Person Chariot
 

I commute every day and my wife does not. We live in New York City and I meet her all over the place and we end up walking home a lot of the time.

I have this crazy idea in my head for a chariot of sorts. My wife would stand on it, behind my bike, and put her hands on my shoulders and I would pull her along. It would allow us to get places a lot faster.

The rub is, I live in a four story walk up and I would want the chariot to fold up somehow. Perhaps fold up and attach to my rear rack somehow.

I know this is a crazy idea, but sometimes my crazy ideas turn out to be something that someone has already created.

Anybody experimented with, seen, or have ideas related to such a crazy concept?

I had 3 ideas, here is the order they popped into my head-

• In the Alt Bikes Forum, there is a post about somethign called "Ben Hurt", a bicycle event where bicycles pull people in home made charriots who joust with each other. Might be worth a look.

• Would an Xtracycle work? many people take passengers on them.

• Buy her a bike of her own?

If the xtracycle is too unwieldy to lug up four flights of stairs, what about just an oversized rack on a regular bike that she could ride side-saddle on? Just have to make sure the rack is able to handle her weight.

BMX pegs!

Roller blades?

I suppose you could make a custom rack where feet went down low.

They DO make chariots for this kind of use- they just don't fold. They're not cheap or light, either.

If you don't have clearance issues with getting the Xtracycle around corners, at only +8lbs its not hard to take up stairs and would be much more universally practical than a chariot (mind you, the chariot would be so cool. Needs some golden lions painted on the front and such!)

The biggest problem I can think of with "chariots", is that the old ones used to have large wheels and wide stances, with someone standing straight up in one they need to have a very stable footprint or they tip. That would mean you'd need to have quite a wide profile, and it would be difficult to make the chariot small.

Oh, but yeah, some of the Zoo bomb pictures i've seen have chariots in them, if you were wanting to see some ideas.

Very good ideas. My wife does have a bike, but she is not a commuter.

The two ideas that sound like a shot are maybe BMX pegs that are modified into small platforms, or possibly an heavy duty rack with a seat. Anybody got experience with heavy duty bike racks?

There are also racks with tow cables to allow your wife to ride behind you, comfortably towed.

Have you considered a tandem? You can ride it 1-up and you can share the ride when you're together.

something like this but with better wheels.

http://content.onestepahead.com/asse...il/13238_2.jpg

The problem of bike racks is in eyelets and attachment points. I've seen heavy duty racks and heavy loads bust the eyelet or sheer bolts. Carrying a person is going to take some creative fixtures. Dutch bikes and those like them often have a rack welded right to the bike frame.

Personally, I'd look for a heavy duty touring or utility rack and have it welded to the bike frame. Like this:
http://www.thursdaybicycles.com/gfx/mutton_12.jpg

An upright/recumbent tandem

http://www.kinetics.org.uk/assets/images/pic00009.jpg

I would suggest a sturdy rear rack with a pillion cushion on it. Side saddle is the safest way to carry a passenger back there. And, keep the speed down, if she has to bale at 10mph she is probably OK, but at 20???

This sounds like something you're describing

http://www.arrow.ecnet.jp/Dscn30403.jpg

http://www.arrow.ecnet.jp/cc-rider.html

Wow. Although, to look at the picture, it does look like an accident waiting to happen.

I see a lot of people do this, actually. Though come to think of it... I haven't seen anyone take a sharp turn with someone standing on the BMX pegs.

Why isn't she biking? And what are your route, your parking accommodations, etc. Depending on the answers, a tandem could be a nice solution.

A stokerless tandem is almost as fast as a single bike. Accelerations take a bit longer, hills are a bit slower, but for the most part it's just a more cushy bike.

When you meet your wife, the two of you would then ride together.

I agree that a tandem would be great, but hauling it up four flights of stairs will not be pleasant. Sorry for the digression, but are tandems a likely target for theft in NYC as they are here?