[python] Re: Post VelAero HPV researches


-----Original Message-----
From: Jürgen Mages <jmages@xxxxxx>
Sent: Dec 16, 2004 10:08 AM
To: Python Malinglist <python@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [python] Re: Post VelAero HPV researches

Hello Craig and Listies,

I just returned from a 80 km trip with my P3. The weather
was fantastic. Average -2 deg Celsius, bright skies with
sunshine all the time, no wind and dry roads. My average
speed was 25 km/h (my ordinary cruising speed), max.
speed was 47 km/h.
When I started it was -6 deg. Celsius and my mood
became brighter with every minute. What a great day -
even the dogs behaved friendly ;-)

I thought of Greg who wanted to make his Banff tour
in these days and hope he has similar conditions and
wish him good luck for his first tour with the Trans
Canada Rocket.

Craig wrote:
> I quit working on the VelAero when I wrote the article.

So you did not make it your everyday bike. If I understood
your article right, you abandoned it because of the missing
low speed stability. How many kilometers did you ride on
the VelAero?Could it be ridden "no hands"?

I logged several hundred km on the VelAero. It definately could not be ridden 
without hands!

The steering pivot of the VelAero was an almost parallel
four-bar-linkage system with a virtual trail of 7.6 meters!
How big do you estimate the turning diameter?

The actual VelAero had a fixed steering pivot with a trail about 100 cm. The 
unit you mention above was just an experiment to see the effect infinite trail 
on balance. At full lock the virtual trail was reduced to about 12 m. I built 
three four-bar systems in the course of my investigations. None of them worked 
as well as the fixed pivots. I built one fixed-pivot unit with 1.5m of trail. 
It balanced amazingly well but it obiviously would never make an acceptable 
package!

The fact that after years of research you finally abandoned
the rear-wheel steering is not very encouraging. I am
curious wether Laurent Dechenne from Belgium, who is
actually building a 4bl RWS recumbent is coming to the same
conclusion.

> I have built a sucessful add-on mechanism for recumbents
> that allows for arm-power in addition to conventional
> circular pedalling. The arms move together in a rowing
> motion and the steering and rowing are decoupled so
> one motion is not influenced by the other.

Now, this will interest all riders of center-steered bikes,
because one never knows what to do with one´s hands. (Today
I tried them as additional driving force by pressing them
on my knees => 4 km/h plus)
Any infos available? Pictures?

Good luck for your trike project.

+ cheers from Jürgen. 

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Listmaster: Juergen Mages jmages@xxxxxx

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Listmaster: Juergen Mages jmages@xxxxxx

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