Bikes!

Home Built Projects

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I am no longer a dealer for the Xtracycle and Wilderness Energy Electric Hub bikes and conversion kits. In my honest opinion, the Xtracycle is a really nice product, but way overpriced. It would sell quite well in the $200-250 price range. At $400 on the lower end, it's just too pricey. The electric hub is a nice product as well, but the quality is not the greatest. After continuous use for over a year, the batteries have held up as well as could be expected (replace yearly), the spokes are rusty, and I have gone through 2 chargers (don't leave it plugged in). Otherwise, everything is working well. Realistically, don't expect 20+ miles per charge after the first few months. My setup is down to about 5 miles per charge after a year of heavy use. Make sure you get the batteries on the charger right away and consider a desulfator.

Below are photos of my varied bike collection:

chopper bikeHere's a chopper that D and I made. It's practically unridable. My legs are too long and his balance isn't good enough yet. But hey, it looks pretty cool! This frame is slated to be cut down to make a long wheelbase recumbent for D. He's finally old enough to balance. I plan to keep the front forks separate and yank the 3-speed drivetrain from my "Cherry Bomb" python recumbent. UPDATE: This bike has now been refabricated to create the Grasshopper ... more here.

bike I found this bike at a thrift store for $20. It had a really comfy seat that I moved to my Xtracycle. It has the tallest frame I've ever ridden. I'm 6'3" and have to keep the seat all the way down in order to ride it. It's nice to be able to stretch out on a bike. It really needs new tires, though.

bike I really love this bike. I found it at a thrift store in Sunset Beach, NC for $10. It had been sitting in the sand and salt for who knows how long. I can't find any parts, even from the manufacturer, so I've cleaned everything as best as I could. The locking mechanism on the bottom hinge is really rusty and needs replaced. I've converted it to a single-speed hub and used the Sachs 3-speed hub in my recumbent python project. With all it's problems, it's a fun bike to ride and I love tooling around on it - I don't trust it for long rides.

bike This Raleigh was picked up at a thrift store for $6. I used this bike in my "Mantis" long wheelbase recumbent low racer project.

bike Here is the front view of my home built light. It is extremely bright. I use 12v lead acid batteries that reside in the bags.

bike Here's the back of the light. The metal is from the bottom of a tin can.

bike This is my tandem train. A Trek tandem bike I purchased new followed by a Tagalong and a Burley trailer. It's around 20 feet long. We always get looks when we ride it.

bike Here is my workhorse bike. A Mongoose I picked up on Ebay plus an Xtracycle add-on with Footpads and Wide load attachments. I pieced together a stoker bar for a passenger. I also added a Wilderness Energy electric hub. The bike is really heavy and can be tough uphill (especially with a load on the back). It has 100psi tires that really help with rolling resistance. I can carry a month's worth of groceries on the back with no problem. I even used to carry an EZ-Up tent and an 8' and 6' table on the back when we were doing art shows.

bike Here's a battery rack that I built for the hub. It's heavier than I'd like, but it's really tough. It attaches to 6mm bolt holes in the rear dropouts and the brake bosses on the seat stays. It carries 35lbs of lead battery.