Cyclone full suspension trike

[jag]

Just saw the first picture of Cyclone's full suspension trike today:

Goes up to 90km/h according to their web site. Full size rear wheel, but looks like 16" fronts. What were they thinking? I can't see how the front suspension works in this picture. Hope they post more pictures of this trike.

They have photos of dozens and dozens ebike conversions here (including several non-suspension trikes)
http://www.cyclone-tw.com/0bike.htm

Nope I don't work for them... and no endorsement. Just nice to see lots of ebike pics

 

[docnjoj]

Apparently the front wheels are 12.5" If it rides well it is an amazing value for the money! Check out the double shock rear suspension. It doubles the suspension travel. Very cool engineering. Here are a bunch more pictures:

http://www.cyclone-tw.com/recumbent.htm
otherDoc

 

[spinningmagnets]

"Some" suspension is better than none, but...here is all they have for the fronts, looks similar to a sprung seat-post. Clever use of handle-bar quill-stems for part of the steering linkage...

 

[recumpence]

I'm sorry, (I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I am sure I will get attacked for saying this, but) that is the ugliest thing I have seen in a long time.

Yuck.........

Matt

 

[spinningmagnets]

HA!...to paraphrase the words of the famous american engineer Forrest Gump, "ugly is as ugly does".

That being said, as much as I appreciate incorporating a few shortcuts that make a fun device more affordable...by mating the two-cheap-shocks-to-make-a-longer-shock, and keeping the shock location in the same spot (perhaps so as to use an off-the-shelf rear suspension arm?), the seat has been shoved forward. There ARE other ways to mount a long-travel shock.

Matt, your trike clearly has great geometry, but this thing has only a few inches between the seat and the front axle, so ANY kind of braking will bounce my heels off the ground. It has front-discs, but the intrepid owner is advised to only use the back brake, as having your heels pulled under the bike during a front flip at 30-MPH sounds bothersome to me.

I would also expect that hitting an unexpected pothole with one of the tiny wheels would result in a "rotate-flop" at high speed. Matt, your wheels are the smallest I would risk.

 

[JEB]

I can see this trike going down a straight road, but without ackerman type steering what can one expect when turing a corner at any reasonable speed? tire scrub due to both wheels not tracking the circle correctly? + ??

 

[Samba]

I don't see any steering linkage at all, you steer the 2 wheels seperately?
It might be easy to find the right scrub-free track for each wheel.
I can't imagine never having a free hand tho.

 

[amberwolf]

I'm sorry, (I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I am sure I will get attacked for saying this, but) that is the ugliest thing I have seen in a long time.

Even uglier than DayGlo Avenger and CrazyBike2? :lol:

If nothing else, it'll give us DIY trike guys some ideas.

We can reuse some of those scooter parts McDesign has, and some bike parts just laying around, and make much of that front steering (although I'd be doing some geometry changes to it because it doesnt' look like it'd realy steer that well).

 

[pdf]

Looks like there is an extra unused threadless stem just below the one used to connect the steering arm. I think the intent may be to use these (on on each wheel) for the steering linkage. It just looks like it hasn't been finished in the close-up of the front wheel.

 

[docnjoj]

Looks like there is an extra unused threadless stem just below the one used to connect the steering arm. I think the intent may be to use these (on on each wheel) for the steering linkage. It just looks like it hasn't been finished in the close-up of the front wheel.

Perhaps if they reverse the stems so they are inboard would allow 16" or even 20" front wheels. They must tie the 2 fronts together somehow or you really can't steer! I know this when the tie rod came off on my old trike! It does stop fairly quickly as the front wheels go in different directions! Luckily it was at very low speed so no damage to me or old trike. I now double check steering connections on Mad Max before every ride.
otherDoc

 

[neptronix]

Just an update.. they are offering a different trike these days:

http://www.cyclone-tw.com/recumbent.htm

Could be crap, but who knows.
Total cost would be about $700 plus shipping.

Rated up to 120kg; not bad.

 

[buzzfirst]

90km/h on those fronts on a tadpole. Evil kneivel would love to have those guts. My tadpole gets ridden the most and I love it but just not sure that one would be rideable at that speed.