Experimental Python from leftovers

Joined
Aug 5, 2012
Messages
20
Location
Belgium
Hi everybody,

I had some leftovers from my tadpole build and thought to give it another shot. I ordered m14 rod ends at my friends Aliexpress and assembled the python trike in the attached pictures.
The front is made of the rear of two kids bikes. The rear wheels came from a second hand sale (15 euro for both complete wheels) and were meant to be used for a trailer.
Adjustable seat (more some scrap wood and packaging foam) and handlebars. Pivot angle 61 degrees. Fun to build, fun to ride. Quite a large turning circle if I keep myself in the middle of the seat. If I move my buttocks halfway in the direction of the bend, I can easily turn around the small fruit trees in the garden.

Kind regards,
Jan






 
Last edited:
Joined
Aug 5, 2012
Messages
20
Location
Belgium
Hi,

The rear wheels have 12.7 mm (1/2 inch) axles. I don't suppose these were made for rough journeys or for carrying heavy loads (I weigh 75 kg). That's why I placed the word "experimental" in the title. I love the odd way the python controls along with the compactness of the design. Until now I only used the bicycle in our garden and in the street.
I fear that the seat is too high and the wheel track too narrow to drive safely fast. When you are 65, speed is not the most important thing in life.

thickness of the axle:

The axle is attached to the wheel by means of a clip.

How I managed to attach and secure it for use on a trike or a trailer using a piece of galvanized water pipe:


Kind regards,
Jan
 
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
4,573
Location
Nottinghamshire England
Nice looking Python ...

Hi,

The rear wheels have 12.7 mm (1/2 inch) axles. I don't suppose these were made for rough journeys or for carrying heavy loads (I weigh 75 kg).
Should be adequate but no bouncing off curbs !

I love the odd way the python controls along with the compactness of the design. Until now I only used the bicycle in our garden and in the street.
Plus one on that ....

I fear that the seat is too high and the wheel track too narrow to drive safely fast.
Yours looks to have a seat height of 14" [ 35cm ] what is the rear track ?
Mine has a seat height of 8" [ 20 cm ] and a rear track of 30" [ 76 cm ] at speeds above 9 mph [ 14.5 Km ] a sharp 90' turn will lift one wheel.



I dropped the main frame like this ?

Quite a large turning circle if I keep myself in the middle of the seat.
Is this because the front hits the rear frame when turning ?

Yes turning is not as you first imagine ? if you sit in a chair and try to shove something sideways with your foot you find you have very little power

If I move my buttocks halfway in the direction of the bend, I can easily turn around the small fruit trees in the garden.
Mine is the same , I think what you are doing is making one leg longer than the other thus initiating a turn.

You may need to side support on your seat ? with a flat seat like that I found the Python cornered dead flat and it was me that tried to ' roll ' out of the seat , very disconcerting !



regards Paul
 
Joined
Aug 5, 2012
Messages
20
Location
Belgium
Thanks all (Brad, Sir Joey, Paul) for your replies. I appreciate your comments and suggestions concerning my build. Thumbs up for the Atomic Zombie Community.

Yours looks to have a seat height of 14" [ 35cm ] what is the rear track ?
The seat height is 40 cm, necessary to turn above the pivot (and easy to get on, easy to get off). The rear track is 69 cm. This gives me some play when driving the python in the garden shed without having to open the second wing of the door. The combination of these two dimensions makes it more of a grandpa's hpv rolator than a speed rocket.
Is this because the front hits the rear frame when turning ?
The front can turn up to almost 90 degrees. So the trike (unloaded) can turn on the spot. The inner back wheel stays in place.
When sitting in the seat, my hips seems to be not flexible enough. Apparently it is hard to move the seat sidewards and upwards to make a tight turn. Moving my buttocks left or right helps to push the central pivot sidewards and allows a more tight cornering.

 
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
4,573
Location
Nottinghamshire England
Thanks all (Brad, Sir Joey, Paul) for your replies. I appreciate your comments and suggestions concerning my build. Thumbs up for the Atomic Zombie Community.
Another Python pilot :D(y)


The seat height is 40 cm, necessary to turn above the pivot (and easy to get on, easy to get off).
I am 64 and appreciate that I will need a higher seat soon , a parking brake and a loop fastened to the top of the frame over the wheel will help ;)

The rear track is 69 cm.
Is that outer to outer ?, tyre centre to tyre centre ? tyre inner to tyre inner ?

The front can turn up to almost 90 degrees. So the trike (unloaded) can turn on the spot.
Impressive I reckon I have about 35-40' either side of centre , plenty to out turn ANY tadpole I ride with :ROFLMAO:

A fellow Zombie who shall remain nameless [ you know who you are Pike ? ] rode mine and most of the ride screamed it would not steer and proceeded to hit several walls and other objects ! as I have only ridden it about 9000 km there must have been something wrong with it ? I never found anything when I looked !

My angle is closer to 56' maybe if you tweaked the rod ends you could reduce your angle a bit ?
I know some of the bike riders report a combination of long wheel base and to steep an angle makes the bike want to go in a straight line and is hard to get it to turn ?
 
Joined
May 31, 2013
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Yes, jumping unarmed onto a loaded Python is not for the faint-hearted. I spoke to "Pike" and he said he was going to tell "Uncle Arthur" about your bullying ;-)
You KNOW it can turn really easily, BUT, your legs are fighting your arms on the bars trying to resist the turning motion of the pivot.
It was a most unnerving experience trying to get it to turn to order. On the straight, it was nice to ride for sure.
 
Joined
Aug 5, 2012
Messages
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Location
Belgium
Is that outer to outer ?, tyre centre to tyre centre ? tyre inner to tyre inner ?
The track is measured centre to centre.
My angle is closer to 56' maybe if you tweaked the rod ends you could reduce your angle a bit ?
Initially I build it with the 'ideal' pivot angle of 65 degrees and lowered it after I read your discussion with Pegasus here on the forum.
 
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