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Old 01-04-08 | 05:25 PM
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astronomerroyal
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Joined: Oct 2007
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Bikipede - an articulated double bicycle trailer.

Bikipede - an articulated double bicycle trailer

I recently finished my second trailer, but this one comes with a twist: it trails behind the first trailer, a little like the 'road trains' they have in Australia. Once again the coupling is the beloved rotating u-joint. It's a very similar design to the first trailer (actually an upside down version), but with more capacity and none of the electronics/gadgetry. I was prompted to do this by the spare u-joint I had lying around after finishing trailer #1. Having gone through the process of building trailer #1, the second trailer only took 3 days to make from scratch. Parts for trailer #2 probably cost no more than 120USD, so the entire bikipede cost about 300USD to make (including considerable shipping costs). Worth every penny, in my distorted opinion.

Performance is generally excellent, I couldn't be happier. Trailer #2 has wheels shifted slightly forwards, more towards the centre of the bed. This establishes a better balance with the load, and thus exerts fewer load-related stresses on the back of trailer #1. Understandably, the 'tri-axial' u-joint inbetween the trailers, and the protuding hitch on #2, means its turning abilities are also very orderly. Both hitches allow turns at almost 90 degrees. One thing it definitely can't do, however, is go backwards.

I've attached some screenshots from a short movie that covers its construction, and so on. The third image (looking backwards from the bicycle) is meant to give an impression of its snake-like articulation.

Because it moves much like a centipede or millipede, my girlfriend (the glamourous model in the images) suggested calling it the Bikipede, but Cyclopede also sounds good to me. Which should it be?

My best regards, as always,
A.R.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg
bike_pose2.jpg (98.2 KB, 896 views)
File Type: jpg
bike_pose_2_freeze.jpg (86.7 KB, 848 views)
File Type: jpg
bike_pose_3_freeze.jpg (92.7 KB, 705 views)

Last edited by astronomerroyal; 01-04-08 at 08:13 PM.
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