Originally Posted by
Monster Pete
Now, this is really just a thought experiment by a bored engineer, but I'd like some ideas as to whether this concept would work in practice.
What I have in mind is a single-wheeled bike trailer, fitted with its own brake and wheel hub motor. It would function in a similar way to the over-run brake on car trailers:the trailer hitch is telescopic, and compressing it actuates the brake, but also with tension on the hitch controlling the motor's throttle.
Something like:
http://www.ihpva.org/projects/tstrike/electrailer.htm , only with hitch-controlled throttle? Hmmm... I think you'd run into feedback issues between the motor and the main bike. That is, you'd put tension on the hitch when you apply power, the trailer "senses" this and adds power, which reduces the tension on the hitch, which reduces the power, which puts tension on the hitch, which applies power... over and over again. Depending on the responsiveness of the throttle, it'd be annoying or dangerous.
I like the Bionx hub motors: they measure power input and add power in proportion to the pedaling power applied. They can also be set to regenerative braking.