Reverse Steering Bike

by Gael - Tim

32K1917

Intro: Reverse Steering Bike

          We're not professional welders, but we attempted to build one of those reverse steering badass bikes. We started with watching internet vids, and a special visit to our favourite scrap metal junkyard. And found there an amazing not even rusty differential . We had two bikes, one adult sized mountainbike, and a kid's bike . And we ended up with this .


STEP 1: Materials

What we used :

-  arc welder
-  grinder
-  F-clamps
-  corresponding safety gear
- a pair of non rusted brains

- 2 scrap bikes
- a differential, probably from some car
- scrap metal bars and tubing
- bright yellow painting
- a cool motorbike steering bar
- cool strips cut from inner tubes

STEP 2: Starting the Assembly

We first prepared the bikes, by removing useless parts, brakes, cables...
the differential was then disassembled, to get the 4 gears and one center axle.

STEP 3: Welding the Gears .

We used the two big gears welded to the steering axles. One at the top of the fork (over the head tube), on the big bike, the other at the bottom of the small bike, under the head tube .

To make sure they were welded level, we clamped them and positionned them carefully (but still just eyeballing).

STEP 4: Assembling the Elements Into a Single Frame .

We welded two metal bars on the side of the large bike, so we could then add the small frame on top of it . When welding the second one, we took extra attention to align the two head tubes. Eyeballing only here, We could have done it with a more rationnal and professional technique, like with using another tube to align, but it was a sunny sunday and we couldn't wait to get the final result . And the human eye is one of the most precise measurment tools, blah, blah, blah ...
You also have to separate the gears from a precise distance, based upon the size of the two smaller gears.


To add in the two smaller gears, we used the bar from the original differential, at the end of which we welded a washer to prevent the wild gear from unleashing itself.  The axle was then extended with a small tube and fitted between the two black metal bars. So the axle is part of the bike structure, and can't move, but the gears can turn freely around the axle. see video :


STEP 5: Finishing the Frame

Adding a tube part, cut from the steering bar of the mountainbike, and a motorbike super cool steering bar to the final product, now close to be finished. A bit of grinding and welding here.

Also, unrusting the chain by bathing it in WD40 and unjamming each link with two pairs of pliers.

STEP 6: Paint Job

Take off all pedals and cables, derailleur, seatpost. Protect with masking tape and paper all that can't be removed and that you want to keep clean . Ungrease and sand all the surfaces you want to paint . Choose a smiling color at your local paint shop. Spray until the bottle is empty . Go back to the shop to buy more paint. Yellow is too light, we needed several coats to get the bike really colourful. (3 or 4 , in our case).

lock yourself and swallow the key so you can't touch the paint during 24 hours . We skipped this step and got fingerprints all over the bike.

reassemble the lacking parts quoted above, add two wheels, an you're off.

STEP 7: Final Result !


Find yourself a bit of determination and time, and after succeeding this :




you will manage to ride like a boss. And earn money by offering bets on the street . Cause NO ONE can succeed the first times they try it . No one .

17 Comments

jhawkins14 10 years ago

This is a fantastic project and a very well done Instructable. Makes me want to go hunting for a differential and to ask my buddy with the arc welder if he has some free time.

sleepydog 12 years ago

Thats an awesomely weird bike, I love seeing the gears.
My wife asked me why someone would want to build such a thing "Do they want people to crash?". I'd love to learn to ride it.
It's amazing, thanks for sharing.

Gael - Tim 12 years ago

Yeah, why , why building this bike ? Well, the challenge, maybe ? trying something different? curiosity ? We probably wanted to know if we could build and ride it. And be able to win the bet, if we ever encounter this kind of situation :

noclue1987 11 years ago

never said both wheels had to be on the ground i would ride a wheelie across the box

Gael - Tim 11 years ago

Yeah, a wheelie is probably the most probable way of winning when you don't know how to ride one... But even when you wheelie you steer for balance so it probably isn't that easy.

diyer8 12 years ago

One of the authors is 17, that may explain the raunchy welds :-)

I searched the web for other inverted steering bikes and all I could find were with a gear that made the axis of the handlebar be ahead of the one of the wheel. This design with the differential gears is quite unique, congrats for the creativity guys!

Love to see youngsters getting busy with useless fun constructive projects :-)

zomfibame 12 years ago

hee heee; now that is silly. nice brain teaser....... might be good as an anti-theft device too. lol could you imagine if someone tried to ride off on your bike... they would be eating sidewalk pretty quick.

allindsay 12 years ago

This looks like a great way to get hurt.

l8nite 12 years ago

There are a lot of instructables that make me wonder "why" the answer always seems to be, because they could. it looks like a fun project. thank you for sharing

paganwonder 12 years ago

What an excellent brain exerciser! Could help forestall Alzheimer's!

Gael - Tim 12 years ago

Not sure someone over 50 would be ready to risk his life trying it :o) . Thanks everyone for commenting !

vincent7520 12 years ago

this bike will not be stolen !!!…

ou bien si elle est volée le voleur l'aura méritée !!!…


great job !…

bravo !…

LawnBoy1991 12 years ago

That's a pretty nice design guys. Really great job. But man, those welds are raunchy. You don't know anyone who knows how to weld? Even a business, they could probably redo those welds for a really good price.

Gael - Tim 12 years ago

Gael: It' just part of the process of learning I believe.
Tim : Yeah, we know . But... building weird bikes is a way to learn welding, so we can build other better weird bikes . But also, building bikes requires welding, and the aim is the bike itself. So we don't wan't someone else to weld for us. But for sure, we shoud find a teacher . And practice more.

Thanks for the comment !