Jeff Tiedeken, Aerospace Welder and Party Animal, has taken gravity bike design to a whole ‘nother level with his latest creation. As a side project he fabricated this downhill demon that’s so close to an engine-less motorcycle it’s sure to turn up a few puritanical noses. I’m amazed he had the time, in between building penny-farthings, trials and cargo bikes and working on projects with Exile Motorcycles, Disney Imagineering and Performance Machine.
Jeff was slated to exhibit his craft at this year’s NAHBS but was eventually refused entry, which was actually a blessing, as he was able to devote the extra time to perfecting the creations that were due to be shown. His gravity bike features elegant curves constructed from 4130 steel that belie a great structural integrity, as do the single-sided fork and rear end. In fact, the close-up shots reveal burly engineering and masterful welds, which happens to be a trademark of Jeff’s. That’s a 26” Crossmax Lefty wheelset, with deceleration provided by a pair of Avid Elixr hydraulic disc brakes. A pair of swap meet cranks are both set backwards and provide motorcycle-style footpeg struts.
Kyle from Trackosaurus Rex, one of my favorite reads, had the opportunity to take it for a spin with Jeff, and informs us he reached speeds around 50mph — but the potential is there to achieve speeds of up to 70mph. We can also thank Kyle for the fantastic shots; check out more shots of the bike in action on his Flickr. There’s also video footage on Jeff’s blog, Monkey Likes Shiny.
