Cheap Short Wheelbase Wood Conversion Recumbent Bike

Step 7 Final Notes

Despite it's problems (mostly fixable - see below), I can do nothing buy smile while riding... And it is ridable :) My father, who has really never ridden a recumbent, got right on and was precariously pedaling away without falling :)

1: wheel size

Switching to a smaller wheel changes the steering geometry. If you go to a smaller wheel, you'll probably want to bend your fork forward a bit to make up for the lost trail.

2: Seat

Seat! Very important... My seat back is made from the original seat - turned vertically. This works very well. My seat bottom... I don't have one. I use a folded seat pad. When I come across some scrap plywood, I'll be sure to fashion some sort of proper seat.

3: derailleur

This sure does make things more complicated. But the original design called for the use of a smaller wheel and I didn't need this tensioner. Find a better tensioner if you can - this one is loud and doesn't work as nice as I'd like (but it was free).

4: Path

Double check that your pedals and foot path won't interfere with your front wheel. My crank just barely hits my front tire :( One day I'll fix that, but for now I just be sure to keep the crank out of the way while turning.

5: Weight

This thing is pretty heavy, and with a single speed - starting kinda sucks... Not too much can be done about that - just minimize material if possible, pick the lightest frame 0 money will buy.

6: Handlebars

1/2" PVC works great! Just be sure it doesn't get in the way of your knees. As shown, I'm using the original handlebars turned upright - but this forces me to bow my knees out while pedaling (not comfortable).

Accessories: Last Image

Turn the widow maker into the impalulator.