Will/Won't It Work?

[OldMinibiker]

Hi All,

I come to you needing help with a question I don't have an answer for.I have ridden a motorized bike pusher for about 3 years now and it's been really enjoyable.The pusher simply pushes the bike and is connected to the bike seat post.I want to change the pusher over to my cargo bike but cannot connect to the seat post as the rear cargo platform is there.Also I made up a hitch and changed the hitch bar to a vertical bar,that doesnt work due to the pushers weight and the connection being off center.In other words the bike wants to wheelie at the front and when turning I have to forcibly balance the bike.

I was thinking of adding 2 front wheels to the pusher one on each side,this way the weight of the pusher goes from my bike to the new wheels.I decided on 6" swivel wheels that have 4 ply air tires and are rated for 30 mph and 600 lbs.The hitch end is articulating and moves up and down and right/left(180 degrees) The hitch bar is stationary,just the hitch moves.


My question is in your opinion would there be any problems using the swivel wheels,I ask cause my Dad has reservations about them working.He was saying when I run over uneven terrain one of the wheels would be off the ground which could cause a problem.Also he says if I were to run into a pot hole a wheel could catch the hole and cause me to flip off the bike.His thinking this way was due to the wheels not having any suspension. He wasnt for sure on these scenarios but brought them up out of caution.

I kinda think the pusher with the swivel wheels would do just fine but too am not for sure either way.The rear wheel on the pusher is the drive wheel.

It's a bit of work to add the wheels to find out if it works so I first thought maybe one of you might know the answer.

Thanks!

 

[oldsledz]

Can you post a photo of the other bike, maybe someone here will have a idea for a hitch.

 

[Neck]

Looking at your current setup picture, it looks to me that the pusher unit is rigid from seat post hitch all the way to the drive tire, correct? And I assume that where the goose neck attaches to the seat post, the unit is allowed to swivel, Right? Should you mount casters in front of the engine and take any weight off the drive wheel at all, it may try to pass you, or swing out along side you, and then push you over! If your goose neck wont clear the cargo rack on your new bike the you really need to bend it so it does, or remove the rack and move it to the pusher unit.

 

[Toycartony]

I have never seen one of them that is pretty cool!!!!

 

[OldMinibiker]

Looking at your current setup picture, it looks to me that the pusher unit is rigid from seat post hitch all the way to the drive tire, correct? And I assume that where the goose neck attaches to the seat post, the unit is allowed to swivel, Right? Should you mount casters in front of the engine and take any weight off the drive wheel at all, it may try to pass you, or swing out along side you, and then push you over! If your goose neck wont clear the cargo rack on your new bike the you really need to bend it so it does, or remove the rack and move it to the pusher unit.

Square on Neck the unit is rigid from hitch to the drive tire,excepting the articulating end that attaches right at the seat post.You mentioned taking weight off the drive wheel may hinder the unit,I wonder if that could be helped by having the unit not level and instead having the unit going uphill going towards the front.In other words making sure the rear drive wheel has more weight on it?? I may have to throw out this idea as I cannot move the cargo bikes rack as it's a fixed rack.The bike is called the Yuba Mundo.

Damn,it's to bad I couldnt see this dilemma before hand as I could have instead of bought a Cetma Cargo,Bullitt or Bakfiet type bike and it would have been a straight swap from my original to these.Same rear ends.

 

[OldMinibiker]

I have never seen one of them that is pretty cool!!!!

My pusher is actually overbuilt,you can make one fairly easy using pipe.There are a few others out there too.If built correctly they are well balance and you can hardly tell it's hooked to your bike.And very cheap priced.See examples.

PS-Ignore the yellow internet address in the video,it's a money gifting scam the asshole is trying to push.


Home

‪My crazy bike engine doing what it does.‬‏ - YouTube

‪My crazy bike engine doing what it does.‬‏ - YouTube

 

[Neck]

Well......That rack looks like it's an integral part of the frame, what you will need to do is re fashion the goose neck to mount under the extreme back end of the rack, but I think that may have a jacking effect on the rear of the bike!

 

[OldMinibiker]

Well......That rack looks like it's an integral part of the frame, what you will need to do is re fashion the goose neck to mount under the extreme back end of the rack, but I think that may have a jacking effect on the rear of the bike!

Thanks Neck,I already tried a hitch set up under the rack but it wont work due to the weight of the pusher and it being off center.I dont know the proper naming but it has to do with improper weight distribution. When it was hooked up at the seat post it worked perfectly due to it being centered,no different than a larger Man sitting on the bike.If you put that large Man back past the rear bike wheel all of a sudden everything changes,the bike wheelies and also wants to tip sideways.When I lean the bike even a little either right or left the pushers weight tries to pull the bike down.My camera took a crap otherwise I'd shoot some pics to show what I previously tried.Thats why as a last resort I came up with the idea of the front wheels added to the pusher,to move the weight from bike to wheels.I just didnt want to have to do all the modifying and again find out that wont work either.Thus my questions coming here.

 

[Neck]

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of, It needs to be set up like a fifth wheel trailer hitch with the weight of the goose neck in front of the rear wheel. Look's like your kinda screwed!