Bicycle build

[PaulO]

Every New Years Day we have a gravity race in our village. The only rules this year are that the contraption has to cost less than £40 to build, and has to be built between Christmas and New Year.

This is my entry for this year. Made using the waney off-cuts of 3" beech that I bought for my workbench build. Oh, and a few old bicycle bits. Might be a bit treacherous if it remains icey.

I sit on it in a crouch, sportsbike style.

Here is some footage of some of last years entries:

A build based around a garden roller:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nzZKz8Q04ag

The General Belgrano, based on a wheelchair
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kGbGBg0O34M


The winner, based on a sack truck and kids bike:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OsSRH889rZs

 

[jasonB]

You might want to round over the edges of the top "tubes" a bit as a splinter in the wrong place could make it an unhappy new year

Jason

 

[MikeG.]

Our village shuts the main road through every year and has a race for home-made carts. Hundreds of spectators, and you race down 2 at a time through a series of heats......

......and this year I won!!!

This is the car prior to the race, and what you can't see is that the base is a 3" concrete slab......I steer holding 2 little handles, and my feet push on a bar that pulls rods activating brakes on the rear wheels.

............I was doing 40mph at the finish, and took about 200 yards to stop!!

Scared me to death, but a great thrill......but an arrangement I had with my wife (!) meant that I was obliged to raffle the vehicle off after the race! So I retire as the undefeated champion!!!

Good luck with your race.......if Accident and Emergency have an internet connection, send us some piccies!!

Mike

 

[PaulO]

You might want to round over the edges of the top "tubes" a bit as a splinter in the wrong place could make it an unhappy new year

We don't have to race naked. :wink:

Mike, your cart looks very impressive. Why the concrete slab?

 

[Ironballs]

Concrete slab for extra weight to help gravity I imagine.

Don't reckon much to your "saddle"! Have you tried braking yet with that lever? Reason I ask is that you'll have to remove one hand to brake and you also have nothing to pull the lever against, making it very hard to brake with power. Could you not mount it in its usual place on the bars?

Also I couldn't see a beer can holder, surely an oversight

 

[MikeG.]

Mike, your cart looks very impressive. Why the concrete slab?

The hill is very steep to start with, but levels out towards the end of the course, so you need the weight for momentum. Some people gain extra weight by having a second person along as ballast. It is a push start.....as many people pushing as you like.......so if you make it too heavy you will be slow off the line.

I first ran this car 3 years ago with a complete concrete body! It had concrete sides and back (looked like the old single seater Maserati racers)......but at nearly half a ton it was too heavy for the wheel bearings and for the steering.........I was pleased when it crashed into the chicane!

Mike

 

[wizer]

What a fantastic thing. I love he way these rural villages can get together and do stuff like this. Both sides of my house are essentially empty and we don't speak to any other of the neighbours. Let alone get together and do something fun.

Mike I'm coming to live next door.

 

[MikeG.]

Mike I'm coming to live next door.

Best buy a lathe first Tom.......save me the bother!!

Mike

 

[cant-weld-wood]

they do one in aldington every year by my cousin's pub.
i am of down there tonight will find out when the next one is tom
if you want to go along for the fun.
i think they do it in the summer.

 

[Mr Ed]

I enjoyed the Youtube videos - very funny :lol:

Good luck with the Beech Racer!

Cheers, Ed