You have a couple of options to consider when building a bicycle wheel cart. The first is your selection of materials. A tube steel frame can be fitted with a neck arm that sleeves onto the bike seat post. A laminated hardwood cart might have extension arms that resemble a rickshaw and attach to the rear wheel mount on a bicycle. The other option is the size and type of the bicycle wheels and rims. Rigid conduit makes an inexpensive cart frame that can be conformed using a tubing bender. Plywood, axle hubs and wheels complete the major parts list.
Frame
Step 1
Mark an outline of the cart frame on the floor. Lay a 10-foot length of 3/4-inch rigid conduit on the outline as one side of the cart. Mark the locations of the bends that will make the corners at the front and rear of the cart on that side. Lay a second piece of conduit on the opposite side of the outline and mark the locations of the bends that configure the opposite side of the cart frame.
Step 2
Make 90-degree, standing bends at the corner marks on each piece using the tubing bender. Lay the pieces in place on the outline. Use the bender and make necessary adjustments that align the ends of the pieces where they will butt join together at the front and back of the cart.
Step 3
Use a hacksaw or tubing cutter and cut the pieces where they butt join at the front and back of the cart frame. Align the butt ends of the pieces and weld the butt joins to form the lower rail of the cart frame. Repeat the previous steps and make the upper rail of the cart frame.
Step 4
Cut eight pieces of rigid conduit at equal lengths. These will determine the depth of the cart. Weld these in a standing position at the corners and midway on each of the four sides of the lower rail of the frame. Place the top rail of the frame on the standing pieces and weld each of the standing pieces to the top rail.
Step 5
Measure and cut four lengths of rigid conduit as cross pieces to support the floor of the cart. Space the pieces uniformly and weld them into place between the sides of the lower rail. Buff the welds on the frame using the electric drill and a wire wheel attachment.
Side Boards
Step 1
Use the circular saw and cut a piece of 1/2-inch plywood as the floor and place it in the cart. The floor should overlap the front and back rails. Drill 1/8-inch pilot holes through the plywood floor and into each of the cross pieces and the front and back rails. The pilot holes should be 2 inches apart. Attach the plywood to the lower frame with 1/8-inch sheet metal screws in each of the pilot holes.
Step 2
Cut four pieces of plywood as the side panels that will attach inside the cart frame. Drill 1/8-inch pilot holes through the plywood and into the standing pieces of the frame. Attach the plywood sides with 1/8-inch sheet metal screws. Use wood screws to connect the corners of the pieces if necessary.
Step 3
Paint the frame and plywood if desired. Use epoxy primer and paint on metallic surfaces. Use wood sealer and exterior trim paint or wood stain on the plywood.
Wheels and Neck Arm
Step 1
Turn the frame over and mark the locations where the axle housing will attach on each side of the frame. Cut a length of 1 1/4-inch steel pipe as the housing that spans the width of the cart and overhangs 2 1/2 inches on each side of the frame. Thread the ends of the 1 1/4-inch axle housing on the pipe machine.
Step 2
Use a framing square to align the axle housing perpendicular with the sides of the frame and weld the housing in place. Insert the axle hubs into the housing and secure them with 1 1/4-inch nuts and the adjustable wrench. Put the bicycle wheels on the axles and use an open end wrench to tighten the buts that hold them in place.
Step 3
Turn the cart over onto its wheels. Set the cart in place behind the bicycle so you have 32 inches clear between the front of the cart and the back wheel of the bicycle. Use blocks of wood under the frame to hold the cart level. Measure the distance from the top rail of the cart to the post on the bike seat.
Step 4
Cut a length of rigid conduit to this length as the neck arm that connects to the bike post. Weld a 1-inch length of 1 1/4-inch steel pipe perpendicular at one end of the neck arm as a collar. Make a bend in the center of the arm so that it maintains the cart level when connected to the bike post.
Step 5
Weld the neck arm to the face of the front rail of the cart frame. Use an open end wrench to remove the seat post, insert the post into the 1 1/4-inch collar. Reattach the seat to the bicycle.
Tips and Warnings
- Thick wire mesh can be used in place of plywood as the floor and sides of the cart. Use nylon hose washers inside the neck collar to limit wear on the seat post.
Things You'll Need
- 3/4-inch rigid conduit
- Tubing bender
- Hacksaw or tubing cutter
- Welding equipment
- Electric drill
- Wire wheel attachment
- 1/2-inch exterior plywood
- Framing square
- Circular saw
- 1/8-inch drill bit
- 1/8-inch sheet metal screws
- 1 1/4-inch steel pipe
- Pipe cutter and threading machine
- 2 bicycle axle hubs
- 1-1/4-inch axle hub nuts
- Open end wrenches
- Adjustable wrench
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