Home Built Recumbent Trike. Detailed plans and construction Steps.

[edwardreid]

Good effort tho a bit complicated. I make all mine as delta front wheel drive and use no welding. My latest is centrally set rubber schock and is a lean to steer vehicle with very good handling. The seat is air filled so rides for hours without problems. with a weight of under 40 lbs and with folding to fit any bike box or public transportation system. I gave up welding when my eyesight went wonky(catracts) and perfected ways to build very lightly with aluminum and hard bolts.

[Mrspraderadego]

Hello mr amidesign, nice work , really, thank you for sharing. I try to build my trike but i can't find the name of the 2 front wheels, the ones with lateral hubs. The wheel i can find is the classic for bike with a screw centrate in the middle of the wheel, where i can find a wheel with the screw on only one side, like the 2 front wheels of a trike? The name of it? Thank you, sorry for bad english. Salud from italy. : )

[amidesign]

@Mrspraderadego Hi, you can find side mounted hub from "Sturmey Archer"

You have the front hub X-SD or the XL-SD

These hub are designed for wheelchair

I found mine at a wheelchair repairman

It is also possible to use 20 mm thru axle bicycle hub with disc brake

Best regards

Aleksander Micsiz

[sweeney37]

great work thanks for sharing, look forward to seeing your other projects. Please check out my page see what you think

[Samqdf]

I know this is a very basic design that could be lighter and neater but I think for many people it's a great way to be able to build their own machine without the dramas of things like welding round pipes together with fish-mouth joins. My first trike was shocking, one might say a disaster but I gave me what I needed to make my second one which went really well.

[amidesign]

@Samqdf

Thank you for your comment

Best regards

Aleksander

[PacificCircle1]

@Samqdf More or less what I was going to post - not a disaster but a very good prototype.

[Samqdf]

@PacificCircle1 well said, I guess even if it didn't ride the fact it gave me what I needed to build my second one makes it a sucess right?

[PacificCircle1]

@Samqdf When I watching the video, I was thinking 'why square steel tube frame - that stuff is heavy!".

Then I pictured welding with round tubes and I could see why!

Also difficuties increase with curved tubes, bending tubes, aluminum, chrom-moly, etc.

I my self have been toying with the idea of using light weight bicycle frames as a basis for quadracylcles.

[callmeshane303]

Adapt your welder to becoming a TIG welder - much better welding than stick welding.

Go do a basic welding certificate.

[amidesign]

@callmeshane303

I have bought a flux-cored wire welder

It is a better technique that stick welding

I know that TIG it is the better choice

I have two bike in construction

In a couple of months I will show you the result

[callmeshane303]

@amidesign

Can you go and do a Basic Welding Certificate?

[Hoogenator]

Thank you

[jesse2006]

great engineering here and on your web site, keep it up!

[amidesign]

@jesse2006

Thank you very much

Now, I work on a four wheeled velomobile to achieve a best cornering stability

Each project improves my knowledges in automotive area

My goal is to builds my own high efficiency vehicle

Best regards from Switzerland

[antijozsi]

nice good work how kg?

[amidesign]

@antijozsi

Hello,

The weight without the rear brake and lighting is of 18.4 kg

I also welded four triangular elements around the main cross in the middle of the chassis to be more stronger

You can visit my Web page for this project

The latest plans are on this page

The link is in the description

This trike is a prototype adapted only for my personal needs

I have no calculated the section of tubes and the frame is not so strong for heavy conditions : high speed turn or heavy charge

Best regards

[emilahl]

realy well done trike i liek the description and the palns for the whole thing...

but i must be critical about teh welds aswell

hope the new welder works out fine for you ^_^

[pinoke65]

That is about the worst looking welding I have ever seen. I would be embarrassed showing it to anyone. Also I would be afraid to ride it for fear that the welds would break and result in wrecking it.

[amidesign]

@pinoke65 Hi, You have right. I also never seen worst welding that I made in this video. Be gentile, I have re weld the most important part. Welding is hard with old electrode weld machine. Now I have a new wire welding machine. I will show you better welding the next time. I have a new project of a quadricycle. See you later. Best regards. Aleksander.

[hibirapita]

@amidesign it doesn't matter how the welding looks ,i´m sure you'll make them better next time , good job ,thank u for showing.

[hibirapita]

@amidesign it doesn't matter how the welding look ,i´m sure you'll make them better next time , good job ,thank u for showing.

[amidesign]

@hibirapita

Welding is a very difficult work and I am not a professional

Welding is toxic by emitting iron oxide ...

I am not sure to weld again myself

My next project will build in composite

It is an other job much more accessible for me

And I can use some steel elements glued to fiber glass

[hibirapita]

@amidesign Well , i'm a blacksmith so i know wath are you talking about,  but if you don't weld it is not the same thing , you know it is funny complete the whole building process by your self.

Welding now and again is not a problem for your helth.

Arriba y dale con ganas!!!!

[1Skeptik1]

@pinoke65 Give em a break - It takes years to become a master at the craft. I've spent a few years under the hood and I am far from all position X-ray certification.

Regards

[duck4035]

Very nice how do you find the ride.

[amidesign]

@duck4035

Hi,

When I ride my trike I'm like the King of the road.

- Powerfulness

- Silence

- Comfort

[ChrisLuxembourg]

Good idea & excellent work! I couldn't make it better..... I see, you don't have a negative camber on the front wheels. In my "Lowracer" creation the gauge has 99,5cm and a camber of 5%. How is the roadholding?

I am planning now a new tilting recumbent trike with only 3 tubing lines, the seat position gets only 25degree and a high of 11cm. Only for speed and velodrome...

[amidesign]

Hi,

Yes, in my mind a negative camber looks like an overloaded car.

The most important is the track.

In front view, I have 71 cm wheel to wheel.

My trike has 78 cm width.

Now, if the track is 71 cm, with or without camber it changes nothing on handling.

But, when turn, the wheels balls bearings suffer more without negative camber.

A Negative camber permits also to have a larger track for the same vehicle width.

For me, without camber looks better. This is only my choice.

[ChrisLuxembourg]

@amidesign

I have tested it out now... The negative camber has got a higher rolling resistance.

Ok, it's an ackerman steering to get the tilting position of the trike. I will check out your page!

[kokopelli314]

Very nice.

Thank you for this

[griftereck]

hey thats some good work

why did you use bike aheadsets on the dropped tube axle.

would have been easier running a straight axle and go cart style king pins.

[amidesign]

There is a golden rule in construction :

Do everything itself.

[amidesign]

Thank you, I have published several of your videos on a french forum.