Interesting and Unusual Bikes You've Seen

[Kim]

I think the key point here is that since I know about as much about mechanical engineering as a venture capitalist, and reckon it might just about work (if not for any particular benefit), they're probably in with a decent chance...

[Cudzoziemiec]

I saw a woman cycling down the A38 on a Strida. Bright orange. The Strida, not the woman – she looked totally non-Trumpesque. Every time I see one (a Strida, not a woman), I wonder what the point is. I suppose the same feeling, but even more so, would be appropriate on seeing the Trump.

[Torslanda]

In the dim & distant past ISTR someone - possibly Bob Dixon or maybe his Mikeness - saying that the real difficulty was in making a shaft that would withstand the torque generated by the average human. He explained it as the 'instantaneous load' being much higher than even automotive transmission components could withstand. The driveshaft appears to be a carbon fibre tube. There might be some wonder science employed in its construction . . .

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Shaft drive bikes have been around since the 1890s at least, using hub gears normally.

[Torslanda]

Yes. No argument there. I left out the bit about 'lightweight' shaft components.

I blame Thatcher...

[mzjo]

Gut reaction. 6 months of commuting, covered in shite and the biggest ever rejected warranty claim...

I was having similar thoughts.  Fully enclose it in an oilbath or something, and it might work.

The Limoges bike scheme  (Vel'Lim) has 200 out of 250 bikes with full enclosed shaft drives. They are all the electric ones; the other 50 are unassisted and use ornery d'railleurs. Yes that is 4 out of 5 are electric bikes and they go very well. Kinda hilly, Limoges

[mzjo]

My daughter has just posted this one to me - fishing line drive anyone?
 https://www.facebook.com/Curioctopus.fr/videos/2039541016283980/

[Kim]

"Let's take a rowing bike and put cranks on it."

[Mr Larrington]

In the dim & distant past ISTR someone - possibly Bob Dixon or maybe his Mikeness - saying that the real difficulty was in making a shaft that would withstand the torque generated by the average human. He explained it as the 'instantaneous load' being much higher than even automotive transmission components could withstand. The driveshaft appears to be a carbon fibre tube. There might be some wonder science employed in its construction . . .

My e-chum Bill, who is a big strong lad, noted that even an average human engine can generate as much torque as a small-block V8^*.  Quite what makes a V8 block "small" is debatable but the cutoff seems to be somewhere north of 6 litres.

* he's USAnian

[DuncanM]

In the dim & distant past ISTR someone - possibly Bob Dixon or maybe his Mikeness - saying that the real difficulty was in making a shaft that would withstand the torque generated by the average human. He explained it as the 'instantaneous load' being much higher than even automotive transmission components could withstand. The driveshaft appears to be a carbon fibre tube. There might be some wonder science employed in its construction . . .

My e-chum Bill, who is a big strong lad, noted that even an average human engine can generate as much torque as a small-block V8^*.  Quite what makes a V8 block "small" is debatable but the cutoff seems to be somewhere north of 6 litres.

* he's USAnian

Block size is (semi) independent of cubic capacity - it's literally about how big the block is.  You can get 400ci small blocks and 350ci big blocks. Big blocks have a higher ceiling in terms of capacity and are much heavier though. The original Shelby Cobra 427 used a big block. The engine probably weighed twice as much as the rest of the car (and the passengers).

[Mr Larrington]

Though it was still surprising to find the 6.2L lump in Corvette is a small block...

[Cudzoziemiec]

There are always a variety of bikes outside the sports centre up the road but they're not normally particularly interesting. On Sunday however there was a striking contrast between two bikes parked either side of the same stand. On one side was a Temple. This is a locally based brand using neo-retro frames produced in, I think, Taiwan, using lugs and Reynolds tubes. This one was 720. It was painted glossy battleship grey (if "glossy battleship" isn't an oxymoron ), which seems to be Temple's favourite colour, and finished in typical modern components. But the bike on the other side of the stand was an unmarked (not even a manufacturer's badge) burnished titanium fat-tube frame, with S and S couplings. It was road geometry with drop bars but, interestingly, a telefork. And Sram one-by drivetrain. I would presume it was intended for cyclocross – but are suspension forks allowed in 'cross? and why would you go to the expense and extra weight of making a cross bike foldable? So instead, I guess it was a gnarmac adventure bike for far-flung travel.

[handcyclist]

A very blue fully enclosed HPV recumbent winding up Western Road out of Tring yesterday ......

[Wobbly John]

That reminds me, on my way home from work on Friday, I spotted a very laid back highracer recumbent, heading into Ely from the North. I think it was a Schlitter as the frame tubes looked flat sided.

[Kim]

This cracking example from the department of "just glue some gears on it and call it Steampunk" just popped up in one of my eBay searches: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/382591714123

All together now...
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/TFCuE5rHbPA&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/TFCuE5rHbPA&rel=1</a>
https://youtu.be/TFCuE5rHbPA

[Butterfly]

All together now...
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/TFCuE5rHbPA&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/TFCuE5rHbPA&rel=1</a>
https://youtu.be/TFCuE5rHbPA

That is brilliant 

[Cudzoziemiec]

Robin Mather was a custom builder in Bath from about 2012 to roughly 2015. I don't know how many bikes he built but you very rarely see them.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Bike with Buddhist prayer flags (or something very similar).

[grams]

(OT: what are the Liverpool hire scheme bikes like to ride? I noticed they all use shaft drive, and wondered how they held up under typical (ab)use...)

The shaft-drive Mobikes (that I've ridden in That London, and That Berlin) have a single, very low gear so you have to spin at 150 rpm to go anywhere. This must greatly limit the amount of torque you can put through the shaft.

(Second generation Mobikes that use chain drives and 3-speed IGH are more common now, or at least were until Mobike retreated to a pointlessly small operating area in London)

[Cudzoziemiec]

A Pashley with handpainted chaincase seen in LBS window.

[Jakob W]

(OT: what are the Liverpool hire scheme bikes like to ride? I noticed they all use shaft drive, and wondered how they held up under typical (ab)use...)

The shaft-drive Mobikes (that I've ridden in That London, and That Berlin) have a single, very low gear so you have to spin at 150 rpm to go anywhere. This must greatly limit the amount of torque you can put through the shaft.

(Second generation Mobikes that use chain drives and 3-speed IGH are more common now, or at least were until Mobike retreated to a pointlessly small operating area in London)

I *think* the Liverpool bikes had shaft drive + 3-speed IGHs, though I may well be mistaken.

My most recent interesting bike was a Flying Gate being used for shopping - racks front and back, with what looked like a wooden wine box fitted to the front one.

[Wobbly John]

Strada velomobile spotted in my village - had a brief chat with the rider outside the co-op.

Another local took this photo:

[Auntie Helen]

Do you know who it was? Was he a Brit?

[Cudzoziemiec]

Yesterday, a Kingcycle (80s or 90s looking recumbent).
Today, a Circe Helios with little girl as pilot and dad as stoker.

[Wobbly John]

Do you know who it was? Was he a Brit?

I had a chat to him - A Brit, I believe from Cambridge area. I believe this is the one Andrew English sold earlier this year.