Re: Frontwheel Drive

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Subject: Re: Frontwheel Drive
Posted by: E. Wilkosz on September 17, 1999 at 12:11:27:
In Reply to: Re: Frontwheel Drive posted by Todd on April 27, 1999 at 18:58:29:

Message:
>>>I'm curious to find out about any brands of experimental frontwheel drive mountain bikes. Do they exists?
>>>Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.
>>There are no front wheel only drive bicycles that I know of, except for a few recumbents. On conventional bikes, front wheel drive only will not work well because most of the time, when you are seated, 60%-75% of the weight is on the rear wheel and there is no functionally efficient way to attach a normal chain to the front, it would have to go through a lot of power robbing components to be able to make this happen. I do know of a two wheel drive setup for mountain bikes that is available, and there may be others I haven't seen. Here is the URL for Spicer Industries that makes the two wheel drive setup: http://www.evansville.net/~gene/. While I know first hand how nice two wheel drive would be on a mountain bike, especially for climbing hills, the Spicer system does not appear to be all that smooth. It uses a drive cable to drive the front off of the rear which probably adds 5 to 10 pounds to the bike, they don't have any weights listed so I can't be sure. Other disadvantages this system has is from what I
>>can tell the driving gears are external, so they would probably get easily gunked up and absorb power, it is real ugly and is real expensive.
>I recently saw a rowbike type thing, in a shop on the Pinellas trail in Largo , FL.. I think it may be made by Giant.It had a traditional rear-chain drive but when you push forward on the handlebars it gives you a single speed forward drive then the bars come back. It felt good for a fast, forward-leaning acceleration but I could hardly move with just the handle bar drive and though I could really feel the upper body workout, I couldn't Imagine doing the whole ride that way, but you should try one uot sometime. It is fun.
I AM MOST GRATEFUL FOR YOUR RESPONSE.
COULD YOU ADVISE ME ON WHAT I WOULD NEED TO DO TO PUT A HAND CRANK ON THE FRONT WHEEL OF A MOUNTAIN BICYCLE? I KNOW THAT SOMETHING MAY NEED TO BE DONE TO SHIFT MORE WEIGHT TO THE FRONT WHEEL. I HAVE SEEN ALL OF THE HAND CRANK BIKES AND IT SEEMS AS IF A HAND CRANK COULD BE WELDED TO THE FRONT STEM OF A MOUNTAIN BICYCLE. MY PHONE NUMBER IS 480-488-5150. I SEE TOO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE SPICER TWO WHEEL DRIVE BICYLCE IN ITS PRESENT FORM.
I ALSO LIKE THE ROWBIKE BUT IT IS STILL ONE WHEEL DRIVE.
I THINK THAT THE TWO-WHEEL DRIVE BICYCLE MUST BE AS SIMPLE AS POSSIPLE AND USE CONVENTIONAL BICYCLE COMPONENTS.
THE KEY ISSUE WITH THE FRAME WOULD BE TO CHANGE THE TUBE ANGLE TO ALLOW MORE WEIGHT ON THE FRONT WHEEL.
I BELIEVE THAT STEERING COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH PRACTICE USING THE HANDCRANK. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A COUPLE OF PROTYPES BUILT IF I CAN FIND A BICYCLE WELDER WILLING TO TRY THIS CONCEPT. WE WOULD THEN NEED TO TRY DIFFERENT FRAMES THAT WOULD ALLOW MORE WEIGHT TO BE SHIFTED TO THE FRONT WHEEL AND STILL ALLOW THE USE OF "OFF THE SHELF" COMPONENTS. WHO SHOULD I SPEAK TO ASSIST ME WITH THIS CONCEPT?

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Follow Up Message:

>>>>I'm curious to find out about any brands of experimental frontwheel drive mountain bikes. Do they exists?

>>>>Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

>>>There are no front wheel only drive bicycles that I know of, except for a few recumbents. On conventional bikes, front wheel drive only will not work well because most of the time, when you are seated, 60%-75% of the weight is on the rear wheel and there is no functionally efficient way to attach a normal chain to the front, it would have to go through a lot of power robbing components to be able to make this happen. I do know of a two wheel drive setup for mountain bikes that is available, and there may be others I haven't seen. Here is the URL for Spicer Industries that makes the two wheel drive setup: http://www.evansville.net/~gene/. While I know first hand how nice two wheel drive would be on a mountain bike, especially for climbing hills, the Spicer system does not appear to be all that smooth. It uses a drive cable to drive the front off of the rear which probably adds 5 to 10 pounds to the bike, they don't have any weights listed so I can't be sure. Other disadvantages this system has is from what I
>>>can tell the driving gears are external, so they would probably get easily gunked up and absorb power, it is real ugly and is real expensive.

>>I recently saw a rowbike type thing, in a shop on the Pinellas trail in Largo , FL..  I think it may be made by Giant.It had a traditional rear-chain drive but when you push forward on the handlebars it gives you a single speed forward drive then the bars come back. It felt good for a fast, forward-leaning acceleration but I could hardly move with just the handle bar drive and though I could really feel the upper body workout, I couldn't Imagine doing the whole ride that way, but you should try one uot sometime. It is fun.

>        I AM MOST GRATEFUL FOR YOUR RESPONSE.  
>COULD YOU ADVISE ME ON WHAT I WOULD NEED TO DO TO PUT A HAND CRANK ON THE FRONT WHEEL OF A MOUNTAIN BICYCLE? I KNOW THAT SOMETHING MAY NEED TO BE DONE TO SHIFT MORE WEIGHT TO THE FRONT WHEEL.   I HAVE SEEN ALL OF THE HAND CRANK BIKES AND IT SEEMS AS IF A HAND CRANK COULD BE WELDED TO THE FRONT STEM OF A MOUNTAIN BICYCLE.  MY PHONE NUMBER IS 480-488-5150.  I SEE TOO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE SPICER TWO WHEEL DRIVE BICYLCE IN ITS PRESENT FORM.
>I ALSO LIKE THE ROWBIKE BUT IT IS STILL ONE WHEEL DRIVE.

>I THINK THAT THE TWO-WHEEL DRIVE BICYCLE MUST BE AS SIMPLE AS POSSIPLE AND USE CONVENTIONAL BICYCLE COMPONENTS. 
> THE KEY ISSUE WITH THE FRAME WOULD BE TO CHANGE THE TUBE ANGLE TO ALLOW MORE WEIGHT ON THE FRONT WHEEL.
>I BELIEVE THAT STEERING COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH PRACTICE USING THE HANDCRANK.  I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A COUPLE OF PROTYPES BUILT IF I CAN FIND A BICYCLE WELDER WILLING TO TRY THIS CONCEPT.  WE WOULD THEN NEED TO TRY DIFFERENT FRAMES THAT WOULD ALLOW MORE WEIGHT TO BE SHIFTED TO THE FRONT WHEEL AND STILL ALLOW THE USE OF "OFF THE SHELF" COMPONENTS.  WHO SHOULD I SPEAK TO ASSIST ME WITH THIS CONCEPT?

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