Originally Posted by
Sianelle
I'm a keen utility bicycle/tricycle user Mabman. I much prefer to be out and about on a pedal powered vehicle than a car any day of the week
Others have seen my tricycle before, but I'll show it off again anyway
I can fit various wicker carrying baskets or a highside mesh body for carrying compost, garden waste & etc onto my tricycle and it has been called on to carry some quite amazing loads at times. It's almost two years now since I built my tricycle up and it's been completely reliable.
Your alternative fuel experiments sound really interesting btw and I look forward to reading more about it.
Now I have seen some experiments with hybrid drive done somewhere before and from what I remember they were really successful........
Ah, here we are.....
http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?t=7756
I just love looking at your trike - it just seems - so right - for want of better words. I know you must enjoy riding it, maintaining it, even talking about it, the classic simplicity of the whole package is just - right! Enjoy!
I'm closely watching the development of the Staton hybrid drive. Current technology of solar panels prevents building a system that allows real time generation of sufficient current to drive a motor of significant size, and barring a breakthrough, I doubt I'll see such a thing in my lifetime. The idea of using biofuels to power a small internal combustion engine to assist pedaling, and charge batteries is brilliant. A small ICE that would run on E85 would be a real breakthrough! I figure that at least 3 hp if not more wouild be needed to assist and drive a small genset, although that power point is probably too low to start from dead stop and generate some wattage at the same time, unless driven through the bike gears or a seperate gearbox. Time will tell.