ibjet Posted December 2, 2018 Report Share Posted December 2, 2018 There's not really a good category for this discussion but I wanted to share my joy with being able to load in my folding bike. I used to have 2 Dahon folding bikes and nylon bags for them and had a blast doing fly in vacations. Fav was flying into Columbia Airport in CA. They have a campground and hot showers and a freezer with bagged ice. The town is a restored mining town and very fun to sight see. Anyway, when I went shopping Dahon bikes were very expensive, so I ended up buying a Vilano folding bike for under $200, I think it was $159. OK, so the problem was, it would not fit thru the cargo door or even the rectangular opening behind the seat. I loaded it into the passenger seat a time or 2, but it was very cumbersome. So, this past week, I designed and built a platform that takes the place of the passenger seat and gives a place to firmly mount a folding bike. I used the last 2 holes in the seat rails as the main attach points. In the rear of the platform it just sits on the landing gear bolt boss that is visible when you remove the seat. I'm attaching 5 pictures I took when I finally installed it. I did a 3D model of it, that I hand dimensioned if anybody would want to duplicate this. The last picture shows a solid link bar to keep the bike from rotating back or forward. The Vilano is an all aluminum frame and I'm really happy with it, now that I can bring it along easily. I'm definitely going to Columbia this spring!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibjet Posted December 2, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2018 I didn't realize this Accessories category is under Avionics! Sorry, and I don't quite know how to move it or what category to put in under! But, I'll try . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Posted December 2, 2018 Report Share Posted December 2, 2018 Nice job. How easy would it be to remove the right joystick to prevent the bike interfering with it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EB3 Posted December 2, 2018 Report Share Posted December 2, 2018 Nice execution of a great idea! I've also wondered about the possibility of placing a folding bike in the front seat area. I don't own a folder, but I've thought about getting one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted December 2, 2018 Report Share Posted December 2, 2018 5 hours ago, Roger said: Nice job. How easy would it be to remove the right joystick to prevent the bike interfering with it ? It's simple, two.bolts. You might have to install a quick connector for the two wires to the PTT switch. My right stick stays out most of the time, it's just easier for non-pilot passengers, especially if they are "husky". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibjet Posted December 2, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2018 Thanks for the discussion guys! I did not have any problem with the bike interfering with the right stick, but the bike cables loop around and come very close. I was tickled to hear the idea about removing the stick, and to hear that it is only 2 bolts, and I have all the connectors to make the mic switch wires quick disconnect. I did not mention my next goal: I love to mountain bike and so last week I searched for a folding mountain bike. I found one that looked pretty good and was about the same price as the Vilano. So, on an impulse I bought it! Then I felt crazy because it is gonna be a really tough fit! I actually think I can do it, but it will take a different rack to mount it on. I assembled the bike last night, so I'll share a couple of pics . . . So, if successful, I will create a new hobby: Fly in mountain biking, ha ha. My first trip will be to Sedona (there is a "secret trail" going around the airport mesa! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibjet Posted December 4, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2018 Boo hoo, the folding mountain bike does not fit (see picture). Hmmm, wait a minute . . . Update on 12-5-2018: Not being one who gives up easily, I decided that I will make this work! I'm going to make a sling that will allow me to lift up the bike and then rotate it to horizontal and move it into the cabin, and then rotate it back vertical. I'm thinking 4 short lengths of thin wall alum tubing, some SS cables and a brass pully. Can't start a "fly in mountain biking club" unless I do this, ha ha. Probably over a week before I have this ready to try, but I'll post pictures . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leathers Posted December 14, 2018 Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 I mountain bike Sedona a lot. The last time I rode the airport trail it was crazy hard. Listed as black skull and crossbones in the Cosmos ride guide..I ended up "Hiking with Bikes" Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibjet Posted December 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 I moved to Kingman at the end of 2004, so it's been that many years since I rode that trail. I do seem to remember that it was very rocky. But, I might not be talking about the same section you are. The trail that I rode starts just to the West of the Airport Vortex. We rode our bikes up hill to that area, and then lifted them over the steel road barrier where the trail begins (I now see that it is a loop). We rode it to Table Top and then crossed Oak Creak at Red Rock Crossing heading back to Oak Creak Village (where I lived at the time). We rode from Oak Creak Village to West Sedona every Wednesday for several months for lunch. That ride would be way out of my league now-a-days, ha ha. But, I will pursue my hobby this spring (it's gonna be quite a project to build that sling and rail so that I can load the bike into my CT. Only a knuckle head like me would attempt it, ha ha. Then, I know I'm not gonna be happy with the gear ratios of the bike. Gonna need a mega-range cassette or something. My current MTB I made into a 10 speed and I love that, so that may be where I end up. ET Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gorilla Posted January 13, 2019 Report Share Posted January 13, 2019 I’ve also bought a foldable bike for my CTSW. I got fed up with flying somewhere to see a mate and then spending £50 on a taxi to get from the airfield to his house! The bike I have is a Brompton. They’re not cheap but fold down very small. I’ve also electrified it as I love cycling but hate hills...... The li-po battery sits in a Brompton bag that clips onto the front stem. This lives in the luggage compartment together with the seat (standard - not high back) which means I can put the seat in when I get to the destination airfield to take passengers flying. The seat is threaded through the opening in the rear cockpit wall. When the bag is clipped onto the mount it electrically connects through copper strips to the electric motor in the front wheel and the twist grip throttle & speed controller. I secure the bike thoroughlywuth the seat belts. It has to go in only one way so that the control column can’t touch the bike when move to its rearmost extremes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibjet Posted January 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2019 Nice bike! Very creative getting it in (pretty similar to my mounting). I think you should work out some way to assure the bike cannot shift. Mine is even scarier than yours because I have cables that come close to the control stick. Enjoy your combination hobby! Thanks for sharing the pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gorilla Posted March 31, 2019 Report Share Posted March 31, 2019 Hi ibjet, The bike sits quite securely in the footwell and is strapped down really tightly using the seat belts. For some reason which I haven't worked out yet, the belts don't come loose when securing the bike; they are as tight when I land as when I started. But when a person is sitting in the seat, they always seem to work loose . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibjet Posted March 31, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2019 Yes, that's frustrating how the belts work loose. They seem to be really well designed. At least they are easy to re-tighten! Wish you were in the USA, we could do a mini fly in for biking, ha ha. Planning to fly in to Columbia, CA pretty soon now. That is a restored mining town. The airport has a campground right next to it (taxi over and tie down, it's over dirt, but Oh well, ha ha). It's fun riding the path into town multiple times a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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