack, lights and a trailer hitch for Vincent's trailer. The hardest bit is to find parts that are functionnaly suitable and that fit in the color scheme (basically grey/black/silver).
My wife and I have plans to cycle to Spain next spring so we want to be ready and be able to carry everything we (she) need(s) 8-)
Thanks again for getting me started on this project.
Best regards,
Christophe
