On 12 May 2003 09:07:42 -0700,
[email protected] (Jeff Wills) wrote:
>"Moosh
" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:<
[email protected]>...
>> I look at three wheelers like windcheater and greenspeed and especially tandems and all those
>> yards of chain. A man could do hisself a power of mischief if this all came unstuck at speed.
>>
>> Has anyone ever tried a three-wheeler with two at the front but rear wheel steering? Have to be a
>> bit careful, but I reckon you could get used to it. Much better engineering if it is manageable.
>>
>>
>> Moosh
>
>You're describing a Sidewinder:
http://www.sidewindercycle.com/ There's a short review at
>
http://www.ihpva.org/pipermail/trikes/2002-December/022264.html
>
>I've had exactly one failure of my chain in tens of thousands of miles of riding, which
>necessitated a roadside repair, nothing worse. Given the difficulty of engineering a two-wheel
>drive axle and rear wheel steering (many have tried, few have succeeded), I'll stick with driving
>the rear wheel, thank you.
I was really joking about the chain catastrophe. I just feel that all that chain might be
unnecessary. Nevertheless, I will probably come back full circle to the pedals at the extreme
opposite end to the drive wheel with the peddler appearing to be taking a kip in the middle
My thoughts at the minute are of a pair of "deckchairs" side-by-side with a non-steering wheel and
peddle assembly in front of each (perhaps the bottom bracket and fork and wheel with chainwheels/
sprockets from two cannibalised bikes?
Between the two seats, a steering joy stick (tiller) linked to a lever on the single rear wheel
which could be the front forks and wheel and headstock from one of the above cannibalised bikes.
BTW, the brakes on the front wheel are going to have to apply equally or you will have some
unintended directional decisions
This can be done with the judicious use of compensating levers,
I believe. (The word for this arrangement escapes me for the moment)
Then there's the problem of the captain peddling harder than the stoker and the tendency for this to
send the velocipede in circles. Perhaps a linkage between the two front wheels mit ratchet so we
don't wear out the lubbers on corners?
Moosh
