Danny's Daily Delta

Joined
Sep 16, 2018
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Netherlands
Did you ride it now it is all painted?

It seems than september will be the time that campings are open again. So as you want yo ride in the Netherlands, September is probably the time that it is possible.
I am hoping for good weather then, so I can go and travel around a bit.
 
Joined
Sep 12, 2012
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Apple Valley, California, USA
That is a very colorful thing of beauty.
I'll bet it was hard to find something with just the right colors.
How anyone can miss seeing 'them bright colors', is beyond me. 🆒

Oh, and your trike looks great as well. (y):D
 
Joined
May 31, 2013
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South Benfleet, Essex, England, UK
Did you ride it now it is all painted?

It seems than september will be the time that campings are open again. So as you want yo ride in the Netherlands, September is probably the time that it is possible.
I am hoping for good weather then, so I can go and travel around a bit.
I have ridden it for a short test-ride, and more of them will happen.
The reopening of camp-sites etc. is good to hear Emiel. The only issue with September is that the nights are getting shorter again and the temperatures are falling. ;)
 
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That is a very colorful thing of beauty.
I'll bet it was hard to find something with just the right colors.
How anyone can miss seeing 'them bright colors', is beyond me. 🆒

Oh, and your trike looks great as well. (y):D
Thanks Ed'. It is just an attempt to be noticed. And it does/is. 🤪
 
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Final Update 7th May 2020:

As predicted by many I expect, the front mech-post is not at the right-angle [pun?] and so all 3 rings of the triple are not available.
As I am in "learner" mode I am content with this as it still allows me to get some "Python-Trike" experience under my belt; and the "LOWER" gearing is what my weak old legs really need.
A Speedo is my next addition as I would like to know how fast I am going in relation to the effort I am expending.

So I am going to call it a wrap for now and revisit the front mech-post at a later time.

Some Observations/Learnings:
  • All pivot attachments should be in the vertical plane/avoid the horizontal.
  • Through-bolts are possibly better than captive nuts.
  • CoG is critical to stability and trike behaviour.
  • A quality pivot that has low friction makes for a "lively" ride with lots of handlebar feedback even if the trike is stable.
  • Being seated above the axle line may be a contributor to the liveliness, but it does not feel "unsafe".
  • 90mm Drum brakes are really, really good and easier to mess with than Disc brakes.
  • It has been interesting/challenging/annoying to make a front triangle and I can see now what I would avoid next time.
  • A traditional delta may be in my future at some point.
 
Joined
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Accident Report May 11th 2020:

Dear friends,
It is with the greatest sadness that I have to report an accident that has occurred to the Python Delta.

The intrepid "Python-Pilot" (yours truly) was enjoying a (hitherto) uneventful and indeed enjoyable "pootle" around the local car-park that adjoins our local recreation park and bowls club.
The car park was empty of all vehicles and is currently closed to the public because of the current lockdown.

I was thoroughly enjoying myself learning Python landings and take-offs and doing "hands-free" laps of the car park in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions and figures of eight. All perfectly happily when the Python Delta was suddenly and viciously attacked.

The attackers (a wind-fallen tree branch and a concrete bollard) conspired to spoil my fun.

The tree-branch jolted me slightly off course, and before I could unfold my hands from my lap and apply a course correction or drop anchors the bollard jumped forwards and struck me a vicious blow in the left wheel.
So hard was the blow (6mph or above) that the rim is taco'd beyond repair and the wheel's 12mm QR pin as well as the 16mm threaded sleeve of the backplate that it passes through are both bent and must be replaced.
It took a hammer and a drift just to remove the QR pin for inspection.

This sudden unanticipated stop meant that the rider was asked to vacate the seat forthwith and was ejected onto the car-park's unkind surface.

No cuts or grazes, no bruises (except for my pride) and the rest of the bike lives to fight another day. Parts will be ordered forthwith so that the fun may continue.

Here is the taco'd wheel rim.


And here is the bent QR pin sticking out (will no longer pass through the hub assembly).


But wait.... It gets worse...... The 16mm threaded sleeve that the QR pin passes through is NOT listed as a separate part. It may mean buying a whole new backplate assembly (which is a bit daft).
 
Last edited:
Joined
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Apple Valley, California, USA
Accident Report May 11th 2020:


The car park was empty of all vehicles and is currently closed to the public because of the current lockdown.

Karma my friend...karma! 😈
If the 'public' were to be there as well, you may have run into them as well. 😈

Sorry to hear about your misadventure. Sounds like it could have been much worse.
Are the hub or spokes damaged?
 
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Karma my friend...karma! 😈
If the 'public' were to be there as well, you may have run into them as well. 😈

Sorry to hear about your misadventure. Sounds like it could have been much worse.
Are the hub or spokes damaged?
Hi Ed',
Thanks for the kind words, it is much appreciated. (y)
The hub is fine and none of the spokes are snapped or badly bent so I may be able to get away with just the new rim (£35 and the QR pin £13). The 16mm threaded sleeve for the QR pin seems to be bent as well and neither QR pin (this wheel or the other side's) will pass through it, but I can get a standard M12 hardened bolt through it, so it may be alright. A lucky escape. Last time I came off at 29MPH it was a broken shoulder too!
 
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I think that you made to much notice for the tree and that he punished you by dropping the tree-branch. 😁

As long as you have noting, it's OK. The bike can always be fixed.

I had a few days ago a crash and landed on my side. I was coming down a bridge and I missed my exit, so I tried to do a 180. That went gor 90 degrees the right way and 90 degrees the wrong way. I rolled my Trike on the side and landed on my steer that broke.
It's welded again and I can ride it again. I wasn't hurt ad all.
 
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Nottinghamshire England
Dan

Ohhhh painful , and full marks for fessing up to your misadventure.

Do you want one of the threaded parts which is now bent ?

regards Paul
 
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I think that you made to much notice for the tree and that he punished you by dropping the tree-branch. 😁

As long as you have noting, it's OK. The bike can always be fixed.

I had a few days ago a crash and landed on my side. I was coming down a bridge and I missed my exit, so I tried to do a 180. That went gor 90 degrees the right way and 90 degrees the wrong way. I rolled my Trike on the side and landed on my steer that broke.
It's welded again and I can ride it again. I wasn't hurt ad all.
I was more surprised than hurt Emiel. The being tossed out of the seat was pure momentum at work. It serves me right for being so "cocky" about how easily I was getting around the perimeter of the car-park without using my hands to steer. A good lesson has been learnt. ;)
 
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Same with me. It went so fast that i had no time to react and before i knew it, i was on the ground.
I was also thinking that i could do it, not knowing that it could end like that. Luckily the bike is low so you feel less hard than on a normall bike.

I notiched the wheel, what kind of hub is it? I like that one. It's a lot easier than making a mount for a disk brake and saves a lot of weight. Are it special ones, or is it a standard front hub for a normall bike with a brake in it?
 
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Dan

Ohhhh painful , and full marks for fessing up to your misadventure.

Do you want one of the threaded parts which is now bent ?

regards Paul
If you have one to spare, it would be great Paul, much appreciated.
Just to be sure we are on the same page.......It is this long threaded bit here with the 3 (well, 2 and a half) M16 nuts on.



But..... other than the unexpected and unwelcome stop the trike's handling and responsiveness was awesome. I was very impressed with the ease with which the trike could be steered. It might be better to put SPD pedals on it as that aids push-pull left/right I think. But it was very, very satisfying to be able to meander all over/round the flat car park with such ease. The turning circle is tiny compared to the tadpole for sure. I was just a bit too eager/cocky/careless (pick one). But overall I was very impressed with the quality of the ride. When it is repaired I shall take it on my longer-ride to give it a bit more of a shakedown. The 8-Spd is very well-behaved although not as good as the N380. The 34T granny-gear makes a big difference to the ease of use.
 
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If you have one to spare, it would be great Paul, much appreciated.
Just to be sure we are on the same page.......It is this long threaded bit here with the 3 (well, 2 and a half) M16 nuts on.



But..... other than the unexpected and unwelcome stop the trike's handling and responsiveness was awesome. I was very impressed with the ease with which the trike could be steered. It might be better to put SPD pedals on it as that aids push-pull left/right I think. But it was very, very satisfying to be able to meander all over/round the flat car park with such ease. The turning circle is tiny compared to the tadpole for sure. I was just a bit too eager/cocky/careless (pick one). But overall I was very impressed with the quality of the ride. When it is repaired I shall take it on my longer-ride to give it a bit more of a shakedown. The 8-Spd is very well-behaved although not as good as the N380. The 34T granny-gear makes a big difference to the ease of use.
I would love to know, where to get them.
I found only a company that uses them on their tricycles.
 
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So sorry to hear of your misfortune after all that work. I can imagine how much you would have been enjoying the ride.

I have always mistrusted trees. That is substantiated by the fact that whenever a strongish wind blows, their branches throw a "sooky" and seek a position much closer to the ground to stay out of the wind. Storms are worse as more and more of them do it.

It seems that your colour scheme did not provide sufficient warning to those errant attackers to stay clear.
 
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So sorry to hear of your misfortune after all that work. I can imagine how much you would have been enjoying the ride.

I have always mistrusted trees. That is substantiated by the fact that whenever a strongish wind blows, their branches throw a "sooky" and seek a position much closer to the ground to stay out of the wind. Storms are worse as more and more of them do it.

It seems that your colour scheme did not provide sufficient warning to those errant attackers to stay clear.
A mere flesh-wound, the trike made it home with a very wobbly wheel and axle and lives to tell the tale. I will be ordering a new rim and QR pin today. 🤪
 
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I have deconstructed the wheel and because "Parcel-Farce" have failed to deliver on the schedule they notified me they would be operating to the rebuild of the wheel will have to wait until tomorrow or Friday.
Here is the buckled rim (yes. we've all seen one before, I know). This is what happens when there is a low-speed impact between a trike wheel with the momentum and force of a 180# rider @ 6.7MPH comes to a sudden and complete stop against an unyielding concrete bollard in a split-second.

That is a £34.99 rim totally wrecked. Even if I bent the majority of the twists out of it, I could never fully trust it again so it has to go for scrap.

A lesson has been learned. :D

 
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Nottinghamshire England
oooh that makes your eyes water .........
 
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