The Bike SUV

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CIVEbike

So I've had this idea mulling around and while I doubt I'm the first one to think of it, I would love to see it built.

Basically you take 2 tandems side-by-side and weld cross bars to connect them, making a 4 person bike in the least aero fashion, then attach a large trailer to the back that isn't actually capable of holding anything. Finally, you replace the front hubs with generator hubs that power DVD players mounted to the rear of the front seat posts.

The only problem I can think of is turning, you need a way to force the inside wheel to turn less than the outside wheel. I'd really like to keep it a 4 wheeled bike, so a trike is out of the question. Does anyone have any ideas? Also I have no way of doing this, but if someone can pull it off I'd probably poop my pants.

Oh yeah, those DVD players will only be capable of playing bike porn.

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garden_lark

the way i see it, if a car had two engines, it wouldn't need a diff.
sounds like you have potential for 4 engines, so you shouldn't have a problem.
if you're just welding two bikes together with struts, there's no reason for the wheels to turn in unison.

here's some (soft) bike porn while you think it over.

http://static.flickr.com/85/255612455_083cd75414_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/102/255612458_10b7cf4262_o.jpg

kemmer

You need to have each wheel driven so it will be 4 wheel drive. It's important that you only drive 2 of the wheels 99.99% of the time. Don't forget to use 35" mud tires. Make sure it has a "Calvin peeing on <bike manufacturers logo>" somewhere. Good luck.

lyledriver

Don't forget the leather interior, cupholders, and 'sports car like' handling.

Better park it in a handicapped spot too =D

Johnny Payphone

What you are looking for is called "Ackerman Steering". You can find instructions by googling it.

You can power each rear wheel independently, just like most cars are one wheel drive- the front left wheel, I think. Good luck getting enough amps from those generators to power a DVD player, though.

Check out this bike SUV:

http://greenhummerproject.org/

http://greenhummerproject.org/images/covers/1.jpg

metallo pesante

good ol' savannah georgia right there, we also have this amazing bike car in my side yard that a friend built. it's an old hatchback completely gutted with 2 bikes powering it and a motorcycle front end for steering. Stephen the master builder in the green hummer project built the bike car as well.

CIVEbike

DieselWeasel

i have seen some nutty bikes in my popular science magazines, one of which being a folding Hummer bike. it had a rectangular frame and folded.. sounds like it would need to be built well or assembled propperly when you go to use it or it may fall apart due to all the hinging.
i also saw a Jeep bike which must have had at least one dive shaft going to the front wheel and maybe to the rear wheel as it was all wheel drive.
let me see if i can find these in my collection...
no luck in the magazines but here's the Hummer site on the folding system of the bike http://www.hummerbikes.com/folding_system.html
as for the Jeep entitled Rubicon Sport AWD i had no luck finding an offical site for it but i have linked a cycling reseller on the net here http://www.cyclesg.com/jp/awd/sport.html

Dr.Deltron

Does anyone have any ideas?
Here's one that is "off the shelf" simple. It hauls all 4 of my kids AND has ackerman steering!
Top speed so far...48mph!
Contact Greenspeed, order the GTT and add a Burley trailer. Simple, fast & FUN!:D

kemmer

How does that haul 4 kids?

Dr.Deltron

How does that haul 4 kids?
My 12 yr old is the Stoker and the 6 yr old rides on the rack seat (sans the panniers) and the twin 4 yr olds ride in the Burley! Sometimes I let the 6 yr old drive! He really enjoys that!

I have a rope with loops on each end that go over the handlebars/brake levers. If we need to slow/stop and he's not listening to my directions, I just pull evenly and the brakes go on. If he won't steer where I want him to go, I gently tug one end of the rope; slightly braking/steering. But usually he's pretty good about doing what I want him to.

Pretty slick, Huh?

cooker

Turning poses different problems for front and back wheels. The front wheels have to turn different degrees, and I assume that is what some have referred to as Ackerman steering. The inside wheel has to turn more, not less. The rear wheels, if they're the drive wheels, have to turn at different speeds, and that is why some have proposed independent power sources for them. Not a problem with the OP's design since the riders are powering them.

Alrocket

it's an old hatchback completely gutted with 2 bikes powering it and a motorcycle front end for steering.

That one is really cool. All it needs now is fixed gear.

Johnny Payphone

[QUOTE=DieselWeasel] a folding Hummer bike. here's the Hummer site on the folding system of the bike http://www.hummerbikes.com/folding_system.html

For an extra grand you could get a hummer bike with your hummer. They're based on that parachuting bike. They had to fold because a hummer doesn't have enough cargo capacity to carry a bike.

blickblocks

[QUOTE=DieselWeasel]They're based on that parachuting bike. They had to fold because a hummer doesn't have enough cargo capacity to carry a bike.

You've got to be kidding me. :eek:

add_rock

I'm new to the forum, so I'm not sure if this has been posted anywhere else, but if you haven't seen or heard of Bikecar - The Movie yet, it looks really cool!
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e209/add_rock/936277817_l.jpg

www.bikecarmovie.com

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