New to this forum and recumbents

Joined
May 9, 2022
Messages
5
Hello,
I bought a couple sets of plans, want to make a high roller.
My problem is that I have zero steel bikes laying around to use for parts.
I am retired, and have a MIG and some welding skills.

What I need is to find is the name of some models of steel bikes with decent parts, suitable for the
plans I have (Highroller and Frontrunner FWD). I would consider buying some new steel bikes with
decent group sets.

I currently ride a 61cm Cannondale Synapse Carbon disk. It has Shimano 105 group set and it really
great. I doubt I will get a 105 set on a cheaper steel bike ;-)

GlenB
Moultrie, GA
 
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
4,573
Location
Nottinghamshire England
I think you are coming to this from the wrong direction ?
You have picked 2 of the 3 hardest bikes to learn to ride amongst Brad's plans.
You need to think :-
a) get it finished
b) ride it with the components the donor bikes came from - they may need a service oil/grease etc
c) IF the bikes a keeper - add some paint
d) after a couple hundred miles shake down upgrade any components that don't perform well.

My first Python trike ran for a couple of thousand miles on nothing more than kid's SIS stuff , 3 x 5 gears & changers worked well !
I wore out 1 x rear wheel [ bought new after c) was reached ] 1 x chain 1 x rear mech 1 x front mech 2 x sets disk pads and numerous tyres

Paul
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
2,384
Location
Wakefield, UK
Most steel framed bikes with remotely decent parts will be older models. Older road bikes will often have some respectable if not outstanding gear. Older mountain bikes are more likely to be worn out. A better bet would be to buy something crappy but steel for the frame parts and a decent donor for the running gear with probably an ally frame you'll either throw or try to sell on ebay. There's a good chance many older bikes with nice parts and steel frames will be lugged. You don't want a lugged frame for cutting up.
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2020
Messages
183
Location
Ohio
I found bikes on offerup and craigslist. If you need just a steering head and tube, kids bikes work as well, they're the same size as adult bikes and kids always are growing out of them. I also found a good bike in the local scrap yard, all it needed was air in the tires so I turned it into a tomahawk.

All in all though, from now one I'm just going to go to walmart and buy a 100$ bike and cut it up and have new parts for any other builds I make, if i want them to be nice, so I don't have a new old bike.
 
Joined
May 9, 2022
Messages
5
I think you are coming to this from the wrong direction ?
You have picked 2 of the 3 hardest bikes to learn to ride amongst Brad's plans.
You need to think :-
a) get it finished
b) ride it with the components the donor bikes came from - they may need a service oil/grease etc
c) IF the bikes a keeper - add some paint
d) after a couple hundred miles shake down upgrade any components that don't perform well.

My first Python trike ran for a couple of thousand miles on nothing more than kid's SIS stuff , 3 x 5 gears & changers worked well !
I wore out 1 x rear wheel [ bought new after c) was reached ] 1 x chain 1 x rear mech 1 x front mech 2 x sets disk pads and numerous tyres

Paul
Paul,
My alternative was to buy a CRuzbike or Bachetta. That is a lot of money to spend to find out it is very difficult to ride.
I talked extensively with a fellow recumbent rider about my age. I rode with him one day, and he explained how he got into
recumbents. I do not want to sit upright, I am not in that much pain on a standard road bike, hence the choice of a more
'laid back position'. It would be nice to ride more than
40 miles without bottom and neck pain. The nearest dealer is 4.5 hours from here, so not very convenient for me to try one.
 
Joined
May 9, 2022
Messages
5
I found bikes on offerup and craigslist. If you need just a steering head and tube, kids bikes work as well, they're the same size as adult bikes and kids always are growing out of them. I also found a good bike in the local scrap yard, all it needed was air in the tires so I turned it into a tomahawk.

All in all though, from now one I'm just going to go to walmart and buy a 100$ bike and cut it up and have new parts for any other builds I make, if i want them to be nice, so I don't have a new old bike.
Yes, might not be a bad idea to pick up a nicer steel bike at Walmart, to get started.
 
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
4,573
Location
Nottinghamshire England
Paul,
My alternative was to buy a CRuzbike or Bachetta. That is a lot of money to spend to find out it is very difficult to ride.
I talked extensively with a fellow recumbent rider about my age. I rode with him one day, and he explained how he got into
recumbents.
I did not say don't build a recumbent I said those were a bad choice for someone who as the title says' is new to recumbents '
You have to ask yourself why there are Youtube videos explain how to ride Cruzbikes , Pythons , Flevobikes etc etc it is because the learning curve is almost vertical !
It will take you the same amount of time to build a recumbent that you can't ride as one you stand a chance of riding.

I do not want to sit upright, I am not in that much pain on a standard road bike, hence the choice of a more 'laid back position'.
It would be nice to ride more than 40 miles without bottom and neck pain. The nearest dealer is 4.5 hours from here, so not very convenient for me to try one.
By all means ride a recumbent , I have for the last 12 years for the same reason's and have owned numerous commercial one's
Heck I build a Cruzbike clone and 11 wobbly miles were enough to know it was for me.

For a starter look at the WildKat , Spirit or Voyager [ easiest to ride first in list ]
or
in the tutorials Bandito or SWB

Plenty of others out there on the net if you look , especially BMX conversion making a nice SWB or CLWB

naboo CLWB

Paul
 
Joined
Jan 16, 2011
Messages
712
Location
Vilvoorde / Flanders / Belgium
I myself stopped driving upwrongs in 1988. Drove mopeds, cars, and light motorbikes, but nothing "selfpropelled" except my own feet untill 2020.
After finding this forum, I started on a Streetfox in 2011, but fizzled due increased workload and the aquisition of a new 125cc cityslicker.
In 2020 gutsize and corona restrictions, combined with a small € windfall got my ass in a mesh seat of a recumbent trike that can be seen as Streetfox offspring

In short, trikes have 1 BIG advantage in the recumbent situation. You don't have to teleport a foot to the ground everytime you stand still.
 
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