Raptobike P0rn

RaptoBike - No Hands from RaptoBike on Vimeo.

I am still waiting for the Raptobike to ship but I figured I would assuage my desire with a little video. The video pictures Arnold, the Raptobike company owner, riding a Raptobike hands-free. This was one of the videos that helped me decide to buy this. Recumbents in general are not easy to ride hands-free, it is very cool to see that the Raptobike is one that can be ridden in this way.

As I wait for my bike, my plans become more and more intricate. I am going to build a tailbox out of coroplast and aluminum for my rapto. I want both the storage space as well as the aerodynamic benefits. I will use mostly rivet based fastening and plan on having 4 thumb-twist screws to attach the tailbox to the seat. The inverted U shaped rack will fit into the tailbox joining an aluminum and coroplast mate. I will then slide a shoe horn shaped plug under the arc to keep the position stable. My ideas probably outstrip my crafting ability at this point, but I will prototype on cardboard and excess coroplast. I figure practice may help me improve my crafting to the point that the tailbox won't look too bad.

My color scheme will be black and white. The frame is white, all accessories will be black if I can manage it. I will use that cool reflective black 3m tape as well. At night the black will become florescent white keeping my visibility high.