My 'bent

I built this recumbent bicycle in the spring of 2004, based on the free plans from www.recycledrecumbent.com, using mostly old parts. The new parts were mainly the handle bar, grips, chains and cables.

The main differences from the original plans are:

- Foam backed plywood seat

- 16" front wheel & 20" rear wheel, with high pressure tires (100 psi)

- Use of an intermediate shaft to increase the 'gear inches', since the donor gears came from a bike with 27" wheels.

Since these pictures were taken, I added a small 12V battery to power a headlight, LED tail light and a car horn.

Click on any thumbnail to view a full size picture.

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Electrified 'bent

I've now installed a power assist drive, made of a 200W 24V scooter motor, an EV Warrior friction drive roller and two 12V batteries. Power is activated through a handlebar switch to a 12V relay.

The frame of the bike is grounded, and +24V supply goes directly to the motor from the relay. The relay switch, lights and horn get the +12V supply from a connection between the two batteries. The batteries are simply 'duct-taped' to the frame lower tubes, and covered with coroplast held with two-sided tape. A charging connector is installed to use a charger designed for scooters.

Although my rear wheel is badly warped, the spring loaded attachment provides good contact. I activate the power through a switch on the handlebar, once I'm under way to reduce slippage since it's only an on/off system.

I can achieve 19 km/h (~12 mph) on a level road without pedaling. It does slow down considerably when going uphill, but works well as a power assist, as it reduces the amount of effort needed.

I've taken a 15 km trip for 50 minutes, with minimal pedaling (starting & hill climbing), and I only lost a few km/h of top speed by the end of the run.

The next step is to use a 350W scooter motor and larger batteries, to increase speed and range.

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1st Update

I've now (Oct. 2004) updated the front wheel to a 20" rim & tire, which makes the ride a bit more confortable. I've also built a power assisted trailer with the 36V scooter motor. The picture was taken with an 8" solid wheel, which has now been replaced with a 12" wheel with tube and tire. I've been able to achieve speeds in excess of 30 km/h (20 mph).

The fairing is made of coroplast, secured with aluminum brackets on the handle bar and stem. A clear windshield has also been added on top of it.

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