Swingurrito

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This will be my first RRBBO, and I've been wanting to try making a swing bike. I also want to build a burrito bike, so why not throw them together and make a burrito swing bike. The "Swinguritto" The white huffy will be the main frame i will build off of. I have no idea what color this thing is going to be, and I don't know what kind of seat I'm going to use, but I guess we'll find out
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This should definitely be fun
 
So today I am trying to plan out this build. Trying to decide how i want to start and what section to start on.
I have searched the web for swing bikes, and there is pretty much 2 ways I see them made. The Original production swing bike, the rear swing joint is the seat post/head set, basically the rear portion is built around a front fork. In this design the rider is on top of or behind the rear axle. In my experience riding a bike behind the rear axle, usually means you're doing wheelies, and I don't think that would be easy on a swing bike. The other way i have seen them made is basically a fork steer tube welded in front of the seat tube, and allows a "normal" geometry, and I would think more stable.Then again, I'm going to throw burrito bike into the mix, which maybe isn't the easiest bike type to ride? I was also thinking about taking measurements off of my other bikes, which all share the same reach, and saddle to peddle lengths, so maybe need to take that into consideration? Maybe I should try to match the head tube angle of the Huffy, as cruiser geometry is very stable. I do love aggressive rakes, but having it swing around might not be rideable.
So I think i will go with a modified version of the latter of the two swing/pivot designs. The design I have in mind would look like a control arm of a wishbone suspension system turned on its side/vertical, with 3 headsets stacked on each other, with the center one attached to the rear frame section. The fork steer tube would be removable, like a pin holding it all together. I think making the swing portion is probably the best place to start. I do wish I had a motorcycle jig to do this but I think I can improvise one with 2x4s. Also I am going to use my little hobby grade weld machine, and run flux core. I'll need to go grab a spool of .023 wire. Also i do not have a chop saw, or even better a band saw, just an angle grinder and cut off wheels, so cutting and fitting 3 headsets I think will be the hardest part of this build.
Maybe I can get out in the garage after work to start cutting some stuff up!
 
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I never heard of a burrito bike before. Had to look it up, and surprise surprise, my search lead me right to a thread on this forum! Now that I know what a burrito bike looks like, I'm really curious to see how a "Swingurrito" looks. Good luck on your build! I look forward to seeing how it goes.
 
Maybe @GuitarlCarl can be a consultant here, swing bike and burrito builder, along with lots of other good engineering ideas.

When I look across at all my bikes, cruisers, klunkers, gravel road bike, rat bikes; they nearly all share the same 'cockpit dimensions. The seat height differs some, from performance to comfort slow cruising, but the reach from the center of the saddle to the bars is nearly spot on in almost every build.

This is going to fun to watch! Welcome to the forum and your first Build Off, @SpokeMan .
 
Well thank you all for all the encouraging words so far!
I haven't cut anything up yet, and still kinda figuring out how to accomplish what I want to do with what I do have. I guess I should probably clean out my garage shop space first. Coming into this, I was kinda bummed I didnt have some kind of bench top to work on. But the gods of craigslist looked down on me in favor apparently.
I scored an old metal desk, and half of what looks like maybe a king size bed frame
So thats pretty cool. I have a nice bench space to work on, and something I can make a jig out of! The bed frame is steel so I can weld on it unlike the 2x4 method!! Here is a pic of the score
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Oh I also scored a couple of bikes/frame. Just 2 random walmart bikes. Hey they got usable wheels, stems, bars, cranks maybe and I suppose random steel tubing and drop outs. I do like making those little chopper/muscle bikes with BMX frames and MTB or Road forks and some apes so anther plus for the day! Here is a pic of the bone yard I thought you guy's and gals might enjoy. Plus a random broken chair haha
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I’m trying to figure out how this bike will handle. It might want to have some coordinated steering as opposed to just a spring or something. My head is spinning trying to think about this swing burrito!
 
I’m trying to figure out how this bike will handle. It might want to have some coordinated steering as opposed to just a spring or something. My head is spinning trying to think about this swing burrito!
I have been thinking about that as well. Burrito bikes are maybe one of the harder bikes in general for handling,and I would imagine so is a swing bike. The swing bike is probably harder. On the "original" production there is a spring located on the rear portion of the swing part/rear frame section. Although every other swing bike ive seen on the web so far, home made and the "king of swing" bike, they have no spring or any kind of steering/swing dampener. Also i think rake and reach probably have the most effect on how the thing will handle. One thing a burrito may have over the rest is a lower center of gravity. Another thing thats been on my mind is the use of free wheel vs coaster. Coaster would be easier since there are no cables to route but also a coaster can be a bit of a hassle to get your balance and placing the crank in the perfect starting point. Honestly, and every one will probably not like me after this, but I dont really care for coaster brakes. I have a bike or 2 with one, but its just a little around the hood, and usually with the kiddo. But a coaster brake would make this build much simpler. I dont know which way to go yet. I have plenty of coaster wheels. Also what size wheel should I use? 16,20,26? Plenty of all of those in coaster, and free wheel bmx wheels, i guess i also have some thread on free hubs in 26. Obviously i wont be racing this thing so speed isnt much of a worry, and coaster brakes are fine for that, but trying to get balance maybe better suited for a free wheel. I dont think i need to concern myself with multi-speed. Also the smaller the wheel size the lower the final drive is, and torque maybe what I am after? But according to some post from before this site came to be, some people made up a list of what makes a burrito bike a burrito was the back wheel sitting higher than the seat. Thats easier done with a larger wheel. How low would this bike have to be to run 16's? just FYI I thought a burrito bike was called such, because like a burrito its just a bunch stuff rolled up into one.
 
I think how it has to work is that your seat is solidly attached to the rear frame and the pivot is right about under your gnads.

That means the pivot has to be low & short, which is structurally harder
 
on concept alone I'm ready to vote for this one. Is the vote thread up yet???
 
Well today I cleaned up a bit, and put the Huffy up on the work area. I did cut up a few things. I was going to weld that pin together, but my hood did not want to darken. Maybe I need to let it sit in the sun for awhile tomorrow. I remember the last time I used it. It would randomly stop working. Need some batteries maybe, or just get a non darkening lens.
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You build what you want. But just a FYI, my understanding of a "Burrito" bike is that none of the frame is higher than the tops of the tires. Aesthetically, they also don't repaint the build at all letting the original colors show thru. I had to change the front wheel on the last burrito I tried to build, between the angle of rake and the insane bend in the fork, I couldn't steer it. When I switched the 26" to a 20" front on a less drastic bent fork, the steering was fine but technically no longer a burrito. Having just rebuilt a Swing Bike in the MBBO, I'm definitely interested in this build. Plus I do like me some burrito...

Carl.
 

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