Re: Why Do People Fall Down?

frkrygow@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 aka Frank Krygowski wrote:
> On Oct 30, 1:54 pm, "Roger Zoul" <rogerzo...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> frkry...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 wrote:
>>
>> :: On Oct 29, 10:36 pm, "Roger Zoul" <rogerzo...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> ::::
>> ::: Ah....I didn't get the fact that you were referring to a certain
>> ::: type of trike.  It sounds like a racing model, with a very low seat
>> ::: angle.
>> :::
>> :: ...
>> :::
>> ::: I see. I thought you were talking about a low-racer re***bent, not
a
>> ::: low-racer trike.  The low angle could definitely make things harder
>> ::: to ride. Certainly, this is a more specialized version of a trike -
>> ::: made for going fast.
>> ::
>> :: Definitely.
>> ::
>> :::  How old is it?  It must be way long, too, if you can't do a
u-turn.
>> ::
>> ::
>> :: Here's my first attempt at using Flickr.com:
>> ::
>> ::http://www.flickr.com/photos/16972296@[EMAIL
PROTECTED]
>> ::
>> :: The trike was made sometime in the mid-1980s.  Again, no
manufacturer
>> :: info is on it.  I know it was expensive.  And again, the original
>> :: owner is deceased.
>> ::
>>
>> Hard for me to tell from looking, but it just looks uncomfortable.  The
seat
>> looks like cloth hung loosely over metal at two ends.  perhaps it's not
>> that, though.
> 
> That pretty well describes it.  The seat - or sling, or hammock, or
> whatever you'd call it - doesn't feel too bad, actually.  But as with
> a hammock, there's a feeling of being sunk into it, not knowing if
> you'll ever get out.

Based on appearances, modern production tadpoles have much better seats.

>> However, it doesn't appear to be as low as I thought it woud
>> be.  With that big 700c (is that 700c?) wheel back there.
> 
> Close.  Originally came with 3 tubulars, but the back rim corroded and
> failed in storage.  I put an old 27" clincher wheel on it to enable
> riding.
> 
>> But I can't
>> really tell how one is positioned in that thing.  there a lot of
bending
>> metal bits there too. Once you're in it and riding, how does it feel?
> 
> The riding position makes me feel pretty much like a turtle on its
> back.  My feet are way high in front of me, so I'm kind of peering
> around them at times.  I can put considerable pressure on the pedals,
> and that makes it scoot, but spinning seems awkward.  Handling is
> twitchy - one has to concentrate on not oversteering.  Even riding a
> straight line takes some concentration.

Laid back with feet up is a great riding position - my favorite by far.

> The most unusual feature is the steering linkage.  I've never seen
> anything like it.  The two joysticks actually act on the _rear_ wheel,
> banking it left or right.  The intent is to prevent side loading of
> the rear wheel.  Other linkages go from there to the tie rods and
> activate the front wheels.
> 
> Much of that is adjustable.  I gave some thought to tuning out the
> twitchiness, but a) I'm buried in much more im****tant projects, and b)
> I really have no desire to ride this thing very much.

Modern tadpole have much less complicated steering linkages, and the 
better designed trikes have good direction stability, to the point they 
go straight with only one front wheel braked.

-- 
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
When did ignorance of biology become a "family value"?