Will Robinson (generic cargo trike / 3-wheel trailer)
| BUILDER: |
Limp Jimmy |
| DESIGN: |
The idea started as a kiddy carrier / shopping trike, but inspired by Harold Paytard's descriptions of Rat Riding with a grill bike through Chicago's wintery nights, soon became designed as a generic cargo bike that was neither kid, shopping or firebike specific... in fact, there are many extras planned such as a bed, a bar, power generation and amplification system, etc, etc, etc. Turns out that it works really well in firebike mode (fire literally lifts off but will not come off on the soccer field!). Riding behind a drum of hot coals in winter is truly priceless. |
| BUILD: |
The front section started life as a child bike trailer and a bedhead, while the rear end is fashioned from a bike scavenged during my years living in Belgium. It can also be towed!! Yeah, cool. First freakbike from the new RPOz workshop, the Rat Pad — cheers BBBV. |
| NOTES: |
The name is derived from a line that Robot used to say on Lost in Space "Danger approaching Will Robinson, danger approaching!" as he waved his mechanical arms about... the point is that despite it's pedestrian looks, this trike is nothing less than dangerous. Particularly when the bike has no load, it tends to want to roll over at the mere hint of an off-camber corner... it's for qualified pilots only. |
| MOST MEMORABLE RIDE: |
Rat 'Lympics 2008 |
 
Goes well in the city...
Goes well on the soccer field too!
Works most excellently in BebbeMode! There's even room for a bubble machine...
PA, generator and smoke machine — sweet. (Photo from flickr.com/taovdg)
Technical Bits
It took a while to think about this one, so here are some detail pics for those who are doing something similar.
Being an awkward trike with a reasonably high centre of gravity, long wheel base and narrowish girth, horizontality (yes, that really is a word) was always going to be important — same with rigidity. The headset bearings needed to be serviceable for years to come, so I couldn't just weld the thing together forever. The headset rake angle leans forward in order to lean the rear-end the correct way during cornering.
So it was, an undercarriage design was built using a headset, 2 BMX goosenecks, 2 forks, some bolts and the remaining bits of the bedhead. Then I finally added the lower shelf, and while it took about 5 hours(!) to make, it now carries 2 cases of Pils beer (ie. the 5 hours was time well spent).
The beer tray works well :)
  
 
...just need to install some beer holders, and this project will be complete.
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