Friday, April 30, 2010

May 2010 AZ newsletter now online

Atomic Zombie's May newsletter is now online: http://www.atomiczombie.com (under News & Blog).

This month's features include:

  • Terminator Chopper - Part 4
  • Garage News
  • Believe = Succeed
  • AfterBurner Chopper
  • Meet AZ Krew Members
  • Bike Builders Tips
  • Builders Gallery
  • GizDrak's Warrior Build
  • Marcusj's Kyoto Cruiser Build
  • Odm1's Warrior Build
  • Feedback
  • Bicycle Chain Basics
  • FAQs
  • AZ Warrior Feature

Velo Vision reviews Atomic Zombie's Warrior Tadpole Recumbent Trike


An Atomic Zombie shout out to Peter Eland, Editor and Publisher of Velo Vision magazine. Peter reviewed our Warrior Recumbent Tadpole Trike Do-It-Yourself plan in the latest edition—issue 27, March 2010. You can read the full review on page 37.

Wow—we didn’t expect a full page plug, but it sure is appreciated—thanks, Peter! If you aren't familiar with Velo Vision, now is your chance to check out this quality magazine and web site. You won't be disappointed.

Cheers to Peter and the Velo Vision team for always putting out a quality magazine. We look forward to seeing their brand new Electric Bike magazine to be launched August 2010.  ~ Kat and Brad

















Thursday, April 29, 2010

New homebuilt DeltaWolf Recumbent Trike



Here's a completed DeltaWolf. It rides wonderfully. Thanks for the design. I bought one of your books and this was the first build actually built two at same time. Thanks again for the cool ideas!  ~ Mark Mikkonen

Whoa - another sweet ride built by an Atomic Zombie Krew member. Nice work! 

Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/zombie_atomic
Frequently Asked Questions: http://atomiczombie.com/plansfaq.html

Atomic Zombie proudly supports Thunder Bay Queens women’s hockey organization.Congratulations on winning the gold medal in the Esso Cup, their first National Female Midget Championship title.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Tall bikes, choppers, recumbents, trikes and tandems. New homebuilt bikes in the Atomic Zombie Builders Gallery.

Tall bikes, choppers, recumbents, trikes and tandems. New homebuilt bikes in the Atomic Zombie Builders Gallery. More examples below of bike builder creativity and innovation. Nice work!



Here's my superhero small tall. ~ Max


Hi. It took me 5 months to build these two bikes. I wanted to do something xtreme did my homework and this is what came from it. Greetings from Germany! ~ Fernando

A new bike building season is now underway

And, so it begins, another year of bike building in the AtomicZombie garage! This year, the deep freeze actually left us a month ahead of schedule, so I am heading out to tackle last year’s mess. You see, we are constantly fighting against the clock, as the weather can drop to minus 20 in a few days without warning.



Because of this constant race against Old Man Winter, I often toss parts and junk into a huge pile after each build just to save time, only cleaning the garage when time permits. At the end of the year when it is too cold to weld, I seal the door for 6 months and tell myself it won’t be such a big deal to clean it next year!

“Creeaaaaaaak!” The garage door sounds likes the opening scene in a cheesy scary movie, squeaking on its hinges as I crack it open after the long winter. What monsters lurk in the darkness? What evil grows on those apple cores I left on the workbench last year? Will there be another squirrel living in there this time? Maybe a skunk will come charging at me! OK, it wasn’t anything that bad, just a huge pile of twisted bike frames, hacked up tubing, and unsorted bicycle parts haphazardly strewn about everywhere.


So here is the “clean side” of the garage, which allows just enough room to carefully walk from one side to the other. There are razor sharp bits of sheet metal all over the place from the Terminator Chopper build, which I hope to finish soon as well as half cut up bike frames, chains, wheels, and a huge pile of metal shavings.

My StreetFighter Recumbent Quadcycle and Kat's DeltaRunner Recumbent Trike were also buried under the rubble, plus the Kyoto Cruiser frame, Silent Speedster Electric bike, Sparky Electric Mini Bike, Loderunner 2 Recumbent Cargo Trike, Warrior Recumbent Racing Tadpole Trike, Marauder Reloaded Recumbent Lowracer, SpinCycle Crazy Trike and bits of pieces of other recumbents, choppers, trikes, tandems and tall bikes. Wish I had a barn to store all of my completed bike projects! But, in traditional Atomic Zombie style, I keep a few bikes around and recycle the rest for other projects.

The only way to clean this place it by moving everything out to the lawn so I can sweep up the huge pile of metal dust and then sort all of the small bits and pieces back into the 200 buckets I use to store my parts in. Let the fun begin!

Normally, I start with the huge pile of junk, but today I decided to give my back a break and clean the workbench area. It took all day to sort all of the tools and small bicycle components into the buckets you see here. I keep the smaller parts such as bearings, cups, axles, hubs and derailleurs in the small buckets under the workbench and the larger bits like tubing and wheels on the other side. I am not normally a “neat freak”, but I do force myself to be hardcore about organization in the garage so I can find any part within 30 seconds.



I got tired of climbing over a 20 foot pile of twisted frames to get to one single component, so now I run a tight ship! Tomorrow, I tackle the massive pile of bikes and tubing, which will probably be a two-day job.
~ Radical Brad

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Thunder Bay Queens make national hockey history at Esso Cup - Regina, Saskatchewan


Notre Dame Hounds  3 -  Thunder Bay Queens  4        
 
Gold Medal


This is the second year the Esso Cup has been awarded to the midget division. With the Queens‘ win, they join their local counterparts in the Thunder Bay Kings boys program and become the first community in Canadian history to win a national midget championship in both the female and male age groups. 










Cheers,
Kathy McGowan (KoolKat)
http://www.atomiczombie.com

Follow us on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/zombie_atomic
Frequently Asked Questions: http://atomiczombie.com/plansfaq.html

Atomic Zombie proudly supports Thunder Bay Queens women’s hockey organization. Congratulations on winning gold in the Esso Cup, their first National Female Midget Championship title.

THUNDER BAY QUEENS CROWNED ESSO CUP CHAMPIONS

Notre Dame Hounds  3 -  Thunder Bay Queens  4

Just in from HockeyCanada.com:


REGINA, Sask. – They are this year’s royalty of female midget hockey.

The Thunder Bay Queens (Ontario) were crowned champions of the second annual Esso Cup on Saturday, after reigning victorious over the Notre Dame Hounds (West) 4-3 in a thrilling on-ice battle that had fans on the edges of their seats both inside the Co-operators Centre at Evraz Place, and in living rooms across the county as eyes stayed glued on TSN2 for three solid periods of a skilled female game.

Kaitlyn Tougas (Thunder Bay, Ont.) contributed half of the goals for the Queens, tying up the game at one apiece with a beautiful goal at 14:47 in the first period. She displayed some slick stick handling skills, putting it through the legs of a Notre Dame defenceman before deking out netminder Tamber Tisdale (Red Deer, Alta.).

The back-and-forth action continued throughout the game, with fans on both sides of the stands trying to outdo each other with enthusiastic cheers that filled the rink. Notre Dame reclaimed the lead early in the second, when Brienna Gillanders (Kyle, Sask.) scored on a power play with help from Olivia Howe (Moose Jaw, Sask.) and Woods.

The Hounds continued to put the offensive pressure on, with Brittany Berisoff (Kelowna, B.C.) making it 3-1 on another power play at 11:25 in the second. But penalties started to hurt rather than help Notre Dame, with the next power play marker going to Courtney Tougas (Thunder Bay, Ont.) of the Queens.

Another second period power play evened up the score, with Michela Cava (Thunder Bay, Ont.) making it 3-3 before the intermission. And while it looked like the evenly matched game may head into overtime, the Tougas girls came through on another power play, combining for the game winning goal with an assist going to Kaitlyn Quarrell (Thunder Bay, Ont.).

That resulted in chants of “Let’s go Queens” from spectators, with Notre Dame fans answering back with “Let’s go Hounds” in an attempt to push their favourite teams forward. But in the end, the game belonged to the Thunder Bay Queens, who laid claim to their first National Female Midget Championship title.

Crystal Duhaime (Geraldton, Ont.) was named Player of the Game for Notre Dame, while Kaitlyn Tougas received the same honour for winning team Thunder Bay. The Olympic theme song “I Believe,” reflecting the motto of the Thunder Bay Queens, filtered from the winning team’s dressing room after the game.








Cheers,

Kathy McGowan (KoolKat)
Atomic Zombie Extreme Machines
www.atomiczombie.com

Follow us on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/zombie_atomic

Frequently Asked Questions: http://atomiczombie.com/plansfaq.html




Atomic Zombie proudly supports Thunder Bay Queens women’s hockey organization.
Congratulations on winning the gold medal in the Esso Cup, their first National Female Midget Championship title.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

THUNDER BAY QUEENS MOVE ON TO GOLD MEDAL MATCHUP - Esso Cup Women's Hockey National Tournament - GO QUEENS

From HockeyCanada.com:


REGINA, Sask. – The Thunder Bay Queens did it again, claiming another Esso Cup victory Friday by edging the Edmonton Thunder 2-1 in front of an enthralled crowd at the Co-operators Centre, ultimately securing the Ontario team a spot in Saturday’s gold medal game.

Courtney Tougas (Thunder Bay, Ont.) and Kaitlyn Quarrell (Thunder Bay, Ont.) helped the Queens get into their groove on the ice, teaming up to give Thunder Bay a 2-0 lead by the end of the first period. The first goal came at 12:37, when Tougas took a raised pass from Quarrell on a two-on-one to beat Edmonton’s defender and put it past netminder Morgan Glover (Edmonton, Alta.).

Just over two minutes later, the forward line combined for the second marker, with Jana Henry (Thunder Bay, Ont.) feeding the puck to Quarrell, who gave it back to Tougas, who fired a nice high shot into the mesh.

But Pacific reps the Thunder stormed onto the ice during the second ready to make a comeback, with Julia Murrell tipping in a well-played shot from the point by blueliner Kelsie Lang (Edmonton, Alta.), to narrow the gap to 2-1 in favour of the Queens.

The back-and-forth action continued throughout the period and into the third, with the Thunder pulling out all the stops in an attempt to come out of the semifinal successful. But the Queens reigned supreme once again, proving why they ended round robin play in first place and ensuring their berth in Saturday’s gold medal game, which will air live on TSN2 at 4 p.m. CT (6 pm ET).

Netminder Amanda Makela (Thunder Bay, Ont.) of the Queens stopped 36 shots to earn Player of the Game for her team, while forward Kirsten Reeves (Edmonton, Alta.) had the same honour for The Thunder.

We'll be watching and cheering on our home team.  GO QUEENS GO!


Cheers,

Kathy McGowan (KoolKat)
http://www.atomiczombie.com

Follow us on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/zombie_atomic

Frequently Asked Questions: http://atomiczombie.com/plansfaq.html


Atomic Zombie proudly supports Thunder Bay Queens women’s hockey organization. Going for the gold medal Saturday, April 24.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Thunder Bay Queens win 5 - 2; onto semi-finals in Esso Cup women's hockey national tournament

Notre Dame Hounds  2 -  Thunder Bay Queens  5
   
THUNDER BAY QUEENS UPSET FIRST PLACE TEAM IN POSSIBLE GOLD MEDAL PREVIEW


REGINA, Sask. – The Notre Dame Hounds may have started off on the right foot in their last round robin game of the Esso Cup, with Olivia Howe (Moose Jaw, Sask.), tipping in her own rebound just three minutes into the matchup, the Thunder Bay Queens quickly came back to upset the first place team and claim a 5-2 victory – as well as the top spot in the standings – Thursday inside the Co-operators Centre.

The Queens capitalized on a trio of power plays, including two in the last five minutes of the first period, to take the lead throughout most of the game. Brittany Zuback (Thunder Bay, Ont.) of the team representing Ontario slid the puck into the net at 16:04 in the first, with assists going to Michela Cava (Thunder Bay, Ont.) and Kaitlyn Quarrell (Thunder Bay, Ont.) to tie the game. Another Notre Dame penalty helped Thunder Bay make it 2-1 in their favour, with Quarrell getting her second point and first goal of the game at 18:33 in the period.

But it certainly wouldn’t be Quarrell’s last goal of the game. She put the Queens up 3-1 by firing the puck over the shoulder of netminder Tamber Tisdale (Red Deer, Alta.) while her team was shorthanded at 6:20 in the second, and followed up on her goal by putting away a power play marker at 12:33 in the period to make it 4-1 with an impressive natural hat trick.

The Notre Dame hounds, who have dominated the ice throughout much of the tournament, likely had a pep talk in the dressing room during the intermission, since they came out of the gates in the third ready to prove why they’ve been in first place for most of the week. Taylor Woods (Wilcox, Sask.) of the team from the Pacific region tipped in a shot at 17:31 in the third, but not before Brittany Berisoff (Kelowna, B.C.) scored Thunder Bay’s fifth and final goal of the game.

All in all, it was a competitive matchup between two of the best teams to hit the ice in Regina this week, but the Queens claimed the victory at the end of what could be a preview of Saturday’s gold medal game, which will be television on TSN2 at 4 p.m. CT. 

Defenceman Gabriela Stewart (Mississauga, Ont.) was named Player of the Game for Notre Dame for her work on the blue line, while Quarrell is taking home that honour for Thunder Bay for her incredible contributions to her team’s win, including a very rare natural hat trick.






First Period
Goals:
   03:04 WST 16 Olivia Howe (19 Brienna Gillanders, 4 Taylor Woods)
   16:04 ONT 19 Brittany Zuback (8 Michela Cava, 12 Kaitlyn Quarrell) PP
   18:33 ONT 12 Kaitlyn Quarrell (8 Michela Cava, 5 Courtney Tougas) PP

Second Period
Goals:
   06:20 ONT 12 Kaitlyn Quarrell SH
   12:33 ONT 12 Kaitlyn Quarrell (4 Brianna Iazzolino, 5 Courtney Tougas) PP

Third Period
Goals:
   00:23 ONT 7 Jana Henry (18 Taylor Savard)
   17:31 WST 4 Taylor Woods (11 Lindsay Brook, 17 Julia Flinton)

Atomic Zombie is a proud supporter of Thunder Bay Queens Women's Hockey organizaiton. 
Watch # 19 Brittany Zuback.

GO QUEENS! On their way to the semi-finals and medal round.

Esso Cup National Women's Hockey Tournament - Thunder Bay Queens score another win

QUEENS WIN - 5-2!


Goals: 
Cava & Quarrell in the 1st period
Zuback & Cornell in the 2nd period  WAY TO GO "ZUBES"
Tougas (in the third on empty net)

AMAZING GAME. Fast paced on both sides. Both teams were pouring on the speed, puck handling and persistent shots on net.

Kept us hooting and hollering again.

Zubes gets Player of the Game for Queens. She has three goals so far in the tournament. Congrats!

Commentators said:
Amanda Makela has been pretty steady in goal today.
Zuback has three goals in this tournament so far.
They set up pretty plays. Nice play by Thunder Bay. (Cava-Tougas-Zuback line)
The one line that’s been doing the job and the one we’ve been watching all week.
Tougas is crafty with it (the puck).
Another big save by the Queens goalie.
Zuback is no stranger to getting the puck in the net.

Today’s game: Queens (ONT) vs Notre Dame Hounds (WEST) - 1:00 PM CT (3 PM ET)

Hockey Canada Esso Cup up-to-the-minute coverage: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php?ci_id=60947&la_id=1

Current tournament standings: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci_id/72898/la_id/1.htm

Game Schedule: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci_id/70408/la_id/1.htm

Watch the games live via Internet ($): www.fasthockey.com

GO QUEENS!


Cheers,

Kathy McGowan (KoolKat)
http://www.atomiczombie.com

Follow us on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/zombie_atomic
Frequently Asked Questions: http://atomiczombie.com/plansfaq.html

Atomic Zombie proudly supports Thunder Bay Queens women’s hockey organization.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Thunder Bay Queens take on Moncton Rockets - Esso Cup National Women's Hockey tournament

Today's game: Thunder Bay Queens (ONT) vs. Moncton Rockets (ATL) - 12 pm CT (2 PM ET)

Hockey Canada Esso Cup up-to-the-minute coverage: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php?ci_id=60947&la_id=1

Current tournament standings: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci_id/72898/la_id/1.htm

Game Schedule: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci_id/70408/la_id/1.htm

Watch the games live via Internet ($): www.fasthockey.com

GO QUEENS!

Cheers,
Kathy McGowan (KoolKat)
http://www.atomiczombie.com

Follow us on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/zombie_atomic

Frequently Asked Questions: http://atomiczombie.com/plansfaq.html

Atomic Zombie proudly supports Thunder Bay Queens women’s hockey organization.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Recumbents, trikes and quadcycles - AtomicZombie.com builders gallery

Some more cool custom #homebuilt #bikes, #trikes and #quadcycles in the #AtomicZombie.com builders forum. Inspiring creativity out there. Nice work, everybody!

Pedal Power Dragster by Frank Villasenor, USA


Rat Rod by Jim McGuire, USA

Red Fox by Wonebarnwell, USA (based on StreetFox Tadpole Trike design).
Here a picture of my trike. It still needs some more work, like routing cables. The pulleys I made from scooter wheels, I cut the groove on a lathe and the return pulley (the white one) I made from solid nylon bar stock.

I was going to buy a trike from Actionbent or Terratrike back when the gas was $4.00 a gallon down here in Tennessee,but didn't and then saw your ad in Make magazine and decided to build my own trike and glad I did. Well, hope everyone enjoys the pictures as much as I have making it.  ~  Sincerely, Wone Barnwell


Lime Trike by John Austin, USA (based on StreetFox Tadpole Trike design).
Thanks for a great set of plans. ~ John Austin Corinna Maine
 

More of these and other awesome recumbents, choppers, trikes, tandems, kids' bikes, cargo bikes, motorized cycles, fun bikes, and tallbikes at AtomicZombie.com. 
 
Please send one picture (.jpg file no more than 2MB) of your completed #homebuilt #bike project to gallery@atomiczombie.com . 
 
We look forward to adding your custom bike to the gallery. Over 1,000 bike projects and still growing!

Esso Cup National Women's Hockey - Thunder Bay Queens win 5-1

*** Women's Hockey - Canada Esso Cup, Regina, Saskatchewan ***

A cracker jack game – WOW! The first and second periods totally rocked. Held onto the lead in the third period to take the win. WAY TO GO, GIRLS!

Internet cut out briefly and frustrated us for part of the second period, but came back strong during intermission. We did get to see all five Queens goals, though.

Felt sorry for the Quebec team, their third loss in this tournament. They sure played their hearts out in the 3rd period, but only secured one goal.

Queens scored three goals in the 1st period. #19 Brittany Zuback got an assist.
Queens scored one goal in the 2nd and one goal in the 3rd.

Commentators' statements throughout the game:

“Thunder Bay’s been the dominant team in this game.”
“Good play by Zuback to intercept.”
“Great chemistry…” referring to the Cava-Tougas-Zuback line.
“That line keeps giving headaches for teams in this tournament.”
“A well read play by Zuback.”
“That was a great play by Zuback.”
“Showing their dominance out there.”
“Full marks for their win.”

Tomorrow’s game: Queens vs. Moncton Rockets (ATL) - 12 pm CT (2 PM ET)

Hockey Canada Esso Cup up-to-the-minute coverage: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php...=60947&la_id=1

Current tournament standings: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci_id/72898/la_id/1.htm

Game Schedule: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php...08/la_id/1.htm

Watch the games live via Internet ($): www.fasthockey.com

AtomicZombie.com is a proud sponsor of the Thunder Bay Queens women's hockey organization and player  # 19 Brittany Zuback.



GO QUEENS!

Cheers,
http://www.atomiczombie.com

Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/zombie_atomic

Esso Cup National Women's Hockey Tournament - Thunder Bay Queens Midget AA game today

*** Women's Hockey - Canada Esso Cup, Regina, Saskatchewan ***



Today's game: Thunder Bay Queens (ONT) vs Remparts du Richelieu (QUE) - 12:00 PM CT (2 PM ET)

Hockey Canada Esso Cup up-to-the-minute coverage: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php?ci_id=60947&la_id=1

Current tournament standings: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci_id/72898/la_id/1.htm

Game Schedule: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci_id/70408/la_id/1.htm

Watch the games live via Internet ($): www.fasthockey.com

AtomicZombie.com is a proud sponsor of the Thunder Bay Queens women's hockey organization. 
# 19 Brittany Zuback (pictured above in white-red-black jersey).


GO QUEENS!


Monday, April 19, 2010

Check out these new choppers in the AtomicZombie.com gallery

WOW! More amazing chopper bike builds. We are always thrilled to see so much ingenuity out there. Congrats on these awesome chopper projects, guys. Hope to see more stuff from you soon.

Guy Michaud's customer chopper. Check out all that chrome!
 
 Thank you for showing our trike woody. From The Old Guys Garage. ~ Kahuna and Moe
 
Handmade Black Rain chopper by Stefano of Italy. Another black and chrome beauty!
 
More of these and other awesome recumbents, choppers, trikes, tandems, kids' bikes, cargo bikes, motorized cycles, fun bikes, and tallbikes at AtomicZombie.com. 
 
Please send one picture (.jpg file no more than 2MB) of your completed homebuilt bike project to gallery@atomiczombie.com . 
 
We look forward to adding your custom bike to the gallery. Over 1,000 bike projects and still growing!

Esso Cup Women's hockey game result - Thunder Bay Queens Midget AA

Thunder Bay Queens:  2  vs. Edmonton Thunder:  3

Exciting 3rd period – WOW! That’s the kind of fast paced hockey we like to watch.


Queens goals: Courtney Tougas in the 2nd  ; Brittany Zuback in the 3rd. A very sweet goal by Zubes. SHAWEEEET ZUBES!

Good luck tomorrow, girls!


Tomorrow’s game: Queens vs Remparts du Richelieu (QUE) - 12:00 PM CT (2 PM ET)

Hockey Canada Esso Cup up-to-the-minute coverage: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php?ci_id=60947&la_id=1


Current tournament standings: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci_id/72898/la_id/1.htm
Game Schedule: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci_id/70408/la_id/1.htm

Watch the games live via Internet ($): www.fasthockey.com

GO Q
UEENS!
 
AtomicZombie.com is a proud sponsor of Thunder Bay Queens women's hockey organization.

Atomic Zombie gives two thumbs up to Thunder Bay Queens hockey


Today's game: Edmonton Thunder  vs.  Thunder Bay Queens 6 pm ET (4 pm CT)

Thunder Bay Queens - 2 vs. Regina Rebels - 1

Yesterday's game summary: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php?ci_id=11728&la_id=1&ss_id=60947&game_id=1751

Watch the games live via Internet ($): www.fasthockey.com

AtomicZombie.com proudly supports Thunder Bay Queens Midget AA women's hockey. Watch #19 - our sponsored player (pictured above).

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Newbie Warrior Recumbent Tadpole Trike Project - finished!

I have always wanted a trike, but could never afford one. Thanks, Brad!
~ odm1, AZ Krew Member




Wow - another work of art. Well done, odm1. He started this project in early February and now has a sleek, comfortable recumbent tadpole trike just in time for spring. More proof that anyone can make their own homebuilt bikes, trikes, recumbents, choppers, etc., without spending a ton of money. 

Follow Odm1's Warrior Recumbent Tadpole Trike blog: http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php?t=3701&page=2

Recumbents, tadpole trikes, tall bikes and more

More additions to the Builders Gallery recently. Check out all the cool bikes, trikes, choppers, recumbents, tandems, tall bikes and fun cycles at www.atomiczombie.com.

Hi. This is a picture of my warrior trike, member name kevinp.


Here is a clear pic of my latest build. ~ PeterT



Hi Brad and Kat. Please put me in the builders gallery under short wheelbase bikes. I hope to add a tadpole to the mix next. Thanks for the great plans and the fantastic forum. It has been a lot of help. ~ Kevin 


Friday, April 16, 2010

Q&A: AtomicZombie.com bike plans

What format are your plans in and how many pages do they have?

Each of our plans is created as electronic book portable document file (PDF) with high resolution color photos followed by detailed text. Our photos are print quality resolution of at least 1024 by 768 pixels. PDFs can be viewed using Adobe® Reader®, currently the global standard for electronic document sharing. It is the only PDF file viewer that can open and interact with all PDF documents. Every step of the build includes one or more photos, followed by the text explaining in detail how and why.

The length of our plans varies depending on the complexity of the project, with printed page count ranging from 80 to over 200 pages. A plan that includes 150 printed pages typically includes roughly 150 or more photos along with the included text. Printing the entire plan is not necessary as you can usually read through the plan and then print out only the sections that you need to take into your workshop for reference. However, feel free to print the entire plan if you want to. To ensure consistent image clarity in all of our plans, we use a high quality digital camera and take our photos in a properly lit room with a neutral background.

I have never tried welding or hacking up a bike, so can I really build my own?

You bet you can! Just take a browse through our Builder's Gallery and have a look at the hundreds of diverse examples of recumbent bikes and trikes built directly from our plans. While you are enjoying the photo gallery, keep in mind that most of these amazing custom creations were built by average folks and many were built by those who have never touched a welder before starting into this amazing hobby.

Keep in mind that there is a learning curve to everything, but many newbie builders are now seasoned veterans who have a lot of experience and advice to share.

Mountain bike trike conversion - AtomicZombie.com builders gallery

Here's the latest project to roll out of the garage. It's a mountain bike/trike made with my Trike Conversion Mod.

My daughter wanted her own so she could join us on the bike trails, so this was a good project to help get me through another cold New England Winter.  I hope to see it in the next 'Delta Trike' Gallery update.

Thanks, kids. I'll see you on the Forums. ~ Richie Rich

Another masterpiece, Richie Rich. Looks great!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Questions and answers about AtomicZombie bikes, trikes, recumbents, choppers...

We have compiled a Frequently Asked Questions section on the main AtomicZombie.com web site. We occasionally get specific questions about Atomic Zombie DIY plans, so rather than repeating the same answers over and over again, we will blog about some common questions and answers. There are more bike building FAQs here: http://atomiczombie.com/plansfaq.html

Are your plans like blueprints? Do you supply CAD Drawings?
No, our plans are definitely not blueprints! Our plans contain highly detailed text and photos that explain every step of the building process from beginning to end. You do not have to understand CAD drawings or be able to read blueprints to build any of our plans. There are also detailed drawings in our plans showing critical angles and measurements. These are in a format that anyone can understand. Yes, we do things differently, but as you can see by our vast builder's gallery, our system definitely works!

There are over 1,000 examples of bikes and trikes built from our plans in our gallery, and many of them were built by first time welders, or those without any mechanical trade experience. Because of the amazing success of our current format, we do not plan to switch to the rigid blueprint or CAD style format as that would isolate our community to only those with an engineering background.


Why don’t you use blueprints, CAD Drawings, or include a detailed materials cut-list?
Blueprints assume that you will build an identical copy of something. This is almost impossible when it comes to creating a bike or trike without having access to a large machine shop or large supply of parts. For instance, the Warrior Tadpole Racing Trike can be made to accommodate riders of varying weights and heights, so forcing the design into a rigid blueprint format would force a 5'-2" tall 150 pound rider to build a trike suited for a 6'-4" tall, 350 pound rider!

Our plans take the builder through every step of the building process, and then explain modifications that can be made to suit the builder’s needs, rather than assume everyone wants the same exact final product. The same principle holds true for materials. There are hundreds of different variations on parts such as wheels, forks, and bicycle frames. Our plans allow you to adapt to whatever parts you have on hand or can acquire, making suggestions along the way for alternative parts.

A "cut here" list or a "bill of materials" forces the builder to seek out specific brands of components, hoping that they are still manufactured or within their individual budgets. We have found that this rigid format does not work for the majority of homebuilt bike builders, and creates much more frustration than simply allowing the builder to do some self-calculations or explore his/her own creativity before beginning the building process. Just have a look at our gallery to see the amazing diversity shown in our builders’ completed bikes and trikes. We’re all about thinking outside the box.

To quote AZ veteran bike builder PeterT: “You need to remember one thing - you are building your bike, with your budget, and your abilities, to your specifications, talents and expectations. You might spend hours/days/weeks etc. trying to sort out your cut list, but as soon as you walk into the actual store to purchase your required cuts, you will change your mind, and think of some wonderful way of modifying the design you want to build, so I offer some prudent advise - do a rough cut list to make sure that you have enough material for the basics, and then become friendly with the person serving you because you will be seeing him again and again, when you have 6" left and you need 9" to finish something, or you want to see if something else would look better on your new bike. Don't over-think things or you will never get started.”

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Long wheel base recumbents - AtomicZombie.com Builders Gallery

More recent bike entries to the AZ Builders Gallery include homebuilt long wheel base recumbents designed and built by some of our krew members from around the world. Nice work, everybody. Keep sending in those pictures of your completed bike projects.


Hi Brad and Kat. Attached are pics of my LWB that I completed about 2 years ago. It combines elements from some of your bikes in addition to AD Carson's "Recycled Recumbent." It's my first attempt at building, and that is quite addictive. I've named the bike "The Mongrel" due to the diverse sources of components (Bridgestone Kabuki road bike, Raleigh C30 Cross-Sport Hybrid, department-store mountain bikes, department store BMX bikes).

The only new components used in the build were the crankset, bottom bracket, rear cassette, brakes, cables and cable housings. Everything else, including the wheelset, was either built from scratch, salvaged or obtained in trades.

All the joints are fillet brazed and there hasn't been any problems with durability. The finish is a bright yellow powdercoat, and let me tell you, that is one durable finish. The company that did the work is named Armor Coatings, and it certainly lives up to the name. No nicks at all from the various types of debris that have been kicked up on rides.

I'd like to tackle a High Roller next, but I'm temporarily without a shop. Until I can build the next bike, I'll just have to rack up the miles on this one.

Keep up the good work at the site. Regards, Mike Meagher, aka "Wood Butcher" on the forum, New York.



Hi Brad, here are photos of a long wheel base recumbent  I built. ~ Francis Daniel, Wookey, England

Mach 2 modified by Andrew Carson, USA.


Lincolnshire WildKat by Bruce Reid, England.

Submit your homebuilt bikes. We are always looking for new bikes and trikes for our gallery! Please send your photos to: gallery@atomiczombie.com . Only one picture per project, maximum size 2MB.




Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Dedicated bike lanes coming to the downtown this summer - thestar.com

Dedicated bike lanes coming to Toronto downtown this summer

Greetings from Australia - LodeRunner Recumbent Tandem Trike builders

"Cheers from Australia! I've been lurking your forum for over a year and finally decided to take the plunge. Just bought your LodeRunner Tandem Trike plan. It's got lots of pictures and diagrams, something a noob like me needs!

I guess I should formally introduce myself. My name is Jim and I live in a rural area not too far from Melbourne, Australia. I've been retired from the construction scene for almost five years now. Always been busy making this and that in my backyard shop. I found Atomic Zombie while searching the Web for recumbent trike plans. Glad I stumbled on your site. It's a pleasure reading all about everyone's projects and the new things you've planned. I just read about the new tandem trike you're planning to build soon ("Big Red" based on Warrior Recumbent Tadpole Racing Trike). I'll be following that project with great interest!

My daughter is almost 18 years old and she wants to build the LodeRunner Tandem with me. I was shocked! She likes the picture of Brad and the two young ladies riding with him. I think it somehow inspired her. It should be a fun project for us to work on together.

We're in the process of gathering parts and taking measurements. I'll stop by the forum and give you folks a progress report once we have something to show. I know AZ builders love pictures, so we'll try to remember to take lots as the project goes along.

Cheers to you Brad and Kat and the entire AZ bike building crew. You're a great lot of people. Proud to be a part of this wonderful community.  ~ Jim and Stacey, Melbourne, Australia"

Thanks, Jim and Stacey. Our Builders Forum represents an international community of creative people who enjoy building their own cool stuff! Our forum is family safe, meaning that we keep it clean and free from flaming, offensive language and trolling. If you want to talk about the things you are building (or want to build) and meet others who share your desire to create, then please drop by and join the discussions! Membership is free.

If you are looking for support concerning an Atomic Zombie plan, or have a question about a project before purchasing, then you will find categories for each plan we offer in our forum. We also encourage experienced builders who have completed projects based on Atomic Zombie plans to help other novice builders, so feel free to share your advice, tips and tricks with the community.

Our plans are made for everyone, from beginners to novice builders. Atomic Zombie designs only require basic tools and materials that can be found at most hardware stores. All of our plans include many detailed photos and diagrams, and can be easily customized to suit your needs. See you in the forum.