Monostay Bike, What Next?

Lasercut Steel flat, to be folded into a monostay.

Schematic of steel Monostay on bike

Loopwheel from ......

England, an in-wheel suspension system.  The bike wheel you get when too much bling on your bike is really not enough.

Loopwheel schematic

Original, short-lived monostay bike.

Hi

For a while, I have been building bikes and have been in the position of being able to build what sort of bikes I like within reason.  If something fails on a bike I build, there are few consequenses beyond a loss of dignity.  Its not an aeroplane or a space rocket, you just pick yourself up and move on back to the drawing board.  This is what happened recently with my monostay bike. 

The last one didn't work for long, and I've set about making new alternatives monostay long wheelbase recumbents.  Not content with one approach, I am going forward with 2 separate approaches!

1.  Loopwheel Lwb.   A fascinating 20" bikewheel called a loopwheel has been championed by Velovision.  After lots of negotiation including a few phonecalls to England I purchased a loopwheel for a monostay, which is usually used on recumbent trikes.  Initially I wanted to make a rigid bolt-on swingarm for an existing frame to hold the loopwheel but now thing that making an entirely new frame entirely of plywood is the go.  (Note that a suspension bikewheel can also use the pantour hub)

Last week I started a design master's degree at Monash University with my principle subject the development of the ilean trike.  It's too early for me to make brand new ilean trikes for my masters degree yet, but I can certainly do a bike as an informative limbering up exercise!  I intend to use a few new-to-me construction techniques on the bike, which should be fun and informative.  I like the "one sheet boat" concept, why not have a one sheet bike? 

2. Steel monostay.  The last monostay bike had a wooden piece and lasercut steel bosses supporting the back wheel, but on that construction the wood wasn't strong enough.  So a fully lasercut piece might do the job, and I've designed one and had it made.  Not sure when I will have a chance to put this version of the bike together!

Regards

Steve Nurse