4-limb-2-wheel-drive bike

[Gildas Failler]

INVESTOR NEEDED.

Short history of the bike: you push the ground (1817), propel the front-wheel (1861), the rear-wheel
(1868), with the legs. Now add the power of the arms to propel the front-wheel and you get the 4th
type bike. It looks like, can be used like, a regular bike, but when desired, you can use your arms
(or whole body, in fact) for propulsion of the front-wheel in addition to the use of the legs. Then
you recover your quadruped abilities and get 50% more power, a 2-wheel-drive, a bodybuilding and
health vehicle, better track-hold, manoeuvrability, equilibrium, amazement from friends, and MUCH
MORE FUN! Also transmutes the energy of the shocks on the suspension into an energy of propulsion.
Will make worldwide news! System usable on any type of cycle. Will be one day as standard as the
derailleur today. No patent problem. For demonstration film and details, send $10 to: Gildas
Failler, 5 Gentilshommes, 29000 Quimper, France. Fon/Fax: 33 02 98 95 34 48. E-mail:
[email protected]

 

[Zog The Undenia]

Gildas Failler spammed:

> Then you recover your quadruped abilities

In certain parts of Swindon the natives never actually lost them ;-)

 

[Dave Kahn]

On Tue, 27 Jan 2004 18:36:52 +0100, "Gildas Failler"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Then you recover your quadruped abilities and get 50% more power

Throughout the history of the bicycle there has been a steady stream of inventors with some gimmick
to get more power.

>Also transmutes the energy of the shocks on the suspension into an energy of propulsion.

Good old perpetual motion.

>Will make worldwide news! System usable on any type of cycle. Will be one day as standard as the
>derailleur today. No patent problem.

Excellent. I like an optimist. Where's the catch?

>For demonstration film and details, send $10 to: Gildas

Ah, there it is.

--
Dave...

Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live. Mark Twain

 

[Dave Larrington]

Zog The Undeniable wrote:

> Gildas Failler spammed:
>
>> Then you recover your quadruped abilities
>
> In certain parts of Swindon the natives never actually lost them ;-)

Big gold star to That Man Zog!

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

[Alan Braggins]

In article <[email protected]>, Gildas Failler wrote:
>and get 50% more power

If you compare the power used on normal bikes or rowing, and what the heart and lungs can
sustain, the extra power available from using other limbs is actually very limited, from what I
remember reading.

This has been tried before - it's never been very successful, and you give no reasons to think your
version will be any different.

 

[Just Zis Guy]

On 28 Jan 2004 16:37:42 +0000 (GMT), [email protected] (Alan
Braggins) wrote:

>If you compare the power used on normal bikes or rowing, and what the heart and lungs can
>sustain, the extra power available from using other limbs is actually very limited, from what I
>remember reading.

Almost certainly not enough to offset the additional mass of the associated mechanisms required to
collect the power from said limbs.

Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://chapmancentral.demon.co.uk

 

[Pyromancer]

Upon the miasma of midnight, a darkling spirit identified as "Just zis
Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> gently breathed:
>On 28 Jan 2004 16:37:42 +0000 (GMT), [email protected] (Alan Braggins) wrote:
>
>>If you compare the power used on normal bikes or rowing, and what the heart and lungs can sustain,
>>the extra power available from using other limbs is actually very limited, from what I remember
>>reading.
>
>Almost certainly not enough to offset the additional mass of the associated mechanisms required to
>collect the power from said limbs.

Interesting question though - has there ever been a two wheel drive bike (or three wheel drive
trike, come to that)?

I suppose in theory you could run a drivetrain up the inside of the tubing to the headstock with
some kind of bevel gear to a drive down to the forks and thus the front wheel of an ordinary bike,
though I suspect the mechanical losses would be horrendous, but has it ever actually been done?

--
- Pyromancer Stormshadow http://www.inkubus-sukkubus.co.uk <-- Pagan Gothic Rock!
http://www.littlematchgirl.co.uk <-- Electronic Metal! http://www.revival.stormshadow.com <--
The Gothic Revival.

 

[Just Zis Guy]

On Wed, 28 Jan 2004 22:36:30 +0000, Pyromancer
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Interesting question though - has there ever been a two wheel drive bike (or three wheel drive
>trike, come to that)?

The Flevobike Rug-aan-Rug is two wheel drive, if memory serves. Also requires four limbs, but
attached to the bottom end of two separate bodies.

Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://chapmancentral.demon.co.uk

 

[Dave Larrington]

Pyromancer wrote:

> Interesting question though - has there ever been a two wheel drive bike (or three wheel drive
> trike, come to that)?
>
> I suppose in theory you could run a drivetrain up the inside of the tubing to the headstock with
> some kind of bevel gear to a drive down to the forks and thus the front wheel of an ordinary bike,
> though I suspect the mechanical losses would be horrendous, but has it ever actually been done?

Yes. http://www.christini.com/index.php

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

[Pyromancer]

Upon the miasma of midnight, a darkling spirit identified as Dave
Larrington <[email protected]> gently breathed:
>Pyromancer wrote:

>> Interesting question though - has there ever been a two wheel drive bike (or three wheel drive
>> trike, come to that)?

>Yes. http://www.christini.com/index.php

Impressive!

So, has anyone here ridden one of these? What are they like?

NP: Various Artists - Bang! (United Dance)
--
- Pyromancer Stormshadow http://www.inkubus-sukkubus.co.uk <-- Pagan Gothic Rock!
http://www.littlematchgirl.co.uk <-- Electronic Metal! http://www.revival.stormshadow.com <-- The
Gothic Revival.

 

[Ian Smith]

On Wed, 28 Jan 2004, Pyromancer <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Interesting question though - has there ever been a two wheel drive bike (or three wheel drive
> trike, come to that)?

I'm fairly certain I've seen a four wheel drive recumbent quadrithingy somewhere. I've a feeling it
used canondale mechanicals for suspension. It's possible I'm mis-remembering, however.

Anyway, there's a russian tadpole trike with front wheel drive & steer, so it'd be pretty rivial (I
think) to get some 0power from that to the back wheel. I'm not sure it'd be useful.

regards, Ian Smith
--
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|o o|
|/ \|

 

[Dave Larrington]

Ian Smith wrote:

> I'm fairly certain I've seen a four wheel drive recumbent quadrithingy somewhere. I've a feeling
> it used canondale mechanicals for suspension. It's possible I'm mis-remembering, however.

You may be thinking of the Crank-It Mountain Quad:

http://www.crank-it.com/

Full-sus, Rohloff transmission, solid rear axle, but "only" 2wd.

In 1990 the Kingsburys built a fully-faired four-wheeler, named the Fortuna. This because it had
four wheels, all of which steered. They resisted the temptation to give it four wheel drive, though.
It cornered like no other HPV I've ever seen, but disgraced itself at the European championships
when it suffered two punctures and a structural failure simultaneously. Subsequently the top part of
the fairing parted company with the rest of the machine while being rooftopped back across The
Netherlands at Grandpa Kingsbury's habitual cruising speed of about 95 mph, and is probably still in
use as a hi-tech cold frame somewhere outside s'Hertogenbosch. The rest of the machine is likely
still in The Void - the big hole under the factory which has twenty years of HPV history gathering
dust in a big and untidy heap :-(

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

[Ian Smith]

On Fri, 30 Jan 2004,
Dave Larrington <[email protected]> wrote:
> Ian Smith wrote:
>
> > I'm fairly certain I've seen a four wheel drive recumbent quadrithingy somewhere. I've a feeling
> > it used canondale mechanicals for suspension. It's possible I'm mis-remembering, however.
>
> You may be thinking of the Crank-It Mountain Quad:
>
> http://www.crank-it.com/ Full-sus, Rohloff transmission, solid rear axle, but "only" 2wd.

No, the thing I'm thinking of was not even proposed for production, let alone advertised for sale.
It was a 'concept' job. I've not found it again though, and I don't think it was on the intergubbins
- I think I saw it in print on paper - maybe it was all a dream.

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|

 

[Ian Smith]

On Fri, 30 Jan 2004, Ian Smith <[email protected]> wrote:

> No, the thing I'm thinking of was not even proposed for production, let alone advertised for
> sale. It was a 'concept' job. I've not found it again though, and I don't think it was on the
> intergubbins - I think I saw it in print on paper - maybe it was all a dream.

But while looking for that, how about the third picture down this:
http://www.spril.com/images/KineticSculpture2002/

And I did find a no-wheel-drive four-wheel off-road vehicle:
http://www.paralinks.net/offroadwheelchair2.html

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|

 

[gildas.failler@]

Originally posted by Dave Kahn
On Tue, 27 Jan 2004 18:36:52 +0100, "Gildas Failler"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Then you recover your quadruped abilities and get 50% more power

Throughout the history of the bicycle there has been a steady stream of inventors with some gimmick
to get more power.

>Also transmutes the energy of the shocks on the suspension into an energy of propulsion.

Good old perpetual motion.

>Will make worldwide news! System usable on any type of cycle. Will be one day as standard as the
>derailleur today. No patent problem.

Excellent. I like an optimist. Where's the catch?

>For demonstration film and details, send $10 to: Gildas

Ah, there it is.

--
Dave...

Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live. Mark Twain

 

[gildas.failler@]

Originally posted by gildas.failler@
Reply to Dave Kahn.
I have not tried the transformation of energy of shocks into energy of propulsion, it works only on the paper so far. It could not be perpetual motion, but I suppose 9/10 of the energy could be recovered.
But I'm using my prototype everyday and yes, obviously, the use of the whole muscle apparatus for propulsion gives more power. Some other people have tried and concurred.
Concerning the 10$, it covers the costs, but not yet one demand!
It took 30 years for the present back-wheel propulsion to beat the previous front-wheel propulsion, it might take all that much for my system. It's just the fate of some inventors.
Thanks anyway for your comments, which help me understand why no bike-maker takes this seriously.