Making a PYTHON (recumbent bike) in a single day!

[raftmant]

for me it took more like 6 months than a single day, anothere two months to get it to youtube:), now the video is ready, check it out and comment.

[nestofdragons]

@raftmant I guess that you really wanted a road-legal version. For me it was just a version to be able to test the riding. Big fun!

[dajsinjo]

that thing at the beginning was flevo bike,

it has positive trail

Python has negative trail

[died4hislove]

Do you want to know THE WORLD'S SIMPLEST TRANSMISSION for Bicycle?

Watch : UNIQUE BIKE CRANK ( 2- SPEED)

[battlestroke7]

great work !!5 stars.

[raftmant]

Hi!

How big wheels did you use?

[nestofdragons]

Haha ... did somebody copy my film???? Haha ...sorry ...but that weird guy in the video is really me. Go check it with my other videos. But ...I lost the beard.

Anyway ...I hope you enjoyed the video.

[griftereck]

since you have small wheels, why didnt you fit stabilisers so you didnt fall off so much :D

[nestofdragons]

stabilers are more of a problem than a solution. You need to lean into the turn. Keeping the bike straight up makes you go only straight forward.

The difference between leaning into a turn and falling of the bike is really not that much. Like I said in the video ... it is difficult to ride this bike.

[kermit56780]

Good Job!.. *what busts my chops is this, when are you gonna start charging £3,499 per bike :(

[nestofdragons]

Whahaaaa! It did cost me NOTHING. Oeps! I lie! I bought the seat second hand for about 40 euros.

Changes are coming. Some guys are really thinking about making recumbent bikes cheaper. But remember ...the market is rather small, so numbers of production are small. and that gets the price rather high. Sad, but true.

[stopglobalswarming]

Wow thats love. I think the problem is the steering angle, definately. But I see how dedicated you are to building a bike, even using junk bikes for practice.

[camarolover1982]

did u use the same yellow forks for the front where u welded them at an angle? where u bolted on the chain and crank setup?

[nestofdragons]

It was indeed a yellow front fork which I used to cut up and weld together. But I placed a smaller wheel in it. I am sure the original fork was designed for a much larger wheel.

Do NOT forget to reinforce the fork at the weld with a triangle!

It was a bit tricky to line all parts so the wheel would not be angled when installed. But ... if I can do it, you can do it too. ;^)

[tomcatfranks]

I've heard that front wheeled drive recumbents feel like your being pulled; is this true? I'm about to build a front wheeled drive microtruck to sell. Please look at my video called 'Velomobiles for commercial use', and let me know what you think!

[sofabike]

yes it is true. FWD pull it self

[vivitar45]

it must be hard to pedle and steer with the feet put somthing on it so you can hold it with your hands and steer it better and make it more stable and easer to ride

[nestofdragons]

The weird part is ... that when I tried touching the "horns" and try to steer with hands, I always crashed. Some models of Pythons have handlebars ... to have a place to place the brakes. THAT is the only reason. NEVER to help with steering. Go ask the Python mailinglist. Where? Euh ... the link is somewhere at the end of the video.

[garcibus]

wow! great work, dude!

[nestofdragons]

Thanks, garcibus. As long as this crazy brain of me keeps spawning these ideas I will carry on to create things like this and report here.

[antipike]

you need to be able to turn the bars to steer > simply leaning isnt the way to go . ask any motorcycly / cyclist

[nestofdragons]

I understand what you try to say, but ... really ... this thing steers TOTALLY in another way. If you learn to ride this bike, it is better to first learn without touching the handlebar. Later, when you have more control over the bike, you can try to touch them. I ensure you ... you will fall many times trying. The experts only use the handlebars to be able to place the brakehandles. For the rest ... riding with hands on belly.

[BaganJermal]

Because of the small wheel size, the balance of the bike is very difficult. Unless you practice on it several times, should be ok. IMHO, if you tune in properly, the bike will be the fast bike type.

I guess you have natural talent at welding. If it is were me, I'll make a modern arts out of the bike frame. :-)

[don54660]

Actually this is not a true Python, as the frame geometry is not to the basic design. The swivel angle is far too shallow to work.

[nestofdragons]

I admit that the geometry is not exactly that of a Python. Strange was that that guy in Gent who was a own real Python told me after testing my quick version that it rode more stable. After riding his Python I felt he was right.

[nestofdragons]

The difference between mine and the true Python is that the hinge is placed more in front of the seat. ANyway ... if you start making a Python I would advise to build it according to the geometry of the real Python. My stability may be better, but it might have other disadvantages I haven't met yet.

[maco10810]

Hi All

This bike is screaming for rear wheel steering - like a forklift - not sure if it will work, but its got to be better than just leaning - I love the layout very nice indeed - good luck for the future

[nestofdragons]

Wow. Rear wheel steering. Hmmm... possible. But I don't know if it would be a good idea to have it combined with the "body steering" of the Python. But ... with a common steer it would be possible. Ok, a bit more complex, but ... possible.

[sachadesousa]

sounds like lord of the rings background music

[nestofdragons]

It is. My more recent videos have music with a bit more action.

[fuddygene1736]

Most interesting video. Fine German engineering !

Herr Dr. Fuddygene

[nestofdragons]

Yep, the original design is from a site ending on dot de. But I thought that the designer was from scandinavia. But I could be wrong here.

[Docv400]

How much trail does the steering have? would it be more stable if you increased this?

[nestofdragons]

you can see the technical data on the Python site. The link is at the rear of the video.

[ajj103]

good!!

[Uveps]

great vid, man...:) keep it up

[sgtpepper1138]

what is the music playing??

[wackenpriest]

yeah....i will try got get python rolling within 12 hrs :-D

and i am on the same level as you mate ^^

[BalthezarArith]

very nice dude. ever get proficeint at riding it? Im about to make some vids of my homemade recumbent desings and was looking for vids already out. check out my prgress! :) photobucket (dot) com/albums/v319/Balthezar_Arit­h/My%20Insanity/Bike%20Project­s/

[redisbig]

have you had much luck in making it better??

[nestofdragons]

I kept it like it was. Didn't work on it any more. Just use it to demonstrate the weird steering for my later students.

[jojo808]

even a little bit of steering would help this design alot.

[nestofdragons]

My experience told me that whenever I just touched the bars, I hit the dirt. But ... at the end you need to get used to it because you need to place your brakes somewhere.

[latenight2006]

---Lord of the Rings soundtrack--- =)

[putdownyourguns]

amazing, i would love a KMX but can't afford one! i'm 17!

[uncletam]

well done you!! im impressed. what your next project then?

[nestofdragons]

Give me some time. Busy making a motorized threewheeler with a 750cc engine. Will be FUN! After that a single track FF (feet forward) motorcycle.

[hondo1188]

cool

[DangerNerd]

I wish you well with your future designs. I wanted to tell you that you should not apologize for your daughter. She did VERY good with the camera. Motion tracking is more important than steadiness, so she does better than most people in theri 30s at that. :-)

[Yuwa75]

Nice initiative man. _o_ I used to own a Flevobike myself. Cool bike!

[tomterahedrob]

is the hard part getting the stuff aligned for welding?I want to make asteerable touring recumbent.this is an insppiration.thanks!

[nestofdragons]

Tom, just go see the way I alinged the wheels using two bars. Put your wheels between them and they are aligned, ready to be weld ... if the frame is ready of course. ;^)

[Ryanotokyo]

WHy?

[nestofdragons]

Just to prove it is a very easy design to make. It is just " a bit" hard to ride it. ;^)

[disndat11]

Well done, really. Do you have a web site wheere I can see something abou tyou, where you are and what your back ground is and stuff?? Any other designs you could share with us??

[nestofdragons]

just search on "nestofdragons". You should find a airplanesite (pretty large one) and a reportsite about my recumbent bikes prototypes at skynet. Sorry, it seems you cannot place links here. I hope this helps.