Do I need a sissy bar with a banana seat?

[edh]

Hi all,
I was just wondering whether a sissy bar is always needed with a banana seat, I have ordered a seat as I need a bit more travel backwards than I currently have. I can get a bar bent up easily enough but I don't necessarily want one.
If they are essential to the seat working then obviously that is question answered.

Thanks in advance
Ed

 

[Dr. Tankenstein]

The sissy bar is needed for support on the rear and side -to-side stability. I've seen struts attached from the seat to the seatpost clamp area as an alternative. That would require some custom 'engineering'

 

[edh]

Given that I will be fitting it to this bike, with the addition of a lay back post, and also assuming that the banana seat will have rails I thought that my clamp might not end up right at the front of the seat (I need to gain about 5-6" back from the back of my current seat).

Thank you for the prompt reply and I will expect to make up either a sissy bar or two separate supports.

Is it going to be safe to mount the saddle and try it, assuming the clamp doesnt end up too far forward or will the seat break?

 

[deorman]

Most banana seats will not support their own weight without rear support.

 

[edh]

Yes.

sorry, but yes to what? presumably the original question?

 

[deorman]

Yep, see edited post.

 

[edh]

Yep, see edited post.

thanks, I know I sound like either a smarty pants or a dolt (depending on how you read my response), but despite cycling for a long time I haven't built a bike like this before

 

[deorman]

Also, none that I have run across have rails, they have a "u" bracket around 6 or 8 inches back with a pair of holes for the clamp. Fore and aft adjustment consists of turning the clamp to the front or the back, or what ever modification you might come up with.

 

[DJ Bill]

And in the back there is a small hole in the sheet metal pan on each side for a bolt to attach the sissy bar to the seat.
The rear supports are not triangulated or anything on most of the muscle bikes and it's amazing they stay on straight. Anything you build yourself is bound to be more heavy duty than most of the sissy bars out there, IMO.

 

[kingfish254]

Hi all,
I was just wondering whether a sissy bar is always needed with a banana seat, I have ordered a seat as I need a bit more travel backwards than I currently have. I can get a bar bent up easily enough but I don't necessarily want one.
If they are essential to the seat working then obviously that is question answered.

Thanks in advance
Ed

You need to have a sissy bar or some other means to support the rear of a nanner seat.

I have done this two different ways without a "sissy bar" so far and have a third way planned.

For BEER RUN in BO6 I used a skateboard as a nanner and just mounted it on top of a rack.

For Firewing in BO8 I constructed some hidden panel braces that attached to the seatstays

For a future X53 muscle bike I have planned I have mocked up a custom huge laidback seat post that I got from @slowriderz

 

[edh]

Also, none that I have run across have rails, they have a "u" bracket around 6 or 8 inches back with a pair of holes for the clamp. Fore and aft adjustment consists of turning the clamp to the front or the back, or what ever modification you might come up with.

Thanks. I do have a seat with rails that I could probably utilise in some way if I need to, I guess I will have to see what the seat is like when it turns up. It is a lowrider branded one and fairly cheap so I am not expecting too much. As I say I can fairly easily get a bar or bars bent up.
I also weigh about 105 or so kg (230 lb app) so the rear support will probably be necessary.

 

[edh]

I

You need to have a sissy bar or some other means to support the rear of a nanner seat.

I have done this two different ways without a "sissy bar" so far and have a third way planned.

For BEER RUN in BO6 I used a skateboard as a nanner and just mounted it on top of a rack.

For Firewing in BO8 I constructed some hidden panel braces that attached to the seatstays

For a future X53 muscle bike I have planned I have mocked up a custom huge laidback seat post that I got from @slowriderz

View attachment 12691

I like the bikes though I don't imagine a skateboard would be over comfortable, I did briefly consider making a seat out of wood and padding/ covering it.
I used to have a bike with very narrow handlebars - the steering was pretty responsive, was the steering on the beer bike particularly twitchy?

 

[kingfish254]

I was just throwing those out there to get your brain thinking on alternatives. There have been a few others that people have come up with including leafsprings and such.

BEER RUN was a little narrow, plus the steering wheel was so high. It was just a fun bike though. Beleive it or not that skate board wasn't too bad as a seat.

 

[edh]

And in the back there is a small hole in the sheet metal pan on each side for a bolt to attach the sissy bar to the seat.
The rear supports are not triangulated or anything on most of the muscle bikes and it's amazing they stay on straight. Anything you build yourself is bound to be more heavy duty than most of the sissy bars out there, IMO.

Do you think 1/2 inch stainless pipe with a 1.5mm wall overkill then

I could probably get something like 10 mm solid bar or threaded rod too, actually I am liking the idea of threaded rod now, hmmm

 

[edh]

I was just throwing those out there to get your brain thinking on alternatives. There have been a few others that people have come up with including leafsprings and such.

BEER RUN was a little narrow, plus the steering wheel was so high. It was just a fun bike though. Beleive it or not that skate board wasn't too bad as a seat.

I do like food for thought, and I appreciate the effort, and it did get me thinking, I could probably even use a front fork if I can find a suitable donor, I think the measurement from the fixing holes in the seat to the rear axle will be around 24" taking into account the rake backwards the support will need.

 

[Fv2]

I've saw a bike once that used a mt bike suspension fork as a support for a banana seat.

 

[pebblewurm]

One method I've beeb thinking of is to use the frame of an old Brooks type leather saddle. Strip the rotted shapeless leather off, bolt the banana seat pan to the cantle piece, and use my collection of seat gut pieces to fit the rails to the seatpost clamp. Roadie saddles are long and skinny and MIGHT give enough support. Here's a picture of a typical seat frame:
http://www.bikesomewhere.com/brooks...b-9qTT_5tSjMuYJcWm_EC6iLHEoLUMrhaYaAtnS8P8HAQ
Some plastic saddles have a cantle piece, but all tensioned leather saddles do. Just check through your bucket of seats to see what will work.

 

[edh]

One method I've beeb thinking of is to use the frame of an old Brooks type leather saddle. Strip the rotted shapeless leather off, bolt the banana seat pan to the cantle piece, and use my collection of seat gut pieces to fit the rails to the seatpost clamp. Roadie saddles are long and skinny and MIGHT give enough support. Here's a picture of a typical seat frame:
http://www.bikesomewhere.com/brooks...b-9qTT_5tSjMuYJcWm_EC6iLHEoLUMrhaYaAtnS8P8HAQ
Some plastic saddles have a cantle piece, but all tensioned leather saddles do. Just check through your bucket of seats to see what will work.

Thank you, I don't have a bucket of seats though up until now I haven't had a need for lots of bits and bobs. I had more odds and ends when I lived in the UK as I rode my bike a lot more, I will see what my shed has to offer.

 

[pebblewurm]

Check to see if there is a bike co-op nearby- they may have some, or check craigslist and put up a sign or ask at the local good bike shop, if you have one. Heck, ask here if anyone has rotted out leather saddle for cheap. And look throught the alleys and metal piles for donor bikes. I just have the one Ideale frame, sadly.

 

[edh]

There isn't a great deal where I am currently, I am in the bum end of Australia. I work away 2 weeks at a time (where the bike is), but when I go home to more.civilised parts I will see what I can see.
I also just looked and I don't have a great deal of spare thread on the axle or any fixing holes around the dropout.
If i were to fix the supports to the rear axle (between the dropout and the nut), is there going to be a risk of my back wheel coming loose?