Home project

[paulss]

Greetings form Latvia!
Hello, my name is Paul and I'm 17
I live in Latvia and I'm interested of building my own rickshaw because it would be a good job opportunity because in our capital city Riga there are only like ~25 Bike cabs..

To buy and ship to here it causes a lot.
So could you help me whit some tips how to build a rickshaw? I have the time (now its almost winter so season will start in ~5mounts ) and the will.

In Latvia these pedicabs are I think home made (at least 70%) and they don't look too good whit old Russian city bikes as main frame...
Like this > http://bit.ly/bJ8BVl (green one (closest) is the best i think here other one i haven't seen at all)

Can you tell me what kinda rickshaw i should try to build? I really want to do this. And I will do everything to make one. Some plans,tips would be a real help for me.


Thanks

Sorry if i have some spelling mistakes.

[TikkiTikki]

Hi Paul, Good on you for giving it some thought. A good homemade pedicab is an excellent form of income.

The expensive bits you will have to get professionally engineered are the axle threads and maybe the lay shaft ie where the cassette connects to the sprocket for drive this need to be real strong. Ok.

So the headache is how do you make the thing drive. My solution was to weld a 5cm disc to a nylock axle bolt and drill 6 holes or however many are found in the hub of your wheels and then weld bolts to the disc and seal it all with Needit or chemical weld. then keep a lazy wheel on the backright so you dont need a differential. Sorry forgot to say the rear chainring on the axle will also have to be keyed in professionally. If you dont want to do this then do what Maximus did and modify a quad bike or electric buggy back end with diff already in place.

Then decide on your bike frame. I used a GT as they are v.strong. I cut the stem in half and welded on the front end of dirt bike motorbike with a teardrop (petroltank theme) gusset to hold the 2 together.

Brakes are your next headache. Get some cheap 2 piston jobbies from a motorbike shop and a T bar to take 2 banjos so you have dual breaks at the back. Then you have to tack weld them in place so they are parrallel to the disc - if its not perfect you will have to shim the caliper in or out to maximise free spin. Same at the front you may need to fabricate an arm to hold the front caliper.

Make a chain tensioner out of a skateboard wheel for the rear motorbike chain by a spring and an L section of metal to get good tension to stop chain dropping.

Go crazy at the back making your own seat. I used a half steel pipe 15cm diamater as the central pipe and built a frame around that - see what you can find on a scrap yard. Decorate with stereo, flashing lights and sell some advertising on it for more income.

Good luck, buy a good quality angle grinder and mig welder and you are away. Base it on a motorbike or moped for a maintanence free ride check out my pedicab on youtube type xtreme pedicabbing new zealand

or at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX8uadPE7oE

[cycle_pathic_maniac]

Bitchin video geez. I have always gone with the 'drive it like ya stole it' approach to rickshawin, much to Tdayuk's dismay. Think I might try xtreme next time out.

[paulss]

thank you for your reply i will keep in in mind that

[PedalPowerBikeTaxi]

unless it's a 1000 watt motor and 48 volt battery.....!