Hi guys and gals. My name is Tom Ford. I am a student at the University of New Haven in West Haven, CT. I am majoring in mechanical engineering. I do not have any real cycling experience. (I almost go into BMX...almost)
Now onto my thread. I am part of a project called SAE Supermileage. The objective of the project is to build a vehicle that uses the least about of fuel possible. We are given a Briggs and Stratton engine to use for the power plant. The fuel we must use is iso-octane. If you want to read into it further there are rules.
Now assuming you have any construction prowess you'll know that bicycle parts are ideal to use because they are lightweight and strong.😎 We are using three wheels in our design. We are using Surly custom made 24" road wheels that cost $500 a piece. They mount to Cannondale lefty hubs except for the rear tire. We are also using hydraulic bicycle brakes and bicycle mirrors.
My first question of many: Can you mount a wheel sprocket assembly (for a lack of a technical word for it) on the left side of the wheel?😕 Remember that the coaster hub cannot simply be turned around because the free rotation would spin the wrong way. My team and I have been trying to find a way to do this all year. I thought I might ask you cycling experts for a little help. Any knowledge that might help contribute to the success of our vehicle would greatly be appreciated.😄
A left hand drive (LHD) or left side drive (LSD) is sometimes seen on custom BMX bikes. It's a variation of a flip-flop hub. Here is some information: Flip-flop hub - Wikipedia
A left hand drive (LHD) or left side drive (LSD) is sometimes seen on custom BMX bikes. It's a variation of a flip-flop hub. Here is some information: Flip-flop hub - Wikipedia
Is this a common modification? Or do I have to buy a new wheel entirely? It would save me a bit of money to just modify the Surly's we have.
Is this a common modification? Or do I have to buy a new wheel entirely? It would save me a bit of money to just modify the Surly's we have.
No, it's not common.
A few questions. Does your rear wheel have a disc brake hub? Do you need the hub to be free wheel (coaster) or can it be fixed gear? What brake do you have for the rear wheel?
A few questions. Does your rear wheel have a disc brake hub? Do you need the hub to be free wheel (coaster) or can it be fixed gear? What brake do you have for the rear wheel?
It is a disk brake hub. It has six mounting points (if that matters)
It needs to freewheel. I could adapt a sprocket to the brake hub if I wanted a fixed gear.
The hub currently has no disc brake on it like shown in the photo.
This is the wheel as it is set up now. It's currently the best photo I have of it. Notice it is a clamp down style locking mechanism, not regular nut and bolt.
A few questions. Does your rear wheel have a disc brake hub? Do you need the hub to be free wheel (coaster) or can it be fixed gear? What brake do you have for the rear wheel?
I have to admit this is a double post. But I need this information and felt it should stay public (rather than private message Scotty). Here are photos I took Saturday in response to your questions. Anyone else is more than welcome to comment. I always like more than one viewpoint.
