Rhoades Car

[Grant-53]

The machine is simply not designed to go far from home. For a cross country trip a good quality long wheelbase recumbent with a hub motor and fairing would be more suitable. If the hub motor is on the front wheel and the battery is out of sight it will be less noticeable. The forward weight distribution will help the aero stability. A single wheel trailer with a hub motor would be useful if more than 60 lb of gear is being carried. Aero wheel covers for the rear wheel would help. Motor assisted bicycles are still illegal in New York state but most law enforcement tends to ignore anything under 20 mph and quiet.

[ecomodded]

Originally Posted by skyl4rk

Switch to series for 24V

Bingo (I think)

[AlteredWalter]

Originally Posted by Grant-53

The machine is simply not designed to go far from home. For a cross country trip a good quality long wheelbase recumbent with a hub motor and fairing would be more suitable. If the hub motor is on the front wheel and the battery is out of sight it will be less noticeable. The forward weight distribution will help the aero stability. A single wheel trailer with a hub motor would be useful if more than 60 lb of gear is being carried. Aero wheel covers for the rear wheel would help. Motor assisted bicycles are still illegal in New York state but most law enforcement tends to ignore anything under 20 mph and quiet.

You're definitely right about Rhoades Cars not being able to travel far from home. The Rhoades Car components are of such poor quality that I refuse to ride my Rhoades Car at all. It's simply not worth the risk of getting stranded on my Rhoades Car due to a component failure.

I've had several bicycle mechanics/builders look at my Rhoades Car to see what they think, and each of them gave me a look like "you've got to be kidding me."

If you're interested in a quadricycle you're much better off looking at anything BUT a Rhoades Car.

[Afrersize]

The Impello is good since it is legally a "bicycle" since it has three wheels. It was designed to carry two people and the price is relatively good. Only problems I see with it is no roof, and only one wheel up front.

PPV, Three (3) Wheel Recumbent Trike, Alternative Transportation, Velomobile

[billyjones]

Originally Posted by Afrersize

The Impello is good since it is legally a "bicycle" since it has three wheels. It was designed to carry two people and the price is relatively good. Only problems I see with it is no roof, and only one wheel up front.

PPV, Three (3) Wheel Recumbent Trike, Alternative Transportation, Velomobile

One brake on 3 wheels? This would hardly be safe with any sort of motor or engine anywhere. And if one rides in hill country it would not be safe with human power. I once rode a one brake trike that slid its only braked wheel down the dry paved road on which I live from a dead stop with me (all 220 pounds) on board. Brakes on every wheel are an absolute necessity on American roads.

[Afrersize]

The Impello is currently out of stock anyhow, what really made it pop was the two person thing plus the low price. The two other options or really one option for me in New York State is to get an Organic Transit ELF(which will be available summer 2013) and remove the standard electric assist to make it legal which I'm still debating or what I'm liking slightly more, get a recumbent reverse trike and put a fairing on it from Velocity Velos or Blue Sky Design.

These choices are based on the best bang for a buck.