I fancy building a 'bent

[FBOAB]

Being short of pocket, the idea of buying a recumbent is nothing but a distant pipe dream for me. I wouldn't mind having a go at building one myself. Is there anyone out there who can give me a few pointers? The idea is to use as many recycled components I can scrounge (told you I was short of pocket plus I don't want to spend money on something I don't want to ride!) but I don't mind welding bits together if I have to.
Thanks
Andy.

 

[ufkacbln]

The British Human Power Club booklet "So you want to build an HPV" will give lots of information and steer you away from the more comon mistakes.

It would also be worth joining and or using the Forum and Race meetings for ideas

 

[Mr Magoo]

Before you let loose with a welder + glue + baked bean cans + old exhausts + scrap anchor chain + and recycled jumbo jet parts + estate agent boards and wheelie bins to make the fairings !
Have you ridden any recumbents at this stage ?

Being short of pocket, the idea of buying a recumbent is nothing but a distant pipe dream for me. I wouldn't mind having a go at building one myself. Is there anyone out there who can give me a few pointers? The idea is to use as many recycled components I can scrounge (told you I was short of pocket plus I don't want to spend money on something I don't want to ride!) but I don't mind welding bits together if I have to.
Thanks
Andy.

 

[bicyclos]

Before attempting to build a recumbent, have a google at the many different designs on the web. There are many sites giving great advice but the ingenuity come from you and what you are capable of tackling. It has taken me two years and a small pot of money over that period to build a small workshop out of my garage. I am mechanically minded and quite handy at different trades.

This is what I have made over the winter and it runs like a dream. A lot of thought has gone into it. Most impotant thing is to make sure everything is in-line so you would need to make a jig / frame which can be made from old timbers cut to shape. I used an old door plus off cut rafters cut to suite to clamp the tubes.

I went out on mine for a 12 mile ride, up and down hills and it works

Feel free to ask me any questions on the bike, tubing, welding etc I will try to help.

 

[TimP]

As someone who can rarely manage to successfully gaffer tape two items together I'm not able to help much with any personal knowledge, but www.atomiczombie.com offer plans for homebuilds.

 

[PrettyboyTim]

I always thought it might be fun to make one in the style of this one: A no-weld recumbent...

 

[Amanda P]

Have a look here.

The SWB Bentech bike can be built up as a very competent machine. I should know - I have one. (Don't be put off by some of the photos on the Bentech gallery pages - some are clearly only toys. Mine has done several thousand miles).

The great thing about this design is that you can buy the plans and do it all yourself from scratch, or you can buy a pre-bent kit of tubes and non-standard parts, or you can buy a frameset, or you can buy the frameset already powder-coated. The only thing you can't do is buy a complete bike (but I'll build you one if you like!). Dom Bencivenga is a nice guy to deal with, and will happily customise your frame (to take a 700C rear wheel, for example) if you wish.

Ask around on the Bentech forum, and you can probably find someone who'll lend you their jigs (I bought an unpainted frameset).

There's also a forum for Bentech builders and riders, so if you need advice specific to this bike, there are people who will provide it.

I'd recomend it.

 

[FBOAB]

Before you let loose with a welder + glue + baked bean cans + old exhausts + scrap anchor chain + and recycled jumbo jet parts + estate agent boards and wheelie bins to make the fairings !
Have you ridden any recumbents at this stage ?

Heh, yes but it was a couple of years ago. Brother of mine bought one from America (sorry no names - memory went along time ago) and I did have a scoot along. Nothing serious but it's something that's stuck in my head to want to build.

 

[FBOAB]

Phil, that looks a nice bike there. Thanks for the thoughts folks. Off to the interweb to have a look around...