Rigidly attached pedals to a bicycle wheel?

I guess the most common example of a rigidly attached will would be a
tricycle? What I might be looking for is like what is used for a
unicycle. The axle needs to be rigidly attached to the wheel, and the
frame should be attached to bearings on the axle.

Any thoughts, ideas, and especially links to online USA merchants,
would be appreciated, thanks.

sorry... I meant attached "wheel"

On Jan 26, 11:15*pm, John Doe wrote:
I guess the most common example of a rigidly attached will would be a
tricycle? What I might be looking for is like what is used for a
unicycle. The axle needs to be rigidly attached to the wheel, and the
frame should be attached to bearings on the axle.

Any thoughts, ideas, and especially links to online USA merchants,
would be appreciated, thanks.

http://www.hiwheel.com/antique_repli...er_classic.htm

DirtRoadie DirtRoadie aol.com wrote:

John Doe wrote:

I guess the most common example of a rigidly attached will
would be a tricycle? What I might be looking for is like what
is used for a unicycle. The axle needs to be rigidly attached
to the wheel, and the frame should be attached to bearings on
the axle.

Any thoughts, ideas, and especially links to online USA
merchants, would be appreciated, thanks.

http://www.hiwheel.com/antique_repli...er_classic.htm

You know, there is sometimes a good reason to have a larger front
wheel, that is to go more smoothly over bumps. Nowadays, having a
smaller front wheel is cool because it looks aerodynamic, and
sometimes that cosmetic is the only reason for it.

John Doe wrote:

I guess the most common example of a rigidly attached will would be a
tricycle? What I might be looking for is like what is used for a
unicycle. The axle needs to be rigidly attached to the wheel, and the
frame should be attached to bearings on the axle.

Any thoughts, ideas, and especially links to online USA merchants,
would be appreciated, thanks.

You don't need something "like what is used for a unicycle", you just
need a unicycle wheel. If you don't mind a cheap crappy version, the
cheapest way to get both the wheel and the special fork ends you'll
need is probably to buy an inexpensive unicycle. But you can get just
about as nice a unicycle wheel as any bike wheel, if you are willing
to pay plenty for a nice uni hub and have the wheel custom built.

http://www.unicycle.com/home/

I built a 48 spoke 29er unicycle wheel for my king-sized Big Wheel. I
bought the hub from Harris Cyclery and built the wheel myself:

http://datribean.com/chalo/images/bigwheel4.jpg

You do realize, I hope, that doing this with a normal-sized wheel will
result in wall-crawling low gearing, just like a unicycle's. There is
a fabulously cool and expensive two-speed unicycle hub made by
Schlumpf of Switzerland, and it offers a 1.5:1 overdrive gear. But
that's still really low for bicycle gearing.

http://www.schlumpf.ch/hp/uni/uni_engl.htm

Just in case you're not up on your exchange rates, that hub starts at
about 1300 American pesos.

Chalo

Chalo chalo.colina gmail.com wrote:

If you don't mind a cheap crappy version, the cheapest way to
get both the wheel and the special fork ends you'll need is
probably to buy an inexpensive unicycle.

Right. I think the qualities of cheap unicycle will be plenty for
my project. The only cost increasing exception might be that
light(er) weight is desirable. Typical cheap bicycle forks are
heavy.
--

















But you can get just
about as nice a unicycle wheel as any bike wheel, if you are willing
to pay plenty for a nice uni hub and have the wheel custom built.

http://www.unicycle.com/home/

I built a 48 spoke 29er unicycle wheel for my king-sized Big Wheel. I
bought the hub from Harris Cyclery and built the wheel myself:

http://datribean.com/chalo/images/bigwheel4.jpg

You do realize, I hope, that doing this with a normal-sized wheel will
result in wall-crawling low gearing, just like a unicycle's. There is
a fabulously cool and expensive two-speed unicycle hub made by
Schlumpf of Switzerland, and it offers a 1.5:1 overdrive gear. But
that's still really low for bicycle gearing.

http://www.schlumpf.ch/hp/uni/uni_engl.htm

Just in case you're not up on your exchange rates, that hub starts at
about 1300 American pesos.

Chalo

John Doe wrote:

Chalo wrote:

If you don't mind a cheap crappy version, the cheapest way to
get both the wheel and the special fork ends you'll need is
probably to buy an inexpensive unicycle. *

Right. I think the qualities of cheap unicycle will be plenty for
my project. The only cost increasing exception might be that
light(er) weight is desirable. Typical cheap bicycle forks are
heavy.

Get used to the idea of having some extra weight. My first attempt to
use a modified unicycle frame as the fork for my Big Wheel ended with
the fork being bent forwards from pedal forces. I fixed the problem
by making a heroically overbuilt fork with a drill rod steer tube and
machined aluminum bars for the legs and crown. I also used a
stupendous FSA "The Pig" headset with 1/4" balls in the lower cup.

So keep in mind that bicycle forks work because we don't push against
them, and unicycle forks work because they can't have any real bending
load placed on them in use. If your design features an unbraced fork
with pedals on it, it will have to be specially built to withstand
such use.

Chalo

Chalo wrote:
John Doe wrote:
Chalo wrote:
If you don't mind a cheap crappy version, the cheapest way to
get both the wheel and the special fork ends you'll need is
probably to buy an inexpensive unicycle.
Right. I think the qualities of cheap unicycle will be plenty for
my project. The only cost increasing exception might be that
light(er) weight is desirable. Typical cheap bicycle forks are
heavy.

Get used to the idea of having some extra weight. My first attempt to
use a modified unicycle frame as the fork for my Big Wheel ended with
the fork being bent forwards from pedal forces. I fixed the problem
by making a heroically overbuilt fork with a drill rod steer tube and
machined aluminum bars for the legs and crown. I also used a
stupendous FSA "The Pig" headset with 1/4" balls in the lower cup.

So keep in mind that bicycle forks work because we don't push against
them, and unicycle forks work because they can't have any real bending
load placed on them in use. If your design features an unbraced fork
with pedals on it, it will have to be specially built to withstand
such use.

Chalo


Exactly. See also giraffe unicycle breakage.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

AMuzi am yellowjersey.org wrote:

Chalo wrote:

So keep in mind that bicycle forks work because we don't push
against them, and unicycle forks work because they can't have
any real bending load placed on them in use.

Exactly. See also giraffe unicycle breakage.

Also see the giraffe unicycle mounting videos on YouTube.

It is to be used for a push stick for in-line skating. You can see
a demonstration video on the Internet or YouTube called "roller
cycle". Their "grass" version video is outrageous. The user pushes
with his feet, that is silly, they are trying to show that you can
get exercise. Your heart gets plenty of exercise, it is a thrill.
Mine must be electric, it cannot be a noisy gas powered version. I
built one with SLA batteries that was much too heavy, it broke
twice.

A unicycle should be nearly perfect for the frame. The only thing
I won't use is the pedals. If possible, I will make a wraparound
body/leg attachment at the seat so that holding onto the push
stick is unnecessary. Otherwise, the seat will be removed and a
steer horn piece of aluminum tubing will be put in its place, like
sitting on handlebars (like the roller cycle video). I'm going to
attach a high-voltage/quality cordless drill body to one side, and
its battery to the other side (for balance). The controller will
be on the handlebar.

Looking at the unicycle pictures... The fork connection to the
axle uses two heavy-duty bolts, that is exactly what is needed for
mounting the drill, to keep the drill from spinning. If the
pressure on the fork is too much, the drill clutch pressure can be
reduced. The force on the spokes will probably be no more than
usual unicycling, and there will be no other bending pressure on
the forks or on the seat post.

On 1/27/2011 12:31 AM, John Doe wrote:

You know, there is sometimes a good reason to have a larger front
wheel, that is to go more smoothly over bumps. Nowadays, having a
smaller front wheel is cool because it looks aerodynamic, and
sometimes that cosmetic is the only reason for it.

The smaller front wheel provides more heel clearance while turning at
low speeds, allowing for a shorter pedal boom and better weight
distribution.

--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731,-83.985007
I am a vehicular cyclist.