Utah Trikes Pimp My Trike - Gary's Custom Cruiser

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Sitemap Gary's Custom Cruiser
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Every once in a while we get some used trikes in from people upgrading to different models. A few weeks ago we had a Cruiser in, and the same day I put it up Gary called me and asked if it would be a good project trike. He said he had been wanting to modify a trike for a while and this was such a deal he couldn't pass it up. He had us put a Schlumpf HSD on it first and then we shipped it to him. He wasted no time modifying it and sent me some pictures. With his permission, we are happy to share Gary's trike:

Side View
With Gary's custom extensions he was able to keep the ride height of the trike the same. This should keep the handling the same and maybe even better by lengthening the wheelbase slightly.

Custom Wheel Extensions
Gary made his extensions out of 1/4" aluminum and bolted them to premade dropouts from Nova Cycle. This made is easier to keep everything aligned I'm sure.
Gary also modified his drivetrain to include the SRAM X.9 derailleur (one of our favorites).

Notice how the extensions are angled up instead of just straight back. This keeps the ride height of the trike the same and won't affect the center of gravity negatively.

Schlumpf High Speed Drive
One of our favorite upgrades! Gary had me install a Schlumpf HSD in the trike before shipping it off to him. The HSD gets rid of the need for the front derailleur and shifter. Plus it gives you a much higher top end gear. I calculate that he's gonna get somewhere around 160 Gear Inches with the Schlumpf and that big 700 wheel. Way to go Gary!

Chainline Modification
With the Schlumpf HSD up front and a new 700 wheel in the back, Gary had to make some tweaks to the chainline. So, he eliminated the rear set of idlers. The return side uses no idler, and since the rear derailleur is higher off the ground he'll still get some good ground clearance. On the power side of the chain he's using a small piece of chain tubing to keep the chain from rubbing the frame and seat in the different gears.

Chain Tubing
I'm not usually a fan of chain tubing, but Gary's using so little of it that it is doubtful performance will be affected by it. And, it's most certainly an improvement over what the stock idlers would do with his big wheel. Big thing here is that the tubing is not being used to change the chain's direction, and the anchor is close enough to the front that he'll still get lots of float for the rear sprockets. Cost effective and easy-to-implement performance upgrades are what it's all about! Way to go Gary.

A Cool Looking Cruiser
We're not sure how it rides yet, but Gary's going to get back to us on that. One thing is for sure -- this is one cool looking Cruiser!

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Share your comments below:
Does adding the bigger wheel on the back make the trike faster?
Posted by ChrisP
12/21/2007 10:33:23 PM

Having a bigger wheel in the back won't necessarily make the trike faster, but it will raise the gearing. This means that you could potentially push the trike faster at a given pedaling cadence than with a smaller wheel.
Posted by Ashley
12/29/2007 07:44:20 PM

I went for a ride on Christmas day and it rode very
nicely with good control. The gearing was good also. I
did not go all out going down hills since I am not
accustomed to it bit it tracked like it was on rails.
Posted by Gary
12/29/2007 07:44:48 PM

Looks nice Gary.

I noticed you went with aluminum whereas I used mild steel on the Sun. I'm curious if you noticed any side-to-side flexing on turns?

I like the bolted dropouts: mines got a bit tetchy on the shifting because of the offset. Having seen yours, I might modify the brackets I have and take off the dropouts I manufactured.

Hope you enjoy it!
Posted by RecumbentTriker (Jerry)
01/10/2008 02:01:51 PM

Gary

I had another member direct me to your post and wheel configuration. I have a HotMover tadpole and would like a larger rear wheel without having to modify the whole frame. Your ingenious idea may work on my tadpole. I am just worried about the adoptation with the extenders you created. The HotMover went out of business but the tadpole is still and awesome trike. Any suggestions or things to look out for when I try out the extenders?

Also, the last question posted about the side-to-side flex, any problems?
Posted by bruno1200
08/05/2008 01:39:27 PM

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