Hi
A week or so ago I received a Russian Book called "velomobiles". There are lots of illustrations in the book and lots of text, mostly completely incomprehensible. But I like it, and have bought a German copy which should be slightly more comprehensible. Will report later when it arrives.
On the bike front I bought and fitted a new quick release headstem. Only part of the stem was usable and the rest I made myself by hacking apart an existing stem and a whole bike frame. The new stem is good and works well with the chopper style bars I have. It allows the handlebars to be released without tools in order to make the bike more "2 dimensional" for fitting inside a car or on public transport.
Today I was out and around riding the bike and I feel that the wooden construction thing breaks down a few barriers. People are prepared to stop and talk about it. One guy said he'd never seen a wooden bike before (must've lived under a mushroom or something) and so was perfectly prepared to stare at mine. People are prepared to accept amateurish bits on a wooden bike and won't so readily dismiss it as a recumbent. So maybe my next bike will be another wooden one. I have been thinking through the design of a hollowed out-beam bike which could be made quite quickly using NC routed parts. Some new parts I have arriving include a fork for Front wheel drive and A-Headstem and with thise I should be able to make a ripper wooden bike. The other way forward (making these bikes) I've thought about is to make a custom aluminium extrusion but this would involve some tooling costs and a minimum production run of a hundred metres of extrusion. Ok, all for now.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNEXS29FVx1O2aRAlQ6bJ55TJk5dg1WLeP2015qm1Zjs4ZoV3Gyp-LUKyYyFHVTdVkR-LCaxexs5CO3SZMHEX2FtEt5SHlzpydVfccKfD3lyJyngg_F4MZtjAC8s75W8_-GiDbFXUKfZL/s320/stem2.JPG) |
Part of the 1986 Russian Book "Velomobiles" |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2g69drgqBnLLoav9GrRqbgwzJEhp-_q4Fe_8wJH0wlVdGvTdUseV7xhBZKNVvyNUIrRj48y3zevceXI7CaoT348dPuESfUzP5d1Fh1nGc0bFkQYhGHtXNm3s-cyAEqeclwyRO_cOcT-c/s320/stem3.JPG) |
and another part, "Cycling Utopia" drawing. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoTfgJmcrrjiDFXFSnufr_iIphVPgwijdanBoMXX4w-W3TK4pASBrskU5a2bcw7e7gYNd53rXJI-ixR3jJllQIWX0jg-EpjzHHZgi8mol-2_NoNLuVpJby3O0AXOv9Md61mUHzINMzypW/s320/stem4.JPG) |
Quick Release Stem |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDiR2C1eeV-j6Fu_1KoWqYnUqWd1vXw7cHec3nF9fAlM86FdQzPpiWktvsRfVK7biM5L_2Ogh-8SHaKbqF4pe2nRaUa4-7YSzZ82F6LHjTk5kgTuaqu7q5JaE5svWIEP6dBYvQte3HTN1c/s320/stem5.JPG) |
Source of tube used for making headstem |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkOd2ulwib-ToD1XSJTLOxNm5cLXC1CCRWs4nNT0YsIQ84QjlarC2A9vBcb9vMF4Ahernfh1h8CEifapS77A1ik86J5foaxknqrA49LNmmCdaAiWXDUviwDMVKqt5a9WCgYYqtOlA2z7v/s320/stem7.JPG) |
Near our local recycling centre in Roseneath Street, my bike with an artwork dedicated to signs |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JFnD8kq7iGA5HY1DeLrVroP_o1Do-TuZS4PHOY5oyBoXk6PA-ZnzggMqy5UKRXDSP656SG9k-j5G5ALXN7s1WeQ1FTYmZNIWCO_zjFE3ou5tMHth1xTcRXKVZ5YZKnwlMKuPb_wgewod/s320/stem1.JPG) |
The new stem fitted to the bike |
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