CycleBully Electric Trailer, kudos, journey complete, advertising

Again, another year is closing in fast and there’s a chill in the air signaling that winter is on the way. It wasn’t the best summer here weather-wise, but we sure did get many projects done in the garage despite the late start in June. I guess we shouldn’t complain much, considering the natural disasters and strife around the world. At least we have a roof over our heads we can afford and food in the cupboards.

Brad got the CycleBully Electric Trailer completed recently and it’s now available on the Atomic Zombie store. It took a little longer than expected to get finished, but well worth the effort. It can be used alternatively between recumbents, delta trikes and upright cycles, capable of carrying about 200 pounds of goods. We’ve been testing it now for over a week and it handles beautifully, even on our horrible streets. No tipping, handles corners effortlessly at decent speeds, no drag at all, keeps up to traffic when needed, just an overall excellent electric assist utility trailer that pushes you around when you need that extra boost. Hence the project name CycleBully. Get it?

A hearty congratulations to Justin Lemire who successfully rode his electric recumbent bike across Canada from Vancouver, British Columbia to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Despite some nasty headwinds, hurricane and powerful storms from Ontario to Nova Scotia, Justin completed his journey and kept posting updates and pictures along the way to a forum, www.endless-sphere.com . Many of us have been tuning in daily to catch the latest updates. It was our pleasure to have Justin stay with us last month overnight. A rare opportunity to meet someone so down-to-earth, intelligent and interesting to converse with. Hope we cross paths with him again soon. Here are the stats of his journey that he provided recently on that forum:

Total Distance: 7110 km
Total Energy Used: 100.7 kWh

Total Energy Bill: $ 8.57
Captured Regen Energy: 2.4 kWh
Net Energy Used: 98.3 kWh
Average Speed: 33.4 km/h
Energy Usage: 13.8 Wh/km
# of awesome people: countless

 

Kudos to Toronto bike artist and enthusiast, Janet, who recently uploaded two stencil inspired by Atomic Zombie’s Bicycle Builders Bonanza on her Flickr photo album. Thanks Janet!

 

Also, kudos to a brand new magazine based in Toronto, Dandyhorse. Janet sent us a copy of the premier issue last month and it’s a quality piece of work.

We have started a new Classified Advertising section in the Atomic Zombie forum. Some folks have been asking us about advertising on our site, so if you would like more information on submitting Classified Ads, please contact the Classified Advertising Manager.

The October 2008 newsletter is now online at http://www.atomiczombie.com/newsletter/oct2008.htm , and the Builder’s Gallery was updated on September 17. More updates will be done over the next week, so stay tuned to the Support Forum for updates.

Next up in the Atomic Zombie garage, a short wheel based recumbent and a winter bike, similar to the Hammerhead. We’re frantically trying to wrap things up this season. It’s always a rush at this time of the year, but we manage to squeak by. Keep up the great work, everyone! Whew! That was a long entry.

Electric bike journey, DeltaRunner Trike coming soon

Yikes! The summer is closing in fast. Just seemed like we got some nice weather and the cold temperatures have suddenly moved in. What happened to summer? Methinks it forgot about us here. Oh well, Brad has been able to get many projects done this summer, and three or four slated for this fall. He is currently writing the DeltaRunner Trike. It’s similar to the DeltaWolf Speed Trike with a higher seating position, front suspension and a 26 inch front wheel. The DeltaRunner plan should be available for download in a couple of days.

Last week we had an interesting visitor, Justin Lemire. He’s on a cross-country journey from British Columbia to Halifax, Nova Scotia on an electric bike, over 6,500 km. He happened to email us last week as he drove into our city and came over that night. He and Brad chatted for hours about bikes, electronics, environmental issues and the Atomic Zombie way of doing things to increase recycling, thinking outside the box and boosting interest in garage hacking and getting “back to basics”.

We offered the use of our Duct Tape Palace tent trailer so Justin could get a well deserved night’s rest. He has a hammock and sleeping bag, stopping along the TransCanada Highway catching some sleep when he can. He left BC in late July and expects to be in Halifax by the end of September. After a good sleep, a light breakfast, and another two-hour chat, he was on his way, accompanied by Brad on his Silent Speedster Electric Scooter to show Justin the way back to Highway 17 east.

It was a great visit, and we hope to keep in touch with Justin. He has so many amazing stories and pictures of his journey. Hope he writes a book or detailed blog once he returns to BC. It’s a once in a lifetime chance to travel this great country and meet all sorts of people. Glad he took the chance to fire off an email to us (thanks, Joshua for suggesting he contact the Atomic Zombie krew).

Also, recently updated the Builders Gallery . Many awesome recumbents, choppers, trikes, tall bikes, electric bikes, tandems and crazy bikes. Another update will be online next week. This is turning into a full-time job!

http://www.ATOMICZOMBIE.com

Marauder Reloaded, Vigilante Chopper, LodeRunner Trike, Tradewinds Tandem, and more!

As you can tell by the title of this entry, the Atomic Zombie garage has been very busy. Three new projects have been completed over the past month, and a new addition to be finished over the next few days. Might as well take advantage of the weather while it lasts. So much rain over the past four months; it’s a miracle how much is being done to catch up.

We really haven’t been doing much else except trying to get as many projects done as possible. The summer is so short here. Brad is writing the TourMaster Long Wheel Base Recumbent right now, and hope to have it online later this week.

If the weather holds up, we will be doing some videos this week for Marauder, LodeRunner and Tradewinds, too. Maybe after the TourMaster is done we’ll take a couple of days to relax and enjoy the summer while it lasts. Last week we managed to get the Vigilante Chopper video done.

The gardens are growing amazingly well. Should be a bountiful harvest this fall for corn and potatoes. The only bad part is the constant weeding that has to be done. It’s good exercise, though. We have been doing some biking lately. It feels good to get out in the fresh air and just enjoy the sunshine. Even a half hour ride is worth it. Soon enough we’ll be complaining about the cold and snow, so get out there and make the most of the season!

Marauder Reloaded done, Lode Runner Delta Trike very soon!

Whoa! Over a month ago we still had snow, but today, the grass is green, flowers in full bloom…ahh, yes, summer is finally on the way. What a difference a month makes. Still pretty chilly most evenings with occasional frost, but the veggie garden is growing quite well. Many tulips and daffodils still in full bloom. Still leery about putting in the tomato plants until the weekend, where we should have temps in the high 70’s to mid-80’s. Not too shabby.

Our latest book, Bike, Scooter and Chopper Projects for the Evil Genius, came out late last month, and Brad with his World Record SkyCycle (2003) was featured in a new book on Page 6 entitled, Crazy Canadian Trivia 3 by Pat Hancock, published by Scholastic Canada Ltd., ISBN 978-0-545-99995-3. It’s a really neat book with loads of interesting stuff. Wish we had something like this when we were kids. Did you know that actor James Doohan (Enterprise engineer “Scotty” in the Star Trek TV series and movies) was a Canadian whose cremated ashes were launched into space last year? Now you do!

It’s been a very busy month in the garage. The Marauder Reloaded recumbent is done, and the Lode Runner Delta Trike should be painted this weekend. The Marauder is a new and improved design of the original 2003 Marauder Lowracer featured in Atomic Zombie’s Bicycle Builder’s Bonanza. The Lode Runner Delta Trike is designed to support heavier riders who want to be at eye level with motorized vehicles and also for hauling cargo.

Since many of us feel more stable riding trikes as we get older, the Lode Runner is a great bike for short and long haul rides, with two rear disc brakes and parking brake. Should be taking it for a test ride tomorrow, then priming and painting over the weekend. I like the seat and rear cargo area. Might as well take advantage of the cooler temps right now, since the garage will be in the 90’s and over 100 in late July.

Once the final pics are done, Brad plans to hide in his room for a few days writing them up. They will be available for download in a week or so. Stay tuned to the forum for announcements. Been reading about the nasty weather affecting our southern neighbors in the US. Hope you are doing OK. Our thoughts are with you.

Marauder Reloaded almost done

It’s a dreary day, some snow in the morning and rain, but still chilly. It’s been raining for over a day, but the sun is finally trying to come out, although it’s too late in the day to really get out there and enjoy it. Still need to wear a warm jacket.

Yes, it’s hard to believe that a few days in the garage means another bike is nearing completion. What a change from a month ago when we were still getting snow and sub-zero temperatures. Brad spent an entire weekend cleaning and re-organizing the garage, then started right away on the Marauder Reloaded. He’s been working on this design for well over a year.

Since last month, we finished up some minor house renovations and gearing up for this season’s building extravaganza. A bit behind on the build schedule, but hope to have the Lode Runner Delta Trike done in June, followed by the Black Pearl Chopper.

Still no update on the second payment processor on the store due to more delays. Wish we could do that stuff ourselves; it would be done by now. But, have to wait a little longer for them to get it together. In the meantime, payments are still being accepted through PayPal or with a credit card.

The Builder’s Gallery was recently updated with dozens of awesome creations, so check it out.

Not much more to report right now, but stay tuned for the unveiling of the new Marauder Reloaded Lowracer in the next few weeks.

Tonight’s dinner will be Chicken Almond Khorma, recipe courtesy of our forum member TheVictim. This is the second time I’ve made it, and it’s easy, as well as delicious. We welcome anyone to post their favorite recipes, too.

The Garage Opens This Week

Well, here we are, supposedly in spring, but Mother Nature isn’t co-operating. We, like many parts of the world, are still having snow, cold temperatures, freezing rain, and basically unfriendly cycling weather. Brad is getting anxious to start cleaning the garage, but the backyard is still full of snow and mud spots, so hope the sun will shine all week long. Maybe we will actually have a nice spring after all? Let’s hope so, although last April we got several feet of snow dumped on us.

To cope with this seemingly long winter, we worked on and launched a new Support Forum and Atomic Zombie store. The new software are much more user friendly, organized and loaded with features. But, we were unable to import previous forum members and customers into the new database, so you must re-register (it takes seconds) on both systems. Sometimes old and new technology don’t get along.

The store doesn’t require that you log in to your customer account get your downloadable project links - you will receive them automatically in an email from the store once your payment is successfully processed. The entire ordering, checkout and download link receipt is quick and easy.

We are working on some issues with the second payment processor (hope to have it fixed this week), but for now, you can still pay with PayPal. You can pay with a credit card, and don’t need to have a PayPal account. If you aren’t a fan of PayPal, rest assured, you don’t have to become a member of that payment processor to pay for purchases.

Many projects on the Atomic Zombie To Do list, but have had to push up tentative release dates due to the late spring. Here’s what’s tentatively coming up this spring, summer and fall:

Marauder Reloaded (April)
Lode Runner Delta Trike (May)
Black Pearl Chopper (June)
Tandem Inline Delta Trike (July)
Tandem Electric Motorcycle (August)
HQ SWB Lowracer (September)
Winter Vehicle (October)

Bike, Scooter and Chopper Projects for the Evil Genius will be out some time in May. Keep checking the Support Forum for updates and announcements. This is a book, and we cannot offer it as a download, since the copyright is owned by McGraw-Hill.

We have had some problems getting a steady supply of Atomic Zombie’s Bicycle Builder’s Bonanza and 101 Spy Gadgets for the Evil Genius, so thanks for your patience while we work out supplier issues. Unfortunately, due to insane shipping costs and delays, we cannot ship books outside of Canada and USA at this time. We’re not a multinational conglomerate that can negotiate cheap shipping rates; just a Zombie, a Kat and a dawg!

Also, working on updating the Builder’s Gallery - sorry it’s taking so long. We decided to do some much needed home renovations that became a bit of a nightmare. Almost got the main stuff finished, so will finally have some uninterrupted time to sit here for hours to upload your latest creations. Great work, everyone! More amazing builds will be posted in the next week.

The latest Atomic Zombie newsletter is also online, www.atomiczombie.com/newsletter/april2008.htm.

Stay warm, friends.

StreetFighter Quad Cycle now online!

The StreetFighter Quad Cycle is finally online and already creating a buzz. This will be the last big project until we thaw from the deep freeze. Can’t build in the garage when it’s in the -30s and -40s Celsius. Even the kerosene heater can’t keep up with frigid temps. The StreetFighter was a suggestion by one of our Atomic Zombie Krew members - SirJoey - last year. It took longer than expected to get done, between other projects and books, but what a major accomplishment!

The Builder’s Gallery was updated recently with a record 35 new projects. Many cool builds, including some amazing clones of Marauder, Meridian, StreetFox, Bandito, Sparky, DeltaWolf and OverKill. Alot of incredible talent out there, so keep up the great work, everyone.

More software upgrades over the next couple of months that will keep us up many late nights, but necessary to keep things going along smoothly.

The latest Atomic Zombie newsletter is also online, www.atomiczombie.com/newsletter/january2008.htm.

Stay warm, friends.

A new year, a lot do do

Here we are already in another year. 2008 marks the 8th anniversary of the birth of Atomic Zombie Extreme Machines, and we’re glad to still be around doing what we love to do. Looking back over the past eight years, we never dreamed we’d get this far and have so many friends worldwide sharing our interests and passions. Technology, although frustrating at times, has allowed all of us to connect, share and find common bonds, no matter how far apart we live and work. Thanks to all of you who dare to dream, create and persevere.OK, now that the mushy stuff is done, Happy New Year everyone! There will be many more projects on the Atomic Zombie sketch pad, but first, we are working on a new forum software and hope that the current discussion threads can be seamlessly integrated into the new software. Somehow that task seems impossible at this point, given the frustration level of technology. We may have to archive previous threads, but we’re not sure yet. I’ll bet there will be many late nights of consuming gallons of coffee to get everything sorted out, so bear with us if things seem a bit bumpy for the next month or so. Glitches are bound to happen.

We are also working on a new store layout that will take some time to get fixed up and running smoothly. This project will take some time, so don’t expect any miracles until some time in February. Will have more info. to report next month.

Since we’re in the early stages of winter, the Atomic Zombie garage will officially open in March. We have a couple of feet of snow, but temps have been pretty mild so far. It’s expected to get bitterly cold later this week in the -20s Celsius. Brrr!  Hope those of you enduring wicked weather, especially our southern neighbors, are doing OK. You’re in our thoughts.

Stay tuned for the launch of the StreetFighter Cycle Quad, to be launched late next week. Just wasn’t enough time before Christmas to get it written up and online. There will be an announcement in the Forum when it’s available next week. The Builder’s Gallery is also being updated over the next week. It will take some time to get everyone’s submitted photos up, but it’s on my To Do list this week and next week.

Bike, Scooter, and Chopper Projects for the Evil Genius is tentatively scheduled for late April/early May release. Will post more updates when they become available. So far, we have no plans to do another book this year to focus on the Atomic Zombie projects and expand our little community. Feel free to recruit more garage hackers and send them this way. The more brains we have working together, the more we can accomplish together. Let’s make 2008 the Year of the Zombie!

Cheers, friends.

Updates, Season’s Greetings

I can’t believe it’s already mid-December. I remember how psyched we were earlier this year to get more projects done, in addition to two books and our regular jobs. Never thought we’d get so much done in less than a year.

The 51 High Tech Practical Jokes for the Evil Genius book came out in September and we submitted the manuscript Bike, Scooter and Chopper Projects for the Evil Genius earlier this month. It’s expected to be available in April 2008. Whew, no wonder we feel so burned out.

Now it’s time to wind down from the year’s hectic schedule and catch up on some much needed sleep. Of course, Brad is aiming to get the StreetFighter Cycle Car online before Christmas, but we’ll see how that goes. He’s coming down with a cold/flu, just in time for Christmas, of course.

Thanks to everyone for their support and encouragement again this year, especially our awesome Atomic Zombie Krew on the Support Forum. We have a lot of new stuff coming out in 2008, including a new and improved forum, more human powered and electric vehicle projects, and some changes to our web site to make navigating easier. We hope to actually have some “spare” time to do some cool videos and fun stuff, too.

Have a safe, healthy and holiday season, everyone!

StreetFox Tadpole Trike, New Bike Book in 2008

I know, I know, it’s been awhile since the last update. The summer has flown by somehow (I barely remember August), and fall is settling in, although the temps have been in the 80’s and 90’s some days. Very weird. So much to do around the house, and so little time - literally.

Of course, that means getting our bike projects done as quickly as possible, as well as our next book, “Bike, Scooter, and Chopper Projects for the Evil Genius“, due out in late April 2008. There will be at least two more downloadable projects coming in the next few months, and a winter bike for sure in January/February.

But, in the meantime, the StreetFox Tadpole Trike download is online and sparking some interest in the bike building community. We took it out for some video footage and pictures a couple of weeks ago, my first real test ride at Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park, just a half hour drive from where we live. It was unbelievably hot that day, not a good day for wearing black t-shirts.

I was so impressed with how well the StreetFox handled around sharp corners, comfortable and fast. Considering I haven’t done much bike riding this summer, I managed to tackle a couple of fairly steep hills with little effort. Should have known better than to wear the black tee, though. I can also lift the trike easily in and out of the back of the truck by myself, another plus.

After riding around for a couple of hours, we rested at the beach and met up with an Atomic Zombie fan, who is also an electric bike enthusiast. It’s interesting how many people are into this hobby and electric vehicles. After chatting it up with him for almost an hour, we packed up and headed home.

It was a productive day, but we headed to a BBQ for dinner and decided to ride our bikes, about a 15 minute ride, Brad on his DeltaWolf with underseat steering modification and me on my StreetFox. I can honestly say that I’m now a huge fan of the tadpole trike design. I liked my WildKat Recumbent, but I think I’m hooked on the StreetFox for sure. Check it out for yourself.

Brad is currently working on a compact electric scooter, smaller than the LongRanger Electric Bike, but still practical and easy to build. That download will be available in October. So, we’re still plugging along, and yes, the Builder’s Gallery is being updated. Once all of the latest entries are done, it will all be uploaded late one evening. Have to be weary of our bandwidth issues these days. Thanks for your continued patience as we try to resolve the occasional download glitches. We have some options available, but improvements take time and money, things we’re a bit short on these days. The store and site will be streamlined later this year.

Cheers for now.