The Marengo "Loki" Thread.

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I tried a trial-fit of a 60L Pannier on it "just to see". TBH, it isn't bad at all (IMHO) YMMV. At least it is clear of the dirt.
If I fit a short length top bag/box on top of the rack, there might be room to strap a sleeping mat/tent across the rack.
Well that explains a lot ?

Could not understand why my panniers sit on the back of the Python and do not come above the wheels and are still 5" off the floor ?

That's because mine are 20ltrs and 13ltrs each ........

So one of yours is as big as 3 of mine strewth......
 
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Well that explains a lot ?

Could not understand why my panniers sit on the back of the Python and do not come above the wheels and are still 5" off the floor ?

That's because mine are 20ltrs and 13ltrs each ........

So one of yours is as big as 3 of mine strewth......
UPDATE Feb 8th 2020:
When I say 60L it is only because that is what I thought it said on a label on the back, of course the "60" could refer to cm's as a physical size but they usually specify bags in Litres.....let me check.....
Here's the label on the back of the bag. I am none the wiser. ;)



The mudguard was swapped for the thinner one (with a mud-flap). I had to repair the stay I had cut and weld the off-cut back on.
Here it is on the trike. I will trim all the stays to length when I am happy that all is good.


Lots of stainless bolts & washers on this trike.


Here is a rear-view of the finished rack & mudguard. Wheel is off-set and the rack currently look a little lop-sided (I might tinker with that). ;)


Small further update........
  1. These are the panniers, I think it is 60L "Per-Pair" Details here
  2. Just measured the toe-in of the front wheels :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO: Talk about EXCESSIVE, I wonder why it was hard to propel forwards?
 
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Small further update........
  1. These are the panniers, I think it is 60L "Per-Pair" Details here
Yes I just found that link as well , so not quite as bad ? as now 2 of yours are the same size as 4 of mine +- 6 ltrs :rolleyes:

Just measured the toe-in of the front wheels :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO: Talk about EXCESSIVE, I wonder why it was hard to propel forwards
remind me NEVER EVER EVER EVER build a tadpole trike ........

well OK build one if it is rear steer ....
 
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No problem with tadpole fronts. That excessive toe-in is only because he hadn't got around to adjusting it. No different to adjusting bloody derailleurs or conventional bike saddles or caliper brakes, or ...

He probably got lost inside one of those panniers and overlooked it.
 
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No problem with tadpole fronts. That excessive toe-in is only because he hadn't got around to adjusting it. No different to adjusting bloody derailleurs or conventional bike saddles or caliper brakes, or ...

He probably got lost inside one of those panniers and overlooked it.
TBH I took both front wheels, axles, headsets and bars and steering elements off ages ago in order to split the frame and revise the chain from LH running to RH running, I never set the tracking up when I re-assembled it.
This "discovery" today is my first serious attempt to make it "road-ready". I had (I admit) run it up and down the street and found lots of problems besides tracking. These other problems are resolved so I am getting closer to a functional trike. :D
 
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Update 11th Feb 2020:
I managed to revamp the bars today to include 2 x Mirrcycle wing-mirrors. I also filled a rack bag with some essential tools and mounted that to the rack.
Something went awry with the front mech friction-shifter in fitting the mirrors, so I will have to attend to that now.
When this stormy weather quietens down I should be ok for a local ride. :D
 
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When this stormy weather quietens down I should be ok for a local ride. :D
Yes ' cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey ' [ look it up it is NOT rude ! ] here yesterday however I got the new seat frame pivot/clamp assembled on a piece of scrap frame material and then transferred it to the trike , only 4 bolts and 2 zip ties however a real chore in the cold and high winds ? hiding in the back of the garage where there is no light ...
 
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Update 12th Feb 2020:
Perishing cold today so little was achieved. I did some minor honeydew stuff (just to be allowed out into the workshop).
First I fixed the issue with the friction shifter for the front mech (parts were 180-degrees out of synch with each other).
All I managed to do that was new today was fashion a keeper for the chain-tubes so that they can be locked in place on the rear half of the trike.
Here is the result. Not a major task, but it was satisfying nevertheless.

NB: It is 16:50PM and it is not dark yet. Spring will be here soon.

 
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Update 14th Feb 2020:

Quite fitting that this report on my love-hate relationship with this trike is on St. Valentines day. Let me report on today's massacre.

As I believe I have lamented before, setting up the toe-in/tracking on my tadpole trikes has always been a challenge for a variety of reasons; not the least of which has been the lack of decent tools with which to do it.
Now I know you can "cobble" stuff together from a variety of bits and bobs but I wanted something a bit more robust and less fiddly than sticks and rubber-bands, and ICE show such fun-n-games in their tech video of setting up their trikes (as below) here.




Now in that same tech video Ice actually show some custom-made tools that they use when setting up the tracking on their trikes (see below) and I thought "if its good enough for the really posh folks that have ICE-Trikes....then that's good enough for me".



So I ferreted around in my little workshop and found some 6mm rod and a section of tubing that would accept the 6mm rod as an insert; and I bought some M6 thumbscrews online for next to nothing.

After some cutting, welding, cussing and moaning I managed to make myself a pair of "toe-in/tracking set-up" tools that will work.
The long one is minimum length 26" and the short one is minimum length 13". This will cater for most tadpole trikes on the market today.

I threaded and tapped the ends on the inner rod to accept an M5 acorn nut and the other end of the outer tube is tapped and plugged with M8 stainless rod.
I will cover this sharp outer end in "plasti-dip" so as to avoid scratching up paintwork.

I finished as the light was fading and so setting up the trike will have to wait for another day.



 
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DannyC

Glad to see you are alive and well , was about to ring to enquire on your status ...

Python Paul
 
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DannyC

Glad to see you are alive and well , was about to ring to enquire on your status ...

Python Paul
All good here Paul, I am in burgeoning good health despite the diet ;-)
 
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Update 15th Feb 2020:
I braved storm Dennis this morning to put the trike up on stands and play with my new tracking tools.
The tools are fabulous, the siting of the diverter pulley made things interesting, and then I realised the first wheel you set up can be on either side and there was indeed an "uninterrupted/unrestricted side"...Doh!
I had to retire "hurt" when the bitter winds of Storm Dennis blew for too long and far too hard up my "Khyber-pass" and froze my assets before I could fully finish to my complete satisfaction.

Well, that and my Son once again dumped his 2 kids on us while he went off with a mate to do "stuff" related to his purchase of a new house.
The weather deteriorated further and I lacked the urge to venture out again after I had got rid of the rug-rats.
Will try again tomorrow or next week.
 
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Update 17th February 2020:
All "Toe-In" adjustments completed with my new home-made tools. I have to say that it is so much easier than ever before (especially, when you start from the "easy" side of the trike for the first wheel set-up).
I also re-positioned the rear-wheel drag/parking brake caliper (no more interference).

The front right brake caliper is slightly catching on the rotor again, so I will whip that off next and give it a service (having watched the Park-Tool video) it seems the pads are just not returning away off the disk as well as they should. It runs a lot freer than it once did but I can hear it "shrieking" as I roll the trike along, so it is still just touching every now and then (where it wasn't last time) now, it may be dirt/light-rust on the rotor I suppose, but it cannot hurt to make sure the pistons have no ring of dried crud around them that is stopping their free return movement.

The rest of my playtime (when not dodging the rain) was spent sorting all of the many little plastic bags of nuts/bolts and washers (and the contents of one drawer of my workbench) into a divided storage box. I was shocked at how many assortments and sizes I actually have.
 
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Update 17th February 2020:
All "Toe-In" adjustments completed with my new home-made tools. I have to say that it is so much easier than ever before (especially, when you start from the "easy" side of the trike for the first wheel set-up).
I also re-positioned the rear-wheel drag/parking brake caliper (no more interference).

The front right brake caliper is slightly catching on the rotor again, so I will whip that off next and give it a service (having watched the Park-Tool video) it seems the pads are just not returning away off the disk as well as they should. It runs a lot freer than it once did but I can hear it "shrieking" as I roll the trike along, so it is still just touching every now and then (where it wasn't last time) now, it may be dirt/light-rust on the rotor I suppose, but it cannot hurt to make sure the pistons have no ring of dried crud around them that is stopping their free return movement.

The rest of my playtime (when not dodging the rain) was spent sorting all of the many little plastic bags of nuts/bolts and washers (and the contents of one drawer of my workbench) into a divided storage box. I was shocked at how many assortments and sizes I actually have.
snagging , snagging , snagging that's all you talk about !!!

I did the same with my collection of new nut's bolts washers so I could carry one container with a good selection all all sizes in one go to where I am working .....

About 3 days latter storage box is buried under a pile of junk and again I am scratching around in flimsy margarine tubs trying to get enough parts for the job in hand ???

all the best Paul
 
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snagging , snagging , snagging that's all you talk about !!!

I did the same with my collection of new nut's bolts washers so I could carry one container with a good selection all all sizes in one go to where I am working .....

About 3 days latter storage box is buried under a pile of junk and again I am scratching around in flimsy margarine tubs trying to get enough parts for the job in hand ???

all the best Paul
I'm sure it will be the same here Paul.
 
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Update 18th Feb 2020:
I braved the bitterly chill wind and the occasional spots of rain and removed the RH caliper from the mounting bracket and popped the pads out and inserted a spacer to prevent total piston exit from the caliper; cleaned both pistons with a cleaning tape and brake-cleaner.
I put the caliper back on the trike and adjusted it for maximum clearance of the rotor. It seems 99.9% ok and that's all I am prepared to do for now. I want to ride the darned thing not tinker endlessly.
All I need now is a slightly warmer but very much drier day.
 
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Update 6th March 2020:
The rain stopped and the Sun put in an appearance this afternoon for a change.
I couldn't resist the opportunity to take the "LOKI" trike out for a little ride.
I didn't go far at all (probably just over 3Km) but it incorporated some roads and both uphill & downhill sections.
YES! THE VERY HILL that broke my shoulder when I did those 29MPH handstand/somersaults after my dodgy welding failed (first weld I had ever done TBH, but yes, I have "form").
"LOKI" is e-free so all the effort was just me, and that is really what I need in order to rebuild my wasted leg muscles. I well remember the early Zombie-Fest rides (c.20Miles round trip) with no e-assist, and I had no difficulties back then.
I suspect the combination of Statin Medication that destroys muscle tissue combined with the laziness offered by e-assist have got me to where I am today. So I am trying to turn the tide.

The "LOKI" Trike was 99% ok with some minor tweaks required to improve change-down to the lowest front ring and a binding front brake that "sings" (mysteriously, it stops singing at all if you touch the brakes).
I swear (often) that disc brakes are possibly more trouble than they are worth. I much prefer the trouble-free operation of the SA 90MM hub brakes. When I got home I resolved these two issues while using an axle-stand so all is now good and further proving rides will be undertaken.
 
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