Build a simple mountain bike tandem - AtomicZombie

“Looking forward to getting those adapters
this month. Yay! So cool!”
~ Brandon H., Washington
July 13, 2012
NEWS
Build a simple mountain bike tandem
Part 2
By Brad Graham
AZTV
T
he front handlebars (captain's
handlebars) are easy since you
install them just as they are on the
original bicycle, but the rear
handler bars (stoker's handlebars) need to be
affixed to the front seat post as shown here. An
easy method of installing the stoker's
handlebars is to cut off a steel gooseneck and
weld the clamp section to the captain’s seat
post. This configuration allows the stoker to
adjust the handlebars up and down for optimal
comfort.
The last thing to do before you can test ride the
tandem is to install the brakes and transmission. The rear chain is easy since it is the same as it was on
the original bicycle, running from the larger rear chain ring through the rear derailleur system. The
joining chain is set on the smaller chain ring
on both crank sets so that they are linked in
sync, having the crank arms at the same angle
to each other.
Cut the smallest possible chain that will fit
on the chain rings and then join it with a chain
link tool (see our tutorials on how to join a
chain). The derailleur that is being used as a
tensioner can now be pulled under the chain to
pick up the slack.
Once you have taken your newly completed
(Continued on page 2)
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“Just checking in. I’m still around. Been on a
bike building hiatus for a couple of years, but
I’m back! Glad to see the community growing
in leaps and bounds. Hope you are both doing
well. Hugs to you both.
~ Jacob K., Maine
NEWS
July 13, 2012
(Continued from page 1)
tandem mountain bike out for
a test run to ensure that
everything works properly, you
can take it all apart for
painting. One can of spray
primer and one can of paint
will be enough to get the job
done, following the
instructions on the cans.
Remember to allow the primer
a day to cure and the paint two
days to cure before assembly,
or you may scratch the pain.
AZTV
Add your dual brakes and
cables as well as the rear
shifter and your new mountain
tandem is ready to ride.
Riding a tandem bike is
almost the same as a regular
upright bicycle, the only
difference being a slightly
wider turning circle and the
weight of the stoker behind
you.
Instruct your stoker to
simply act naturally, and not
try to lean excessively around
corners or he/she may force you to counter steer. Since both cranks are linked and in sync, the captain can
decide when to start or stop pedaling, taking control over both the transmission and steering.
(Continued on page 3)
2
“I’ve been following your Front Runner recumbent
project. You never cease to amaze me with your
talents. Great job!”
~ Alex R. Switzerland
July 13, 2012
NEWS
(Continued from page 2)
AZTV
Have fun on your new
tandem bike! You will soon
find out that you can really
get some serious speed on a
tandem since you have two
engines powering one
lightweight cycle, and the
wind resistance of a single
bike. If you want to increase
your top speed even more or
tackle some serious hills, try
adding a front hubmotor,
which will multiply your
power by four under clean
and silent electric power.
Cheers, Brad (Radical Brad)
From the Builders Gallery
UK
Australia
3
“Hello biking zombies! I love your web sites. I sure
do like your videos. Are you doing more webisodes
soon?”
~ Scott L., Ireland
Yes, Scott. We will have new videos by the end of this month.
NEWS
July 13, 2012
From New Mexico
AZTV
“I ordered 6 plans a week or two ago. They were fantastically easy to understand. I have much
experience welding, much less experience in any kind of bike building or really even bike maintenance. I
just rode them as a kid.
Your plans make me certain I can build anything I get from you!! I'm sure to be a pro out of the box
thanks to these plans, so thanks so much for dreaming up AZ. I am also new to social media. I made an
email account just to receive the plans; that’s how important it was to me. I'm 42 and just got email a
couple weeks ago. I can't seem to figure out how to make any of the links go to let you know I would be
interested in all of the parts you plan to have made,
May take a while to get some $$$ but I am very, very interested in getting them. Some of each, really,
so please add my name to your list. Again thanks for the great plans, website & family forum. You have a
friend in New Mexico. Gerald D.”
Finally finished my third e-bike
“Took my k 2 E bike out for a ride on the trails today. It was a recycled bike from recycle center.
It is a blast to ride and the 12s lipos worked out great. I only did about 16 miles had a small
problem with my pedal and arm coming loose. Almost lost it, started to wobble. I stopped and
removed it before I lost it. I had to use just the battery for the last 8 miles. I guess from now on
I'm going to use that blue locktite.” Read more and join the discussion:
http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php/6727-Finally-fished-my-third-ebike
Have a safe summer
We at Atomic Zombie Extreme Machines wish everyone a safe, happy and healthy summer.
Whether you are traveling locally or abroad, please be extra careful out there. And, don’t
forget about keeping yourself safe from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. We hope that you’ll share
some of your holiday experiences in the forum, blogs or in the AZ newsletter. We love reading
your stories. ~ RadicalBrad and KoolKat
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“Thanks for the great plans. My first time bike
building. I’ll be checking in the forum a lot.
Cheers.”
~ Walter Z., New Zealand
July 13, 2012
NEWS
New project—Front Runner
AZTV
It was a good day in the garage
(abandoned trailer) today! The
adjustable frame works great,
and the front boom comes apart
with the removal of only the
gooseneck bolt and a single front
bolt.
Took it down the hill a few
times and it rode well. There is
some adjusting to get used to the
pedal steer, but it's a fairly good
ride.
The reason for the dual triangulated front system is to get rid of that chunky tree trunk
boom look and to make building the fwd easier (uses only standard frame tubes). I designed
the trussing to take the tensile strength form the top, while the lower trussing is supporting
the forks from upward pull. The top truss also resists any twisting of the gooseneck in the
steerer tube during hard pedaling. I cranked it pretty hard (stuck in high gear for a test
ride), and it worked as expected. The handlebars are also fully adjustable. http://
forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php/6593-New-Project-Front-Runner
From the Builders Gallery
South
Africa
Ireland
Australia
You can upload your own bike pictures to the gallery! Go to the AZ forum and join us.
5
“I’m so impressed. The quality of the plans is
outstanding. Kudos to you for proving a quality
product.”
~ Kelvin A., Mississippi
July 13, 2012
NEWS
Our manufactured
Delta Trike Axle
Adapters
AZTV
Freewheel adapter
Disc brake adapter
Delta trike Axle Adapters - Freewheel
Adapter (left) and Disc Brake Adapter
(right).
Now that we have tested our newly anodized prototype Delta Trike Axle Adapters, a large order has
been sent to the machine shop for manufacture. Both the Freewheel Adapter and Disc Brake Adapter
are black anodized aluminum and fully drilled and tapped for a standard 6-bolt bicycle
disc brake rotor. The hardened 1/4 inch axle mounting bolt is also included with each adapter,
so they are ready to install onto your 3/4 inch axle.
We understand from your
feedback that often a local
machine shop will charge a lot
of $ to make only a few parts,
and you may have to wait
months to receive them.
Another risk is a part that may
not fit perfectly, so we are
stepping in to help ensure that
your build goes smoothly.
Delta Trike Axle Adapters made for 3/4 inch cold rolled steel shaft
These Delta Trike Axle
Adapters will fit any 3/4 inch
trike axle and allow you to
install a Shimano type
freewheel and a bicycle disc brake to the axle for drive and braking.
Our Delta Trike Axle Adapters will fit onto any cold rolled 3/4 inch steel shaft, allowing you to install
both a Shimano type freewheel and a standard 6-bolt bicycle disc brake rotor. The adapter shown on
the left is designed for a disc brake rotor only, and the adapter shown in the right will take a disc rotor
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“Nice to see your adapters are being made in
North America. We need more people like you to
encourage & support manufacturing in NA.”
~ Richard P., Detroit, Michigan
.
July 13, 2012
NEWS
(Continued from page 6)
as well as a Shimano type thread on freewheel. The thread
on freewheel can be a single speed BMX type, or and multispeed type with 5 to 9 chain rings. A hardened 1/4 inch bolt
(included) passes through the axle to secure the part to the
axle.
AZTV
Being able to mount a freewheel and disc brake to an axle
means that you can create practically any kind of delta trike
or quad cycle using standard bicycle components. All of our
delta trikes such as the KyotoCruiser and LodeRunner
use this adapter, as well as our StreetFighter quad cycle.
These parts can also be used on any of our other
trike plans by using a 3/4 inch axle in place of a 5/8
inch axle. All future trike and quadcycle DIY plans that we
intend to release will be using these parts as they are easy
to install and service.
The Delta Trike Axle Freewheel
Adapter mounted to the 3/4 inch shaft
Demand for our initial manufacturing run is high,
so if you are interested in these Axle Adapters,
email us right away to get on our email list. Prices
(in Canadian $) for our Delta Trike Axle
Adapters:

Freewheel and Disc Brake Adapter: $45

Disc Brake Only Adapter: $44

Both adapters include the hardened axle
mounting bolt and lock nut.

Parts are made of black anodized aluminum
and tested to fit. Only black is available at this
time.
A Shimano freehub and disc brake rotor
installed on the Axle Adapter
We expect to start taking Delta Trike Axle Adapter orders next week and ship them out by
the end of July. Proudly made in North America!
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“Hey—your OverKill chopper is so sick. I’m
jealous!”
~ Damian R., UK
July 13, 2012
NEWS
Atomic Zombie head tubes & bottom
AZTV
brackets for your bike projects
A
ttention DIY bike builders - we hear
you loud and clear!
Since we originally stated our intention to
manufacture some of our trike parts, you’ve
told us that you also want the basic building
blocks needed for practically any human
powered vehicle.
A salvaged bottom bracket
Of these basic building blocks, the two that
are most often used are the bottom bracket
and the head tube. In fact, you can build
many of our DIY bikes and trikes without
requiring any other frame parts besides a
head tube and bottom bracket.
We understand that in some parts of the world it may be difficult to salvage several frames for
chopping when taking on a project that requires several similar head tubes or bottom brackets such as
a trike or quad, so we are actively pursuing the manufacture of these raw components.
If you intend to pedal your creation, then without a doubt you will require one or more bottom
brackets, as they are necessary for holding the crankset and bearing hardware to the frame. It's easy
to simply chop one out of a steel parts frame and then grind it clean as long as you have a frame. A
tandem bike or trike requires two bottom brackets, and often matching crank hardware, so the
process of salvaging these components can take some time.
(Continued on page 9)
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“I can’t think of anything better than getting
together with friends and going for a bike
cruise. Thanks to Atomic Zombie, I’ve found a
great group of recumbent rider friends in my
home town. Thanks AZ!”
~ Victor N., Oregon
NEWS
July 13, 2012
(Continued from page 8)
As we were looking at the technical
drawings for some other parts we intend to
manufacture, I realized how simple a part a
bottom bracket really was and took a drawing
to our local shops for pricing. Thanks to those
who chimed in regarding our intent to
manufacture in our recent newsletters, we
have decided to push ahead on making
bottom bracket and head tubes available to
our community and possibly bearing
hardware in the near future as well.
AZTV
A complete bottom bracket and hardware
Our bottom bracket shells will be mild steel
and take standard threaded bearing cups or a
complete bottom bracket cartridge. These
shells will be unpainted and ready for
welding, so you will not need to spend the
time cleaning or salvaging these parts. If we
can locate a reliable supplier for the bearing
hardware, we will also offer complete sets so
you won't have to remove them from a donor
cycle or wait to order them from your local
bike shop.
With a length of metal tubing and the parts
shown here, you can carve out practically any
kind of human powered vehicle. Our goal is to
supply as many building blocks as we can so
that you can spend more time building cool
bikes and less time digging scavenging and
digging through scrap piles for donor parts.
Head tube and bottom bracket shells are at
A salvaged head tube, bottom bracket, and
supporting hardware
(Continued on page 11)
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“I really do appreciate your efforts. Reading about the
goings on where you live is interesting. Tell that bear
who’s boss! Be safe, my friends.”
~ Joseph C., Idaho
July 13, 2012
NEWS
New from NE Indiana
AZTV
“Greetings everyone. Just joined the forum from Northeast Indiana (about 20 minutes
north of Fort Wayne).
Downloaded a 6 pack of plans a week or so ago, and want to get a Tomahawk built by end
of year.
Currently, I ride a Wal-Mart Mongoose Blackcomb full suspension mountain bike with
dual disc brakes and 24 speeds. Hoping to build the frame then strip the components off the
mountain bike and transfer them over, but will likely change tires to comfort bike tires to get
rid of the knobs.
Thoughts, words of encouragement, etc?”
http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php/6749-New-from-NE-Indiana
Colorado
Member’s Blog
YouTube fun
Ethan and I spent some quality time this morning watching AtomicZombie videos on
YouTube of the plans that I have purchased: Delta Wolf, Kyoto Cruiser, LodeRunner 2,
StreetFox, TimberWolf, Viking.
Ethan got really excited by the Viking and the Street Fox. He expressed interest in riding
with daddy and liked the idea of having two wheels out front. One of the characteristics of
autism is watching things spin, and I think that is why he found these two designs the most
appealing.
From a cost standpoint, I think I'm going to build the Street Fox for him first, but I think
I'm going to have to start a build thread to get some design feedback on moving the wheels
in front of the cranks. http://forum.atomiczombie.com/entry.php/128-Youtube-fun
From our Facebook Fan Page:
“I am so glad that the old builders gallery is going into the new gallery. So many talented people out there in this
world. Nice stuff." ~ Oliver E.
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“The joy of making something with one’s own two
hands and friendly community you have created
are awesome. Keep up the amazing work.”
~ Lester P., UK
July 13, 2012
NEWS
(Continued from page 9)
AZTV
the top of our inventory list, and we hope to add more as we move along on this new venture. We are also
going to make our head tube shells slightly thicker than normal so that there will be less distortion in the
round tube after welding it to your frame.
Parts manufacturing is a new adventure for us, so we have to work out many things such as shipping
and packaging, but we are working hard to get these parts ready to deliver by the end of July. Our local
machine shops are working out a price for large quantities of head tube and bottom bracket shells and we
will be taking pre-orders as soon as we have a firm price for the first run.
Please let us know if you want to be on the list for these parts as this will help us determine how
many to manufacture at a time, with prices being lower for larger quantities. Thanks to everyone for the
feedback!
"You continue to inspire all of us with your spirit and determination. I think it’s rare to find folks like
you who are so motivated to help others. It’s a true testament to your commitment to humanity and
community. You are admired and loved around the world, Brad and Kat. Don’t ever forget how special
and precious you are to so many people. With much love and respect, David P., New Hampshire.”
From the Builders Gallery
Canada
USA
Bike building is international!
Sweden
Germany
USA
Mexico
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“My friend told me to check out your site and I did. Best
two hours I ever spent on the web. Very informative and
entertaining. Got myself a 6 plan special and I’m ready
to rock!”
~ Oscar R., W. Virginia
July 13, 2012
NEWS
From the Builders Gallery
The Netherlands
China
AZTV
USA
UK
You can upload your own bike pictures to the gallery! Go to the AZ forum and join us.
12
“Love the new gallery. When I’m done my first
recumbent, I’ll upload some pics. My son is stoked
to help me with this project.”
~ Bryan L. England
NEWS
July 13, 2012
Atomic Zombie manufactured
AZTV
parts for your bike projects
By Brad Graham, AtomicZombie.com
D
ue many, many requests, we are
manufacturing some parts that are used on
our delta trikes and quads.
We are starting with the wheel and transmission
parts, and hope to add more to our inventory in
response to the demand. We may even offer spokes,
bearings, chains, and many other common bicycle
parts that are used on practically every project.
Here is a description of the parts we will offer and
which plans they belong to.
Some of the Delta Trike parts we will offer:
Part (A) is a disc brake axle adapter, and it will allow you to install a standard bicycle disc brake
onto a 5/8 or 3/4 inch diameter steel axle. The part will be drilled and tapped for standard disc brake
rotor mounting and will include a set screw for connection to the axle.
Part (B) is a threaded freewheel axle adapter that will allow a Shimano type screw-on freewheel
to be affixed to a 5/8 or 3/4 inch diameter steel axle. This part will include a set screw for connection to
the axle.
Part (C) is a threaded freewheel axle adapter that also includes a disc brake mounting flange.
This part is basically a combination of Part (A) and Part (B) so both a free hub and disc brake can be
affixed in the same place using a single part.
Part (D) is a hub flange that will allow a wheel to be laced directly to a 5/8 or 3/4 inch diameter steel
axle. These parts are sold in pairs and will include 18 or 24 drilled spoke holes for 36 or 48 hole rims.
(Continued on page 14)
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“You’re always doing something. Makes me tired
just reading about all the stuff you do. Whew! I
guess you’re never bored. Good for you!”
~ Alex J., Amsterdam
July 13, 2012
NEWS
(Continued from page 13)
Projects that require axle adapters and
flanges.
AZTV
All of our DIY trike and quadcycle plans use
one or more of these parts, and you certainly
use these parts to design your own unique
vehicles based on our plans or from scratch.
Having these parts available means that you
can shave days off your build time or possibly
weeks if you have to wait in line at the
machine shop for your parts to be made.
Because we will be making these in
quantities, we can manufacture them for less
than what a machine shop would charge for a
single unit.
All of our parts are tested to fit on the axle
and freewheel, so there will be no guesswork
or problems when it comes time to install
them.
Our freewheel and brake adapter will allow
standard bicycle components to be adapted to
any 5/8 or 3/4 axle so that transmission and
braking can be included. A threaded freewheel
will screw on to the adapter and a standard
bicycle disc brake rotor will bolt onto the
included flange.
With these two components mounted to the
axle, you can use a standard bicycle rear
derailleur to add speeds and a standard
mechanical bicycle disc brake to offer solid
stopping power.
(Continued on page 15)
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“So many plans to choose from! What to work on
first?”
~ Stan W., Massachusetts
NEWS
July 13, 2012
(Continued from page 14)
AZTV
All of our plans that include two rear wheels make use of one or more of these freewheel and disc
brake adapters. With our freewheel and disc brake adapters, you can add a pedal transmission to
practically anything with an axle.
If you are interested in purchasing any of the parts we intend to offer, please let us know! We will
start off with a small batch of parts and then base our inventory from the response.
Here’s the list of possible custom manufactured parts again:
A.
Disc brake axle adapter, and it will allow you to install a standard bicycle disc brake onto
a 5/8 or 3/4 inch diameter steel axle. The part will be drilled and tapped for standard disc
brake rotor mounting and will include a set screw for connection to the axle.
B.
Threaded freewheel axle adapter that will allow a Shimano type screw-on freewheel to
be affixed to a 5/8 or 3/4 inch diameter steel axle. This part will include a set screw for
connection to the axle.
C.
Threaded freewheel axle adapter that also includes a disc brake mounting flange.
D.
Hub flange that will allow a wheel to be laced directly to a 5/8 or 3/4 inch diameter steel
axle. These parts are sold in pairs and will include 18 or 24 drilled spoke holes for 36 or 48
hole rims.
We are currently collecting names so that we can tell the machine shop how many parts to make in
each run. That number will dictate the unit price, so the more people who are interested, the lower
the price per unit will be and we can pass those savings along to you.
In terms of shipping costs, those will be determined once we have the prototypes and packing
materials. Once we have tested the prototypes, we will determine packaging and shipping costs, and
the AZ store will be updated to take orders. We expect to begin shipping the adapters by the end of
July.
Stay tuned to the forum, newsletter , Facebook and AZ site for announcements.
You can upload your own bike pictures to the gallery! Go to the AZ forum and join us.
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