Rowing cycle
Arowing cycleis a wheeled vehicle propelled by a rowing motion of the body. Steering, braking, and shifting are usually done by the handlebars. Feet are on symmetrical foot rests, as opposed to rotating pedals. Unlike manyrowing boats,the rider faces forward. Rowing cycles exist in numerous designs, particularly with respect to frames and drive mechanisms. Commercial production numbers for rowing cycles are small compared to that of standard bicycles.
History
[edit]
The use of a rowing-like action to propel a land vehicle goes probably to the 1870s, as George W. Lee used a sliding-seat in a tricycle.[1]Roadsculler races were held inMadison Square Gardenin the 1880s.[2]A toy catalog fromFAO Schwarzin 1911 advertised a four-wheeled "Row-Cycle" for children, operated using two levers in a standing position and with steering done by the feet.[3]In the 1920s,Manfred Curryin Germany designed and constructed the Landskiff ( "land boat" ), a four-wheeled vehicle that would be known as a Rowmobile in the English speaking countries.[1]Anewsreelfrom 1937 shows a rowed bicycle that is very similar to today's Craftsbury SS rowing bicycle, Rowbike and VogaBike.[4]
Propulsion and steering
[edit]Some rowed vehicles use a stroke similar to a boat, in that force is used only when straightening the body, the drive portion of the stroke, not the recovery. Other rowed vehicles, mostly those that use linkages and crankshafts in theirdrive trains,use force in both straightening and bending the body. On most, the handlebars move; most also have moving footrests and some have a moving seat.
The handle bars on some rowed vehicles travel on a semicircular path due to the handlebars being mounted to a fixed length lever pinned to the frame. Some attempt to simulate the more level stroke used in rowing a boat, for example Streetrower and Vogabike. The September 2007 issue of Velovision magazine claimed that Streetrower has "the most natural rowing action of any rowing vehicle to date".[5]
The Streetrower uses a steering system actuated byservomechanismsand controlled by the rider with ajoy stick.
Drive train
[edit]Rowed vehicles generally have one of threedrive trains:chain, linkages, or cable.
TheRowbikebrand uses a standard bicycle chain, rear gears, andderailleur.The chain does not travel in a loop, as is the case with a standardbicycle.It moves back and forth over the rearcogin a reciprocating motion. The chain is connected at one end to the frame of the rowbike and to abungee cordon the other. As the rower pulls back the chain engages the rear cog and the bungee cord is extended, and when the rower returns forward the bungee cord contracts, pulling the chain back and ensuring there is no slack in the chain. All Rowbikes have a rear derailleur, even single speeds, due to the need to keep proper tension in the chain.
Rowbikes that use linkages include Champiot and Powerpumper. They use linkages connected to acrank shaft,similar to apedal car.
The Thys Rowingbike and Streetrower use a cable which coils and uncoils about a spiral-shaped spool. Thys calls his version a snek drive (after the Dutch term forFusee (horology)).
Tandem, three and four wheeled variants
[edit]Balancing on a two-wheeled rowed vehicle while rowing requires some practice, even for a skilled bicyclist.Tricycleandquadracycleforms are usually heavier but do not share this problem.[6]The Streetrower is a tricycle with two wheels at the front and one at the rear; the Vogatrike also has three wheels. An early quadracycle, the 'Irish Mail', was similar to railroadhandcarsused byrailroadworkers to inspect tracks. The four-wheeled Champiot is reminiscent of the 'Irish Mail' type machine in that it uses linkages, not a chain, in its drive train.
Thys has produced atandemrowingbike.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abWhitt, Frank Rowland; David Gordon Wilson (1983).Bicycling Science.The Massachusetts Institute of Technology.ISBN0-262-23111-5.
- ^"The Roadsculler Race at Madison Square Garden"(PDF).The Daily Graphic.New York City. October 9, 1888.Retrieved2014-05-17.
- ^"Review of Spring and Summer Goods".Internet Archives.FAO Schwarz. p. 30.Retrieved24 December2013.
- ^A rowing bike appears at the 5:00 mark in this 1937 newsreel, Video title: lehokola a šlapohyby-historie
- ^Peter Eland, inVelovision magazine,September 2007.
- ^Irish Mails