The Kotzur Cycle design process is designed to create the most appropriate custom cycle the rider and and myself can imagine. In the case of cyclists with a disability it may involve the whole family, therapists and medial specialists as well as inspiration from the world wide web and comparisions and improvements to currently available products. All cycles can be bespoked to dangerous levels of expense with custom handmade components and very careful attention to design, fabrication and finish. That said, they can be also designed to take account of a defined budget and use existing or remodelled cycles and components to produce an appropriate design.
Custom FramesTrike convertorsWheelchair tandemsLife cyclesQuadicyclesClassic BikesAdult stabilisersTandemsCargo cyclesTrikesAdult & junior stabilisersRecumbent tandemsHandcrankersWayne Kotzur
Wayne is the Bikecologist. He has been a custom and bespoke builder of bikes, trikes and tandems for over 30 years. His products featured in the 2000 Paralympics, ACT Floriade and the Nican Database.
- 30 years frame building experience
- Individually designed and constructed cycles
- Long experience in assembly & sourcing
- Local builder who services his own products
Materials
Bikecologist favours traditional materials because they have been proven in over a half century of use and can be reliably modified and repaired. We do repair aluminium and carbon fibre frames,of course, but feel that lightweight steel tubing and custom parts make many options (that would be prohibitively expensive in carbon and alloy )possible. Where appropriate aluminium and carbon fibre are used to create guards. mouldings and other requirements of a non-structural kind. Chief tubing used by Kozurcycledesign are Reynolds 853, Columbus nivachroms and Nova chrom moly, as well as german chrom moly in longer lengths.
Tools & Techniques
Frames can be made with a little or a lot of equipment. It is the care and attention to detail that defines a good frame. Bikecologist has a wide range of production equipment, such as lathes to ultra-fine german riffler files. We use several 2D and 3D drafting programs and can send files to other fabricators for specialised items. All this is supported by a solar PV array that generates enough electricity to cover the workshop use.
Often clearances and aesthetic considerations require frame tubing to be curved. All smaller sizes are done in the workshop and larger sizes are reshaped locally.
While many frames are now TIG welded (Wayne has a TIG certificate) most Kotzur frames are brazed. This is an additive gas torch process and require temperatures below melting steels so that more strength is retained, and joints can be made with reinforcing lugs or lugless. Ultra strong frames like off-road tandems can use harder bronzes and light road frames will benefit from lower temperature brass and silver solders.
