konakai

hello can anyone shed any light on this one. anything about the builder, age of trike. it has a lot of components that I don't like, but was to interesting to pass up. it weighs 30 lbs and seems lighter....thanks for any information or insight

T-Mar

Franklin is the marque of Jack Trumbull, a highly respected, Ohio based , custom builder, who started in the late 1970s. He was still in business as recently as 3 years ago but his website, franklinframe.com, appears to be dormant. The subject appears to be a real frankentrike, with components of varying levels and eras, but looking at the frame itself, I'd say mid-1980s. Hopefully some members have an update on Franklin's status.

scarlson 

I've chatted with him on the phone as recently as a month ago, looking into getting my Herse racks chromed. You might call him up! PM me for his number if you feel like it, and I'll try to dig it up.

tiger1964 

That is so cool.

Better still, so the OP can build it up any way he likes.

T-Mar

Thxs for the update. I'm sure the OP would appreciate being able to contact the builder. Hopefully, he'll he'll keep us informed of any info.

steelbikeguy

That's a really neat trike frame! It deserves a chance to get some use and some love!

Looking at the shot of the rear axle, it appears that it is designed to drive both wheels, but allow the faster wheel to freewheel (such as in a turn). If so, that's a nice refinement from the British trikes that just have the left wheel driven (IIRC).

A local fellow has a racing trike built in the 80's that uses the more common drive arrangement. The freewheel is mounted to the left side axle, and the right wheel is undriven.



Steve in Peoria

Kabuki12

I talked to Jack about a month ago. He is very busy right now but will answer questions. I am waiting in line for a paint job.

John E

I have never understood the fascination with the one wheel in front / two in back configuration, because two in front eliminates the differential drive issue and provides far better stability and potentially superior braking.

Of course, it's pretty easy to adapt a 2-wheel frame design to one front / two rear, so that explains much the push.

I have mentioned this before on BF, but I am one of those folks who cannot get the hang of making a turn on a trike, because the whole lean-to-turn instinct is far too deeply ingrained within me. (Yes, I know you just turn the handlebar or tiller, but forcing yourself to do so without first leaning is completely alien.)

Shrevvy 

Were these racing trikes actually raced? If so, are they still raced?

steelbikeguy

Trike racing was more of a British thing, to my knowledge. I've seen photos of it, but can't point you to any of them.

The British magazine Cycling Plus has looked at trikes now and then. Here are a couple of articles that I clipped...







Steve in Peoria

konakai

this was just the type of info I was looking for. this is a little out of my wheelhouse,, no pun intended, my main interest is old wood wheel racers and pacing bikes.. that said I do like a little bit of everything. the trike was just to interesting to pass on, it needs everything, in my opinion ,but was cheap, again in my opinion. thanks for the info and commets

repechage

a bit Rube Goldberg in two wheel drive concept, but I am sure it works. Clever for the attempt and execution.
Looks underbraked in my view. The latest mod trikes have cable actuated discs at the back.

Don Walker made one for the NAHBS show a number of years ago, had a challenge finding a buyer.

steelbikeguy

that generation trike usually has two brakes on the front wheel. I'm assuming that this blurry thing at the end of a cable is supposed to be the second brake...



I can't recognize what brake it is, though.

Steve in Peoria

randyjawa 

I converted a bicycle to tricycle configuration once, many years ago. I used a commercially available conversion kit. The bike (trike) proved to be a nightmare to ride. In fact, it was so hard to ride that I hardly rode it at all...



The problem was that the drive drove only one rear wheel, the non-drive side wheel. The bike wanted to turn and turn and turn, to the point of being dangerous to ride. But it did look pretty darn cool...

jgedwa

Is that the conversion kit you sold to me a number of years ago?

Like others have mentioned here, it was a whole new learning process to figure out how to ride it. Everyone thinks it will be straightforward, and everyone steers it directly Into the nearest tree. You really have to un-learn bike riding to ride it. Not easy at all.

I never really fell in love with it, but my son spent much of two summers on it. He loved it and learned all kinds of odd riding tricks with it. We had it set up as a fixed gear and it was a hoot watching him blast around on it. I still have the kit but its been a few years since it has been brought out.

Jim

randyjawa 

I was hoping that you might chime in about this conversion kit and yes, it is the one you got from me. I am pleased to hear, once again, that your son got some use out of it and would love to see a video of him riding what you did build with the kit.

konakai

yea that's a front disc. this trikes got a hodgepodge of mediocre parts, although it has Phil wood rear hubs. I hate the bars, stem, most of the components, the paints not nice. I bought it because I thought I could make it look a little better,, at least in my eyes. I know it's a pretty limited market for who wants a trike, but I didn't buy it to make a profit. just something to fool around with, money spent as entertainment

mtbikerjohn 

As of last year(2020), Jack was still painting frames. He did my Mercian..John

CV-6 

Franklin Frames and Jack Trumbull are alive and doing very well. He has about forty frames in the shop and is very busy. I should be receiving two frames back from him this week. I am stoked. It has been a long time.

billytwosheds 

This Ken Rogers racing tricycle came up on CL last month.

https://ventura.craigslist.org/bik/d...349667063.html

And appears to have two front brakes? Check out that fork.

Don't know enough about them to tell if it's a single-sided drive or dual drive.

At the $2,500 price point it seems unlikely that anyone would want to risk it kissing a tree.

jgedwa

He got a lot of use out of it for a few years. Not really useful in any way. But fun to play with.

I do not have any video, and not a lot of photos. The best I can do is direct you back to a thread from years ago where I posted a few blurry action pics:

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...trike-kit.html


Jim

Juan Foote

I recall seeing bikes much like this at Delta's maintenance area(s) years ago. They would ride these around in the warehousing areas picking up parts and taking things back and forth. Pulled a small wagon like trailer for bigger loads.

I am curious. On the fork crown the paint there has lines through it indicating stress. Would this be an indicator of heavy use, damage, or just a fluke in the way the paint aged and held up?

konakai

I'm no authority on trikes, but the ones you talk about above were probably heavy duty, weighed a ton, you see these quite often, usually with a basket. these trikes are racing trikes and I use the word racing lightly.
I noticed the lines you are talking about in the fork, could be either one. that Def bears a closer look. I bought this at a drive inn, flea market from scrappers or junkers, probably found in in a house clean out and was going to the trash. I just thought it was cool, and wanted to jerk the cheap mountain stuff off it, which I have

Drillium Dude 

Decorative paint flourish - matches the gold lug lining.

DD

repechage

Way beyond market. Interesting vehicle. the twin front brake set up was pretty typical, Bob Jackson did that in the 70's, but my guess he was not alone.