hello folks. My first post on here. Ive been watching most of the videos. Ive been interested in electronics, bikes and machines for years. Used to get the electronics magazines in the late 80s, they had loads of adverts. Some of the electronics surplus shops had Sinclair C5 parts for sale. Wheels, tyres and electric motors. I got some wheels and tyres and used them on weird chopper bikes I was building.
The tyres had a ribbed tread pattern, for lower rolling resistance, smoother ride so more efficient use of power, and more comfortable. Think the tyres were Sinclair branded V rubber brand. Small wheels and sitting in the "recumbent" position can be a bit of a pain after a while, in parts of the body, you dont want to be painfull.
Wheel/tyre sizes were 12" and 16". think they were 2" wide. Those sizes are common on kids bikes, folding bikes, kids scooters, and those 3 wheel baby cart things. think the front wheel on Daves C5 is from a kids bike or cheap baby cart. Better getting an alloy rimmed wheel on there. Probably from a baby cart. As rusty steel rims will just eat through brake pads, with little stopping power. Also cheap steel rims from little bikes are often badly made, not terribly round, and not a constant width. Wheel rims are made by rolling up an extruded U section, then theres a join. On steel wheels this is welded. On cheap rims its badly ground down. So making it narrower for a little bit. So that is felt thru the brakes, hurts your hand, might cause noise or wheel lock up.
Heres a video of, Chris Barrie Britain's Greatest Machines - S01E04: 1980s - The Future Has landed
Chris has a try in a C5. Shows the bare frame and some other parts. He also has a go in a Delorean, a Lotus, tanks and helicopters. Lots of things that any bloke would love to play with. Chris Barrie was in the Red Dwarf sci fi show. He was also Angelina Jolies butler on the Tomb Raider movies. As Ive said, lots of things that any bloke would love to play with.....meaning the big robot and cars and gadgets.