Raptobike Update and Wheel Cover thoughts

I recently received a few emails from other people who ordered Raptobike frame kits. So I figured I would update my blog with the progress of my Raptobike order. Everything is ready and should ship soon but there was a delay with the Carbon seats. The last batch that was manufactured came out too heavy and so we are waiting for the next batch. I am expecting news soon and the Raptobike team has been very nice about keeping me in the loop. It is just hard for myself and some others as we are all eager to get our new toy. The Raptobike just inspires so much excitement and lust that it is hard to contain it.

To occupy that part of my brain I have been working on designs for my wheelcovers. I am going with 4mm Coroplast split down the middle for my covers. I emailed a few local sign makers to see if I can get Coroplast sheets from them. Hopefully I will hear from them soon. I have also been thinking about the details of how to attach the covers to the wheels. My current plan is to use fishing line to attach the covers to the spokes. In this way the second cover per wheel is doable with a curved needle similar to the one on the left. This way I can hook around each spoke as long as I know where they are. I will leave a section unlaced near the valve of my tube. That section will be held with tape only so I can peel it back to fill up the tire and deal with flats.

Late update: This article from recumbents.com should be required reading for anyone working on wheel disks.