I have always wanted to build a Kustom Trike with an Air Ride or Air Bag Suspension setup, & what I would need to raise & lower my Kustom, a cheaper version of a "DownBikes," I hope you can help me out?
Air Ride Suspension on a Kustom Bicycle?
- Thread starter Nathan E. Olson
- Start date
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I am digging your idea. I would incorporate some air shocks from a full suspension mountain bike.
It would be cool to make bike "kneel" when stopped at a traffic light or for hopping on and off the bike.
A pneumatic pump could be driven by an e-bike motor.
It would be cool to make bike "kneel" when stopped at a traffic light or for hopping on and off the bike.
A pneumatic pump could be driven by an e-bike motor.
There has been a couple air suspended bikes built here over the last couple years...I just can't remember the names 
.
Jason
. Jason
First thing that comes to mind is a compressed air tank like we used at the marina to suck out the oil in boat engines (of course, those were negative pressure, but could be used either way). A smaller tank, probably like that CO2 tank in the link above or a paintball marker gun compressed air tank that you could charge with a mountain bike shock hand pump or if you had a compressor that went high enough (not sure how much pressure would be needed, but I imagine something like a mountain bike shock). The volume you'd need for pistons that would lift a bike would be small, so you wouldn't need a large tank, just probably enough to handle a couple of lift cycles between charges. I don't like the CO2 tank unless you built an adaptor where you could fill it with compressed air yourself as the tanks expire and can't be refilled at a CO2 place unless you get them re-certified. If you don't customize the tank, I suppose replacing it is no big deal, though. I wonder if you could even use a high pressure bike tube from a road bike. You could fill it, then you'd need some kind of valve (maybe just the head off of a bike pump) you could place on the tube's valve with a switch that would send the air to the piston(s). Don't know what you'd need for pressures to actuate the piston(s) and if you'd have enough factoring in the increased volume of the system when the valve is opened, so you'd have to calculate that to see if it would work, but the flexibility of the tube may allow for more freedom in the design.
I have an air suspended fork and I had connected the air hose and bolted the pump to the fork.I could pump the fork even while riding, I could also let air out. On my setup after a while the hose connector started to unscrew from the fork valve, probably vibrations related. It could be screwed back in of course, but I lost interest, since I don't play much with the pressure once I find the sweet spot...
Still the idea is functioning.
If I had a way to extend my alu frame and the money for the parts I would do it like this:
1. Search for a an Y-hose for air line if available.
2. Get a couple of air rear shocks.
3. Get a car 12V operated tire compressor.
4. Connect it to a power source be it external or E-bike battery via step down converter.
Easiest and cheapest way would actually be to take an used air fork and use as a part of the rear extension for the action, shaft could go away. More or less something like the shockster, but with air:
But I think the main Problem with this design would be getting rocker plates to bolt on to the dropouts and then again to the fork. And they have to have droputs for the wheel... If it was not for this tiny detail one could use a (car's) brake pad.
Possible interference with the components of the brakes or gearing should be taken in consideration...
Still the idea is functioning.
If I had a way to extend my alu frame and the money for the parts I would do it like this:
1. Search for a an Y-hose for air line if available.
2. Get a couple of air rear shocks.
3. Get a car 12V operated tire compressor.
4. Connect it to a power source be it external or E-bike battery via step down converter.
Easiest and cheapest way would actually be to take an used air fork and use as a part of the rear extension for the action, shaft could go away. More or less something like the shockster, but with air:
But I think the main Problem with this design would be getting rocker plates to bolt on to the dropouts and then again to the fork. And they have to have droputs for the wheel... If it was not for this tiny detail one could use a (car's) brake pad.
Possible interference with the components of the brakes or gearing should be taken in consideration...
These guys do fork kits for less than $200. I started sourcing parts to do my own, and even with some deals, it'd be hard to come in cheaper than that.
http://fantasytoyslowriders.tripod.com/AirRidePage3.html
http://fantasytoyslowriders.tripod.com/AirRidePage3.html
