Home > SWB #1Construction

 

I was a little let down after completion of the LWB #1 bike, I enjoyed the project and learning to weld. It was too cold to ride (January) and I needed another project. So I decided to add a SWB bike to the "stable" I was assembling. (Literally) I found plans at this website...http://www.wideopenwest.com/~lipetz/Bicycles/bicycles.htm

I wanted to see what they rode like. So I began a new frame and assembly of a SWB recumbent.

The post and front crank were a little too high, so I notched the bottom of the post and dropped the crank about two inches. Anymore and my feet would not clear the front tire very well. I rode it without brakes for testing (yikes) and as I was pulling up in my drive I stopped, (no brakes to hold the position) and started rolling backward and fell over into a muddy spot. So that is what brakes are really for.

The lower crank position is better. The dual chain setup is noisy and undergeared. The back chain fits over the smallest of 3 gears, on the idle crank, to give clearance to the front chain (on the back sprocket) which fits over the largest gear. This means its basically in granny gear all the time and undergeared. I have two sprockets on the front crank but only use about the top 3 gears.

So I'm going to get rid of the middle sprocket. I think I can get clearance if I put two mules side by side on the lower position where the front chain changes angle right now. That's the next project.

Just for testing of stability, I turned the front wheel around (like a shopping cart) and rode the bike. That changed the stability feel, in steering, but it didn't fix it. So I moved the wheel back.

----------------------

So the swb frame is done (March 2008). I'm fine tuning it's operation. I changed and went to one chain (from two) and made plastic idle gears out of skateboard wheels to give me clearance on the chain path. I'm fine tuning the gears which is always the hardest job for me. Then comes the paint.