Anti-"front wheel up" A-bike Mod.

[newcross]

As all the A-bike owners already know, A-bike tends to get its front wheel up off the ground quite easily.

In order to avoid this, some degree of leaning on the front half of the bike is neccessary. This is not a difficult thing to do at all, but it is true we forget this sometime and in return, we get awfully embarrassing moment in public. Ooops.

Here is a japanese guy who takes a radical solution for this. He drilled a couple of new locking holes for front telescopic tube. The holes are 14mm diameter and position 7cm below the default locking holes.

By this modification, the riding position for his A-bike is altered and it allows him to do the leaning more naturally.

His website is in Japanese, but it has a lot of detailed images, so you may not need Babel fish translation to get the idea.



For more detail info, please refer the link below.
http://www.geocities.jp/p22dirty_charly/abike2.htm

This guy is a dedicated Zero-bike (another tiny folding bicycle) owner, so his website is titled "ZERO BIKER".
Main page http://www.geocities.jp/p22dirty_charly/index.html

Interesting comparison, A-beke and Zero-bike next to each other.
http://www.geocities.jp/p22dirty_charly/abike.html[/img]

[ARider]

I find when I transfer my weight too far forward the steering becomes heavy and less responsive. However, I might try the mod as you can always return to the original tube holes if you don't like it.

Thankyou Newcross, you certainly find some intersting mods!

[newcross]

I find when I transfer my weight too far forward the steering becomes heavy and less responsive. However, I might try the mod as you can always return to the original tube holes if you don't like it.

Hi ARider, I agree with you on the front heavy part, so I think this Mod. has both pros & cons. (i.e. probably going over rough bump is a litttle more tricky on this modified A-bike.)

Yes, we can still use A-bike in standard position even after applying the modification, but in that case, we never be able to fold/unfold as fast as it used to be since the front telescopic tube get catched by the added holes... mmm

[Binch Shin]

Great modification !!
Very interesting..
But I have no desire to follow.. hehe