Cyclists and fitness enthusiasts sometimes prefer to ride a bike, but the weather or some other conditions are not always favorable for this. Of course, in such a situation, it is quite an actual solution, but such a purchase also imposes some restrictions.
For example, many simply do not want to spend, because they consider such an acquisition not entirely relevant. Others fail to implement the optimal one and find it easier to use a homemade addition to the bike.
In addition, making an exercise bike from a regular old bike is quite easy, and can be an interesting activity at your leisure. In this article, we will look at two options for how you can make this simulator with your own hands.
Can you make an exercise bike yourself at home?
In fact, this process is quite affordable. To make a homemade exercise bike from a frame, you will need almost any bike, but it is better to use structures like a mountain bike (with a straight frame). In addition, it will take a relatively small amount of building materials and tools and about half a day of time.
6 disadvantages of a homemade option compared to a purchased one
Let's try to analyze the most basic possible disadvantages of such a design. After all, you just need to know about the intricacies of this process before starting it.
- Reliability. As a rule, a store-bought exercise bike is more reliable, even with the cheapest model. For a choice, you can see. You will need to put in quite a lot of effort to ensure low wear of structural parts, as well as use other elements to increase the reliability of homemade equipment.
- Saddle comfort. It is not always comfortable to sit in a stationary position on the saddle for a long time. Therefore, some people need to change the seat or use some kind of add-on to improve comfort. is an important part of training.
- Stability. In many ways it is combined with the previous paragraph. Typically, a homemade construction is not as stable as a commercial exercise bike; and you are unlikely to be able to make convenient carrying elements and a system to compensate for uneven floors.
- No load. If you turn only a mechanism that is not loaded with anything, you will not get a significant effect. Therefore, for a do-it-yourself exercise bike, it is best to use some additional options for increasing the load. We'll briefly discuss these options further, but one way or another, you will not be able to accurately regulate the degrees of load (as in commercial exercise bikes).
- Measurement of parameters. You will need to use a bike computer, which is usually attached to the front wheel. If you are making an exercise machine with only a rotating rear wheel, then you will need to move your bike computer to rear wheel but this possibility does not always exist. Sometimes you will need to purchase wireless equipment.
- Efficiency. Of course, active movement affects the body. For example, in order to restore the body, a simple homemade exercise bike without load can be useful. Such activity is also useful in order to elementarily keep yourself in good shape, but you should not think about a significant increase in your own results. Without a steady increase in pedal load and resistance, one should not expect to achieve results such as weight loss or increased endurance.
As you can see, there are drawbacks, but if you are determined to make a homemade exercise bike, there are quite optimal options for this.
How to make a bike rack for home - 2 drawings
The options for building a stationary bike from an old bike are much more than the ones we have considered, but they are either difficult to perform, overly specific, or ineffective. Therefore, we will focus on the most applicable schemes.
1. On a stand
An elementary option that does not require significant time and financial costs. To do this, you will need to make a stand out of wood, but if you get along with welding and plumbing work, you can easily make an identical metal structure.
- Foundation. Take thick (at least 2.5 centimeters thick) boards and create something that looks like a rectangle or square, which stands on the side thinnest edges. In general, you will need to make the base slightly larger than the rear wheel of your bike. As a result, you will get a rather low base - a stable square.
- Side parts. Now you need to take two boards, which are attached upright to the two side parts of the base opposite each other. You need to get two side racks. Moreover, in the upper part of these racks, you need to make a cut-groove, which will allow you to install the pegs.
- Pegs. This term refers to the steel bulbs that are used on BMX bikes. You can purchase these pegs at bike shop at a relatively low cost. The pegs will need to be mounted on the rear axle of your bike. After that, you can put the wheel in the grooves, and it will be suspended.
The simulator is actually ready - you just need to fix the structure so that no inclinations are formed (although a bicycle in such a structure can stand exactly simply with support on front wheel). Of the shortcomings here it should be noted the need to create a load. Of the merits- the ease of creating such a structure (even for people without any carpentry experience).
Assembly drawing.
Photo of the final result.
Also watch the instruction on this option in the video:
And here is another kind of stand:
2. On the roller track
This option is also called a bicycle station, and it is more difficult to do: it will take more time and materials. In particular you need to purchase beforehand:
- boards for the base;
- self-tapping screws for fasteners, bearings, pins and other elements for bushings;
- thick pvc pipes for rollers or other suitable materials (e.g. pipes).
- base- make a rectangular frame a little less than the length of your bike, use thick boards no more than 10 centimeters high;
- rollers- make rollers that will have side bushings; use, for example, pins that can be installed in the grooves that rise on the sides of the frame;
- installation of rollers- set the rear rollers so that the distance between them ensures normal rotation and stability of the rear wheel; the front roller is located almost at the very front edge of the frame (for the front wheel stop).
Advantage This simulator consists only in the ability to immediately establish a mechanism for regulating the load, but otherwise the advantages here are not so obvious.
In addition, it is necessary to somehow regulate stability, since initially on such a platform it is necessary to catch balance, which also needs to be adjusted by the steering wheel. As it is not difficult to understand - with intensive rotation, stability can decrease, and in general it is not suitable for many practitioners. Therefore, it is best to use additional supports. For example, make axles from platform to bike frame.
For more good results you need to remember about
Attention! When you create any type homemade simulator, always think about reliability and safety and improve these characteristics. Also, don't forget - very individual.Assembly drawing.
Photo of the final result.
Also see how it all looks in dynamics in the video:
And some information about the choice of roller machines for this option:
How to create a load?
If you want to receive more efficiency from a homemade exercise bike, use different options increase in load:
- weight for wheels- an elementary option that allows you to very accurately control the load: just attach various weights evenly (we emphasize, evenly, but not on one side and not in the middle of the spoke, but along the entire rear wheel) and vary the load;
- pressure rollers- you can make them yourself, or you can buy them (the cost is quite affordable); these rollers attach to the bottom of the rear wheel and provide friction;
- electric generator- the most difficult and most interesting option: here you need a car generator and pressure rollers, in addition to this, you need technical skills; this element will allow you not only to exercise, but also to generate electricity.
Exercise will help you burn more calories. As a guide, you can use
In conclusion, I would like to say about the availability of commercial analogues for each version of exercise bikes from a bicycle. We will not name specific brands, but there are well-known companies that have made significant progress in creating applications for bicycles.
In the offered assortment there are special stands and roller structures, which are equipped not only with measuring instruments, excellent multimedia elements, but also with a mechanism for generating electricity (something like improved dynamos) that will allow you to charge various electrical devices during training.
Keep in mind that even if you are making your own exercise bike for your home without the financial cost, you are wasting other valuable labor and time resources. Therefore, the answer to the question - which option to prefer and what expenses to make - is left to your choice.
Having a bicycle is cool and inexpensive: prices for new budget models do not bite, the choice is great in stores and on the Internet. But much more interesting would be a bicycle of our own production, patented personally.
A homemade bicycle is popular among lovers of the process of assembling and disassembling mechanisms. Is it possible to create your own bike from scratch with only available tools? Yes, it is true, it will not work to make components such as a wheel, a carriage assembly and transmission stars on your own.
It turns out that it is completely impossible to make a bicycle with your own hands. Of course, you will have to accept that creating a bike completely from scratch will not work, but it is quite possible to make the most important thing - the frame. What do you need first of all to assemble a product? That's right, model it on paper.
Creating a drawing for a bicycle frame
To do correct drawing yourself, you will have to try for a long time, since it is necessary to adhere to the reference data on the length and diameter of the pipes. And you also need to decide on the type of bike.
It's easier to go the other way - to take ready-made drawings. For example, let's take a drawing of a diamond-shaped road bike frame. It can be seen from the figure that the seatpost and front (glass) tubes must be strictly parallel to each other, and the lower main tube and the lower feather of the rear triangle must be extended at the same angle relative to the seatpost.
The lower and upper main tubes are fixed with one end to the head tube, the other to the seatpost. The top tube can be positioned horizontally or at an angle, it all depends on the model. In our case, it is horizontal.
Closed frame image for singlespeed
Taking into account all sizes and angles, you should get the same design as on paper. The next steps after studying the drawing are cutting and welding pipes.
Assembly of the bicycle frame: welding pipes, pressing the forks, making seats for the wheels
To make a homemade frame, you need 7 pipes of the required size. Of these, 2 are short for the bottom bracket and head tube, four are medium for the rear stays and long for the seatpost. The supporting structure of a simple road bike is made of steel alloys, so we select the material accordingly. The pipes must be free from damage and rust. Further, using spot welding, the parts are connected.
Manufacturing sequence:
- The bottom main tube is welded to the bottom bracket.
- The down tube is attached to the lower edge of the front steering tube. The position of the head is perpendicular to the carriage glass.
- Parallel to the head tube, the seat tube is welded to the glass at the required angle to the down tube.
- Welding of the seatpost and front tubes of the main upper.
- The front part is ready, then the bottom stays are welded to the carriage glass at a slight angle to each other. The angle to the seat tube is exactly the same as the main lower.
- The connection of the upper end of the seat tube and the edge of the chainstays. We get the upper feathers, the welding of the structure is completed.
Welded joints of feathers and bottom bracket
The next step is making and pressing the fork into the front of the frame. The whole process comes down to welding three metal pipes and making special cones for pressing. The length of the fork should be such that the bottom end is level with the tip of the feathers on the rear triangle of the welded frame.
A homemade fork is an energy-intensive option, it is better to make it in the image and likeness of an existing one, or buy a ready-made one for a made frame.
Pressing is done in a horizontal position:
- Installation of bearings.
- Fixing the cones on the balls.
- Washer cover on the fork stem.
- Tightening the lock nut.
The steering wheel is installed in the fork body. It can be made from improvised means, the same metal pipes, and a special threaded fastener can be screwed on, but it is better to buy it separately. It turns out that everything except the frame will have to be bought and followed by the standard rule for assembling a bicycle out of the box? Almost. After all, you still need to weld the dropouts under the rear wheel, and you need to do it yourself. And if the fork is homemade, the seats are also made for the front wheel.
So, dropouts are done according to the following scheme:
- Cut out small metal plates, but so that they can be welded well to the frame pipes.
- Using a jigsaw, make holes in the plates, the dimensions of which should correspond to the diameter of the wheel axle and fastening nuts.
- With the side opposite to the hole, the piece is neatly welded to the frame.
Both mounting holes must be located at exactly the same level, otherwise the wheel will not sit on the dropouts. And one more thing: the distance between the mounting holes should at least correspond to the tightening of the nuts "all the way". In other words, the wheel should not fall off the dropouts at least at maximum spin.
So the holes of the dropouts should match along the axis
Installing the handlebar, saddle, carriage and wheels
To get a full-fledged bike, you need to put all the working units listed in the name on a homemade skeleton. The most difficult stage will be the installation of the carriage and the crank-pedal system.
The handlebar fits into the fork body and is firmly fixed with a bolt on the top. Before installing, it is recommended to lightly lubricate the inner walls of the fork, and also to precisely set the position of the handlebars - the handles are strictly perpendicular to the bike's course. By twisting, you can knock down the straight position of the steering wheel. It's not scary, it is enough to correct the position with one hand, holding the frame firmly with the other.
It is inserted into a vertical pipe and fixed with a metal clamp with a nut fastening. The saddle height on a road bike is matched to the height of the handlebars.
The next step is into the glass. The carriage is a complex transmission unit that, when installed, will require a special tool - a squeeze. All work on the assembly of parts is carried out in a strictly specified order.
Crank Shooting and Tightening Tool
And finally, the insertion of the wheels into the seats. Remember that self-made dropouts must be precisely coordinated in advance before manufacturing, otherwise they will have to be cut, made and welded again. Wheel installation sequence:
- Place the chain on the drive and driven sprockets.
- Insert the rear wheel into the dropouts.
- Install a metal clamp on the lower bicycle chainstay, screw the brake latch to it.
- Tighten the wheel with nuts.
- Install the front wheel in the seats, tighten until it stops.
It is best to use a dynamometer when tightening to obtain accurate tightening torques and geometric integrity. This is especially important for a homemade construction.
As you can see, homemade for a great is a very conditional concept. It is still realistic to make the supporting structure yourself, but the rest of the components will have to be bought. Nevertheless, even such a bike deserves the title of exclusive: made and assembled independently. The completion of the work will be a thorough running-in of your brainchild, identification and correction of shortcomings.
Usually, having traveled a little on a popular mountain bike, a person realizes that he is more interested in fast riding on smooth asphalt. What to do?
How to make your bike faster?
Firstly, I don't want to change the bike, and secondly, road bike is quite expensive.
There is a solution: improve specifications your mountain bike.
Aerodynamic drag is important for fast drivingAbout bicycles
The most popular are mountain bikes, which appeared in the 70s.
Their appearance is associated with an improvement in the quality of materials, inventions in brake and mechanical devices.
There are several subtypes of mountain bikes. All models have a lot in common:
hard steering wheel;
brakes on both wheels;
often two transmission switches.
The most commonly purchased aluminum hardtail models with a shock absorbing front fork.
They are designed for a mid-rise ride, disc brakes and additional equipment: trunk, fenders and more.
The following factors influence the speed of the bike:
aerodynamic resistance;
the condition of the road cover;
wind strength and direction;
technical characteristics of the bike.
Experienced cyclists advise on ways to improve the performance of your bike.
Tires have a great influence on the speed of movement.
Ordinary mountain bikes installed rubber with spikes. It has a small area of adhesion to the asphalt, therefore it dampens the roll of the bike.
For an asphalt road, slick tires with a smooth surface and drainage grooves are effective, which provide the bicycle with high inertia and do not slip on a wet road.
Spiked tire, semi-slick and slick There is a variant of rubber - semi-slick, in which the surface is smooth in the middle, and the spikes are only at the edges. Wheels with such rubber stabilize the bike well when cornering.
With rubber slick, the cyclist spends less effort on acceleration and maintaining speed, the bike rides a longer distance without pedaling, and the speed gain can reach up to 10 km / h.
During the ride, the suspension fork sways, so the cyclist's efforts are dampened, and the speed does not increase.
If you install a rigid (rigid) fork or suspension with blocking, then the speed will increase.
The carbon rigid fork is lightweight and slightly cushioned due to the elasticity of the material.
The aluminum fork is stiffer, cheaper, but weighs more.
When replacing, the size of the rigid fork is matched to the geometry of the frame, and the existing angle of the steering column is maintained.
Bicycle forks The speed of the bike depends on the condition of the large sprocket. As a rule, it is removable.
For maximum speed a large sprocket is installed in the front.
A traditional bike has 42 teeth.
When the 48-tooth sprocket is installed, the travel speed is increased.
Replacing stars When riding, the cyclist acts on the pedal with one foot, and the other leg does not work.
Pedals designed to improve foot performance.
For contact models that use a shoe cleat and a pedal groove, both feet are used.
When one foot moves its pedal down, the other foot pulls the other pedal up.
There are pedals that fix the legs in the stirrups (toe clips).
Such a mount is easy to do with your own hands from a thin strap.
The speed of the bike increases if the pedals of the "treadmill" are replaced with pedals that fix the legs.
Pedals & Toe Clips The resistance to the headwind, which means the speed, depends on the landing of the cyclist.
A horizontal fit is considered ideal, which is achieved in various ways.
Firstly, they raise or move the saddle, secondly, they change the stem or lower it, and thirdly, the handlebars are shortened to shoulder width.
In addition, there are sun loungers on the steering wheel. They have armrests for ease of operation.
Correct fit of the cyclist The riding speed depends on the technical condition of the bike. If you decide to buy a bike in Ukraine, provide quality service.
To make it move faster, you must:
iterate over all the nodes once a season;
change worn bearings;
adjust the brakes so that they do not touch the rim;
clean the stars and rollers of the switch;
wash the chain with gasoline and lubricate with liquid lubricant;
tighten the chain.
Bicycle maintenance In conclusion, it should be noted that speed does not only depend on the condition of the bike. First of all, the cyclist must have good physical fitness.
High speed is available if you ride a lot and keep track of your weight. So you learned how to make a bike faster.
A person always strives to do something better. The cyclist is no exception. Almost everyone, at least once, came up with the idea to make their bike better and more original.
Just before tuning your bike, you need to learn a number of very important points.
There are many reasons that motivate you to improve your bike. Regardless of the purpose of tuning, the main thing to remember is an important rule - after the end, the bike should get better.
It is not advisable to start this painstaking process if you are not completely sure that it will be possible to bring the tuning to the end. In every city there is at least one, but there is a bicycle master who can handle both partial and major.
As a last resort, you can contact specialized centers that will definitely be able to make a real candy even from an old bicycle.
One of the reasons for tuning is great is the desire to make it special and extravagant. There are many different ways how to make a bike cool, but more on that later.
Someone just gets tired of riding the most ordinary bike, which does not stand out from the gray mass. It all starts with the stylish, and ends with a major overhaul of the frame and the installation of a stylish body kit.
Bicycles and scooters
The next thing that can push you to tune your bike is to improve its technical characteristics. In this case, the bike may not visually change much, but it can grow functionally. Often it all comes down to installing new components on an old bike.
Such tuning of the bike is justified only if the basic elements of the bike, such as the frame, High Quality, and the suspension is already outdated. V otherwise it is much easier and cheaper to purchase a new ready-made bike.
The next type of tuning is becoming more and more popular today. More and more enthusiasts take up.
Often in the hands of the masters come across exhibits in the extreme. But at the end, bicycles are obtained, which not only improve technical characteristics, but also retain them.
This tuning is very costly and painstaking. Its main difficulty lies in its rarity. There are often cases when modern parts are simply installed on old bikes.
Starting with the frame
Finding the right tires so as not to spoil the overall style of the bike is very difficult, but unfortunately there is no alternative.
A good option would be to cover the entire frame with glowing ribbons. It will be very effective in the dark.
Another interesting solution would be to install a reinforced light on the bottom of the frame so that it shines on the asphalt under the bike. It is also quite beautiful and resembles neon lights on cars.
Optional accessories
Do not forget about a number of accessories that will not only improve the appearance of your bike, but can also be very useful:
- rear view mirrors,
- glove compartment or,
- sound signals,
- bottle holders
In this case, everyone will decide for himself whether he needs this or that accessory or not.
So, for example, for someone a bicycle computer is an integral element, but it simply does not fit into the design of another bike and will be so superfluous. Someone loves minimalism, while someone, on the contrary, wants to hang as many different trinkets as possible on their bike.
