Thursday, August 21, 2008

crank transmissions, 3 found. for single chainring bikes. or more gear range.



D: the only one on the market today is the Schlumph (pic)
It has very high and low gear options. They're called the mountaindrive and the hyperspeed drive.
For somebody stuck with one chainring, or looking for more gear range, this is it.
It runs 500bux though.

http://s144.photobucket.com/albums/r198/rickpaulos/Dana%203%20speed%20crank/
D: the Dana 3 speed crank is made by an automotive company.
I cannot find anything on gear ratios or range at all. Ideas?
I saw one on sale at E-bay for 30ish bux.
http://s144.photobucket.com/albums/r198/rickpaulos/Dana%203%20speed%20crank/
(pic)

I read of a Shimano 5-speed crank tranmission, but cannot locate it.

Sure, the new Rohloff will have a 580% range. And will cost 1500 bux.

The Flevobike Greenmachine embedded a gear hub in the bike frame. This allowed a bike frame that covered the chain easily. But it costs many 1000s.

By stacking a, say, I-motion9 or a NuVinci with a Schlumph, I figured I could cheap out.
If I manage to poach that Dana on E-bay, well, I just saved myself 500 bux.

The bike frame idea involves stainless steel square tubing.
I have a Schlumph at the chainring, and a NuVinci CVT drive embedded in the bike frame.
The frame tubing has 2 parts that run parallel, with occasional triangular cross struts.
Other than the hub drives, such a bike is pretty cheap to build.

Let's hope my c0sts just dropped by 500....

Eventually, for the crank-thru-front-wheel mid-steer concept, of course, I will need a Rohloff. But I hope the new 2008 model pushes down the price of the standard model.

Monday, August 18, 2008

ontario law on power-assist mopeds

(above pic of Revopower internals... if only they'd make a for-sale product, LOL!)

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/vehicle/emerging/


A limited-speed motorcycle is:

  1. a motorcycle that:
    1. can attain a rate of speed of more than 32 km/hr on level ground within a distance of 1.6 kilometres from a standing start;
    2. has a maximum attainable speed of 70 km/h or less;
    3. has steering handlebars that are completely constrained from rotating in relation to the axle of only one wheel in contact with the ground;
    4. has a minimum seat height, when the vehicle is unladen, of 650 millimetres;
    5. has a minimum wheel rim diameter of 250 millimetres and a minimum wheelbase of 1016 millimetres;
    6. has a maximum engine displacement of 50 cubic centimetres or less; or,

A motor-assisted bicycle is a bicycle that:

  • is fitted with pedals that are operable at all times to propel the bicycle;
  • weighs not more than 55 kilograms;
  • has no hand or foot operated clutch or gearbox driven by the motor and transferring power to the driven wheel;
  • has a piston displacement of not more that 50 cubic centimetres; and,
  • does not attain a speed greater than 50 km/h on level ground within a distance of 2 km from a standing start.
D: I guess the 32 kph rule must be common - Revopower hit the legal nail right on the head.
It is half the price of competing electrics.

There is whole lotta legalese here. Read the rest over if you want.

Most power assists seem to think I'm decrepit. They're substitutes, not 'assists'.
Guess what? On a half-dead steel frame mountain bike junker, for an HOUR, I can already sustain 32kph on pavement.
At first, I wondered what math was wrong.
I mean, I KNOW I am not generating anything near a full horsepower.
Yet the Revopower needs to, to go 30kph.
So what gives?
Heat loss inefficiencies.
A typical combustion motor only manages to deliver a few 10s of percents of initial power to the wheel.
Ergo, all is well in math-land.
I am just dang efficient that I might as well be a full horsepower.
Likely more like half a horse though. <: <: Tee hee.

update, cruzbike

D: my sis ordered it for me from the US.
I ordered the special handlebars.
After all, they were only 85 bux.
Nope. With shipping, they're an extra HUNDRED.
This didn't come to mind when I ordered. OMG.
A
1) fold-down 2-part handlebar kit or
2) bolt-on for a more conventional and local handlebar
would be VERY welcome...

D: My bud Mike ordered no-contact induction-powered LED lights for me from UK's
Freelights company.
I plan to turn the 2 sets into sideways amber running lights.
Right-turning vehicles at intersection keep trying to sideswipe me - and this with TWO lights for and aft each! Plus a square foot of reflectors.

Total Cruzbike cost so far:
120: steel y-frame from Sportchek.
200: < class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Cdn. Tire. For the Shimano components.
(their bike geometries were no good for the 'bent seat)
660: cruzbike conversion kit with handlebars plus S&H to Canada.
D: so that is nearly 1000 bux so far.
In other words, an entry-level 'bent bike cost.

However, it is filling the role of an Optima Orca or Condor, which costs c. 4-5000 bux!

D: we are a little confused about how the wide rear tire gets fitted to the narrow front forks of a bike, but are hoping the kit makes this clear.
I plan to videotape the making-of Cruzbike for YouTube.

http://bobmcree.com/Cruzbike_with_USPD_drive_an.html

Friday, August 8, 2008

bike seats and comfort

http://blackwellpublishing.com/press/pressitem.asp?ref=1856

D: we all know it. Those small, narrow hard bike seats can cause impotence problems.
Me, I have a wide padded/spring loaded 'granny seat' on my bike.
I don't like the sensation of bone bruising.

I don't think bikes in China are linked to penile impotence issues.
They don't have our silly seats.

Women, too, benefit. A little-discussed fact is that women with protruding inner labia find a standard bike seat painful. Terrible thing, to be unable to bicycle.

Of course, the recumbent 'lazy boy' seat addresses all these issues.
It also offloads some pressure from the butt to the back.

So forget about a tiny seat on most bikes, trimming maybe 1/2 pound off the bike's weight.

Monday, August 4, 2008

wacky 1940s bike design vid



http://gizmodo.com/5032401/1940s-video-shows-off-crazy-bike-innovations
D: this is hilarious! The guy with bike-wheel-for-inline-skate is just nuts.
I thought the tandem bike with a standard rear and SWB front rider was pretty clever.
I suppose a kid's seat on a SWB with a little pedal to the rear tire could be cute.
You'd hafta extend the frame to place the pedals up/front of the rear tire though.

Aside: my sis is ordering me a Cruzbike kit from the USA. There were no dealers locally.
I am talking about renting my bike out when completed through Bicycle Forest.
I plan to make a simple camcorder tape of building a Cruzbike to post on youtube.
Has anyone ever tried under-seat steering for it?


www.bicycleman.com/history/history.htm
(pic of a prone 'bent)