First attempt to build my own Streetfox

Joined
May 31, 2013
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South Benfleet, Essex, England, UK
If you want your rear rack to be fixed rigidly onto a suspended rear-frame like the Street-Fox then make a simple bridge across the frame's brake pivots.
It is easy then to make a rigid mounting for a standard rear rack with some additional lengths of flat bar and steel tubing flattened at the ends, as shown below.
This means the rack is ONLY mounted to the rear triangle, its suspension can operate and the rack fixings are all relative to nothing but the triangle.
The "bridge" also provides a mounting point for the rear mudguard.


 
Joined
May 3, 2020
Messages
10
Th
If you want your rear rack to be fixed rigidly onto a suspended rear-frame like the Street-Fox then make a simple bridge across the frame's brake pivots.
It is easy then to make a rigid mounting for a standard rear rack with some additional lengths of flat bar and steel tubing flattened at the ends, as shown below.
This means the rack is ONLY mounted to the rear triangle, its suspension can operate and the rack fixings are all relative to nothing but the triangle.
The "bridge" also provides a mounting point for the rear mudguard.


Thanks Danny, you understood my problem. I can’t do your solution because I don’t have rear breaks.
 
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
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Nottinghamshire England
Janguns

Couple of things you might not be aware of ?

The pivot on a MTB bike is not designed to be used in this way ? the bike leans into a corner the trike does not putting considerable lateral forces onto the pivot which is only designed for vertical forces ? especially if it has plastic bushes rather than bearing as some of the better one's have ?

This will also bring with it a load limit ? if you look at commercial trikes with hopefully better/custom designed pivots you will usually see there is a conservative load limit for the rack and also for some it is not recommended you tow a trailer with them ?

If you want to avoid these potential problems maybe you could uprate the pivot bolt to say 8mm or 9mm [ maybe a axle ? ] put the lower rack mount points on that and then take the upper mounts from the upper seat back support ? so the rack is mounted of the frame and not the suspended part ?

regards Paul
 
Joined
Aug 5, 2012
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Location
Belgium
Sorry Walter for this late answer.
Thanks Danny for your clear explanation.
Thanks Paul for your correct warning.

I think I used some wrong terminology in my previous short answer. Therefore here a picture of the fixation of my rack. Please keep also in mind that I used this rack only for hauling some grocery from the shop or some books from the library. I do not to go to the diy shop for a sack of cement ;).
Please keep also in mind that I used this rack only for hauling some grocery


As you can see is the kids bike rack attached with a bolt to the pivoting part of the trike. The little rack is welded to the adult rack (not on the photo).
In case there is not such a possibility to fix something to the original bike part, you can make your own fixation point with two pieces of steal bar that clamps the chain stays. See how I attached an axa bike lock underneath. That way I did not weaken the back of the trike with my lousy welding skills.

Kind regars,
Jan
 
Joined
May 3, 2020
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10
Thanks Paul, indeed I have a pivot point with plastic bushings. This is not working at all. The back part is not rigid and has a lot of movement from left to right. I can tighten it enough with the bolt/nut system. Do you have experience with solving this problem with an axel as you suggested. Please write me an email with photos ( if you have photos) because I understand your idea but i am unable to explain it to the Chinese workers. Walterkooy63@hotmail.com
 
Joined
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Messages
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Location
Nottinghamshire England
Thanks Paul, indeed I have a pivot point with plastic bushings. This is not working at all. The back part is not rigid and has a lot of movement from left to right. I can tighten it enough with the bolt/nut system. Do you have experience with solving this problem with an axel as you suggested. Please write me an email with photos ( if you have photos) because I understand your idea but i am unable to explain it to the Chinese workers. Walterkooy63@hotmail.com
Walter sadly no as I don't build tadpoles.

I have taken apart a rear suspended MTB and found instead of the plastic bushes there were 2 bearings and a internal spacer between them , so it is do able.

If you remove the plastic bushes and measure the inside of the mounting you may find it is a standard bearing size ? and so able to fit them into the mount then you need an anti crush tube and suitable bolt for the ' pivot '

DannyC will be along in a moment and show you pictures of his ' best Python pivot every ' which is what you want but laid on it's side ?

Paul
 
Joined
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As Paul says, the PPP (Perfect Python Pivot) is indeed a tube with bearing separators (1 for the outer race and one for the inner race) and a bolt through the middle.
It works well, uses standard sized bearings and was not too difficult to do.
 
Joined
Sep 26, 2020
Messages
1
Location
Normandy France
And this is my little red fox.
Brush painted in red with black elements. Equipped with brand new inner and outer cables for brakes and gears. As in the picture she weights 29.4 kg. Track is about 73 cm, wheelbase 113 cm. I have a 3 x 8 speed installed from my former mountain bike. I love to ride this bike.

Please notice the little red fox. My wife loves Jaguar with the little statue of the cat on the hood (no I do not own such a car, I drive an Opel Astra Sports Tourer). I felt obliged to do something similar.
Here is a realization which is going to be for me a reference, a vehicle able to face the green ways and the paths of excursion with tires broad enough not to be too frightened in the hollow ways of Normandy at the bad season.
 
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