Utility Bicycle

Below are some pictures of my Christmas welding project.

In addition to home brewing and wine making I'm an avid cyclist and builder of bike stuff. I decided for my fixed gear/single speed townie bike I wanted a front rack. Rather than build a generic front rack I decided to go a little more specialized. This rack is built solely to transport a six pack of your favorite glass-bottled beverage.

I welcome comments and critiques but please recognize that the metal was cut with hand tools in the kitchen of my 900sqft apartment and the welding was done without the bike present 500 miles away in my parents garage where my welder lives since I'm an apartment dweller now. Given a full fabrication shop I could do a lot better but this was the best I could do for $20 with limited tools.

On to the rack...


The rack attached to a Motobecane Messenger bike running northroad style cruiser handlebars and a 48/19 gearing.




The rack without the beer present. I am considering pop-riveting a solid bottom on but this probably wont happen as the rack works fine without one.


Washers welded to the upright supports.


The rack is adjustable to fit different bikes. The adjusters are micro U-bolts from a set of cable clamps.

The entire rack was sprayed (with mixed success) with a coat of aerosol truck bed liner.

Several people have asked about strapping the beer down. That is always an option but in reality the rack is only used to transport full six packs over very short and generally well paved surfaces. I built it as much as a styling element as a true utility element (I already own a bicycle cargo trailer, a cargo bike, and a much larger front rack I welded).

Sort of off-topic: Here is a picture of me and my trailer helping move the WABA office from their old location in Dupont Circle to their new office in Adams Morgan here in DC.

I dig it. A lot better than when I ride and have glass bottle jingling around in my backpack. Plus it would be much more convenient to reach right in front of me than having to reach around to my backpack while still riding. One of these day's I'll get around to my bike-pulled kegerator. It would work perfect for Critical Mass or for tailgaiting.

Can you get rid of the excess length above the bottom of the six pack? I know you don't plan on offroading much with this, but if you do take a spill, I'd hate for you to get stabbed by that extra rod length.

Otherwise, I like it

carrotmalt said:

Can you get rid of the excess length above the bottom of the six pack? I know you don't plan on offroading much with this, but if you do take a spill, I'd hate for you to get stabbed by that extra rod length.

Otherwise, I like it

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The extra length is (A) to allow use on multiple bicycles that may have higher handlebar-to-front axle lengths and also helps with lateral stability. They could be cut shorter but I'm not too worried about them as-is. I'm considering acorn nuts over the threads on the u-bolts connected to the handlebars though...


This is a pic of the rack in primer showing threads I'm referring to.

Why stop at a six pack when you can have 2 kegs with taps?!?!

Kilted Brewer said:

Why stop at a six pack when you can have 2 kegs with taps?!?!

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I ♥ those Bakfiets style bikes. +10 points for style.

Not even counting the keg equipment, that is probably a $4,000+ cargo bike.

Dude doesn't even have any cups though. -10 points for poor planning.

Built by Metrofiets here in Portland. Kicker of it all, the tap handles are made from Chris King Hubs (in addition to the bike actually having CK hubs as well).

To Chris's (Ettinger - owner/brewer of Hopworks) credit this picture was taken just outside FH Steinbarts (LHBS) and I'm sure they had plenty of cups in there

The rack works fine without the solid bottom, but one ride in the rain is going to soak the hell out of the cardboard.
Or, only get beer on you bike when it's nice out.

But I expected the bike was going to be more like this from the topic:

http://www.madsencycles.com/

You could easily but a few cornies, a co2, and a bunch of ice in that bucket..

When was the last time you went for a bikeride HOPING to find a party?
He knew where the cups were going to be

chumprock said:

The rack works fine without the solid bottom, but one ride in the rain is going to soak the hell out of the cardboard.
Or, only get beer on you bike when it's nice out.

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I don't own a car so I ride my bike anytime I need to get beer regardless of the weather. Fortunately, I own 5 bikes including a tandem (since the Mrs. isn't steering or braking she should be able to hold a 12 pack in each hand.) and I also own several backpacks, messenger bags, and a full-on cargo trailer with a solid bottom.

Also as along as the cardboard doesn't get so wet that it turns back into pulp the bottle should not fall through the bottom of the rack just because it gets wet. The hole is big enough to fit one bottle through the middle but two bottles side-by-side (or six as the case may be) create enough interference with each other that neither bottle can center itself over the hole.

Dude, I do not envy you if you get into an accident with that thing in front. As a mechanical designer, I urge you to consider the impact this will have on your safety.

maskednegator said:

Dude, I do not envy you if you get into an accident with that thing in front. As a mechanical designer, I urge you to consider the impact this will have on your safety.

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I appreciate the concern but this bike is mostly just for pedaling at slow speeds around the neighborhood. I am considering trimming the backs of the U bolts on the handlebars and capping them with acorn nuts in case my thighs hit the handlebars but I run clipless pedals [my pedals and bike shoes are mechanically attached] so If I go "over the handlebars" the bike is coming with me so I can't flip just my soft, fleshy body over and impale myself on the uprights of the rack.

A spammer dragged this thread up but I'm glad they did. I love you bike build Ryan!

Cool bike build.

Here is my next bike purchase: Big Dummy

http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2010/08/bsnyc-product-review-surly-big-dummy.html

HandsomeRyan said:

Dude doesn't even have any cups though. -10 points for poor planning.

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Where he's going, you don't need cups.

I'm surprised anyone would call a fixie a "utility" bike. I guess I just don't get fixed gear bikes at all (unless you're talking about a unicycle).

sudsmcgee said:

I'm surprised anyone would call a fixie a "utility" bike. I guess I just don't get fixed gear bikes at all (unless you're talking about a unicycle).

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I'm in the same boat. I guess i don't really see the purpose of having a fixie. I ride a single speed mountain bike, but I don't understand fixies I guess.

Fixies are a great way to learn proper cadence on a road bike, and good track stand/slow handling skills.

That said, I would probably never spend the money on one.

Frito- what kinda SS you ride? I miss my Karate Monkey and kick myself for selling it every single day.

pointerDixie214 said:

Fixies are a great way to learn proper cadence on a road bike, and good track stand/slow handling skills.

That said, I would probably never spend the money on one.

Frito- what kinda SS you ride? I miss my Karate Monkey and kick myself for selling it every single day.

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The Karate Monkey and the Long Haul Trucker are two of my favorite bikes.

I've owned neither.

I've got a Redline monocog 29er. I decked it out quite a bit and love it. I have a 2009 sx trail 2 also thats pretty decked out, but I don't ride it that often.

Should we start a a bike pron thread?

I don't have a camera that works, otherwise I would post some pics.

Nice job. Is there a way to put some kind of shock absorbtion on the six-pack-rack so your beer doesn't get so abused? The front wheel feels every bump.

I love the clean lines of the bike though I have to say I would change out the bars.

I hate to bring a thread back from the dead, but this is how I roll (nowadays). http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/oxford.htm

I just picked up a 50 lb sack of 2 row on my utility bicycle... I'll try to get a picture next time. Definitely a bit more of an ordeal than my extract batches, but still surprisingly easy. LHBS is only about 5 or 6 miles from my house, fortunately.