77midget

an out of work truck driver changed gears and opened a bike-taxi service in Keene

https://www.keenesentinel.com/article.../id_318372.txt

gwd

I notice two types of bicycle taxi, passengers in front and passengers in the rear. Passengers in front seems more convenient but around the US and India I see passenger in the rear style more often. I like the way you can tip the passenger compartment on the in front style to make it easier for the passengers to get on and off. What is the downside of the front loader style? I've only ridden in the back loader.

77midget

Ive only ridden in the 'behind' ones, a big trike. They have them in Boston as well during the summer, and I will normally catch one if I am heading to Fenway, since that is the area in which they operate.

Dahon.Steve

It's a good story. Here's a guy that lost everything and is STILL homeless! Yet, he started a car-free business out of nothing and is employing other drivers! Incredible.

countersTrike

I certainly wish those sleeker velotaxis were more common in the US. Not for speed, but a LOT more accessible!

Elkhound

I'd imagine that the passenger-in-front types would be harder to steer.

zeppinger

what about visibility with those front ones? Anyone got a link with some pics?

Elkhound

I haven't a picture, but with the front-passenger ones the driver is up behind, like on an old fashioned hansom cab.

gwd

Just go to google images and search for cyclo or xyclo. I think nowadays they're a tourist thing. There is also a movie by the same name. It's a commie movie where the xyclo driver tries to get a private loan for his business and the capitalists who loan him the money for the xyclo steal it from him but he still has to pay the money back. In the happy ending he gets a new xyclo with a government loan. I think that's what happened, the version I saw had no subtitles so I could have missed a lot. Anyway the movie has many scenes of xyclo action. The driver looks over the heads of the passengers like Elkhound wrote.

One thing about them is the drive train is a regular bicycle drive train where the rear passenger trike has the long axle thing going on. On the xyclo you can hang a derailleur etc.

Elkhound

Found a picture:



This one isn't made anymore, but it shows the sort of thing I was talking about.

zeppinger

The handle bars sure are low.... I get what you mean though! looks cool. I considered getting a job as one of those bike taxi people down here in San Diego but never could figure out how to do it....

countersTrike

Not a front or tall cab:
https://www.velotaxi.com/

Roody

...... ......


l. to r. pedicab, velotaxi, xyclo

gwd

Good, a different name for each thing.

GCG199

Two teachers from Londonderry have started up a bike taxi service in Manchester, NH too. I haven't seen any of them yet though. It was featured in the Manchester Express a few weeks ago.

Dahon.Steve

I rode in a pedicab for the first time yesterday. I paid 15 dollars to go about 13 blocks! However, it was fun but quite noisy inside the cab. It felt like the cab was going to break apart at any moment.

I did feel safer than when riding a regular bike because the cars gave us a wider lane. I there were move of them and less taxis.

botto 

where as bike taxis in amsterdam is the most idiotic ideas in a long list of bad ideas.