Tomahawk with a 26" wheel? Steel MTB with large diameter bottom bracket and steering tube?

Joined
Aug 30, 2019
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8
Hi,

I've actually started building a Tomawhawk, you can see my rear fork here. While building it I realized that my donor bikes had crappy and possibly non standard parts, and I just didn't want to commit to welding a chassis around crappy non standard parts I wouldn't be able to replace.

So I asked around and managed to score a mint condition donor bike with great parts all around, and I'm contemplating trying to build the entire recumbent around this bike, but there are obviously a few snags:

  1. The front wheel and front fork are 26", and as discussed earlier, This can be very problematic for a Tomahawk. I was wondering if there is any way I can swing it with me being 1.9m (~6'4"). what do you think?
  2. Realistically, I'll probably have to change the design towards a high roller or the frontrunner. Which do you recommend? are there videos of the front runner in action? pros and cons? (paging @Radical Brad :) )
  3. Another issue I'm having is finding the steel tubes for the bottom bracket shell and the steering tube (as the donor is aluminum framed)
    • 3.1 It looks like my steering tube is larger than the typical steel tubes and is flared to accept the bearings. any chance of finding a steel steering tube like this, or should I give up?
    • 3.2 a bottom bracket shell seems easier to find (source-A , source-B , source-C) and I guess I'll be able to find this on a donor steel frame as well, right?
Thanks,
-Leav
 

Radical Brad

Garage Hacker!
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With your height, it might just work!
A wood mockup using 2x2's is a great way to find out.
More parts... also a good idea, since no design is ever complete, and you will always want to build more.

Brad
 
Joined
Aug 30, 2019
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Thanks for the input, I'll do the wooden mockup.
Can anyone weigh in on the HighRoller vs. Frontrunner comparison? (in case I need to consider it)

Thanks!
 
Joined
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I'd find another donor bike for the steel frame parts you need. Depending whereabouts in the world you are you may be able to use the local equivalent of freecycle to blag one free. I've had success asking for crappy old bikes for the effort of collecting them.
 
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Can anyone weigh in on the HighRoller vs. Frontrunner comparison? (in case I need to consider it)Thanks!
Both these bikes have a steep learning curve , maybe the HighRoller is slightly easier to learn to ride ? however even the HighRoller can be a handful and is not really a bike for beginner recumbent pilots or initially for forays into built up areas ?

Whilst I have built several MBB style bikes I have given them all away ? my life is to short to fight them ;)

Discussing my problems with MBB and that does not cover the difficulty riding the things 😧
 
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