Design Challenge

For the last two years some friends of mine have been helping a local
woodcutter who was paralyzed below the waist in an accident that
severed his spinal cord.

His bedsores and various other problems caused mostly by gross
incompetence combined with total non caring on the part of his local
well I suppose you must call it a hospital have very nearly healed and
although the kindness of their missionary hearts has gone this far,
they would like very much to get him living in his own village on his
own without their daily assistance.

Preferably able to perform at least some of the minor chores necessary
to do around the farm such as feeding the pigs.

In the city he can do a pretty good job of getting around in his
wheelchair but even an offroad wheelchair might find the conditions of
his village a bit challenging. The roads are used by cattle,
tractors, and motorcycles and are wide singletrack. Paths through the
village may have drainage ditches randomly cutting across them.
Nothing is paved and there is a rainy season. Although some
modifications will be made to his house (such as either removing the
eight inch high doorjambs or putting ramps over them) it is fairly
obvious that his current wheelchair simply is not going to cut it.

The pastor and I are both into bikes with him being slightly more
mechanically inclined than I am and me being vastly more inclined to
spend my money on myself rather than other people. The plan that he
and I have come up with basically involves a handcycle (probably
recumbent) of some kind using either a 3 speed or 5 speed hub.
Derailleur systems have been completely ruled out on the grounds that
the local way to fix things you don't quite understand mostly involves
hitting them with something heavy until it either works again or
completely doesn't.

With the exception of the hub (the cost of which will come out of
charitable pockets) we are planning to build this entirely out of
locally available materials. We plan to cannibalize, chop, and re-
weld ancient bike frames for the frame itself. So far, beyond the
initial brainstorming session (which mostly served to figure out what
we absolutely couldn't do) we haven't really gotten much into how and
where the drive system and steering system will work.

If anyone has recumbent or handcycle building experience or just
thinks this is cool and is willing to help out with the planning, we
could really use it.

This will be a first time for either of us and we really have no idea
what we're doing.

Thanks,
-M

how about a gruesome accident description? without a gruesome acident
description, where are we?

In article
,
Marian wrote:

For the last two years some friends of mine have been helping a local
woodcutter who was paralyzed below the waist in an accident that
severed his spinal cord.

His bedsores and various other problems caused mostly by gross
incompetence combined with total non caring on the part of his local
well I suppose you must call it a hospital have very nearly healed and
although the kindness of their missionary hearts has gone this far,
they would like very much to get him living in his own village on his
own without their daily assistance.

Preferably able to perform at least some of the minor chores necessary
to do around the farm such as feeding the pigs.

In the city he can do a pretty good job of getting around in his
wheelchair but even an offroad wheelchair might find the conditions of
his village a bit challenging. The roads are used by cattle,
tractors, and motorcycles and are wide singletrack. Paths through the
village may have drainage ditches randomly cutting across them.
Nothing is paved and there is a rainy season. Although some
modifications will be made to his house (such as either removing the
eight inch high doorjambs or putting ramps over them) it is fairly
obvious that his current wheelchair simply is not going to cut it.

The pastor and I are both into bikes with him being slightly more
mechanically inclined than I am and me being vastly more inclined to
spend my money on myself rather than other people. The plan that he
and I have come up with basically involves a handcycle (probably
recumbent) of some kind using either a 3 speed or 5 speed hub.
Derailleur systems have been completely ruled out on the grounds that
the local way to fix things you don't quite understand mostly involves
hitting them with something heavy until it either works again or
completely doesn't.

With the exception of the hub (the cost of which will come out of
charitable pockets) we are planning to build this entirely out of
locally available materials. We plan to cannibalize, chop, and re-
weld ancient bike frames for the frame itself. So far, beyond the
initial brainstorming session (which mostly served to figure out what
we absolutely couldn't do) we haven't really gotten much into how and
where the drive system and steering system will work.

If anyone has recumbent or handcycle building experience or just
thinks this is cool and is willing to help out with the planning, we
could really use it.

This will be a first time for either of us and we really have no idea
what we're doing.

Oh dear.

http://www.varnahandcycles.com/handcycles.htm

Georgiev also built the fastest HPV on the planet.

If you look at his Big Wheels designs, I think you will find something
worth stealing.

The idea of using a handcycle on a muddy farm is intimidating, for a few
reasons. One is no reverse gear. The other is sinking into the mud. I
don't know where Varna is sourcing 20" x 3" tires, but that sounds like
the right plan to me. In the 26" size, you would have access to MTB DH
tires, plus freaks like the Surly Pugsley tires and rims.

I realize that the economics of the thing in China are not what they
would be here, but when you consider the prices Varna charges and the
magnitude of what you're proposing, it may be cheaper to get him to
build the bike.

I don't know of other handcycle makers, but they are out there. Varna's
reputation comes to me because they are local and because of the Varna
Diablo series.

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."

AN OLD PUBLISHED INTERNET plan for cutting a bike in two then placing
the drive wheel in front was on around 2000?

On Mar 17, 8:21 pm, datakoll wrote:
how about a gruesome accident description? without a gruesome acident
description, where are we?

I understand that a tree fell on him.

The teenage son and some of his friends were out in the countryside
doing something like delivering children's books to a school on their
way to go surfing or something like that and for some reason or
another they ended up meeting this guy and being horrified by his
condition. When he was sent home from the hospital his wife and
family were told that they could feed him if they wanted to but really
shouldn't bother because he was going to die and even if he didn't die
he ought to die because he would be useless for the rest of his life.

I met the guy in the wheelchair about two months after he moved in
with them and six or eight months before he converted. As I am to
understand it his becoming Christian was sort of a side effect of them
literally saving his life. They don't really preach (even to me, even
after years of my being their friend). They just quietly do good
works and occasionally answer direct questions from really persistent
people.

He's been living with them almost two years now and although there
have been complications a couple of time and at least three sets of
new operations he's getting ready to go home. It would be a shame to
have done so much and gotten him to the strength level he's at and
then send him home to the village to spend the rest of his existence
doing nothing but sitting indoors unable to go anywhere or do
anything.

My being their friend for years and years has in no way shape or form
made me the slightest bit Christian. I have, however, converted the
pastor to the joy of long distance riding on a road bike. (He
understood nice bikes. He just didn't understand the point in having
one of his own until the bike shop and me found him a good secondhand
one.) He even has a couple of jerseys these days and we've scheduled
his first century for this upcoming weekend. Since both of us are
mechanically inclined we figured if we had plans (or even rough
descriptions) we might be able to put something together.

-M

On Mar 17, 10:16 pm, Ryan Cousineau wrote:
In article
,



Marian wrote:
For the last two years some friends of mine have been helping a local
woodcutter who was paralyzed below the waist in an accident that
severed his spinal cord.

His bedsores and various other problems caused mostly by gross
incompetence combined with total non caring on the part of his local
well I suppose you must call it a hospital have very nearly healed and
although the kindness of their missionary hearts has gone this far,
they would like very much to get him living in his own village on his
own without their daily assistance.

Preferably able to perform at least some of the minor chores necessary
to do around the farm such as feeding the pigs.

In the city he can do a pretty good job of getting around in his
wheelchair but even an offroad wheelchair might find the conditions of
his village a bit challenging. The roads are used by cattle,
tractors, and motorcycles and are wide singletrack. Paths through the
village may have drainage ditches randomly cutting across them.
Nothing is paved and there is a rainy season. Although some
modifications will be made to his house (such as either removing the
eight inch high doorjambs or putting ramps over them) it is fairly
obvious that his current wheelchair simply is not going to cut it.

The pastor and I are both into bikes with him being slightly more
mechanically inclined than I am and me being vastly more inclined to
spend my money on myself rather than other people. The plan that he
and I have come up with basically involves a handcycle (probably
recumbent) of some kind using either a 3 speed or 5 speed hub.
Derailleur systems have been completely ruled out on the grounds that
the local way to fix things you don't quite understand mostly involves
hitting them with something heavy until it either works again or
completely doesn't.

With the exception of the hub (the cost of which will come out of
charitable pockets) we are planning to build this entirely out of
locally available materials. We plan to cannibalize, chop, and re-
weld ancient bike frames for the frame itself. So far, beyond the
initial brainstorming session (which mostly served to figure out what
we absolutely couldn't do) we haven't really gotten much into how and
where the drive system and steering system will work.

If anyone has recumbent or handcycle building experience or just
thinks this is cool and is willing to help out with the planning, we
could really use it.

This will be a first time for either of us and we really have no idea
what we're doing.

Oh dear.

http://www.varnahandcycles.com/handcycles.htm

Georgiev also built the fastest HPV on the planet.

If you look at his Big Wheels designs, I think you will find something
worth stealing.

The idea of using a handcycle on a muddy farm is intimidating, for a few
reasons. One is no reverse gear.

You can reverse by putting your hands on the wheels same as with a
wheelchair. Not pleasant but it can get you out of a sticky
situation.

And he's going to need to be able to get places that are close enough
that putting him on a tractor could be difficult but far enough away
that pushing the wheelchair or carrying him will also be difficult.

The other is sinking into the mud. I
don't know where Varna is sourcing 20" x 3" tires, but that sounds like
the right plan to me. In the 26" size, you would have access to MTB DH
tires, plus freaks like the Surly Pugsley tires and rims.

I realize that the economics of the thing in China are not what they
would be here, but when you consider the prices Varna charges and the
magnitude of what you're proposing, it may be cheaper to get him to
build the bike.

A thought of mine was to look around until we found something that
most closely fit the requirements and then ask the manufacturer if
they might be willing to 'sponsor' our guy. For all the charitable
works and giving away that he does, it never occurred to Tim that he
could just ask someone other than one of the charities he already
works with for equipment.

I've been doing the back-end of organizing pro sports stuff. I've
really gotten quite used to asking people to just give me things for
no better reason than because I asked. Even better, I've gotten quite
used to people just giving me things for no better reason than because
I was there.

I'd still like to try a hand at building something. I don't get many
excuses to play with welding torches.

-M

On Mar 17, 10:52 pm, Marian wrote:
On Mar 17, 10:16 pm, Ryan Cousineau wrote:



In article
,

Marian wrote:
For the last two years some friends of mine have been helping a local
woodcutter who was paralyzed below the waist in an accident that
severed his spinal cord.

His bedsores and various other problems caused mostly by gross
incompetence combined with total non caring on the part of his local
well I suppose you must call it a hospital have very nearly healed and
although the kindness of their missionary hearts has gone this far,
they would like very much to get him living in his own village on his
own without their daily assistance.

Preferably able to perform at least some of the minor chores necessary
to do around the farm such as feeding the pigs.

In the city he can do a pretty good job of getting around in his
wheelchair but even an offroad wheelchair might find the conditions of
his village a bit challenging. The roads are used by cattle,
tractors, and motorcycles and are wide singletrack. Paths through the
village may have drainage ditches randomly cutting across them.
Nothing is paved and there is a rainy season. Although some
modifications will be made to his house (such as either removing the
eight inch high doorjambs or putting ramps over them) it is fairly
obvious that his current wheelchair simply is not going to cut it.

The pastor and I are both into bikes with him being slightly more
mechanically inclined than I am and me being vastly more inclined to
spend my money on myself rather than other people. The plan that he
and I have come up with basically involves a handcycle (probably
recumbent) of some kind using either a 3 speed or 5 speed hub.
Derailleur systems have been completely ruled out on the grounds that
the local way to fix things you don't quite understand mostly involves
hitting them with something heavy until it either works again or
completely doesn't.

With the exception of the hub (the cost of which will come out of
charitable pockets) we are planning to build this entirely out of
locally available materials. We plan to cannibalize, chop, and re-
weld ancient bike frames for the frame itself. So far, beyond the
initial brainstorming session (which mostly served to figure out what
we absolutely couldn't do) we haven't really gotten much into how and
where the drive system and steering system will work.

If anyone has recumbent or handcycle building experience or just
thinks this is cool and is willing to help out with the planning, we
could really use it.

This will be a first time for either of us and we really have no idea
what we're doing.

Oh dear.

http://www.varnahandcycles.com/handcycles.htm

Georgiev also built the fastest HPV on the planet.

If you look at his Big Wheels designs, I think you will find something
worth stealing.

The idea of using a handcycle on a muddy farm is intimidating, for a few
reasons. One is no reverse gear.

You can reverse by putting your hands on the wheels same as with a
wheelchair. Not pleasant but it can get you out of a sticky
situation.

And he's going to need to be able to get places that are close enough
that putting him on a tractor could be difficult but far enough away
that pushing the wheelchair or carrying him will also be difficult.

The other is sinking into the mud. I
don't know where Varna is sourcing 20" x 3" tires, but that sounds like
the right plan to me. In the 26" size, you would have access to MTB DH
tires, plus freaks like the Surly Pugsley tires and rims.

I realize that the economics of the thing in China are not what they
would be here, but when you consider the prices Varna charges and the
magnitude of what you're proposing, it may be cheaper to get him to
build the bike.

A thought of mine was to look around until we found something that
most closely fit the requirements and then ask the manufacturer if
they might be willing to 'sponsor' our guy. For all the charitable
works and giving away that he does, it never occurred to Tim that he
could just ask someone other than one of the charities he already
works with for equipment.

I've been doing the back-end of organizing pro sports stuff. I've
really gotten quite used to asking people to just give me things for
no better reason than because I asked. Even better, I've gotten quite
used to people just giving me things for no better reason than because
I was there.

I'd still like to try a hand at building something. I don't get many
excuses to play with welding torches.

You're good people. Set up a web site with PayPal donations and I'll
kick in some - I'm sure others will, too.

R

On Mar 18, 11:54 am, RicodJour wrote:
On Mar 17, 10:52 pm, Marian wrote:

I'd still like to try a hand at building something. I don't get many
excuses to play with welding torches.

You're good people. Set up a web site with PayPal donations and I'll
kick in some - I'm sure others will, too.

Tim is good people. I'm just helping out.

C'mon, it's an excuse to play with welding torches. That I'll be
helping out the person in question is merely a bonus. I mean really
how many of you would pass up a legitimate excuse to play with welding
torches?

-M

On Mar 18, 11:54 am, RicodJour wrote:
On Mar 17, 10:52 pm, Marian wrote:

I'd still like to try a hand at building something. I don't get many
excuses to play with welding torches.

You're good people. Set up a web site with PayPal donations and I'll
kick in some - I'm sure others will, too.

Tim is good people. I'm just helping out.

C'mon, it's an excuse to play with welding torches. That I'll be
helping out the person in question is merely a bonus. I mean really
how many of you would pass up a legitimate excuse to play with welding
torches?

-M

bang