Question - Third World Tricycle Delivery Service Max Payload

I've seen photo's of tricycle with carrying huge payloads (e.g. bales
of cotton) in the undeveloped portions of the world. How heavy a
payload can a human powered tricycle like that carry? What would be
the main considerations that would make this feasible commercial
delivery option (other than the economic environment that these
vehicles serve most likely can't afford a motorized vechicle or the
fuel to run a motorized vehicle)?

On Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:28:23 -0700 (PDT), drydem wrote:

I've seen photo's of tricycle with carrying huge payloads (e.g. bales
of cotton) in the undeveloped portions of the world. How heavy a
payload can a human powered tricycle like that carry?

Spoke tension.

Exceed that and the wheel collapses.

The Book says that on normal wheels the bottom 4 spokes carry the the bulk
of load; double that for two wheels, allow a bit of extra for side-loading
components, and do the sums.

On Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:28:23 -0700 (PDT), drydem
wrote:

I've seen photo's of tricycle with carrying huge payloads (e.g. bales
of cotton) in the undeveloped portions of the world. How heavy a
payload can a human powered tricycle like that carry? What would be
the main considerations that would make this feasible commercial
delivery option (other than the economic environment that these
vehicles serve most likely can't afford a motorized vechicle or the
fuel to run a motorized vehicle)?

Dear Walter,

Fear of mice appears to be the limiting factor:
http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEU...e/eletri1a.jpg

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

drydem wrote:

I've seen photo's of tricycle with carrying huge payloads (e.g. bales
of cotton) in the undeveloped portions of the world. *How heavy a
payload can a human powered tricycle like that *carry? *What would be
the main considerations that would make this feasible commercial
delivery option (other than the economic environment that these
vehicles serve most likely can't afford a motorized vechicle or the
fuel to run a motorized vehicle)?

I have seen both Dutch and Mexican trikes loaded with about 300kg of
cargo. My own cargo three-wheeler has been ridden with six adults
aboard including the driver (thus roughly 450kg), though its
performance was unimpressive at that load.

I built and rode a nine-wheeled trike + trailer combo carrying more
than a ton of payload not including myself. I'm 6'8" tall and I weigh
in the range of 350 lbs., so that's the equivalent of a smaller load
borne by a smaller person.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DRGPSP4ulg (the vehicle appears at
1:45 in the video)

Frames can be beefed up. Gearing can be lowered. Moped rims and
brakes, then motorcycle or automotive components, can be applied as
necessary. The limiting factor is necessarily the strength, power and
courage of the operator and the nature of the terrain that must be
traversed. When the implied speeds of travel drop to less than that
of a walking person pushing a handcart, though, it makes more
practical sense to add people and handcarts rather than to build a
larger trike.

Chalo