Various ActionBent Modifications

* Introduction *

* Wheels in the Garden * Tri-Sled Recumbent * ActionBent Recumbent *Delta Work Trike *

* Turning the upright into a recumbent (and back again) * Mountain Bike * BMX for Seniors *

* Trike Stand *

 

The previous owner (jimali) replaced the original steering handles with a pair fabricated from mountain bike handlebars. Besides extending the position possibilities, they each have four tube ends for mounting accessories. Many trikes have only one, taken up by bar-end shifters. If I don't use the other two, I will cap them.

I like riding with no front fenders (so far) since the AB has a wide track. Wet spray misses my arms except on the sharpest turns. At first I mounted the mirror on the front tube, but of course, realized my mistake in the first rain ride. Now besides having a mud free mirror, I get a larger field of view by having the mirror closer. I will add another like mirror on the right side stub tube.

You can also see the seat modification in this picture. Jim replaced the hard shell with and adjustable frame and 2 inch thick foam. Very comfortable!

On the right side, I attached the computer to the short horizontal tube, and will add the bar end mirror. ABs don't have many good spots to mount the computer signal sender, so I fastened a short piece of plastic electrical conduit with a bell clamp to the kingpin. (Since the old ABs didn't have Ackerman steering compensation, the kingpins are parallel to the wheels.) I'll clean up the wires after final tinkering is done.

To fix the steering, I used an offset plate designed by LayZeeD, and bought new left and right thread tie rod ends and threaded structural aluminim tubing (ordered from McMaster-Carr.) The opposite threads allow for easy and precise toe-in adjustment. I also followed LayZeeD's recommendation to attach the new tie rod under the steering arm. Why that helped I don't know, but it did.