The Cellar - Oct 8, 2009: Iscykel

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Oct 8, 2009: Iscykel

It's October, World Series, Halloween and chilly weather, here abouts.
A reminder that winter is coming, and that means outdoor exercising get curtailed, for those of us that aren't dedicated masochists.

If you don't have chains or spiked tires for your bicycle, you could build an Iscykel.

http://cellar.org/2009/iscykel.jpg

Quote:

Instead of wheels it had a front skate that you could steer with ordinary steering handles, and at the rear it had also a skate, inside which there was a moving skate that went forwards and backwards as you pedaled it via a chain. It was used for transportation on frozen lakes."

The drive system might be a bit of a challenge though.

Quote:

The rear runner has slot in the center running longitudinally. In this slot there appear to be two independent drive skates or claws that slide fore and aft. These are driven by a linkage system not dissimilar to that found on old railroad steam engines.

The difference is that these linkages are designed to operate at a mechanical disadvantage with regard to power so that they have a Long and fast "stride". The power strokes are opposed so that there is always one skate in the power stroke (moving rearward) while the other is in recovery (moving forward). This, I speculate, provides easier mounting and less friction.

Figuring that out, would give you something to do on long winter nights.
Well, something else to do. ;)

link

Sweden 2000 years ago? ;)

No, thank you - I might give it a go if it was a Triscykel and the handlebars had a wind screen and hot cocoa holder, though. Might. But check the thickness of the ice, first - those inline skates would put a lot of pressure in a narrow area, yes?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetwater (Post 599729)

But check the thickness of the ice, first - those inline skates would put a lot of pressure in a narrow area, yes?

It would be less pressure than your standard ice skates.

I'd like to see it in action

(as the actress said to the bishop)

Somebody's overthinking the locomotion at the back end. Just leave the wheel off, as the picture shows, and let the length of the chain push you along as it scrapes the ice.

Here's a simpler version from the late 1800s.

http://cellar.org/2009/iscykel2.jpg

link

Quote:

Originally Posted by lupin..the..3rd (Post 599735)

It would be less pressure than your standard ice skates.

Not my ice skates because I've never balanced atop a pair of razor blades on ice. Madness! But at least skates are, I think, much faster than the Iscykel so one could escape the danger. Plan B would be to strap on a back fin and be prepared to suddenly become a dolphin/sharkcykel. ;)

I live in Arlington WA and boy could I use one of those! last year we got 6 feet of snow!!!!

jpc
Ktraks have been on the market for a couple of years now. I know the two guys on Vancouver Island that came up with the concept. Tried one out for the first time last winter, pretty good workout. The guy in the pic is the company president.

Do you think it's supposed to rhyme with "sickle," or "cycle?"

Let's see now... Umm... Thinking... Thinking... Uh, no. Nope. Do Not Want.:headshake

I'm going w/sickle. Icicle?