Would these qualify as pedals?
- Thread starter Lowell
- Start date
Malcolm
10 kW
Looks like fun! Under the 'About us' heading they also show what looks to be a very well made geared hub motor rated at 500W. Can't find any more details though.
xyster
10 MW
That's cool. Are they pedals? I think so. Just like any other pedals, you push them with your feet in order to move the machine. Since the rider's weight is better utilized, this bike might be more efficient than the typical circular pedal routines. I wonder: is it as comfortable over long distances though...?
Lock
100 MW
My two long-distance commutes are 40km round trip each. I do this standing on a kick scoot. So I don't know what that'd be like on this pedal machine, but standing up, yeah, more comfortable than having a seat jammed in your crotch...xyster said:
tks
Lock
newbie electric rider
100 W
That looks like a stairmaster bike 8)
Lock
100 MW
What it *doesn't* utilize as well as a circ. pedal bike are the riders *muscles*... eg, with no clips or clamps/feet not attached, there is no opportunity to use leg muscles for the "up" half of the... ummm... cycle...
tks
Lock
xyster
10 MW
Lock said:
Easily rectified....most bikes don't have straps or clips either. I've never ridden one that did. How much does affixing the feet help? I'm interested in it also for exercising my hip flexor muscles, instead of just of my extensor muscles.
safe
1 GW
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2006
- Messages
- 5,681
This is sort of what I was saying I'd like to add to my "Road Racer" bikes. With this type of crank you have more room behind a front fairing. It reduces your clearance problems a great deal both in the front to back clearance and also the side to side clearance. I'd switch away from the flat board look and go with a simple fixed footpeg design instead. Also, I was thinking that the pivot would be at the REAR rather than forward like they are doing.
Nice to see the idea does work...
Has anyone figured out how the actual transmission works? Gears, chains, what is going on in there?
Eric G
1 kW
Interesting...it does look fun to ride.
Eric
Eric
Needs a shorter skirt !
But yeah.. i'd ride it !
But yeah.. i'd ride it !
Lock
100 MW
It "helps" a lot... Definitely gets more muscle groups involved.xyster said:
If the pedals on this errr bike get really busy up-and-down, I'll guess that some sort of toe clips etc might be useful, otherwise a foot might slip off?
One of the pleasures I find with a kick scoot is being able to shift my feet around to change stance/whatever. This bike doesn't seem to offer this option.
Doubling up on it might be amusing.
Where d'ya stow the beers and groceries, and batteries?
Lock
mvadventure
1 kW
- Joined
- May 2, 2007
- Messages
- 419
no seat, no motor, no want.
Mike
Mike
safe
1 GW
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2006
- Messages
- 5,681
Lowell said:
Yeah, I think this is a great idea. The biggest problem about having a front fairing is that there are clearance problems with the feet circling forward as you pedal. Something like this keeps the pedal/lever location rearward and makes design much easier. This looks to me to be the way to satisfy the "operable pedals" rule:
"Congress has defined a low-speed electric bicycle as any bicycle or tricycle with fully operable pedals, an electric motor not exceeding 750 W of power and a top motor-powered speed not in excess of 20 miles per hour."
There was a bike/skate rental shop in my area that rented them. I think the machines are intended more as fun exercise Rather than efficient transportation. The mechanism is actually rather simple. There is a disk on each side to replace the standard pedal cranks. The foot platforms each have a forward fixed pivot point and and a few inches back a short single link arm that attachés to the disks on each side. Sort of a piston/flywheel fashion. There is a single standard front sprocket and the rest is typical bicycle fair.
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