December 2008        

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December 5 Season's Greetings, Gallery Updates, News

Greetings Atomic Zombie Krew and wannabes! Don't be shy - join our world of crazy bike builders!

OK, this might be my last entry this year, unless something really important happens. The weather is very cold now in the -20 C range, and still very little snow. It's officially winter. Yuck! If only I could find a way to enjoy this season. I might take up snowshoeing just to help pass the long, cold winter days. Even skiing is so unpredictable. Who knows when we'll have enough white stuff to justify buying a season membership.

The Builders Gallery was updated several times this week. A whopping 38 new entries are now part of this elite group of homebuilt choppers, tandems, trikes, recumbents, tall bikes, quadcycles, crazy bikes, spincycles, electric bikes, and robots. There are many cool bike projects in the gallery, so be sure to check them out.

Maybe you'll be inspired to build your first bike, or add to your homebuilt projects. We now have over 500 projects in the gallery thanks to your creativity, ingenuity and hard work. Give yourselves a well deserved pat on the back! Keep sending in those pictures of your completed projects and join our worldwide community of builders and garage hackers! Kudos to all of you!

We received a copy of the brand new The Best of Instructables Volume I: Do-It-Yourself Projects from the World's Biggest Show & Tell book which contains our ChopWork Orange Chopper Bicycle (on page 166).

If you're a fan of MAKE Magazine and love to tinker, this book is definitely for you. There are more than 120 projects with step-by-step instructions, loads of pictures and parts lists. It's a really great book, and would make an awesome gift for someone you know, or maybe even for yourself. Go ahead, you deserve to treat yourself!

It's been another busy, but rewarding year, and our little homebuilt bike community continues to grow. We are fortunate to be surrounded by so many fun, talented and caring people. So many new projects are planned for 2009, as well as new features for the Support Forum and Builders Gallery.

We hope that you have a safe and joyous holiday season. We will be taking some time off this month to catch our breath and spend time with family and friends. Don't worry; we'll still be in the forum daily to connect with all of you. In the meantime, the latest newsletter is now online, so happy reading!

Cheers friends.

 

 

December 1 ChopZone, Bike Building Year, Kudos

Alrighty then. You know how many sleeps until Christmas. The crazy shopping season is upon us. Reading the news headlines makes me shake my head in disbelief. I'm trying to stay away from stores as much as possible. Yikes! Some people take Christmas way too seriously. Just makes you want to stay in the garage and hibernate until the insanity subsides. Same madness every year.

Hope that all of you celebrating Thanksgiving in the USA had an enjoyable and safe holiday. We enjoy reading about your adventures and misadventures while you work on your homebuilt bike projects. There's alot of ingenuity out there, and it's inspiring more people to join in this craft. Our community is growing each week, so spread the word!

We have a bit of snow on the ground, but not as much as other parts of the world, especially our southern neighbors. Sorry, folks! However, our time will come soon enough, as long as the freezing rain stays away. It is getting colder, though, enough to put on the long underwear on long walks. Only five months until spring!

As if we don't enough on our plate, we decided to launch a new web site containing some do-it-yourself chopper and tall bike projects. Here's the current list of 10 free projects (yes, they are absolutely free):

  1. AfterBurner

  2. ChopWork Orange

  3. Granny's Nightmare

  4. Mountain Lion

  5. Carnage

  6. SkyWalker

  7. FireCracker

  8. Stinger

  9. Tour de Hell

  10. Wizard

There are also sections on how to weld and bike hacking. We hope you enjoy these chopper and tall bike projects. More will be added throughout 2009. If there's time over the next few weeks, maybe we'll be able to convert each project to a PDF file. We'll see. If not, that will be on the To Do list for 2009.

Not sure if the Hammerhead Winter Bike will be done this month, so stay tuned here and to the forum for announcements. If not, there's always January.

Plus, the Builders Gallery was updated today, and there will be more updates this week.

Special thanks to all of you for being so cool and fun to be around, even though most of us don't see each other face-to-face. Despite so many negative things going on around us, let's strive to keep building our positive, friendly community.

A big Atomic Zombie thumbs up to Crank it Up Cycling for All in the UK (hi Chris) for their dedication to cycling, recycling, education and bike building. They've sent us some pictures of their homebuilt bike projects for our Builders Gallery and do many great projects in the communities of Halifax, Huddersfield & Bradford.

Cheers, friends.

 


 

HighRoller Short Wheel Base Recumbent Racer

 

The HighRoller SWB Recumbent is a performance recumbent that combines simplicity with efficiency for those who want to ride in comfort without sacrificing speed. Because of the aggressive seating position and higher bottom bracket, you will be able to put your entire effort into the cranks and hit the corners without slowing down. The HighRoller is lightweight and aerodynamic, so you will shave time off of your commute, or just hit the streets and leave other cyclists far behind.

This project lends itself well to customization due to the simple mono boom frame construction and use of standard bicycle parts. The simple mono boom frame design is both efficient and easy to build, so even a novice welder will be able to complete this project in a few days. For shorter riders, the option of replacing the larger wheels with 24 or even 20 inch wheels is not a problem, as the geometry will remain constant. If you feel the need for speed, and want to commute safely and visibly, the HighRoller is for you!  Instant download only $ 16.95!

 

 

CycleBully Electric Trailer

 

The CycleBully Electric Trailer is a robust multipurpose cargo trailer that can easily adapt to any bike, trike or quadcycle. The CycleBully is aptly named because its main job is to “push you around.” Even loaded with 200 pounds of groceries, the CycleBully will happily propel you and your cycle up to speeds close to city traffic, or blast you up a hill so steep you would normally have to walk your bike up.The CycleBully will also perform all of these chores silently without emitting pollution, and at only pennies per charge.

The CycleBully is an easy project to complete, requiring only basic bicycle parts, and any electric hubmotor kit of your choice. Because hubmotor kits are “plug and play”, there is no need to be an electrician or electronics wizard to install all of the components. The frame is very simple, and includes a suspension system as well as a detachable hitch that can adapt to anything on wheels in seconds. As for tools and skills, you will only require a basic welder, angle grinder and a few small lengths of steel tubing. Even a beginner can put together the CycleBully in a weekend or two. Instant download only $ 16.95!

 

DeltaRunner Recumbent Trike

 

The DeltaRunner Recumbent Trike is a comfortable and rugged all-purpose human powered trike designed to combat the ever increasing price of gasoline, while at the same time giving its pilot a great low impact workout. Because the seat is at a height similar to that of an automobile, the DeltaRunner is easy to get into and puts you at eye level with many motorized vehicles on streets and roads. The DeltaRunner is light, fast, and handles like a dream due to the long wheelbase configuration, 26 inch wheels, and front suspension.

The DeltaRunner includes a full range of speeds and a rear disc brake for optimal stopping power. The steering system is comfortable and natural, with nothing to obstruct your legs or you view so you can pedal the DeltaRunner just like you would pedal a regular bicycle. Instant download only $ 16.95!

 

Vigilante Chopper

 

The Vigilante Chopper breaks all the rules and takes the law into its own hands! With its fat rear wheel and stealth bomber styling. The Vigilante will stand out among all other choppers as a true custom. Even the frame is radically different, using only square tubing for that stealth bomber look.

This project is built from the ground up, using the parts you have on hand, so there is plenty of room to alter the design and carve out a ride that suits your building style. The cost of building the Vigilante is next to nothing since the project only requires commonly available tubing and bicycle parts. You will be able scrounge most of the parts from your junk pile, or the scrap yard.  Instant  download  only $ 16.95!

 

Tradewinds Tandem

 

The Tradewinds Tandem combines a long wheelbase and short wheelbase recumbent together to form a speedy and comfortable vehicle for two. The Tradewinds Tandem frame is light and strong, and because the tandem is powered by two human engines, it offers many advantages over a single rider bicycle. Add to this the laid back aerodynamic seating position, and you have the formula for a very fast and efficient human powered vehicle.

The under seat steering is extremely comfortable as it places your hands in a naturally relaxed position, yet gives you confident control over the steering. The bottom brackets are placed lower than the seat, so you are pedaling in a relaxed position without having your feet obstruct the view. Because of the short wheelbase front configuration, the overall wheelbase of the tandem is quite short, allowing easy maneuvering and responsive handling on city streets. The Tradewinds is a bicycle for two, but it is completely rideable by only one, if for some reason the you have to fly solo. Instant download only $ 16.95!

 

TourMaster Recumbent

 

The TourMaster is an extremely comfortable long wheelbase recumbent cycle made for commuting, long tours, or just getting out enjoying nature. Because you are sitting in a reclined adjustable high back seat, you get to enjoy both the ride and the scenery without straining your neck or your bottom.

The TourMaster is unique when it comes to the typical long wheelbase recumbent design, as it includes a linked steering system to place the handlebars in a very relaxed and natural position, which means that there is no long flexible gooseneck, oddly shaped front forks, or smaller front wheel to deal with. The TourMaster is a rock solid performer and offers a super smooth ride due to the dual 26 inch wheels. Instant download only $ 16.95!

     
   

Coming in 2009

Builder's Forum & Gallery

  • HammerHead Winter Bike

  • Stunt Scooter

  • Electric Bikes

  • Electric Scooters

  • Choppers

  • Recumbents - LWB & SWB

  • Trikes

  • Tandems

  • Tall Bikes

Have questions? Need help? Join the Builders Support Forum.

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