Pics of your "alt bike(s)"?
#1101
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yeah, my only ride was a highway over pass behind my old neighborhood, only about a 1/4ml long. i got up to a whopping 22mph. no wobbles though (even though it wasn't much of a test). really wish i could try a nice long downhill on it at least once.
#1102
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![](https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikeforums.net-vbulletin/750x522/62337312_10156484088927737_1651782411303780352_n_ae81273ef961f802b5e693b3f493568d0f44fc59.jpg)
Nothing over 20" My bike is a 20" frame, 26" front forks 16" rear wheel, 12" front wheel. The best bikes are old stunt BMXs with 12 or 16" wheels.
So we do this 3 or 4 times a year. From the top of Mt Wellington in Hobart, Tasmania. 15 miles of downhill, 4200ft elevation loss, anywhere from 5 to 8 pubs, ending up in the city center.
Was a slow run this time, my maximum speed was only 35mph, I've done 40 before.
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#1103
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Yeah, that was the inspiration. Actually did a Zoobomb once, thought it was a little short. Our hill is a mountain though, and no train so it's a one shot deal . Often snow at the top, and sometimes we have to start lower, especially at the equinoxes and the winter solstice. But that's ok, with all the stops along the way it often takes 5 or 6 hours to cover the 25km. It's more like a series of social occasions with some extreme mini bike action in between, thankfully as the social increases the steepness decreases, then we get to play in the traffic.
#1104
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edit: s.i.n. cycles. yes my brain barely works
Last edited by Philphine; 06-13-19 at 08:34 AM.
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#1107
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As found on craigslist
![](https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikeforums.net-vbulletin/1076x1591/screenshot_20190911_231455_chrome_85ac4dad66c99ffdba263dc2e19fa8248fd60d68.jpg)
Stretch rat bike
#1112
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You guys have some cool bikes!
I've got a couple that are unconventional.
First is my plain old tall bike, not all that tall, but certainly not normal, it actually has an %805 gear range on it, 54/11 is the high gear and 24/36 is the lowest gear, I take this bike on pretty real bike rides (note the drop bar add ons) and its been over 50 MPH more times than I can remember,
![](https://i.postimg.cc/9fKCL3jk/55-EBF0-E5-0-E8-F-432-B-B410-2-EB2388-C83-F6.jpg)
![](https://i.postimg.cc/T145R913/3-FCC68-A8-0-EAC-4-C33-B3-D7-10-B7-C7-B15-E14.jpg)
Here it is at the top of the Onion valley climb, 5200' of climbing in 12 miles, toughest legal road climb in the 48 states, super windy that day, 30+ MPH headwind on the way up, tailwind on the way down, made my brakes feel very ineffective, I'm slowly piecing together a disc brake upgrade for it, should have it ready for this summer.
![](https://i.postimg.cc/mgczwnLZ/22-A13431-2889-44-AE-AB42-BE8-F6-F4417-E4.jpg)
And this bike is much more "art bike", the upper wheels spin backwards when you ride forwards, the front upper wheel speed is based on ground speed and the rear upper is based on chain speed. It has a 3 speed hub from 1964 in the back and some Raleigh cottered cranks from 1961, the rear upper wheel drive is not set up in this pic, but you get the idea.
I've got a couple that are unconventional.
First is my plain old tall bike, not all that tall, but certainly not normal, it actually has an %805 gear range on it, 54/11 is the high gear and 24/36 is the lowest gear, I take this bike on pretty real bike rides (note the drop bar add ons) and its been over 50 MPH more times than I can remember,
![](https://i.postimg.cc/9fKCL3jk/55-EBF0-E5-0-E8-F-432-B-B410-2-EB2388-C83-F6.jpg)
![](https://i.postimg.cc/T145R913/3-FCC68-A8-0-EAC-4-C33-B3-D7-10-B7-C7-B15-E14.jpg)
Here it is at the top of the Onion valley climb, 5200' of climbing in 12 miles, toughest legal road climb in the 48 states, super windy that day, 30+ MPH headwind on the way up, tailwind on the way down, made my brakes feel very ineffective, I'm slowly piecing together a disc brake upgrade for it, should have it ready for this summer.
![](https://i.postimg.cc/mgczwnLZ/22-A13431-2889-44-AE-AB42-BE8-F6-F4417-E4.jpg)
And this bike is much more "art bike", the upper wheels spin backwards when you ride forwards, the front upper wheel speed is based on ground speed and the rear upper is based on chain speed. It has a 3 speed hub from 1964 in the back and some Raleigh cottered cranks from 1961, the rear upper wheel drive is not set up in this pic, but you get the idea.
![](https://i.postimg.cc/zvKL9YN7/5C88EA1B-5480-4A73-A333-B88CF86EFC2A.jpg)
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#1113
Ride more, eat less
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Bought this for less than $450 delivered to my driveway.
Looking forward to putting it to work in NYC metro, maybe fit an electric motor when I wear out the rear wheel.
Looking forward to putting it to work in NYC metro, maybe fit an electric motor when I wear out the rear wheel.
![](https://i.imgur.com/SVkLiJX.jpg)
Last edited by cat0020; 07-04-20 at 04:26 PM.
#1115
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Whilst on Covid lockdown here in the UK i've had too much time on my hands...
#1116
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Full overhaul/rebuild of my tall bike, it now has hydraulic disc brakes! My buddy who is a frame builder built me a proper fork with a 1 1/8" steer tube, so I had to put a new head tube on my bike, while I had the bike that far apart I decided to give it a paintjob too, catalyzed automotive paint, it really pops in the sunlight, and I painted a bunch of other parts black.
![](https://i.postimg.cc/pXbyq8RH/7-A0149-D7-45-ED-4-CBB-976-A-643539-C08-B21.jpg)
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#1121
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This is an elegant build. Excellent design. How did you make the rear triangle. It doesn't look like you started with an existing frame. It looks like you started with steel tube. In fact, to me it looks like the whole frame is made from tubes. The original orange bike looked great, this is even better.
#1122
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This is an elegant build. Excellent design. How did you make the rear triangle. It doesn't look like you started with an existing frame. It looks like you started with steel tube. In fact, to me it looks like the whole frame is made from tubes. The original orange bike looked great, this is even better.
The rear triangle is a fork for the chains stays and a wishbone seat stay setup for the seat stays, with a top tub slid over it, and a down slid over the fork steer tube for the chain stays.
Here is a pic of a different tall bike I built, but with the exact same layout, I do start with a main triangle so I have a flat plane to work from, I use string and torpedo levels to keep the frame straight during the build they both ride no hands just fine :-)
![](https://i.postimg.cc/kgjwWd3v/141BFE83-C982-4D35-A728-C1A4BEBD1C1A.jpg)
#1123
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Thanks for the picture. Although I know how it works now, I still admire the planning and execution. Great job! If I were to make a tall bike, this would be my inspiration.
I like how on this bike the rider is better balanced than on tall bikes that are of a simpler, pieced together design. The rear wheel is moved further back to center the rider.
I like how on this bike the rider is better balanced than on tall bikes that are of a simpler, pieced together design. The rear wheel is moved further back to center the rider.
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#1124
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The bike is fully functional for sure, I've take it on some gravel rides that border on light mountain biking (I have some 26" MTB wheels for it as well) and I've had the bike over 50 MPH several times too, top seed so far is 54.5 MPH, I joke that the bike is a "high performance tall bike" but it really isn't a joke, I've ridden about a half dozen half centuries on it some with plenty of climbing too.