Old Fools Journal: Cargo Bike Update #1

After two days of cold rain and aching knuckles it is time for a test ride. It was still misting this morning early but it was 62* F and going up. Perfect day for a test flight. These are not pictures of the finished product but I thought to publish some framework pics before burying it under racks.

I was not sure how it would feel as I relaxed the angle on the head tube to 68 degrees instead of the former 72 degrees which is what all my bikes are. That also set the seat back a little as the seat tube is more relaxed as well. It definitely feels different but after about 15 minutes or so I didn't notice it anymore. The head tube angle is easily adjusted by changing the length of the strut just behind the seat tube. The overall effect of this set up is it causes me to sit up straight and put my weight on my butt instead of my arms. It also gives a slightly crank forward feel which I like. The frame is solid feeling and comfortable with no sloppiness at all.
The chain is long and off course it flopped around and came off. Removing a couple of links fixed it I think. At least I couldn't get it to do it again. It will wait until I'm in traffic with a load then it will come off.
The shifter is the click stop type and is matched to the derailleur and works well. I'm not a fan of click stop shifters and very much prefer the friction type. At the first sign of trouble this one will go into the trash. The front brake failed because the damn fool that put it together forgot to tighten the pads.
The drive chain wheel is 39 teeth and the rear is 14 to 28 teeth. In the bottom gear it churns right a long through my sodden garden grass which is hard to ride in even when it's dry. The bottom bracket is the Astabula type one piece crank and is my preference. Parts are abundant and easy to find, no special tools required. I don't remember where I got this crank but it is a high quality cro-moly that shined right up. I have a three piece that will fit right in there but it is really heavy not to mention fugly.

I only use three speeds so six speeds is overkill. If this works out I hope to get a three or five speed internally geared coaster brake hub sometime in the future.
The kickstand is just for convenience now and will be replaced by a two leg center stand type. My other long bike uses two side kickstands and it works well enough. My 1975 Schwinn daily rider uses the stock Schwinn built in kickstand but it is inadequate when I have over 30 pounds on the back. I've dumped it twice with between 40 and 50 pounds on board. Both times it was sitting there loaded and OK, then it wasn't OK. How embarrassing. That's when I hear people, cats and some dogs muttering "Old Fool" under their breath. The dogs are the most forgiving.
Like all the other parts the fender came off a salvaged bike as did the sturdy stem which is turned around backward here to move the handle bars back a couple of inches. I have a matching back fender but depending on how I do the rear rack it may not be necessary. The handle bars are from a 1975 Schwinn.

As you can see from the pictures there is plenty of room for a long low profile rear rack. I have lots of funky ideas but probably it will be a custom rack made from ¾ x ⅛ 316 stainless bar stock. It's light enough, resistant to corrosion, strong and best of all I can work it. I haven't thought this part out yet and I haven't given up ideas in wood. I like wood.

Overall length is 82 inches (208.28 cm)
Wheelbase is 58 inches (147.32cm)
Weight is 36 lbs (16.36k) so far.
Crank arms 6.5 inches (165mm)
Seat height is 32 inches (81cm) so my short stubby legs reach the ground.
Front wheel 26" 36 spoke aluminum. 1.5" street tire.
Rear wheel 24" 36 spoke steel. 2.125" all surface tire.