Animal Petal Power! /crazy invention

[kcmasterpiece]

hello forum,

I have been very disappointed with the amount of further development that would be needed for a overhauled American infrastructure to be an ethically green nation. Personally I am closer on the tribalism side of the environmentalist spectrum than the Green Industry inc. side.

I asked myself a question a year ago. How can the bicycle be improved upon to add more power and less human work and be more of a replacement for a car?

My imperfect conclusion was that we have to combine the power of animals with the efficiency of the bicycle. To date, the most efficient use of energy for transportation.

So with no experience in either animals or bicycle repair or building my quest began.

My invention is a tandem attachment for a harnessed dog to petal along with the bicycler. I have not gotten this to work yet but am searching for people that may be on the same level of innovation/crazyness as myself to provide insight.

The only obstacle from making this work I believe is training the dog to like the invention and not be scared and frightened like a little kid is after a first attempt at ridding a bike.

Heres is a link to an application submission with pictures I sent further explaining what is I have built.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YJEG5NMD

If nothing comes from it, learning to weld was cool.

[StephenH]

Back in the 1800's, they came up with a similar idea. It was a giant trike, and the wheels had squirrel-cage type thingies on them for two smallish dogs to run inside to power it. Don't guess it was too popular then either.

[veganboyjosh]

sounds like you're right there on the forefront of the environmental movement...good luck with that.

[2manybikes]

You can just buy one of these.

http://hometown.aol.com/mschue5938/dogpoweredscooter.html

There's all kinds and different configurations already on the market. Nothing new. One to four dog power.
Even one goat power.

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/2387/dogov3.jpg

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/9874/dogsidebryccm2.jpg

[kcmasterpiece]

There are differences between the attachments that allow the dog to run along with the bike and what I'm doing.

1. They are all ready successful and mine isn't :(
2. They are limited in speed to the dog's speed. While mine, the dog can stop pedaling and not get road rash because it is held in a harness.
3. The theoretical difference that I'm "trying" to prove is that the difference between a dog running and a dog pedaling is like between a person running and a person on a bike. There is less energy needed and more power produced.

[2manybikes]

There are differences between the attachments that allow the dog to run along with the bike and what I'm doing.

1. They are all ready successful and mine isn't :(
2. They are limited in speed to the dog's speed. While mine, the dog can stop pedaling and not get road rash because it is held in a harness.
3. The theoretical difference that I'm "trying" to prove is that the difference between a dog running and a dog pedaling is like between a person running and a person on a bike. There is less energy needed and more power produced.

OK, now I get it. Good idea.

[zonatandem]

You are picking on wrong animal species . . . train a monkey.
We have covered over 200,000 miles on tandems , , , and so far have not needed non-human power to propel us.

[cornucopia72]

Wow... I hope this project keeps you busy... very busy...

I ride my MTB and take my dog with me... she is usually dead tired before I even warmup

[kcmasterpiece]

"I ride my MTB and take my dog with me... she is usually dead tired before I even warmup"

What breed is he?

[cornucopia72]

"I ride my MTB and take my dog with me... she is usually dead tired before I even warmup"

What breed is he?

She is a Lab. Before her it was Tuffy, a Queensland Heeler, same outcome...

[Hobartlemagne]

http://edendogsledding.com/images/zoom/QTHUNY/010.jpg

If you want a dog to pull you, just use one of these.

[kcmasterpiece]

I ride my MTB and take my dog with me... she is usually dead tired before I even warmup

Your example shows how great inventions bicycles are. Depending on how fit you and your dog are, the dog could out run you without the bike. It would make sense to make the dog use its energy more efficiently than the person if it is the better "machine".