Design Challenge

Marian Rosenberg wrote:
[...]
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.
[...]

For use in mud, tracks beat wheels. See
http://www.mobilityeng.com/snowpod1.htm.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

On Mar 21, 12:22 pm, Tom Sherman
wrote:
Marian Rosenberg wrote:
[...]
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.
[...]

For use in mud, tracks beat wheels. See
http://www.mobilityeng.com/snowpod1.htm.

Hmmm... still thinking that wheels are better for the "average"
condition he will experience.

-M

Marian Rosenberg wrote:
On Mar 21, 12:22 pm, Tom Sherman
wrote:
Marian Rosenberg wrote:
[...]
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.
[...]
For use in mud, tracks beat wheels. See
http://www.mobilityeng.com/snowpod1.htm.

Hmmm... still thinking that wheels are better for the "average"
condition he will experience.

Yes, a tracked vehicle will be rather slow.

Maybe you could get Surly to donate some "Large Marge" rims [1] and
"Endomorph 3.7" [2] tires to provide "flotation" on soft surfaces.

[1] http://www.surlybikes.com/parts/popup_images/parts_prodLargerim2.jpg.
[2]
http://www.ison-distribution.com/ison/image/complete/tysu-Endo-comp.jpg.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

On Mar 24, 11:02 am, Tom Sherman
wrote:
Marian Rosenberg wrote:
On Mar 21, 12:22 pm, Tom Sherman
wrote:
Marian Rosenberg wrote:
[...]
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.
[...]
For use in mud, tracks beat wheels. See
http://www.mobilityeng.com/snowpod1.htm.

Hmmm... still thinking that wheels are better for the "average"
condition he will experience.

Yes, a tracked vehicle will be rather slow.

Maybe you could get Surly to donate some "Large Marge" rims [1] and
"Endomorph 3.7" [2] tires to provide "flotation" on soft surfaces.

[1] http://www.surlybikes.com/parts/popup_images/parts_prodLargerim2.jpg.
[2]
http://www.ison-distribution.com/ison/image/complete/tysu-Endo-comp.jpg.

While donated equipment will be nicer, we're hoping to go with local
stuff. He'll get at least a three speed hub (and maybe a 7) but other
than that it's got to be locally purchasable to Chengmai county and
locally repairable to unskilled mechanics who don't know anything
fancy.

-M