Ouch and the one-day trailer.

Technically two posts, but I liked the subject line!

Ouch (My pride is sufficiently recovered to report this): I went to
Glasgow last weekend to visit Kinetics with the aim of measuring the
Toxy seat mounts to see if they would be of any use. I also bought an
HPVelotech drive side chain roller and rode a few bikes. One of which
was the Speedmachine (I clearly do not share Mr Larrington's proportions
as I am quite incapable of touching the ground with my hands while
seated!). On my way back from a little spin through a science park I
blasted past a guy on a hybrid who was tootling along the road. A little
before the roundabout that would have put me back onto the d/c past
Kinetics I saw a road to the left which could take me through a quiet
estate which would be a little more interesting and turned off. As my
front wheel went round the corner I looked down realised that it was
covered in sand. I didn't even get time to swear!

The bike was mostly fine. I had to straighten the handlebars and there
was a little scratching to the left hand brake lever but Ben refused my
offer to replace it. And the graze on my arm is healing nicely and the
bruise just below my hip no longer hurts when I sit! Ouch.

The one-day trailer: Goaded into action by Mr Martin's recent building,
I took time out from building Hooves 2 to knock together a trailer. It
came together spectacularly quickly. No lightweight beast, but strong
enough (I hope) for most use I'll give it. I bought a pair of cheap
steel rimmed 20" wheels from the Bike Station and rebuilt them with the
axles off-centre. I wouldn't trust them on a trike, but they're easily
strong enough for a trailer. The frame was made from 20mm (I think) box
section steel, welded top and bottom with the arc welder. Using a set of
magnetic clamps to hold the parts it took me just over 30 minutes to
cut, clean and weld the main frame. The tow-arm (Which I'll probably
change) consists of the main tube of a gas-pipe special, a quill stem, a
length of steerer tube (Cut from a old fork), a small length of alloy
tube (Lying around) and a pipe bending spring. I have no photos or write
up yet, but some will be published shortly. The trailer currently has a
simple wooden platform, but I have two folding plastic crates which I
intend to make into an easily removable shopping holder. It'll be
interesting to see how it holds up to real use.

The whole project has taken about 8 hours from start to finish.

Jon

Jon Senior wrote:
The one-day trailer: Goaded into action by Mr Martin's recent building,
I took time out from building Hooves 2 to knock together a trailer. It
came together spectacularly quickly. No lightweight beast, but strong
enough (I hope) for most use I'll give it. I bought a pair of cheap
steel rimmed 20" wheels from the Bike Station and rebuilt them with the
axles off-centre. I wouldn't trust them on a trike, but they're easily
strong enough for a trailer. The frame was made from 20mm (I think) box
section steel, welded top and bottom with the arc welder. Using a set of
magnetic clamps to hold the parts it took me just over 30 minutes to
cut, clean and weld the main frame. The tow-arm (Which I'll probably
change) consists of the main tube of a gas-pipe special, a quill stem, a
length of steerer tube (Cut from a old fork), a small length of alloy
tube (Lying around) and a pipe bending spring. I have no photos or write
up yet, but some will be published shortly. The trailer currently has a
simple wooden platform, but I have two folding plastic crates which I
intend to make into an easily removable shopping holder. It'll be
interesting to see how it holds up to real use.

The whole project has taken about 8 hours from start to finish.

Sounds good. Mine has taken significantly longer. Most of the time was
spent curring the mitres of the zillions of tubes.

What size is the trailer and how much load do you think it will take? I
was quite worried about mine folding in half around the axles, hence
all the extra bracing.

I am just waiting for the second half of the Weber hitch (thanks to a
minor cock-up by EBC,) then I cna give it a test.

...d