News and Events

Keep up to date with the latest news and events of Modular Bikes.

Friday, December 23, 2022

De Carlo bike and model

 















Hi

A few weeks ago, when buying a newspaper from Donald's milk bar around the corner, I spotted a bike which turned out to be an abandoned Australian-made De Carlo bike. I took it home and have worked on it extensively, replacing the steel stem, brakes and drop bars with aluminium parts including a cruiser handlebar. 

Steel 27" wheels were replaced by alu 700c's from an old step through bike. I installed a rack and pedals from a damaged mixte, and alu cranks have replaced steel cotter pin models, and a sealed bottom bracket has been installed. On top of the rack I've made a milk crate adapter. It is secured to the rack with 1 bolt, and then 2 slide on clips hold the milk crate to the adapter. All works good.

Then I decided I would make a small model of this bike. Some of my design models needed flexing, and I figured I could make some tiny De Carlo stickers to go on the tiny bike, which could already carry a milk crate. "Stickers" are printed paper and about 2mm high and 15mm long. I handled them with tweezers and stuck them on with superglue, getting the technique right after the first go. Quite like the look of the model bike with stickers. And the full size one!

The model bike is part of a set I designed which is on Thingiverse and is part of a board game. Lots of customisation possible, I am glad I had a go at this and had a good result.

Regards 

Steve Nurse

Thursday, December 8, 2022

OzHPV Challenge Videos by Dome Deli

 Hi

 The last few posts showed still pics by me but Domes Deli who won the OzHPV Challenge speed event had a 360 degree camera running for what seemed  like most of the challenge. This is newer than some similar cams he used recently, and it seems the tech has come a long way. It now takes only 2 fisheye cameras to cover the whole "spherical view of the world from a point", and the cameras are built into the front and back of the one device. Software calculates and "knits" the images,  seemlessly in most cases in my opinion. The end result can be edited, not just chopping the video into segments and putting the segments back together, but also choosing "which 180 degree portion" of the video is seen. Dome does most of this editing on his phone, and I saw him at work on it at the Wagga "Rules" club. This page just features a few videos my bikes are in or had a part in. To see all the videos, go here , Domes has set up a facebook page permalink.

1. Anyway to start, 

90 minute road race: photographer Steve Nurse from 360 camera on Michael's bike.

And the photo I took at about the same time, Michael (Cruzbike) and Mark (Green Rotovelo)

So here is the whole roadrace video, heavily edited from its original 90 minute length.

2. Of all the races in the Challenge I think I did best in the twin drags, winning my opening 2 rounds, losing a semi final, and then winning the runoff for 3rd and fourth. I can run to start, jump on the bike and get going quite quickly. Beware though! Using just this start technique the next day, I corked a thigh, and still have cramplike pains in the back of my leg 5 days later.

Dad v. daughter v. Adam Hari velomobile.

HPV v. Etrike v bike




Tim v. Jason


Often a drag race win or loss is determined by ability to click in properly to the pedals, and Domes can be seen losing a race to me in this way in the video. (Some of it's taken from my bike.)

Race organiser Tim C. was very laissez-faire with entries into this race with Jess's Dad (Ross I think) a complete ring-in but allowed to race anyway, and Lindsay getting a demo run on his ridiculously fast Trisled electric fat trike. Tim put himself up against Jason Forbes' electric trike in the first round and managed to win through. 

3. Shopping race: This was a "practical vehicle event" and I was given the honour of choosing the shopping, (2 witches hat traffic cones, a rock, 2 cans drink, sunscreen, bag of cable ties, gaffer tape, other stuff) , setting up the course and then doing the demo run which was for real. 5 points deducted for each shopping item not taken, which is what the pallaver is about at the end of the video. I came 3rd or 4th in this event I think.




Sunday, December 4, 2022

OzHPV Challenge Day 2

 

Tim Corbett interviewed for the Wagga advertiser

Michael / slow race

Tim Marquardt officiates, William Reid rides in the slow race

Slow race, Lindsay spectates, Michael rides

Lloyd Charters has been attending events like this since at least 2000 and is a father of triking in Albury.

Lindsay fanging it on the velodrome curves on his high powered Trisled motorised fat trike.

Here he is coming past the officials tent.

Domes Deli

Pete Heal

Mark

Jason having a ball

Jason and Mark

Tim Corbett

Adam Hari with Lindsay and a few of his mates

Criterium start

Dinner at the (Australian) Rules (Football) Club, Saturday night. They have a Jezza (Alex Jesaulenko) room and yes,


a big football mounted on a plinthy thing outside.

Mark and Lindsay, Trisled fat trike and rotovelo

Hi

Here are some photos of the last day of the OzHPV challenge in Wagga Wagga. Will add some captions later, regards 


Steve Nurse

Saturday, December 3, 2022

OzHPV Challenge Day 1














 









Hi, today's photos regards Steve Nurse