Armchair cyclist

Step 15: Armchair cyclist

My other bike is an armchair.

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thefabricator says: Feb 1, 2010. 11:19 AM

What would look kewl, (if it didn't add too much weight) would be to use the side lever, and some of the mechanism from a recliner foot rest, to put down either the "skid" pipes, or wheeled "landing" gear. Then as youy come to a stop, you could reach over and pull the lever, just as you come to a stop, still upright...

JonnyDude2008 in reply to thefabricatorApr 30, 2012. 2:11 PM

haha nice idea :)

kbales says: Feb 17, 2012. 2:27 PM

Beautiful.
Needs a small gas engine.

sxiong says: Jul 12, 2008. 5:03 PM

lol, this would be a sweet ride. i'm assuming left/right turns gotta suck due to the weight of the sofa. with the pedals so far up to the handle bars, it would be impossible to move from a stop and maintain a constant speed without tipping over or even 5 minutes without getting exausted.

nickhooker88 in reply to sxiongJun 5, 2009. 8:43 PM

or up/down turns.. those are killer... hahah just kidding. but i have an idea to make stopping/staring easier (maybe) if you were to hook up, instead of one of the brakes, a pair of skis (not really skis but more like platforms) to hold the bike up when stopped. so when you pull whatever lever you choose to use for it the platforms will push down and hold the bike level then when you want to go pedal and release the lever

oxania (author) in reply to sxiongJul 12, 2008. 10:20 PM

Its actually easy to ride - i can do u-turns in the street just like normal bike - the little bits of pipe tell me when i'm just about to bottom out, the only handling issue is weight - its a dog to start on a hill. imagine a recumbent loaded up with touring gear doing a hill start - exactly the same. easy to ride slowly and deft - i did the london world naked bike ride on it - very slow packed riding in among 1000 very vulnerable riders - no problems. when you get speed up its a blast - looks great.

JZ Price in reply to oxaniaSep 6, 2009. 9:25 AM

why don't you put caster wheels in place of the pipe. or better yet TRAINING WHEELS. that would make you extra hardcore.

Mr. Waffle in reply to JZ PriceSep 29, 2009. 12:18 PM

DEFINATLY!

musicalbee2003 in reply to oxaniaFeb 4, 2009. 8:14 PM

wait.... You where naked? And a bunch of other British dude(tte)s? I'd say England's weirder than I thought, but America's the biggest glass house there is.

upnorthrick says: May 28, 2008. 3:29 PM

Since it's built for comfort rather than speed, maybe you could build a trike with wheels in or behind the arm rests. Just so it doesn't tip over if it's a recliner. I like Woodenbikes' drink holder suggestion. Could you hide the front wheel in an ottoman? It would give your feet a place to rest when you get worn out.

shadowman414 says: May 14, 2008. 1:53 PM

comfiest bike ever and possibly the best!

gosub says: May 2, 2008. 10:32 AM

Eventually I had fun today. Thanks bud'.

civicbynature says: May 2, 2008. 1:11 AM

Dude chopper the front end. And you golden.... Plus, It'll fix your clearance issues

JonH2O says: May 1, 2008. 8:41 AM

Make a video of it in use.

Woodenbikes says: Apr 29, 2008. 3:53 PM

Excellent Instructable and a wonderfully comfortable looking design. Puts my old Brooks pro saddle to shame. When you take a tight corner does your pint slide off the arm rest? :-) Welcome to Instructables and Happy Trails.