my fab find: bicycle sidecar.

[clerkkent]

I picked this at an area salvage yard. It appears to be a bicycle side car, left hand mount. If anyone knows if this might be a mass produced item, please let me know. It looks one off handcrafted; but the work was well done and well thought out.

the canopy collapses and folds back, like a convertible. That is a 26" wheel on the left.

(the motorcycle wheel is on there so it can be rolled around; it comes off when fastened to a bike.)

the arm sticking out appears to mount up to the head tube on a bike.

It has a trunk area for storage!

Here is a mockup of what it should look like when hooked up to a bicycle:

This project should occupy my weekends for the rest of the summer.

 

[kngtmat]

Looks neat especially since it's mostly wood instead of all metal and would look good when it's done.

 

[dragnusa]

Dont know any info on who made it, but I know those was used at resorts and boardwalks back in the day. Thats a pretty awesome find, I would fix it up and use it.

 

[mrfritz]

I'd like to have plans for one to make from stich and glue with a simple frame. Maybe find an ikea metal head board for the front.

How does it attach to bike at the axle?

What a FUN project!

 

[dragnusa]

Hmmm I do have alot of barn wood i could use, do you have any pics of the underside of it?

 

[clerkkent]

I'm gingerly disassembling it to determine the engineering behind it. It essentially is a wood box mounted to a frame on a set of shocks, on the metal chassis. The two connection points are 3/4" or 1 " iron pipe, and in the trunk there were an assortment of homemade attachment adaptors. I'm now mixing and matching to see what actually works.


Artistically, I was thinking wild west theme, but then I would need a ratty Rollfast hopalong cassidy bike for it. Alternatively, a steampunk type theme comes to mind.

 

[Gold Street Customs]

Whatever you decide its cool.

 

[Road Master]

Seems like you would need some pretty hefty brakes to stop a bike, a driver, a sidecar and a passenger or two.