Expanding chainrings born again

These were made for may years and used for commuting successfully, But bike racers did not like them so they stop making them. Another perfect example of how the Racing industry has turned bicycles into a disposable aluminum junk yard.



The new one:

The old one made of steel too heavy for modern man, weak form driving cars!!

http://www.zoxed.eu/photos/bikes_drives.html

http://www.oldbike.eu/museum/hello-world/oldbike_online_bike_museum-2/

more info

http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4463.0

Another Concept trike

http://www.greendiary.com/goza-ecycle-electric-concept-trike-combines-design-with-sensibility.html

I have not seen much info abut this, but concept designs are usually not put into production, nor even a prototype is made.  I would like one of these my self, maybe I can build one my self.

 Gears in the rear? suspension in the center? Does not lean like a bicycle? Yet has a high center of gravity. Is that safe? I would build the front wheels wider apart. And I want to see the Ackermann steering in action.

Cargo Bicycle Design Contest

The winner will receive a painting

http://nhojyesdnil.wordpress.com/

The bike must be easy to build  and easy to get off of when fully loaded, (some people do not under stand the need for a low step through frame); and sitting up straight is needed for carpel tunnel syndrome.

And the design must be original!

Actually I do not expect any one to do better. Because it took me years to learn how to construct a bicycle from used bikes, with out a shop.

Based on this design concept, I have another winner
 http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-an-ergonomic-Cycle-Truck/

I do like leaning trikes and other cargo bikes, but not for ease of construction.

Head first kills

I have know several people that have smashed their heads riding road bikes. I will never even consider riding head first.

I never wear a helmet because I know how to ride a recumbent bike. Road bikes  are not 'safety' bikes!  


 Speed is the biggest danger factor. Two of the people that I know died from cycling was from too much speed. An Olympic cyclist in training on the local roads flew over a cars hood into a barrier when the teenagers decided to turn in front of her. Then there was one man I know that ran into pipes sticking out of a truck because he had his head down.

heads crack like eggs

Too many gears!

Now you can have a 3 speed hub with an 8 or 9 speed cassette, and a disc brake! They say you can remove the multi-speed crank set. But in reality the only way to get a low enough gear for a trike to climb a 16% grade with about 300 lbs total weight, is to use 22 sprocket chain ring and 34 sprockets on the rear, that would be about 13 gear inches for a 26 inch wheel and 10 GI for a 20 inch wheel.

It would much cheaper to use a Mountain tamer fourth chain ring of 18 sprockets in the front, equaling 10.5 gear inches.


http://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/953780-hub-gears-cassettes-over-lap.html#post16851173

Sram dual drive 3 speed with cassette

Sturmey Archer F30 rear 3 speed disc brake 9 speed cassette

These are best used on trikes because bicycles can not be ridden under 3 mph! But it will allow a trike to be ridden up some very steep hills.

http://www.utahtrikes.com/RECENTTRIKE-Ashleys_Annihilator.html

Bolt together trikes

http://www.n55.dk/MANUALS/SPACEFRAMEVEHICLES/spaceframevehicles.html

So how does it keep from rattling apart? Even stainless steel bolts come loose. Carry wrenches?

Plans for the recumbent trike only...$2000 plus shipping!

The Copenhagen wheel?

http://senseable.mit.edu/copenhagenwheel/

This is  a self contained, but wimpy  machine, made for people that live on flat land, and need to stay dry cycling to work! But do not think it will carry you up steep hills with cargo!

While a single stage chain drive loses around 5-10%, a hub drive not operating near it's peak RPM is losing far more power than a properly geared motor would be.

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=61388

San Francisco wheel?
If some one wants to make a dent in america's car culture glut, they are going to have to engineer one that can drive 400lbs up a 10% grade at legal speeds. It has the potential to use thicker wires for lower voltages when climbing hill, unlike normal hub motors, with out planetary gears.

Only in america can we use a motor strong enough.


Read this for more info on motorizing a heavy cycle
 http://commutercycling.blogspot.com/2010/10/secrets-of-motor-pedal-hybrid-design.html

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=61388

http://www.electricbike.com/hubmotors/

Milk Crates

Some asked me the other day where to get one and I had no idea other than a junk yard. apparently they are available several places on the net.

Even on amazon.com

Ergonomics of carpel tunnel syndrome

I spent 10 years with painful carpel tunnel syndrome, and almost gave up on bicycles. I got a recumbent trike and finally a recumbent bike. But I never like how hard it was to climb hills with cargo.

Eventually I found out about the ergonomic power angle when I was designing a batter recumbent bicycle. Recumbent seats are set at about 35 degrees off a line from the cranks through the back of the seat, with 5 degrees of adjustability each way.

Then I noticed how old cruise bicycle seat posts are set at 60 degrees off the ground. This angle lets you sit up straight and take the pressure off your wrists.  And still sit at a 30 degree angle from the crank spindle, and lean forward to about 40-45 degrees.

Mountain bikes are set at about 70 degrees, which gives you a 20 degree ergonomic angle. That is why I stopped riding regular bikes until I rediscovered this system of taking the pressure off and still be able to lean in to the pedals when climbing hills.

It took  special handle bars to be able to grip at two different places.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-an-ergonomic-Cycle-Truck/

Wooden bicycles

http://gizmodo.com/348866/high-school-student-builds-100-wooden-bike

Keg Trucks

                                                                                http://urbanvelo.org/the-bootlegger-keg-trike/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44666134@N04/sets/72157630061835095/with/7185513391/

Leaning cargo trike design

Warning! You need a third degree of backyard engineering do build one of these!

 To carry cargo on hills that force you to slow down to about 3 mph or less , with out getting off and pushing a bike up thte hills, I would chooose a trike. But I hate the feel of a trike (having to lean into the turns) and I can push a bike easyer than a trike.

 I am not sure that this kind of trike would be easier at very slow speeds than  a two wheel cargo bike. But it does appear that it would have better traction  when  cornering  fast. 

I do not know if the shocks are needed when using  center point steering. 

I also think it would be better to use the two support arm method, even if just to distribute the weight off of the one single bearing.

Center point steering axis should not be exactly centered. Maybe a half inch to one inch off the center of the 2 inch tire?

This  one does have some bump steer. 

This two sided one is better, but is more complex. 

Now if I redraw all of these to fit together, I could built one. If I had enough money.

Ultimate tilting trike    Leaning cargo trikes

http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php/7663-Tilting-taddy-begins

Big Box Trike Steering

http://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum/f10/need-advice-cargo-bike-steering-geometry-21637.html



The front axil should follow the pivot point by about 2 inches to help it ride in straight line with out turning on it's own.