Quad Quadricycle
August 15, 2008 7:09 PM Subscribe
Destined for display at this year's Burning Man, a very impressive quadricycle is out and about in an early appearance. (via)
An explanation of the machine's name is in this article.
An explanation of the machine's name is in this article.
Great use of the HPV tag.
posted by clearly at 7:24 PM on August 15, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by clearly at 7:24 PM on August 15, 2008 [2 favorites]
One wheel drive? Is that a good choice over sandy terrain?
posted by ardgedee at 7:39 PM on August 15, 2008
posted by ardgedee at 7:39 PM on August 15, 2008
One wheel drive? Is that a good choice over sandy terrain?
As a member of the winningest Boulder Kinetics team ever I would have to say....no...
posted by Confess, Fletch at 7:41 PM on August 15, 2008
As a member of the winningest Boulder Kinetics team ever I would have to say....no...
posted by Confess, Fletch at 7:41 PM on August 15, 2008
I'm impressed by the lack of tacked-on shite.
posted by Artw at 7:55 PM on August 15, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by Artw at 7:55 PM on August 15, 2008 [2 favorites]
I'm always torn on these homemade contraptions between the 'hey, awesome, you made something" and "holy shit that thing is HEAVY". I need to find a good beginner structural design book that covers the basics, so that at least they can be heavy and effecient instead of heavy and still weak because of the random 'hey, lets put a speed hole right here where the highest stress is!'
posted by TheJoven at 8:03 PM on August 15, 2008
posted by TheJoven at 8:03 PM on August 15, 2008
I like how they built their whole frame out of wood first. It would have been pretty cool if they'd left it wood too.
posted by delmoi at 8:05 PM on August 15, 2008
posted by delmoi at 8:05 PM on August 15, 2008
thank you for giving my husband some sort of burningman-invention-nerdquake-artcar-newwheel-inspired aneurism.
posted by supermedusa at 8:22 PM on August 15, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by supermedusa at 8:22 PM on August 15, 2008 [1 favorite]
it is steered by hope.
posted by punkbitch at 9:18 PM on August 15, 2008 [5 favorites]
posted by punkbitch at 9:18 PM on August 15, 2008 [5 favorites]
& fear.
posted by mannequito at 9:26 PM on August 15, 2008 [4 favorites]
posted by mannequito at 9:26 PM on August 15, 2008 [4 favorites]
I've got to type faster. The front left-hand rider has his hand on a tiller-like device in the photo at the top from the second link.
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 9:29 PM on August 15, 2008
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 9:29 PM on August 15, 2008
These wheels have chains that run straight to the soul of man. The right wheel, friends, the wheel of love.
posted by Artw at 9:31 PM on August 15, 2008
posted by Artw at 9:31 PM on August 15, 2008
Indeed Confess, when I encounter the bierfiets in Utrecht with a loudly cheering & beering & pedaling lot it always makes me smile.
These californians know nothing.
posted by jouke at 9:43 PM on August 15, 2008
These californians know nothing.
posted by jouke at 9:43 PM on August 15, 2008
Hey, I could slack off and the other three people wouldn't notice! That beats a tandem bike anyday!
posted by not_on_display at 10:13 PM on August 15, 2008
posted by not_on_display at 10:13 PM on August 15, 2008
I like it, and find it to be an impressive piece of fabrication...but that steering linkage is straight Rube Goldberg. Christ, that's a lot of exposed chains and gears! I wonder why they went nutty on the steering when they did such a nice job with the drive train? I hope they all put their hair up and keep their hands in their laps, or someone is going to come home missing a finger or two. Apart from the steering, I think this is one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time. Thanks for posting this.
posted by mosk at 10:46 PM on August 15, 2008
posted by mosk at 10:46 PM on August 15, 2008
Yeah, well, my "art" car needs an engine, but it shoots snow. So there.
I've been working on it every free moment for a month, forgive me if I'm a bit single minded.
posted by flaterik at 12:04 AM on August 16, 2008
I've been working on it every free moment for a month, forgive me if I'm a bit single minded.
posted by flaterik at 12:04 AM on August 16, 2008
Ok, I am no engineer. Could someone explain to me why it's better to have the spokes go to the center of the rim than to the outside?
posted by waraw at 4:37 AM on August 16, 2008
posted by waraw at 4:37 AM on August 16, 2008
That's the way it works with convnetional bicycles, too. The spokes make triangles, the strogest shape.
posted by fixedgear at 4:57 AM on August 16, 2008
posted by fixedgear at 4:57 AM on August 16, 2008
> That's the way it works with conventional bicycles, too.
Radial spokes are more likely to flex when there's torque applied to the hub. (This is why you might see radial spokes on the front wheel of a road bike, but never the back). Spokes that traverse the depth of an imaginary cylinder described by the rim and hub make the wheel more resistant to deflection.
It looks like where the spokes cross are also welded. Dunno if that helps, but it can't hurt.
I'm trying to suppress jokes about Detroit iron here because this is a really cool vehicle, even if it's not particularly practical.
posted by ardgedee at 6:18 AM on August 16, 2008
Radial spokes are more likely to flex when there's torque applied to the hub. (This is why you might see radial spokes on the front wheel of a road bike, but never the back). Spokes that traverse the depth of an imaginary cylinder described by the rim and hub make the wheel more resistant to deflection.
It looks like where the spokes cross are also welded. Dunno if that helps, but it can't hurt.
I'm trying to suppress jokes about Detroit iron here because this is a really cool vehicle, even if it's not particularly practical.
posted by ardgedee at 6:18 AM on August 16, 2008
If you watch this video you can get an idea of the kind of forces at play (albeit on a completely different order of magnitude). Pay close attention to the tires a little way in. I totally do this on my folding bicycle all the time.
posted by damo at 6:45 AM on August 16, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by damo at 6:45 AM on August 16, 2008 [1 favorite]
Donkeys live a long time. None of you has ever seen a dead donkey.
posted by mandal at 6:53 AM on August 16, 2008
posted by mandal at 6:53 AM on August 16, 2008
It looks like where the spokes cross are also welded. Dunno if that helps, but it can't hurt.
Tied and soldered used to be popular, particularly for track wheels, but Jobst says don't bother.
posted by fixedgear at 9:09 AM on August 16, 2008 [1 favorite]
Tied and soldered used to be popular, particularly for track wheels, but Jobst says don't bother.
posted by fixedgear at 9:09 AM on August 16, 2008 [1 favorite]
It looks like where the spokes cross are also welded. Dunno if that helps, but it can't hurt.
Only if they're re-tempered, IMO.
posted by five fresh fish at 9:37 AM on August 16, 2008
Only if they're re-tempered, IMO.
posted by five fresh fish at 9:37 AM on August 16, 2008
Knobbies are a huge pain in the ass if the playa gets even a little bit wet. Better to go with steel, IMO.
posted by oneirodynia at 9:39 AM on August 16, 2008
posted by oneirodynia at 9:39 AM on August 16, 2008
It needs more rust . . . and a jacob's ladder or two would't hurt either.
posted by isopraxis at 10:39 AM on August 16, 2008
posted by isopraxis at 10:39 AM on August 16, 2008
It Looks way heavier than four pairs of bicycles put together. How are they going to get it up hills?
posted by ye#ara at 2:52 PM on August 16, 2008
posted by ye#ara at 2:52 PM on August 16, 2008
Hills?
posted by ryanrs at 3:58 AM on August 17, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by ryanrs at 3:58 AM on August 17, 2008 [3 favorites]
It's cool and all, but my reaction that nest of over engineered structure was "simplificate and add more lightness." Unless they are going to hang a lot more than four people on, it I can't quite see why they would need that quite that much steel.
posted by Quinbus Flestrin at 11:15 AM on August 18, 2008
posted by Quinbus Flestrin at 11:15 AM on August 18, 2008
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posted by Confess, Fletch at 7:17 PM on August 15, 2008