OVY871
Part of things
Owner of Austin A35 Saloon
Posts: 321
Club RR Member Number: 66
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Thought I'd stick a thread up of my trailer that I made to go behind my bike. Originally (when I was about 12 or something) I wanted to make one to go behind a mountain bike and then just go wherever I like for a while and camp etc then in my second year of college (last year) I needed to make something for Product Design so I decided to make this trailer. I had also just got given a pair of 60's racing bikes that my grandpa discovered (I mean discovered most things that have gone in there in the past 40 years haven't come back out, there's half an Austin A35 and a full motorbike in there along with various spares which have just been left since the 80's.) So I decided to make the racing bike as if it was brand new again and the trailer was going to kinda match it. So here's a quick photo timeline development thing of it, let me know what you think....  Making first half of the mould.  Laying in the fibreglass for the lower section.  Making the stub axle.  Picture of the stub axle being braised in.  The lower half fairly complete.  Hanging the chassis up for it to be painted.  Possible roofbox? Bit too tall and narrow I think   Fitting a flush solar panel.  After Painting with the flush solar panel with the panel taped off to keep paint off. Finished thing:  Job done, just need to make the bike match now.  Another angle of the completed trailer. More in next post.... |
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OVY871
Part of things
Owner of Austin A35 Saloon
Posts: 321
Club RR Member Number: 66
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 Bike as ‘discovered’.  What it looks like outside of the garage for first time in 40ish years.  Primer on.  Fully painted and being reassembled in the conservatory, the garage was full of 50’s car.   Turns out the chrome was quite good just needed a good clean and polish.  But I dropped it when reassembling.  Was not happy.  Painted again and looking good I think  Pannier and towbar for the trailer installed.  Old style gear changers for the bike. Even more in next post.... |
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OVY871
Part of things
Owner of Austin A35 Saloon
Posts: 321
Club RR Member Number: 66
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Completed and paired up with the trailer.  With matching bike.  Another angle.  And another angle. A picture of it at a technology competition, unfortunately didn't win anything   Features of the Trailer include: -Solar Panel built into the top of the trailer, -LED lights following the contour of the rear of the trailer, (the bit under the rear spoiler) -LED light strip at either side of the front (the horizontal black lines just above the curve), -2 powered USB slots and one 12volt auxiliary plug for any phones, sat navs, lights etc, -All this is powered by a 12 volt battery that is charged by the solar panel above, -High capacity (can hold at least 70kg that I've tested, other products that are the same tend to hold around 30-40kg) -Two waterbottles, -Twin Wheel design for stability, -5 spoke alloy wheel chair wheels for light weight. -Single sided axle unlike many other trailers and bikes, this is to reduce width to ease use and also to allow the user (me) to swap tyres and innertubes without removing the wheel. -However removing the wheel is easy enough, just a split pin either side holding the wheels on on the custom stub axles I made. -Locking door. -Twin rear reflectors. -Reflective tape along the front edges of the white section for front visibility. -Aerodynamic design, along with the sloping front it is actually tapered at the rear for aerodynamics. -Spoiler as part of the aerodynamic design, made for efficiency rather than downforce, although at bicycle speeds you will never notice the aerodynamics. The spoiler was also made to try and prevent rain getting inside the trailer if the rear door/hatch is opened as hopefully the water will run off and clear the back of the trailer. So what do people think, did I do a good job |
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Looks excellent, I'd happily ride that!
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that looks a good job youve done of that.
I seen a wheel chair at the scrap yard with those wheels on it. It had the axles mounted on alloy blocks that clamped to the frame, like handlebar stems. I put the wheel chair to one side of the yard. to get it another day. I got a proper bike trailer there. Its feeble thohad about 20 kilos in it and it was flexing.
I would say the bike was newer than mid 1980s. Going by the design and paint job
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OVY871
Part of things
Owner of Austin A35 Saloon
Posts: 321
Club RR Member Number: 66
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Feb 14, 2012 14:57:06 GMT
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Has anyone got any pictures of any 60's bike lights and even better has anyone got some 60's bike lights that they have gutted the insides from and redone it with LEDs? If so, how well did it work?
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Feb 15, 2012 16:54:07 GMT
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Don't think it's a 60's bike, the original paint job is wrong for that era. It's 80's paint but cottered cranks and steel stem point at earlier era. Maybe it was a bit of a bitsa bike?
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OVY871
Part of things
Owner of Austin A35 Saloon
Posts: 321
Club RR Member Number: 66
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Feb 16, 2012 11:53:50 GMT
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I'm just going by what my grandpa said to me, could possibly be a bitsa with the amount of stuff that turns up in that garage, if you know how on earth I could find out when it was made I'd love to but a search on google turned up not much at all. All I know is its called a Focus Sprint and it had a sticker on saying it was something to do with Honda. Edit: Just found these pics...   If anyone knows of a way I might be able to find out more about this bike cause of these please let me know |
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Last Edit: Feb 16, 2012 11:57:54 GMT by OVY871
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Feb 16, 2012 12:58:44 GMT
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Join up on Retro Bike! It definitely wouldn't have stickers like that if it was a 60's frame. It probably would have been packing a bit more angle in the steering as well. Another giveaway is the shape of the fork. 60's forks were usually mainly straight with a curve right at the bottom. Banana shape forks are found on much later bikes. I'd say early to mid 80's  |
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TS
Part of things
Posts: 558
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Feb 16, 2012 21:59:25 GMT
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I'd agree with that. Its not a great bike tbh (but works fine and looks good for the purpose) so I'd be surprised if anyone has much info on it. Bit of a dept store bike. Not meaning to diss the bike. It looks awesome now and is probably way better than current low level bikes.
Nice work on the trailer. Looks awesome. I have one for my bike. I didn't make it though. Couldn't do without the open top though. I do my weekly shopping on it and need to overload it sometimes.
Any pics of the trailer to tow bar hitch? Interested in what method you used.
Cheers
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OVY871
Part of things
Owner of Austin A35 Saloon
Posts: 321
Club RR Member Number: 66
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Feb 17, 2012 19:59:42 GMT
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I'd agree with that. Its not a great bike tbh (but works fine and looks good for the purpose) so I'd be surprised if anyone has much info on it. Bit of a dept store bike. Not meaning to diss the bike. It looks awesome now and is probably way better than current low level bikes. Nice work on the trailer. Looks awesome. I have one for my bike. I didn't make it though. Couldn't do without the open top though. I do my weekly shopping on it and need to overload it sometimes. Any pics of the trailer to tow bar hitch? Interested in what method you used. Cheers He don't worry I know its not the best bike, but when its free and cost me only about £50 in total for the paints, new seat, tyres, handlebar tape (insulation tape  ) etc I think its great at the moment only thing I want to do is probably get a comfy seat as I got a slim white one for appearance (regret it now). Didn't think there would be much to be honest it would just be interesting to know about it. Also regarding the open top thing that has all been considered, The top half separates off like that so it can be a bit of a flatbed kinda thing like in the photo above, and then that can be taken off as well so its just a tube chassis so can strap other things to it or make more bodies for it in the future. Heres some pictures of the towing hook part, really simple design, its one of those door closer things off the top of a door at college (I thought they wouldn't need it ) chopped up, shortened and braised onto the chassis and the attachment on the pannier.  The two arm bits off this. (Should be able to see in the next picture, the flatter piece is now on the bike and the tube bit on the left of the picture is threaded and is the front of the trailer, but the thread is long enough so it can turn but no chance of falling apart.)  Turned into this, the screw holds the hoop on the back of the pannier, the various joints give it the possibility to move in any direction so you don't actually notice the trailer unless its full.  Extension of the pannier. Braised two washers on the back of the pannier, and then a piece of metal tube was bent round to fit the bike, ends flattened in a vice, then more washers braised on, these then hoop onto the axle when its put on the bike. alls screwed together it supports the weight on the pannier and the axle so it doesn't put too much stress on the axle. Hope that explains it, can always give more/better info if you want. |
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) etc I think its great at the moment only thing I want to do is probably get a comfy seat as I got a slim white one for appearance (regret it now).