Ecotransport mashup

[nickec]

Wooden block slips over strong steel tube which normally supports OEM bodywork. Transverse hole constrains EMT - which is a continuous tube extends from the tail end of the scooter and ends near the right hand brake. Door latching will be near this brake handle.

Suicide door will hinge from rear. I reason that this will ease closing door. Seems very natural for rider. No contortions to manipulate door.

[nickec]

Pipe insulation combing along top of panels is temporary.

More panels will attach near front wheel, along top of panels, and at rear of frame.

Motto is make it quick and dirty. Rinse and repeat. Until enough is learned to fabricate a final sophisticated sexy version.

[jkv357]

Are you going to have enough room to turn the bars?

Is that angle comfortable?

[nickec]

Bars do indeed turn lock to lock without interference.

Angle is quite comfortable.

Imagine a small gokart wheel. Place your hands at 10 and 2 o'clock. Note your wrist angle. Or just relax your arms while seated and bend your elbows slowly upward. Now bend your elbows inward till your thumbs are about 8 inches apart. When your wrists are relaxed your thumbs will be closer together than your pinkie fingers. The narrow bars provide this same relaxed yet narrow position. Among recumbent racing bike builders this position is sometimes called "preying mantis". It is very commonly used.

Behind the instrument cluster are two hose-clamps. They clamp the bars onto a horizontal saddle. This allows adjusting the hanging angle of the bars. You can swing them like a pendulum until you find the most comfortable wrist angle. Then you tighten the hose clamps.

I could weld the saddle to the bars. I have avoided this because of issues involving fumes from chrome. Such fumes are much nastier than fumes created from steel to steel welding.

[Grant-53]

One can steer by leaning also with less input into to the steering. The narrower bar does mean less torque applied but this is not a liter bike. The front material may need to be stiffer than 4 mm Coroplast. I use 1/2" OD hard nylon tubing hoops for supports. Check out the other projects at craigvetter.com and recumbents.com as well as the threads here.

[nickec]

I agree that nylon hoops are an option. Because of my experience with RC aircraft where some nylon degrades I have opted for galvanized metal for this temporary fairing.

The final fairing will be like riding inside a large motorcycle helmet. The bulk of the volume will be EPP. I am lifting this idea from the

Spira

, the

Qbeak

, and the UCV.

https://www.google.com/search?&q=nic...recumbents.com

At the links found above you will find recumbents.com quotes me as early as 2003.

As a longtime former member of the IHPVA I have been constructing FWD bikes for more than twenty years.

[Grant-53]

Good for you! I found when I increased my speed the wind load deformed my fairings. I have been corresponding with Upright Mike and Upright Dave in the Technical forum.

[nickec]

Right now automotive manufacturers around the world use large pieces of molded EPP for crash force absorption.

I am proposing and exploring the idea of simply snapping large EPP panels onto steel hoops which surround the vehicle occupant.

The fairing pictured is only for real-world riding experience to gauge proper sizing, ergonomics, and rough aerodynamic exploration. It is critical to know the proper size for leg access to the ground, and to achieve a shape which discourages airflow into the cabin from the leg access perforations.

Imagine a molded EPP panel which merely snaps onto a hoop and requires no other fasteners. This is the level of simplification I seek. Secondary light fastening may prove desirable to discourage panel theft.

This thread will hopefully usefully outline the baby steps along the long journey to an inexpensive yet effective transportation option.

The vehicles mentioned above, the Spira, the Qbeak, and the UCV, are at some level, large blocks of foam you can ride in. The Qbeak comes closest to simply exposing the EPP as a "finish surface". Because I feel that this is possibly a very good idea, with advantages and disadvantages, I wanted to demonstrate variations in an Ecomodder thread.

Because EPP molds are pricey it makes sense to simulate and simplify before making a significant investment in molds. Paper Mache may be in the offing.

[nickec]

In some sense I am competing with myself to realize the cheapest, quickly made, servicable full fairing. EMT, zip ties, coroplast, corrugated cardboard, paper-mache, small wood blocks, and industrial velcro properly mixed together seems the lowest dollar solution.

I am very open to suggestions on how to lower development costs and speed iterations. So please do continue to comment and help move this along.

A simple method of waterproofing paper, which also strengthens it, was amply demonstrated by the founder of Cardboard Technologies. Something similar may come into play in this thread.

[Grant-53]

I have had good success with bonding 1" hex mesh, aka chicken wire, between layers of 5 mil tarp material using contact cement or general purpose adhesive. For crash protection I have a supply of honeycomb aluminum and .016" aluminum sheet. I see ABS is commonly used on cars. Southco is a popular supplier of fasteners and hardware. We used bonded inserts and screws to attach panels in rail cars. Plastic plugs and wire clips are found at the auto parts stores. Welcome to the adventure.