My home-built tandem is done!
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Well, at least mostly done. ![]() I built this with left over and discarded parts, along with a few secondhand purchases such as the shifters. I started with an old Centurion road bike frame and a Huffy (whoo-hoo!) mountain bike frame for the rear. I modeled the frame after a couple shown on Sheldon Brown's web site. I cut the front of the Huffy's head tube off, welded it to the seat tube of the front frame. Then I cut and bent the chain stays of the front frame to mate with the down tube of the rear frame and welded them. Since I went with 700c wheels, I also had to cut the rear brake mount off and re-position it. The front caliper had a long enough reach and didn't require a new fork or fabrication. I didn't want to use an idler pulley so I ordered an eccentric bottom bracket from Nova Cycles (a frame builder supply), and machined it to fit in the rear bottom bracket shell. I split the rear bottom bracket shell, fabricated pinch bolts and welded them to it. Now the timing chain tension is adjustable just like a commercially built tandem. The drivetrain is a single sided setup with 42 tooth timing chain rings and a double on the back crank; modeled after one shown on John Allen's site. I've ordered longer chainring bolts and spacers; I have them bolted together right now with hardware store stuff. The shifters and front bar are 7 speed Shimano STI, $60 used, and I welded the mounts for the cable adjusters where the old downtube cable stop clamp went. The rear handlebar/stem is the one from the Huffy, welded to a seatpost clamp cut from another scrap frame. Total cost so far has been about $150 for used shifters, cranks and chain wheels and a new chain. The road bike was a $10 flea market purchase originally, and the Huffy frame came from a scrap pile. Wheels, derailleurs, etc. came from the road bike. My goal is to ride it in the MS 150 ride in September with my wife. ![]() |
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Champion ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Uh...you should quit your day job That is just absolutely amazing, Kendall! I can't believe the patience and talent required to do something like that! |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() That's awesome! |
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Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() AWESOME!!!! |
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() nice paint job |
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Champion![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Wow, that's totally cool. I like how you rearranged the tubes from the front bottom bracket to the rear bike downtube instead of the other bottom bracket...pretty neat! Have you ridden it and does that arrangement result in any loss of frame stiffness for the rider in front? Were all the joints TIG welded, or did you use lugs and brazing? If you TIG welded them, did you have any frame distortion problems or have to resort to any cold-set alignment? And did you weld them in a jig in the restrained condition? LOL...sorry for so many questions. Nuclear welding inspector here! ![]() |
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Queen BTich ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() WOW! |
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Champion ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() that's so totally cool. I wish I were more handy/mechanically inclined, it must feel so great to ride on a bike you built for yourself, and for two, even sweeter! And all the recycled parts, man you're my hero! I want to learn to do that! |
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Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() that is really cool .. how long did it take? and where you get the idea ? hope it brings you hours of joy Amy |
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Giver ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Wow. I'm in awe. I read the subject line of this thread and thought, "yeah sure, some jack-hole actually built his own tandem" thinking you had just built up a frame or something. But you actually fabricated the frame! I bow down... |
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Champion ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() That's Brilliant! Have you ridden it yet? |
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Thanks for the positive comments! I enjoy stuff like this and your feedback helps me reassure myself that I'm not nuts.. ![]() max - 2005-08-01 10:50 PM Wow, that's totally cool. I like how you rearranged the tubes from the front bottom bracket to the rear bike downtube instead of the other bottom bracket...pretty neat! Have you ridden it and does that arrangement result in any loss of frame stiffness for the rider in front? Were all the joints TIG welded, or did you use lugs and brazing? If you TIG welded them, did you have any frame distortion problems or have to resort to any cold-set alignment? And did you weld them in a jig in the restrained condition? LOL...sorry for so many questions. Nuclear welding inspector here! ![]() Max, I've ridden it short distances so far. It seems to be fairly stiff. I don't have much to compare it to as I've never ridden a commercially built tandem. The chain stays aren't long enough to reach the back bottom bracket; that's why they're welded to the downtube. I thought about adding a "boom tube" from BB to BB but haven't yet. It's TIG welded, and I aligned it with string, squares, etc., clamped and tacked it. I finish welded it and re-checked alignment; it didn't move so I didn't have to get brutal with it. ![]() LacrosseMomAmy - 2005-08-02 7:39 AM that is really cool .. how long did it take? and where you get the idea ? hope it brings you hours of joy Amy I got the idea from Sheldon Brown's web site; there's a link above. He has some pretty cool bicycle info that's worth reading. ![]() ride_like_u_stole_it - 2005-08-02 10:52 AM That's Brilliant! Have you ridden it yet? Short distances only. I am still having some shifting issues; the rear derailleur is an ancient piece and doesn't seem to be "repeatable" enough for the indexed shifting. It shifts up and down but will skip occasionally, even with repeated adjustments. I'm going to replace the rear derailleur and I might add a boom tube and see if that helps. possum - 2005-08-02 7:26 AM that's so totally cool. I wish I were more handy/mechanically inclined, it must feel so great to ride on a bike you built for yourself, and for two, even sweeter! And all the recycled parts, man you're my hero! I want to learn to do that! Riding the tandem may offer "relationship insight"; my wife has already complained that I don't communicate enough when stopping pedaling or turning! ![]() |