I want a pedal go-kart with a handbrake - I used to have one, they were brilliant, but they probably don't do one big enough these days

The Chuckle bros one reminds me of the ones you could rent out in Belgium,and drive on the roads,in the '80s (Proper ice-cream canopy jobs,seen a pic of one out of control on an Alps cliffside road,had me in fits). Dunno if they still do that,in Belgium.

I'm thinking of something really quite different.

Got 53/11 gearing sorted out. But top end will be compromised by its ability to handle - hard cornering is a big issue,and that's why it'll need four strong wheels and i'll need to be sitting on the floor.

No proper drawing yet,but i expect the chain to run along side me. Rear will be slightly sprung on rubber blocks. Front fully rigid.

Fixing MTB disc brakes to smaller front wheels is another thing. I can cut and die spokes,but the number of eyelets hub/rim has to match.

they probably don't do one big enough these days

Don't you believe it, you could buy a pair of twin choke carbs and have them fully refurbed for the cost of a pedal car though..

http://www.eurocosm.com/Application/Produc...Go-Karts-GB.asp

Check out that ferrari! Gimp suit is presumably an optional extra

The Chuckle bros one reminds me of the ones you could rent out in Belgium,and drive on the roads,in the '80s (Proper ice-cream canopy jobs,seen a pic of one out of control on an Alps cliffside road,had me in fits). Dunno if they still do that,in Belgium.

I'm thinking of something really quite different.

Got 53/11 gearing sorted out. But top end will be compromised by its ability to handle - hard cornering is a big issue,and that's why it'll need four strong wheels and i'll need to be sitting on the floor.

No proper drawing yet,but i expect the chain to run along side me. Rear will be slightly sprung on rubber blocks. Front fully rigid.

Fixing MTB disc brakes to smaller front wheels is another thing. I can cut and die spokes,but the number of eyelets hub/rim has to match.

Not a good idea to cut threads onto spokes, they should be rolled. But yes as long as they are plain guage (or your'e not cutting butted spokes too short) then it shouldn't be a problem.

I could probably supply you with some short 14G spokes if you need. What size rims are you planning on using? And what sort of hubs, i have a spoke length chart at my disposal..

If you went for "BMX size" 20" rims, then you should have no probs matching drillings up, the race boys will use as few spokes as poss and the DJ/street boys will use 36H or 48H.

Edited 29 December, 200817 yr by randombadger69

The Chuckle bros one reminds me of the ones you could rent out in Belgium,and drive on the roads,in the '80s (Proper ice-cream canopy jobs,seen a pic of one out of control on an Alps cliffside road,had me in fits). Dunno if they still do that,in Belgium.

I'm thinking of something really quite different.

Got 53/11 gearing sorted out. But top end will be compromised by its ability to handle - hard cornering is a big issue,and that's why it'll need four strong wheels and i'll need to be sitting on the floor.

No proper drawing yet,but i expect the chain to run along side me. Rear will be slightly sprung on rubber blocks. Front fully rigid.

Fixing MTB disc brakes to smaller front wheels is another thing. I can cut and die spokes,but the number of eyelets hub/rim has to match.

if you get a 36hole mtb disk hub, with flanges of approximately 60mm diameter (standard disk hub ish), and a 36hole single wall 20" bmx rim (hundreds of options) there are spokes available off the shelf, for strength theyd need to be built 4x and the spokes would probably be 180-182mm. i can build wheels, in fact i did one this evening, its not complicated. 20" wheels are plenty strong enough, also there are totally slick bmx tyres available too that can be pumped up to 120psi to keep the rolling resistance down to a minimum. bit of camber in there and you'll be fine in the corners. using forks with diskmounts already on will save you alot of hassle, these things have to be just right in alignment or will work like shit, individual levers for each brake will be good too as no 2 disk brakes pull the same.

Yeah,i cant see me using 16s,as both spokes and tyres will be a headache. And rolling resistance. But I'm not gonna know until late into developement,because the only thing pushing me to smaller wheels is the turning circle. This thing will need to be narrow,as I'm sharing space with pedestrians.

Great Lambo,looks as heavy as the real thing,though!

I dont like those Holland things,chunky wheels,open bodies,they all look like kids ones.

great idea.

i don't want to be the sad one but if you are going to doing 40 mph ish you really need to factor in some safety.

you will have seen what happens to those guys that bob-sled (open top ,no roll bar = no head)i know you will not reach the speeds that they do but it's still gonna hurt.

sorry for being the old git .

i hope you acheive what you are after :-D

I built the wheels on my bike (as well as the rest of it),but id rather buy them.

I wont be using forks,i'll make hubs with adjustable castor pivot,to give me the camber when turning. This is partially why the rear will need to be sprung.

Ozzy,yes,it will be a full frame. Its for use in MK,it rains here,it will be enclosed. A tough chassis with roll frame,it will have weaker nose frame. I will stack it for sure.

As of first post,think hard-top Caterham.

I'll make a sketch when i can get around to it.

for strength theyd need to be built 4x

Personally, unless the spokes are not available in shorter lengths I would argue that x3 would be more suitable?

MikeyMK.. how will you put the drive to the rear wheels? fixed drive or with a double freewheel? or single drive?..

mmm, seems a not too bad idea. I suppose you could pedal something to power a dynamo, which in turn powered up a motor,blah,blah,blah......

The other alternative is the flintstomes car.

http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/wp-conte...flintstones.jpg

you will never end up with more power than just pedalling though so whats the point?

The Chuckle bros one reminds me of the ones you could rent out in Belgium,and drive on the roads,in the '80s (Proper ice-cream canopy jobs,seen a pic of one out of control on an Alps cliffside road,had me in fits). Dunno if they still do that,in Belgium.

I'm thinking of something really quite different.

Got 53/11 gearing sorted out. But top end will be compromised by its ability to handle - hard cornering is a big issue,and that's why it'll need four strong wheels and i'll need to be sitting on the floor.

No proper drawing yet,but i expect the chain to run along side me. Rear will be slightly sprung on rubber blocks. Front fully rigid.

Fixing MTB disc brakes to smaller front wheels is another thing. I can cut and die spokes,but the number of eyelets hub/rim has to match.

if you get a 36hole mtb disk hub, with flanges of approximately 60mm diameter (standard disk hub ish), and a 36hole single wall 20" bmx rim (hundreds of options) there are spokes available off the shelf, for strength theyd need to be built 4x and the spokes would probably be 180-182mm. i can build wheels, in fact i did one this evening, its not complicated. 20" wheels are plenty strong enough, also there are totally slick bmx tyres available too that can be pumped up to 120psi to keep the rolling resistance down to a minimum. bit of camber in there and you'll be fine in the corners. using forks with diskmounts already on will save you alot of hassle, these things have to be just right in alignment or will work like shit, individual levers for each brake will be good too as no 2 disk brakes pull the same.

cable disks have come a long way in the last year or so and would be very easy to use a short cable balancer loop like on old cantis..

for strength theyd need to be built 4x

Personally, unless the spokes are not available in shorter lengths I would argue that x3 would be more suitable?

MikeyMK.. how will you put the drive to the rear wheels? fixed drive or with a double freewheel? or single drive?..

4x is well too beefy for this kinda setup, id go 3x too, + 4x is more of a fiddle to lace on smaller wheels.

sounds an interestin project, personally i cant see why 3wheel isnt more than acceptable and with kingpin geometries set correctly will give you some lean into the corners.

Interesting as it may be,I'm not feeling the idea of leaning a three-wheeler any direction. I have a bike for that. Not ruling out three wheels entirely,though. The Morgan is all very bling, but the main thing is that i dont want to sit above a chain - the idea is to get my ass right down to floor level with my feet a touch higher,in a go-kart driving position.

And i'll be using a steering wheel in my lap,with a push-lever next to it for brakes,though finger tip levers on the wheel are also a consideration.

I'm not racing anyone here,it can be flawed. And it will be,if i dont work out how I'm gonna drive the back axle - i need a diff,and though i can make the cage and crown wheel,I'm a bit stuck on the planet wheels.

Done a sketch..

its a bit fussy,but its a first attempt.

I drew large wheels but it doesnt have to have large wheels,or a road chainset,for huge gearing - the middle chain will go to a shaft under my legs,where the side chain will pick up from. This link doesnt have to be 1:1 ratio,it could be multiplied up to five times. So even with BMX wheels and an MTB chainset,it could still be geared as high as i could ever need.

And yes,in this seating position i will have considerably more leg power - as body weight holds me back on the bike.

Just a thought here - maybe someone can answer this for me: will there be any issues regarding using this on the road? I just thought, with it technically not being a bicycle. Would you be planning on belting round MK in this, Mikey?

Ihave thought steering summit like that would be a tad twitchy at 30mph+!

Sorry, I've just read my own post and realise I've not been clear. When I say 'issues', I mean those of legality. What sort of vehicle would it be classed as?

I have a tri-cycle. Random i know.. it drives off the left wheel only. Speaking to my eccentric trike owning boss about diffs on trikes, his claim was that rather than a differential drive, what would work better would be a double freewheel axle. He reckons this would put drive to the wheel with most traction.

It's all a bit confusing..

We sell adapters for brake levers at work, so you can connect two barrel-end cables to one lever.

Edited 30 December, 200817 yr by randombadger69

Regarding legality,its a quadracycle and is not self-propelled or motorised,and is therefore categorised as with any other 'cycle. It will be legal on cycle routes,as well as the road.

Brake lines - there will be a cable from one front wheel to the other,carried to a centre anchorage point by a sleeve each side,and there it will be pulled by a second cable from the brake lever - in light of Currie's old skool cantilever suggestion.

Yes,I'm looking at using two rear wheels now,using a drive axle. This will drive both rear wheels when heading straight,and drive the inside wheel on turning - and the outside will be trailing on its ratchet mechanism. In the event of the inside wheel slipping on a slippery surface,it'll act as an LSD because the axle speed will catch up with the trailing wheel speed and that wheel will then assist drive. LSD! Get in!

Go drifting in it :)

Go drifting in it :)

In the snow! It wont be built in time. Any drifting will likely be at high speed and unintentional..

I have a tri-cycle. Random i know..

Well you are the Randombadger!

I appreciate the help here,I'm no novice with bikes but I'm starting something new from scratch here. I think its gonna have to have the clubpolo emblem sewn into its 'fabric' bodywork.

Taking mk sideways :)

Taking mk sideways :)

It must be fun,or I've failed - that's what we do here.

But I'm not gonna hack it down a smooth straight at over 50mph,clip some toddler's stabiliser,hit a dog,then swing it into a corner at 45mph,loose the tail,miss the underpass,launch it up the embankment and do an ET job upside down over a dual carriageway,then land in someone's greenhouse!

Well,hopefully not,anyway.

It does sound a bit hurty, especially the green house bit, bad times :(