Alley Cat Shadow

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AlleyCat-01.jpg


Here's the long story:
These are the parts I'll be using. I couldn't be bothered to put in the other stuff 'cause I'd have to go looking for them and I won't need them for a while.

You notice the basic frame is one of those Tag Along Bike Trailers. People sell these real cheap at yard sales. Mine had tape on it and was marked down to 15 dollars, but it didn't sell so I found it at the dump. I have 2 of them. I once was going to use it as a front to a tallbike or the back and when I picked up the second one I thought both ends. When I put them both on the floor set up as a tallbike the Pug barked at it. Yeah it is butt ugly ain't it. From there I threw them on the bone yard for later.

So......the lady down the street , the one I built the two Pixie Choppers for her nephews boys, she came to me all excited that she found this bike but it needed parts and she thought it was a low rider chopper. I had no idea what she had so I said I would come over and look at it. When i got there I said and quote: " That's a freaking trailer!" and she said, " Get out! ". :lol: We laughed it up and she told me what she thought she had and then it dawned on me. Wait I think you got something there, we could do something with this. So we layed it out on the floor and figured what she needed.

This is how this all started. What you see here are my parts that I'll work with and if it all works out I'd get her a frame out using her parts. Imagine that!

I worked out some mock ups and will try to get the main frame done before the weekend and then work on this fork idea I always wanted to try.
Later

Graylock
 
at first , I wasn't seeing "it"...but the second pic it all became clear. This oughta be good! 8)
 
Sorry I wasn't clear. I was looking at it and seeing it all in my mind, never thought others weren't seeing it! In a nut shell?.............you won't be tossing these trailer frames out. I welded the head tube in and will be working on the forks next. This will be coming as fast as I find time to work on it. I'm trying to get it rideable as I can for the 20" ride in New London Ct next weekend. Hopefully I will make the deadline.

Graylock
 
Worked on the bike this morning as long as I could but I had to get ready for a parade I'm in that has a playhouse on a trailer that we raffle off to help some cause. I don't want to sound hardened but the company I work for has built so many of these things and given so much away for a cause......I don't know who gets it this year :oops: ......but at the parade line up I saw my friend with this. Oh, the Eastham Town Hall Playhouse is in the background, back side.


KenWill.jpg



When I got home I continued the bike project and did all this. This picture is from a mountain bike rear triangle.
AlleyCat-04.jpg


This is what it turned into.
AlleyCat-05.jpg


More to do on these forks.

Graylock
 
Backs out, can't stand up straight without my wife laughing. She is such a good sport, love her. After work I wrestled my old 85 gallon hot water heater onto someone elses trailer. That's one less thing to worry about.

Got a little done on the build by welding on a tube for the fork pivot and a 3/8'' or 10mm bolt should slide through. I may have to chase out the hole. Thats it, done for the night.

AlleyCat-06.jpg


Graylock
 
Forking around today after work. Bent a tube at 90 degrees then cut a pie shaped piece from under the center of the bend for this effect.
AlleyCat-07.jpg
AlleyCat-08.jpg


Then I welded it up and threw another bend to it.
AlleyCat-09.jpg


Still some more to go, these forks will take more time then the bike itself it seems.

Graylock
 
AlleyCat-10.jpg


Wish I could spend more time in the shop to do this fork but I can't so this is as far as I got tonight. I have to make a mount for the shock on the fork stem out of that piece of steel. Then I can locate where the pivot point will lie and then weld it. Then its the front dropout and the upper fork stay. Getting closer to finishing the fork. After that the drive train and the brake.

Graylock
 
My back is feeling better so I did some more work on the chopper and got something out that I rode today.

AlleyCat-11.jpg


AlleyCat-12.jpg


The trick with the forks is to get it to handle right. I'm not sure what the term is for what happened but if it was a sail boat I would have to say it had a heavy lee helm with a slight weather helm more desireable. I messed around with the adjustment on the spring and made a drastic change to the better. I can inprove on this setup by changing the front dropouts. I'm also going to make a set of KOTA bars for it to make it more comfortable. Us "Old Guys Rule" but we must do this in comfort 8)

Graylock
 
I expect if you move the wheel forward a little relative to the steering head line, it'll lazy it up a little. Easier to cruise, harder to turn. I also expect I'm telling you what you already know. :roll: :lol:
 
Yea Deormen I kinda sorta know :roll: ......but it's nice to know the rats are there to help out :) I'm looking at a few options, one that I favor is putting the dropouts on top and forward. Plenty of room to settle it out. I'm glad I left the legs long for more adjustments. As of right now with adjusting the spring it handles nice for such a long rake. WIP !

Graylock
 
It's getting a little darker earlier these days. The picture makes it look darker than it is but Amy squeezed off a few. Just finished hooking up the 5-speed with the stick shift. 5th gear is faster than I expected :shock:

AlleyCat-13.jpg


Still have a few changes to get it right.

Graylock
 
The bike's a piece-o-cake............Here's the icing.


006-15.jpg
 
I made a set of KOTA bars for this. I should try and make a set of them tall ones sometime.

AlleyCat_Bars-01.jpg


I like the long bars on this bike. I'm waiting for Beki to try this bike for size before I shorten the frame behind the forks 4" and extend the bottom bracket forward.

Graylock
 
I forgot about those stretched bars!.......Still got em.


Went to the Cape a few weeks ago.....Found 3 tunnels, said a prayer at each one for ya.
 

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