Any direction drive unicycle idea

On Wed, 22 Jun 2005 15:59:26 -0500, "mgrant" wrote in thread "Building
a 3 wheeler":

What if you intentionally rotated the wheels 45 degrees around the
y-axis. The bottom wheel would be 90 degrees offset from the top so
that when you pedalled forward you'd move to the left and backwards
pedalling would move you to the right. I've never seen anything like
this before so perhaps this is your chance to be the first!

I'm not sure if it would work with all the associated tyre rub. But
the idea is grand!

This in turn got me thinking:

There exists a sideways bike, it has been referenced more than once on
JC and perhaps here in RSU. And indeed, a circle has 360 degrees all
around, but on unis we routinely only use 0 degrees (forward), and
occasionally 180 degrees (reverse drive, as in a two-wheeler).

If a giraffe, perhaps a low design, would have a vertical shaft drive
mechanism, it might be relatively easy to set the drive at any angle
you fancy. In the spirit of my usual learning approach, i.e. take
small steps, this might also constitute a possibly less frustrating
way to learn ride a reverse-drive uni such as a two-wheeler.

I'm not a builder (or two-wheeler rider for that matter) but what do
others think?

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
"As with all great social movements, the origins of mountain unicycling are unclear. - Hannah Nordhaus (Los Angeles Times)"

"Klaas Bil" wrote in message
...
This in turn got me thinking:

If a giraffe, perhaps a low design, would have a vertical shaft drive
mechanism, it might be relatively easy to set the drive at any angle
you fancy. In the spirit of my usual learning approach, i.e. take
small steps, this might also constitute a possibly less frustrating
way to learn ride a reverse-drive uni such as a two-wheeler.

I'm not a builder (or two-wheeler rider for that matter) but what do
others think?

Well, extending the lunacy still further......if you were to take a
"conventional" 3 wheeler, and modify such that the middle wheel was
horizontal, so as to give a zig-zag drive train, then
1) Tyre rub reduced, although it would be driving part on tread and part
on sidewall.
2) The design could allow the unicycle to go in any of those 360 degree
directions, whilst pedalling ... er .. forwards
3) There would ALSO be an offset as well. So for a 20 inch wheel set up so
as to move forwards with a forward pedal the grounded wheel would be offset
20 inches to the side in a choice of two directions.
4) all in all probably one of the least practical ideas ever to grace this
newsgroup.....

I shall leave this as a thought mechanism for the moment. Riding
conventionally still causes me enough problems, but if anyone wishes to
build such a brute to my design concept, then I most definitely do not wish
to ride it.
The idea of any unicycle going at 90 or 112 degrees to the direction I am
facing is a nightmare I can do without.

However I concede a shaft drive giraffe with a rotatable wheel is a rather
more practical, and probably quite feasible machine to build. Riding it
sideways is gonna be fun though. You could gradually increase the angle
and so build up the experience of riding it at different angles. Any
reason why the angle should not be dynamically variable by means of a lever
or even a set of. um ... handlebars? Imagine steering a circle whilst
always facing and pedalling North.

Nao (nothing like a newsgroup in the morning to bring out the insane in
me)

Klaas Bil wrote:

If a giraffe, perhaps a low design, would have a vertical shaft drive
mechanism, it might be relatively easy to set the drive at any angle
you fancy. In the spirit of my usual learning approach, i.e. take
small steps, this might also constitute a possibly less frustrating
way to learn ride a reverse-drive uni such as a two-wheeler.

I'm not a builder (or two-wheeler rider for that matter) but what do
others think?

Sounds like a fantastic idea! I'd love to have a try on one although, as
Naomi says, I can imagine it being a real pain with the wheel at 90
degrees. Quite probably harder than a two wheeler in my opinion. 45
degrees could be fun though

Cheers,

Roger