How long would you last alive on a bike like this?

dgk wrote:
On Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:46:21 -0800 (PST), donquijote1954
wrote:

I hope you get a better picture here...

http://www.rhoadescar.com/store/navx2.htm


Looks good. It looks more useful for a park than a road though.

It cries out for a bulb horn!

On 24 Jan, 15:39, donquijote1954
http://www.rhoadescar.com/store/navx2.htm

Looks good. It looks more useful for a park than a road though.

I have a dream... That someday people will go sightseeing in their
neighborhoods in vehicles like this.

That is not going to happen, I'm afraid.

This is a "Sociable"- a cycle designed for two riders side by side.
They have been available in various forms since about 1870 (Starley,
who invented the "safety" bicycle designed more than one).

There are very good reasons why they have never been popular, and
also a few good reasons why they have never disappeared completely.

Any advance in technology which makes them more practical will
benefit other designs, too. There's no getting away from the
aerodynamic disadvantages of having the riders side by side, and
little opportunity to reduce the overall weight of the machine
compared to more elegant tandem designs.

An appealing enough toy, but a fundamentally compromised design.

Cheers,
W.

On Jan 23, 11:01*am, donquijote1954
wrote:
Says the sales pitch...

"Street Legal As long as you don't put a motor on the Rhoades Car,
it's use is governed by the same laws as a regular bike. It's legal to
drive on any road that an ordinary bike travels."

http://www.rhoadescar.com/store/nav-spec.htm

Here's a picture...

http://www.rhoadescar.com/jumpshow.htm

So suppose you get your sweetheart on board and decide to take a
sightseeing ride around our busy streets --perfectly legal-- how long
would it take for some of those "beasts" out there to swallow you
whole?

I'm tempted to buy one.

Definetely you are gonna need a T-shirt like this...

"You never know what kind of hungry beast you may find in there. Oh,
also take some water."

http://www.zazzle.com/never_shirt-235120826900039020

WHY THE BANANA REVOLUTION?
(many new styles)http://webspawner.com/users/bananarevolution


Recumbent bicycles[1] with aerodynamic bodyshells
or windshields can move very fast. Often an operator
can sustains those higher speeds on a smooth road
surface over a longer period of time than if the operator
was using a conventional bike frame.

Recently I read about a human powered flight research
airplane (built by a Japanese Univerisity researchers )
which were based on recumbent bike frames.

However, in the land of the high and mighty SUV
-any vehicles with low driver seating arrangments will
find manuevering in heavy traffic difficult. There is also
a safety risk that should be considered too since
any collision between the bumper of a full size SUV
and a recumbent bike would likely end up with
the recumbent bike operator being beheaded.




[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recumbent_bicycle

On Jan 25, 6:20*am, drydem wrote:
On Jan 23, 11:01*am, donquijote1954
wrote:





Says the sales pitch...

"Street Legal As long as you don't put a motor on the Rhoades Car,
it's use is governed by the same laws as a regular bike. It's legal to
drive on any road that an ordinary bike travels."

http://www.rhoadescar.com/store/nav-spec.htm

Here's a picture...

http://www.rhoadescar.com/jumpshow.htm

So suppose you get your sweetheart on board and decide to take a
sightseeing ride around our busy streets --perfectly legal-- how long
would it take for some of those "beasts" out there to swallow you
whole?

I'm tempted to buy one.

Definetely you are gonna need a T-shirt like this...

"You never know what kind of hungry beast you may find in there. Oh,
also take some water."

http://www.zazzle.com/never_shirt-235120826900039020

WHY THE BANANA REVOLUTION?
(many new styles)http://webspawner.com/users/bananarevolution

Recumbent bicycles[1] *with aerodynamic bodyshells
or windshields can move very fast. Often an operator
can sustains those higher speeds on a smooth road
surface over a longer period of time than if the operator
was using a conventional bike frame.

Recently I read about a human powered flight research
airplane (built by a Japanese Univerisity researchers )
which were based on recumbent bike frames.

However, in the land of the high and mighty SUV
-any vehicles with low driver seating arrangments will
find manuevering in heavy traffic difficult. There is also
a safety risk that should be considered too since
any collision between the bumper of *a full size SUV
and a recumbent bike would likely end up with
the recumbent bike operator being beheaded.

[1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recumbent_bicycle- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Beheaded? It sounds cruel and inhumane...

But they can behead people in cars too!

Their owners could wear these along with the "God is my Copilot"
bumper sticker...

http://www.cafepress.com/jihadiwhacker/2611012

On Jan 25, 3:48*am, Tadej Brezina wrote:
On Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:46:21 -0800 (PST), donquijote1954
wrote:
I hope you get a better picture here...
http://www.rhoadescar.com/store/navx2.htm
Looks good. It looks more useful for a park than a road though.

Where's the point for a cyclist in trying to look like a car? *)
And be probably almost as heavy as a car, have almost the drag of a car, ....
People unable to hold balance on a two-wheeler have better designs
(trikes) at their disposal than this.


It may an option for *some* people. Ladies love it at first sight!
Maybe it's because they sit next to their man.

Though some people people may actually like it because they can feel
and act like in an SUV...

(see video)

http://www.bikeforest.com/rhoades_car.php

Fantastid quadracycle here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_dOBAB2xTg

Tadej Brezina wrote:
On Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:46:21 -0800 (PST), donquijote1954
wrote:
I hope you get a better picture here...
http://www.rhoadescar.com/store/navx2.htm
Looks good. It looks more useful for a park than a road though.

Where's the point for a cyclist in trying to look like a car? *)
And be probably almost as heavy as a car, have almost the drag of a car,

135lb, so not really, but bloody heavy for a bike all the same. And
"knobby street tread"?

We considered one of their single-seater models briefly as the basis for
the music system on our skates http://www.lfns.co.uk/bike but went
with the Brox Compact instead: lighter, more options for mounting stuff
on the back, and marginally easier to get hold of in the UK.

People unable to hold balance on a two-wheeler have better designs
(trikes) at their disposal than this.

I think a four-wheeler is probably still harder to roll than a
three-wheeler. The Brox has an articulation point in the middle, so it
tends to keep three wheels on the ground most of the time when a rigid
frame might suffer on humps, dips, potholes etc.


-dan

No front brakes either, as far as I can see. Frame at 135lb and two
riders and some stuff at say total 365lbs - 500lbs (more than 1/4 ton)
on a puny backwheel brake. Think the downhills would be as scary as
the uphills would be hard!

Tadej Brezina wrote:
On Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:46:21 -0800 (PST), donquijote1954
wrote:
I hope you get a better picture here...
http://www.rhoadescar.com/store/navx2.htm
Looks good. It looks more useful for a park than a road though.

Where's the point for a cyclist in trying to look like a car? *)
And be probably almost as heavy as a car, have almost the drag of a car,
...
People unable to hold balance on a two-wheeler have better designs
(trikes) at their disposal than this.

However, the usefulness of proper recumbent trikes is not limited to
those with balance issues.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
"And never forget, life ultimately makes failures of all people."
- A. Derleth

On Jan 26, 5:38*am, "
wrote:
No front brakes either, as far as I can see. *Frame at 135lb and two
riders and some stuff at say total 365lbs - 500lbs (more than 1/4 ton)
on a puny backwheel brake. Think the downhills would be as scary as
the uphills would be hard!

Not an issue in Florida. I think additional brakes are possible.

But the "cute issue" may bring fresh people into cycling, no?

On Jan 26, 11:19*am, donquijote1954
wrote:

But the "cute issue" may bring fresh people into cycling, no?

It is the land equivalent of a paddleboat. Has anyone ever become
involved in boating after using one of those things? g

Regards,
Bob Hunt