All wheel drive
#1
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All wheel drive
I had never heard the term before but this morning I heard it in conjunction with bikes and motorcycles.
https://hackaday.com/2021/05/26/all-...d-drill-parts/
Just keep your fingers out of that chain. Seeing that made an image of that fixie guys fingers on the bench reappear.
https://hackaday.com/2021/05/26/all-...d-drill-parts/
Just keep your fingers out of that chain. Seeing that made an image of that fixie guys fingers on the bench reappear.
#2
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How about a unicycle? They're all wheel drive. AND no chain to catch your fingers in!
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I saw this one at the Philly Bike Show in 2019 and thought that it looked pretty well thought out.
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#4
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Let the mountain bikers and others prove this technology and refine it. We can take another look further down the road.
Road bikes being a pavement dwelling beast don't suffer from loss of traction that'd require all wheel drive. I was very happy to wait 20 years to try disc brakes and still waiting on the tubeless tire thing. All great tech that crossed over when the margins got to a useful point for road bikes.
<satire required for much of the context>
Road bikes being a pavement dwelling beast don't suffer from loss of traction that'd require all wheel drive. I was very happy to wait 20 years to try disc brakes and still waiting on the tubeless tire thing. All great tech that crossed over when the margins got to a useful point for road bikes.
<satire required for much of the context>
#5
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There have been many two-wheel drive bike projects, and I think that Legacy was the first I ever saw.
If you follow the link to the bottom, you’ll see their ‘91 brochure: Weird Bike Stuff. That’s Repack Rider ’s site, so maybe Charlie can pop in with some history backfill.
If you follow the link to the bottom, you’ll see their ‘91 brochure: Weird Bike Stuff. That’s Repack Rider ’s site, so maybe Charlie can pop in with some history backfill.
#7
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I used to think 2wd bikes would be great for off-road use, but have since reconsidered. The drawback as I see it would be that a front wheel that is driving the bike forward is using up traction that would be used for steering and balance. If you run out of traction for steering, generally, you fall.
Further, with all the off-road biking experience I have had, I cannot think of a scenario where I needed 2wd - generally for climbing steep hills the front wheel is almost completely unweighted so can offer little help in driving forward. Trying to get over stumps or other large obstacles wouldn't be any better either, as the limiting factor is usually the pedal or chainring hitting the obstacle, and if you aren't turning the pedals then neither wheel is driving forward. In fact, most maneuvers to get over obstacles start with unweighting your front tire, making a front drive tire useless.
I could be wrong, but 2wd systems have been around for a couple decades (I saw one style in a magazine in at least the early nineties) and many cyclists are confirmed 'early adopters' of new technology, so if there was an advantage I would have seen at least a couple people riding 2wd bikes over the years - maybe only trials riders or hardcore technical singletrack riders, but someone would be using it. However, to date I have seen ZERO people riding 2wd bikes irl - only in magazine articles.
Further, with all the off-road biking experience I have had, I cannot think of a scenario where I needed 2wd - generally for climbing steep hills the front wheel is almost completely unweighted so can offer little help in driving forward. Trying to get over stumps or other large obstacles wouldn't be any better either, as the limiting factor is usually the pedal or chainring hitting the obstacle, and if you aren't turning the pedals then neither wheel is driving forward. In fact, most maneuvers to get over obstacles start with unweighting your front tire, making a front drive tire useless.
I could be wrong, but 2wd systems have been around for a couple decades (I saw one style in a magazine in at least the early nineties) and many cyclists are confirmed 'early adopters' of new technology, so if there was an advantage I would have seen at least a couple people riding 2wd bikes over the years - maybe only trials riders or hardcore technical singletrack riders, but someone would be using it. However, to date I have seen ZERO people riding 2wd bikes irl - only in magazine articles.
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I... the front wheel is almost completely unweighted so can offer little help in driving forward. Trying to get over stumps or other large obstacles wouldn't be any better either, as the limiting factor is usually the pedal or chainring hitting the obstacle, and if you aren't turning the pedals then neither wheel is driving forward. In fact, most maneuvers to get over obstacles start with unweighting your front tire, making a front drive tire useless.
#9
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And you thought disc rotors were dangerous.
#10
I used to think 2wd bikes would be great for off-road use, but have since reconsidered. The drawback as I see it would be that a front wheel that is driving the bike forward is using up traction that would be used for steering and balance. If you run out of traction for steering, generally, you fall.
Further, with all the off-road biking experience I have had, I cannot think of a scenario where I needed 2wd - generally for climbing steep hills the front wheel is almost completely unweighted so can offer little help in driving forward. Trying to get over stumps or other large obstacles wouldn't be any better either, as the limiting factor is usually the pedal or chainring hitting the obstacle, and if you aren't turning the pedals then neither wheel is driving forward. In fact, most maneuvers to get over obstacles start with unweighting your front tire, making a front drive tire useless.
I could be wrong, but 2wd systems have been around for a couple decades (I saw one style in a magazine in at least the early nineties) and many cyclists are confirmed 'early adopters' of new technology, so if there was an advantage I would have seen at least a couple people riding 2wd bikes over the years - maybe only trials riders or hardcore technical singletrack riders, but someone would be using it. However, to date I have seen ZERO people riding 2wd bikes irl - only in magazine articles.
Further, with all the off-road biking experience I have had, I cannot think of a scenario where I needed 2wd - generally for climbing steep hills the front wheel is almost completely unweighted so can offer little help in driving forward. Trying to get over stumps or other large obstacles wouldn't be any better either, as the limiting factor is usually the pedal or chainring hitting the obstacle, and if you aren't turning the pedals then neither wheel is driving forward. In fact, most maneuvers to get over obstacles start with unweighting your front tire, making a front drive tire useless.
I could be wrong, but 2wd systems have been around for a couple decades (I saw one style in a magazine in at least the early nineties) and many cyclists are confirmed 'early adopters' of new technology, so if there was an advantage I would have seen at least a couple people riding 2wd bikes over the years - maybe only trials riders or hardcore technical singletrack riders, but someone would be using it. However, to date I have seen ZERO people riding 2wd bikes irl - only in magazine articles.
For road use it would be a complete waste of time, while adding both weight and friction to the drivetrain.
#11
Senior Member
I used to think 2wd bikes would be great for off-road use, but have since reconsidered. The drawback as I see it would be that a front wheel that is driving the bike forward is using up traction that would be used for steering and balance. If you run out of traction for steering, generally, you fall.
Further, with all the off-road biking experience I have had, I cannot think of a scenario where I needed 2wd - generally for climbing steep hills the front wheel is almost completely unweighted so can offer little help in driving forward.
Further, with all the off-road biking experience I have had, I cannot think of a scenario where I needed 2wd - generally for climbing steep hills the front wheel is almost completely unweighted so can offer little help in driving forward.
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#14
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If it did have a advantage in soft sand, are you just going to ride in soft sand all day? And the sand he's riding on in the video is not soft, you could ride any mtb on that.
I can't see a 2wd motorcycle or bicycle ever becoming more than a curiosity.
I can't see a 2wd motorcycle or bicycle ever becoming more than a curiosity.
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There have been 2WD mountain bikes out for a good 20 years, and they have gone nowhere. Interest from the MTB community peaked at roughly zero.
Last edited by Kapusta; 05-30-21 at 05:07 PM.
#21
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I recall a dirt bike project that used a hydraulic system though I’m blanking on details.
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There have been 2wd motorcycles actually on the market (chain drive) but they are quite pointless, just like 2wd bicycles are.
Here is an experimental hydraulic drive 2wd motorcycle.
Last edited by big john; 05-30-21 at 04:23 PM.