Pictures of your recumbent

[hercule]

Its apparently 2009 and badged as an ICE Trice Classic

Have a look here...

http://web.archive.org/web/20050404032518/http://ice.hpv.co.uk/trikes_classic.htm

[fishfright]

Its apparently 2009 and badged as an ICE Trice Classic

Have a look here...

http://web.archive.org/web/20050404032518/http://ice.hpv.co.uk/trikes_classic.htm

close enough and thanks ( also there in '06 )

[comandor77]

Hi. I am from Poland and this is my home made recumbent tadpole trike. I am glad that I could join your forum. In Poland there is only one forum about recumbent bikes and it is not as highly developed such as this. I'm curious of your opinion. Sorry for my English. Regards Andrew.

[[XAP]Bob]

Pretty...

[comandor77]

Thank you very much Bob.

[Geoff.D]

A nice build. Wish I were as skillful.

Can you ggive us any feedback as to how it performs?

[Brucey]

Hi. I am from Poland and this is my home made recumbent tadpole trike. I am glad that I could join your forum. In Poland there is only one forum about recumbent bikes and it is not as highly developed such as this. I'm curious of your opinion.

Nice work! It is good to see the swingarm from a horrible mountain bike put to such better use! Good chain geometry too!

Q. - does the vertical stub tube with nothing in it have a function...? For a mast perhaps...?

Another Q. (for anyone really) I've seen quite a few steering systems where instead of a centre link between the uprights (to give proper Ackermann geometry as per comandor's machine) there are 'crossed rods' going to the uprights from the steering axis. Has anyone evaluated/compared how accurate this is vs true Ackermann geometry?

cheers

[comandor77]

It is good to see the swingarm from a horrible mountain bike put to such better use

Good eye - yes it is swingram from MTB.

does the vertical stub tube with nothing in it have a function...? For a mast perhaps...?

The tube remaining after processing fastening a chair - the seat was abandoned and I can't cut it without a lot of work, so I left it in order that it may be useful
I did the bike modeled on plans Thunderbolt R. Horwitz and in these plans is similar control solution.
Trike is carried out very good, although it is very sensitive at higher speeds (over 30km/h).

Sorry for my english and mistakes. I will not be angry if you correct me - I'm studying English.
Thank you for your words of appreciation. Almost every part of this trike was made by myself, even a mattress for seat. This is my first recumbent (garage ) trike.

[comandor77]

I started 2 years ago, I read many articles on the Internet about recumbent tadpole trike. The main frame is built from stainless steel, it is very hard to treatment.
The frame is made of 2 inch pipe wall thickness 1.5 mm. Front wheel hubs are adapted from the wheelchair's wheels. Wheel brake operate simultaneously using a separator.Rear wheel acts as an auxiliary brake (decelerator).





All welds connecting are done smoothly. The frame and components is painted with metallic paint and clearcoat such as cars (by myself).

[comandor77]

Thank you Geoff.D

[fishfright]

That's some lovely workmanship comandor77.

[Brucey]

... although it is very sensitive at higher speeds (over 30km/h)....

maybe you have experimented with this already, but sometimes the 'best' toe setting is not the one that produces no scrubbing, but the is one that lets you steer in a straight line most easily. When the weight is thrown onto one wheel, if the machine should (for whatever reason) steer harder and throw even more weight on that side, the steering feel can be a bit poor, rather twitchy in fact. [ BTW the 'right setting' for a four wheeler might be a lot different to a three wheeler, because of the way the weight is transferred between the steered wheels more abruptly.] If you set the toe setting a little bit 'toe out' (which you will only be able to do easily if the centre link has LH and RH threaded ball joints, or an eccentric at one end) then you can try different settings to see which you prefer.

Having said that I think that you do tend to get used to the steering on these machines eventually but sometimes they feel very odd to start with; some are certainly a lot easier than others. If you add in suspension then the effects of weight transfer can be even more acute.

I think for a first machine yours is very well executed; if only my 'first goes' were that good...

cheers

[[XAP]Bob]

I'll note that my first trike was a bit jittery at about 25mph, then hunkered down at 30ish, so it might just be a short phase where it feels unstable...

(I might have the speeds wrong there)

[comandor77]

maybe you have experimented with this already

Yes, I did. And this is the best toe setting for me.

If you set the toe setting a little bit 'toe out' (which you will only be able to do easily if the centre link has LH and RH threaded ball joints

I try this, the centre link has LH and RH threaded ball joints, and it is very easy.
Maybe I badly expressed

although it is very sensitive at higher speeds

.

Having said that I think that you do tend to get used to the steering on these machines eventually but sometimes they feel very odd to start with

- I think you have right.
I think that these vehicles as a lead because of the small wheelbase at the front and small wheel. A wider track at the front would have solved the problem (improves traction), but then the machine would not be a bicycle (under Polish law). Although it is right that the machine could be a little shorter and more weight transferred to the rear wheel.
My machine runs straight at higher speeds (I can steer with one hand),but only a small movement on the steering wheel causing the reaction right away. Steering movements must be performed gently. I think that just comparing hmm... - Mini and Bentley
I have not ridden other machines so I can not compare.
But I am building a second machine with 2x24'' front and 26'' rear wheels. It will be without rear suspension and it will be shorter.

Thank's for your advice Brucey.
cheers

[[XAP]Bob]

From memory ICE recommend a mm or two of toe *in*, but that's on fully Ackerman compensated steering