1894 Roper Steam Bike - 40mph

[valsislav]

Link to article ~
http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2011/11/30/ancient-1894-roper-steam-cycle-to-cross-the-block-in-las-vegas/

 

[Philistine]

That is awesome. I would like to get one and put a 200W sticker on it.

My prediction is we will get a noob soon posting a question:

"Why has noone used a steam engine to power a generator, to power an electric motor, so they don't have to carry batteries? I think I might give it a go - what does everyone think?"

 

[Lebowski]

well, a bike like that is going to burn a lot of wood and since there doesn't seem to be a 'tender' attached
to it I imagine the rider is supposed to chop wood along the roadside as he goes along. This involves a lot
of sweat, all this wood chopping. Much easier just to pedal the bike...

Now if you manage to get a briefcase size nuclear plant (ebay ?) in there then it would make perfect sense.

 

[TylerDurden]

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/search.php?keywords=roper+steam&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=all&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

 

[Lock]

Hehe... Yah, quite a few references to Ropers bikes here.

Really nice blog here about building a replica of his last bike:
http://www.steamcar.net/roper-1.html

Watering and fueling makes plugging in an ebike look pretty attractive by comparison.

L0cK

 

[daveyjones97]

im a noob and have THE answer: have the steamy as a spare to a proper ebike so if your lipos go bad stuff them in the firebox of the steamy stab them a few times and chuff to the store to buy more good lipos! what could possibly be wrong with that!?

 

[Gordo]

40MPH WOOOOHOOOO
The first thing I looked for was the BRAKE. Not brakes, BRAKE. Then my vision turned to 1894, mud, shoe brake, 40mph,

 

[StudEbiker]

I still think a steam powered trike incorporating modern technology makes a lot of sense. Just like electric cars existed in the early days of automobiles, so did steam cars. Of course we know that gasoline won the battle at the time, but I don't think enough exploration has been done to bring steam power into the modern era. Steam cars in their era were very fast and powerful cars. Fuel sources are abundant and cheap and with modern electronics the boiler could start on a timer so that the steam would be ready to go whenever you are. For someone truly wanting to "stick it to the man" human power and steam are the two cheapest and most available options.

 

[Lock]

There were a lot of reports on the papers in the 1880's approx. about boiler explosions... stationary steam engines used to power factories mostly. Yer right, modern materials etc could maybe design out the hazzards of high pressures... scuba folks seem pretty comfortable around high pressures these daze. BBQ folks w/propane tanks... Probably charcoal from fast growing trees like aspens... bamboo? might be a more enviro friendly than chemical batteries. I'll guess though that the rotary electric motor w/electronics and battery is more efficient than steam... The steam trike that Bateman built for Parkyns in 1880?1881? seemed far more sophisticated than what Roper was playing with:
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=8099&start=288

Lock

 

[Gordo]

The steam trike that Bateman built for Parkyns in 1880?1881? seemed far more sophisticated than what Roper was playing with:
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=8099&start=288

Lock

Lock,
For Gosh sakes, thats a pedal powered, Tadpole Porti-Poti, with rear wheel steering.

 

[torqueon]

I still think a steam powered trike incorporating modern technology makes a lot of sense. Just like electric cars existed in the early days of automobiles, so did steam cars. Of course we know that gasoline won the battle at the time, but I don't think enough exploration has been done to bring steam power into the modern era. Steam cars in their era were very fast and powerful cars. Fuel sources are abundant and cheap and with modern electronics the boiler could start on a timer so that the steam would be ready to go whenever you are. For someone truly wanting to "stick it to the man" human power and steam are the two cheapest and most available options.

I agree, with modern controls a closed system could be designed with a small boiler, such as one found on a on demand hot water heater. Not to mention steam engines have torque at 0 rpm.

Would love to see this done