I decided to give a try and learn to ride the BC Wheel.
I don’t want to spend a lot of money on it, so I thought to build one by myself.
Its going to be a learner BC wheel, if I’ll learn and love it, I probably buy a pro version in the future
So for now, I bought that poor 20" wheelset for 10$:
I think that all I need is the plates. I made a sketch and I have to find tomorrow someone to make it (6mm steel?)
What do you think? will it hold on for the learning period? I’m going just to try to ride it nothing else (hops, stairs, etc. :D)
I did this too, although I haven’t spent much time riding it. I think it will be fine for the initial learning stage. I know others use a proper BMX wheel with the thicker axel, but that seems overkill until you are hopping and jumping.
This is what I put together
This probably takes the title of 'heaviest BC wheel ever", but the angle iron was pulled from the garbage
I found someone that will make the plates (platforms?) for me, I’ll post pics later.
I’m so exicted that I have BC wheel for the weekend!!!
BTW, from what you manage to learn so far, do you find it really “Impossible”? I saw someone that did it with 471 tries (he actually count them with a clicker…):
Got my BC plates. The welder chose to do it 4mm thickness, and promised that if it will bend, he will give me my money back…
It cost me 25$, so I paid for the Learner BC 35$ till now.
I think I will spray the plates with 1-2 layers of any colour I’ll find at home, and that all?!
Oh, maybe I’ll add a strip of grip tape…
Got my BC plates. The welder chose to do it 4mm thickness, and promised that if it will bend, he will give me my money back…
It cost me 25$, so I paid for the Learner BC 35$ till now.
I think I will spray the plates with 1-2 layers of any colour I’ll find at home, and that all?!
Oh, maybe I’ll add a strip of grip tape…
Got my BC plates. The welder chose to do it 4mm thickness, and promised that if it will bend, he will give me my money back…
It cost me 25$, so I paid for the Learner BC 35$ till now.
I think I will spray the plates with 1-2 layers of any colour I’ll find at home, and that all?!
Oh, maybe I’ll add a strip of grip tape…
Hi, it seems that somehow my last post duplicate itself
I have 2 holes in each plate for different position, I saw it on the Nimbus plates (they have there 3 holes), so I said to the welder to do it too…
I guess I’ll find out which position I preferred soon
Did paint job and installed the plates, and thats all.
I’m pretty sure that the plates will hold on, it’s the axle that may be the weak link…
Well we’ll see. Can’t wait to try it tomorrow…
I have a question for the more experienced BC riders. The plates on my bc are very low hung, vs closer to the COG. And the lower the plates are, the wider the swing arc. So my question is, would riding/mounting be easier if the foot area was higher up, or lower?
I’ve always wondered this too. Is there any real need for the ‘platform’? If it’s easy enough to ride with it higher up, you could probably make a SUPER cheap setup with a BMX wheel and a set of stunt pegs
Thank you Terry, the bells idea is great! Reminds me when we were kids we used to attach a piece of plastic between the bike frame and the spokes, to get a motorbike sound effect…
In the BC comic strip they had the same setup you’re talking about…
Found this old article as the rider says there: “…First, the type of impossible wheel I have is one where the pegs are mounted on the axel of a 20” wheel, and they drop down about an inch or more. So they are not even with the axel. I have never tried riding one where the pegs are even with the axel, so I don’t know if it would be any harder…" He also wonders and it was years ago…
Maybe for basic riding its not that important, but when you push the limit, and trying to hop/jumps, you want your feet to grab the wheel by placing them between the plate and the axle…
Shot this earlier today, and got my longest BC ride yet…and while holding my camera!
And you can see how low my plates are. I’m thinking of making a new pair but much closer to COG, mostly because I’m curious as to any difference it might make.
I always thought to hop on a BC you sort of squeeze the vertical part of the plates between your feet and jumped, sort of how you flick a football up by catching it between your feet. I’ve never even seen a BC-wheel in real life though let alone ridden one so you know…
My dad’s got a BMX with pegs in his room right now, I might ask him if I can borrow the front wheel for a night or two
Awesome Terry!!! I want so much to feel what is like to glide like that…
BTW did you try to ride the BC a steeper slope?
Go for it, I’m sure your dad will understand, after all it’s for good cause…
I would love Alu plates, because those steel quite intimidating for me…
They’ll have to be thicker although, I think Bedford used to make them like that:
I think thinner alum. would be fine if it were something like 6061 or similar strength. The Bedford plates are super short, and thus good for hopping since your shoes are close to the axle bolt, which is used when hopping. The standard 3 hole sizes on the nimbus are 45, 65, and 85mm from axle center to footplate. I just measured mine and they are L O N G !!! 127mm! I want to make a pair of shorter plates, if only to see the difference in mounting/riding and control.
I want to make a pair of shorter plates, if only to see the difference in mounting/riding and control.