No trike pics yet

The excitement continues to build. Damn those Grommets.

skip

"Joshua Goldberg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Skip and all............. I have been trying to get the trike(s) ready since noon and have run in2

way

Quoted message said:

too many walls. I have managed to spend a lifetime without ever using Grommets and now I

am

Quoted message said:

doing a trial and error routine with grommets...various sizes and pliers, setting tools (none the
right size) etc. So far 3 trips today to Home

Depot

Quoted message said:

(many miles each way) and I am still not getting this whole whack it with

a

Quoted message said:

hammer routine. Tried buying quick release buckles and being a Sunday the only store selling what
I need is closed. I drove to my LBS to watch them locking their door and turning off the lights.
As it stands I'll be at this till at least 2 am....so pics won't be done till Monday evening. Only
nice thing about working on these trikes is I don't have to hear news about the Iraqi situation,
way too many choppers going down for my liking.

Quoted message said:

Joshua Goldberg at [email hidden] wrote: <snip> I have managed to spend a lifetime without
ever using Grommets and now I am doing a trial and error routine with grommets...various sizes and
pliers, setting tools (none the right size) etc. So far 3 trips today to Home Depot (many miles
each way) and I am still not getting this whole whack it with a hammer routine.<snip>

I have tried a few options and the best was to borrow the industrial size/type and knuckle down (or
talk someone else into it). The type that was most effective was about 7 inches tall with really
robbust parts and was about $100 and a special order item. It went through 8 layers of new denim. If
anyone is interested I can get the details.

Jay <[email hidden]> wrote in :"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Joshua Goldberg at [email hidden] wrote: <snip> I have managed to spend a lifetime
without ever using Grommets and now I am doing a trial and error routine with grommets...various
sizes and pliers, setting tools (none the right size) etc. So far 3 trips today to Home Depot
(many miles each way) and I am still not getting this whole whack it with a hammer routine.<snip>

I have tried a few options and the best was to borrow the industrial size/type and knuckle down
(or talk someone else into it). The type that was most effective was about 7 inches tall with
really robbust parts and was about $100 and a special order item. It went through 8 layers of new
denim. If anyone is interested I can get the details.

Go to HarborFreight.com and buy a $28 arbor press with a 1 1/2 ton capacity. It will work much
better than wacking it with a hammer..er...we are talking about grommets, right? it also works for
pressing bearings into place, headset cups, pushing out drift pins,cotter pins,rivets, etc. I hate
those seats with grommets anyway. Why aren't you ordering velcro and fastex buckles from someplace
like owfinc.comowfinc.comOpen ↗ ? Much cheaper and better stuff...??? WHY, why, why? Do you really want
to unlace the bugger everytime you want to wash it or adjust or whatever?

rorschandt Some ask why not, I ask why?

Nifko, Kifco, ITW buckles (store closed today). So far I spent $100. on the whole grommet project
and now it works (finally), but like I said b4, I didn't expect to be using a Slingseat (it just
appeared), the trike was supposed to get the same Optima Hardshell as the other trike. The rims for
this trike came from a new EZ-3 and the rims are so highly polished I am going to need a rear brake
to stop the trike...the SUN rims won't stop with the caliper brake pads....may have to cut grooves
into the rim.

So far this Slingseat cost me 2X more than a Hardshell grrrrrr Both trikes are in the prototype
stage, in 2-3 weeks the one I am working on now will start to look more like Dragonflyer slams into
Windcheetah with bits of a Thorax added. It is the other trike that I think has the best chance at
being commercially viable, but the design cannot be explained beyond it has twin front chrome forks,
disk brakes and will be 50% Alum and 50% 4130 with an Optima Hardshell. My plan is still to get this
trike to market for well below $1500.
-------------------------------------------------------------
"rorschandt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Jay <[email hidden]> wrote in :"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Joshua Goldberg at [email hidden] wrote: <snip> I have managed to spend a lifetime
without ever using Grommets and now I am doing a trial and error routine with grommets...various
sizes and pliers, setting tools (none the right size) etc. So far 3 trips today to Home Depot
(many miles each way) and I am still not getting this whole whack it with a hammer
routine.<snip>

I have tried a few options and the best was to borrow the industrial size/type and knuckle down
(or talk someone else into it). The type that was most effective was about 7 inches tall with
really robbust parts and was about $100 and a special order item. It went through 8 layers of
new denim. If anyone is interested I can get the details.

Go to HarborFreight.com and buy a $28 arbor press with a 1 1/2 ton capacity. It will work much
better than wacking it with a hammer..er...we are talking about grommets, right? it also works for
pressing bearings into place, headset cups, pushing out drift pins,cotter pins,rivets, etc. I hate
those seats with grommets anyway. Why aren't you ordering velcro

and

Quoted message said:

fastex buckles from someplace like owfinc.comowfinc.comOpen ↗ ? Much cheaper and better stuff...???
WHY, why, why? Do you really want to unlace the bugger everytime you want to wash it or adjust or
whatever?

rorschandt Some ask why not, I ask why?

Josh,

Here I was, blue in the face, holding my breath. I guess I'll get to see those photos when I start
shipping my trike plans or better yet Oink!Oink! flap flap!

Take care,

--
Rickey Horwitz Hell-bent Cycle Works hellbentcycles.comhellbentcycles.comOpen ↗

"Joshua Goldberg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Skip and all............. I have been trying to get the trike(s) ready since noon and have run in2

way

Quoted message said:

too many walls. I have managed to spend a lifetime without ever using Grommets and now I

am

Quoted message said:

doing a trial and error routine with grommets...various sizes and pliers, setting tools (none the
right size) etc. So far 3 trips today to Home

Depot

Quoted message said:

(many miles each way) and I am still not getting this whole whack it with

a

Quoted message said:

hammer routine. Tried buying quick release buckles and being a Sunday the only store selling what
I need is closed. I drove to my LBS to watch them locking their door and turning off the lights.
As it stands I'll be at this till at least 2 am....so pics won't be done till Monday evening. Only
nice thing about working on these trikes is I don't have to hear news about the Iraqi situation,
way too many choppers going down for my liking.

Joshua Goldberg said:

... and will be 50% Alum and 50% 4130...

I do not believe alum (aluminium sulfate salt) is a very good trike frame material. I would suggest
6061-T6 or 7075-T6 aluminium alloy instead.

Tom Sherman - Recumbent Pedant Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

7075-T6 and 4130 and a nylon sleeve where the 2 metals are overlapping via pinch bolts. Velocity
Aeroheat rims. twin 406 Hookworms and 559 Kenda Kwest or Avocet. Only parts done 7075-T6 will be the
rollbar/side crashbars/front bumper/Hardshell seat mounts/boom & D-Post and a collared cruciform
where the (+) meets re: (windcheetah). Hope to have the 7075-T6 sections made in Texas.

PS Tom....YOUR Dragonflyer (ass end) is being copied, but using an Airshock in place of the coil
spring. My framebuilder has all the pics of (your) Bent to work from....and NO the pics where not
taken via that white laundry truck that has been following you around since the Patriot Bill was
passed LOL, the pics came from the original Ebay ad before you bought it. It won't be an exact
clone, but pretty close. I like the idea of being able to remove the Ass end for shipping, the
front boom and safety bars will also come apart for shipping/replacement/storage ease.

Replacement?...one of my dislikes (I have a list) is that when a section of a bent fails or a new
(improved) section is developed...it is off to a costly welder with lots of down time. My idea is
make the trike Modular, so that sections can be replaced @ home without a welder and a crappy paint
job needed to hide where the welds are done.

Bents have a long life compared to DFs that end up at Goodwill, just think bent owners will be
likely to hold on to their bents longer AND said bent will have a higher resale value (IF) the bent
can be upgraded with ease.

Bents (IMHO) are about to go more mainstream (in part) because Mtbs have run their course and Racer
style DFs are getting way too costly. The Semi-Bent is an Industry trying to hold on...but not yet
convinced a full bent will sell in the millions.

The more I think about that Calfee prototype and my pending $1,000. gift. I guess what ticked me off
the most when I 1st saw the pics, was that that design (could have been soooo much better) and
hopefully Fast Freddy will do a re-think and release a re-designed version. Being on the edge of
going Mainstream and coming out with a design THAT complicated will just slow the switch to bents by
the heaving DF riding masses. (I'd lose the complicated steering setup and black fairing btw and
drop the price to the $1900. area). The Calfee prototype (to me) was a disappointment, it would be
like having someone as talented as [censored] Ryan coming out with that $200. SWB from Colombia and
setting a $3K price tag on it...you just know and expect that [censored] could do mucho better. I guess I
was just expecting greatness from a bent with the Fast Freddy name attached to it.

I (really thought he died years ago btw) and that the design was from Fast Freddy (that sat in a
draw for years) and Calfee found it and decided to release it...with the Fast Freddy name attached
to it. Kinda like using the name Lincoln on a car that Lincoln never got to see because he was dead
when the 1st Lincoln appeared. The use of the Fast Freddy name being a like a Memorial to a
Legend....who knew the Legend was still alive and offering me $ to shut the [censored] Up. Again... I'm
Sorry "Fast Freddy" for thinking U were Dead all these years, I'd fire your Publicist btw and find
someone who lets people know you still
live.

Oh well Tom....the Sun is up, time to go on the balcony with my Hammer and big bag of Grommets.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

"Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Joshua Goldberg said:

... and will be 50% Alum and 50% 4130...

I do not believe alum (aluminium sulfate salt) is a very good trike frame material. I would
suggest 6061-T6 or 7075-T6 aluminium alloy instead.

Tom Sherman - Recumbent Pedant Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

Joshua Goldberg said:

7075-T6 and 4130 and a nylon sleeve where the 2 metals are overlapping via pinch bolts....

Earth Cycles used Delrin sleeves where the frame tubes fit together under the seat (Sunset) and on
the adjustable booms (Dragonflyer and Sunset).

Quoted message said:

PS Tom....YOUR Dragonflyer (ass end) is being copied, but using an Airshock in place of the coil
spring. My framebuilder has all the pics of (your) Bent to work from....and NO the pics where
not taken via that white laundry truck that has been following you around since the Patriot
Bill was passed LOL, the pics came from the original Ebay ad before you bought it....

Those pictures (with the permission of the photographer) are on the IHPVA "Incoming" server: <
ihpva.org2002Open ↗ > files that start with "df".

Quoted message said:

Replacement?...one of my dislikes (I have a list) is that when a section of a bent fails or a new
(improved) section is developed...it is off to a costly welder with lots of down time. My idea is
make the trike Modular, so that sections can be replaced @ home without a welder and a crappy
paint job needed to hide where the welds are done....

The Raptor trike is almost completely modular. < ezdenver.comraptorOpen ↗ >.

Tom Sherman - Various HPV's Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)