July 29, 201114 yr Well done Alan......ingenious.......you got there in the end ......well worth the sleepless nights Lynda
July 30, 201114 yr OK Alan, it looks good but how does it work in practice? I would have a few concerns with that set up with regards to how securely it is fastened on and the fact that it looks very top heavy making it easy to just fall over sidewards. The proof is in the pudding so I think we need a video of this one. It is still a really interesting project though but I think there must be a better way, that is cheap as well. Steve
July 31, 201114 yr Author OK Alan, it looks good but how does it work in practice? I would have a few concerns with that set up with regards to how securely it is fastened on and the fact that it looks very top heavy making it easy to just fall over sidewards. The proof is in the pudding so I think we need a video of this one. It is still a really interesting project though but I think there must be a better way, that is cheap as well. Steve Hi Steve, I have some video and photos. I have learned alot about towing is all I\ll say now ... as I am off to bed. My mission, which was to get a bike to my brother in Wales was accomplished! ... So, I am very happy about that .. both bikes survived the journey and I only have a few scratches ... more later...
August 1, 201114 yr Author Cant wait to hear the whole story Alan......sounds intrigueing..... Lynda Its going to take a while to impart all the details! ... The main thing I should say is that I would not advise anyone else to try and do what I just did the way I did it! ... I should have thought about it alot more and consulted other people who have experience of towing. There was a perfomer or band in the 80's called Wreckless Eric ... well I'm affraid last weekend I was Wreckless Alan ... I was fortunate to complete the mission which was to deliver the Fast4ward to my brother. A happy ending ... Here is some of the story in pictures: Towpath - a set on Flickr
August 1, 201114 yr Its going to take a while to impart all the details! ... The main thing I should say is that I would not advise anyone else to try and do what I just did the way I did it! ... I should have thought about it alot more and consulted other people who have experience of towing. There was a perfomer or band in the 80's called Wreckless Eric ... well I'm affraid last weekend I was Wreckless Alan ... I was fortunate to complete the mission which was to deliver the Fast4ward to my brother. A happy ending ... Here is some of the story in pictures: Towpath - a set on Flickr But if you were Wreckless Alan, that's a good thing, no?
August 1, 201114 yr I can't wait to hear what happened. I could hardly believe that you were extending your delivery service range to over 100 miles - and towing at the same time - how many batteries would that need? From the route inferred from the picture set I did wonder whether you were heading to Swindon and planning go from there by train, but after some failure of your bike - aborted at Newbury and then completed the delivery by train. I want to do a pleasure journey round Kent over 6 days on my electric bike, following the route taken on horseback in the 1744 by my 5 greats grandfather. I shall be having motorised back up accompanying me. The horses then only did legs of up to about 20 miles in a day. Some of the inns where they stopped still survive. The account of the 1744 journey records what tipple they took at each inn.
August 1, 201114 yr Author But if you were Wreckless Alan, that's a good thing, no? If that home made hitch had failed or if I had lost control (which I was close to doing a number of times) then I could have hurt someone ...not just myself .. and that kind of wreckless is just bad.
August 1, 201114 yr Its going to take a while to impart all the details! ... The main thing I should say is that I would not advise anyone else to try and do what I just did the way I did it! ... I should have thought about it alot more and consulted other people who have experience of towing. There was a perfomer or band in the 80's called Wreckless Eric ... well I'm affraid last weekend I was Wreckless Alan ... I was fortunate to complete the mission which was to deliver the Fast4ward to my brother. A happy ending ... Here is some of the story in pictures: Towpath - a set on Flickr Good God Alan ...it sounds like you have been truly traumatised......told you to get a trailer......but thankfully, alls well that ends well Lynda
August 1, 201114 yr Author Good God Alan ...it sounds like you have been truly traumatised......told you to get a trailer......but thankfully, alls well that ends well Lynda Traumatised ... yes, I think you are probably right! ... if you have the stomach for it some video "highlights" are on the way! ... I was so excited when I started out from the office car park in Basingstoke that I forgot my helmut and goggles! ... as I ventured onto the main road as I went past Motorola there were a load of police vehicles in their car park. It may even have been a cycle proficiency event! ... can you image it! .. the police instructing youngsters in road safety and then suddenly this bloke flies past towing another bike uncontrolably! .. I just stuck my head down and hoped not to be spotted! ... This is the video footage taken from a CARDVR camera mounted on the Fast4ward bike that I was trying to tow: Edited August 1, 201114 yr by kitchenman
August 1, 201114 yr If that home made hitch had failed or if I had lost control (which I was close to doing a number of times) then I could have hurt someone ...not just myself .. and that kind of wreckless is just bad. Wreck - less , not reckless. Whatever... Your problems stemmed from the towed bike being too high at the front and you really needed a drawbar to take the wheel-less front axle at the same height as your towing bike. Such a contraption could be made QD for transfer between bikes of conventional frame layout.
August 2, 201114 yr Author Wreck - less , not reckless. Whatever... Your problems stemmed from the towed bike being too high at the front and you really needed a drawbar to take the wheel-less front axle at the same height as your towing bike. Such a contraption could be made QD for transfer between bikes of conventional frame layout. Sorry Dave, my spelling and understanding of English is terrible. Yes! .. Wreckless is a good thing. Perhaps we can create a list of do's and dont's ... 1) Don't have the towed bike too high at the front. 2)Don't have the towed bike heavier than the towing bike. 3)Do use a towing bike fit for the purpose. 4)If removing the front wheel of the towed bike don't lash it with the spokes. 5)Do leave room for panniers on the towing bike if the pannier rack is being used to mount the towing mechanism 6)if both bikes are to be used as the towing bike and the pannier rack is being used for mounting then make sure the pannier racks are interchangable or you have a hitch on both racks 7) ? ...
August 2, 201114 yr I was so excited when I started out from the office car park in Basingstoke that I forgot my helmut and goggles! ... You MUST have been excited Never seen any of your videos without your helmet...... How far did you actually travel ? Bet you are relieved its all over..... Lynda
August 2, 201114 yr Author I was so excited when I started out from the office car park in Basingstoke that I forgot my helmut and goggles! ... You MUST have been excited Never seen any of your videos without your helmet...... How far did you actually travel ? Bet you are relieved its all over..... Lynda My stats to Thatcham were: Dist:19.8 miles, Avg:7.5 mph, Max:20.5 mph, Duration:2:36:20 I dont have the stats for Thatcham to Reading but I suspect it was about 5 miles. So final stats would be something like: 25 miles, 7.5 mph, 20.5 mph, 3:10:00 ... the 20.5 max was reached on the tarmac between the office and the start of the canal at Lock 95 .. .Here is a map of the canal: www.katrust.co.uk I've had a range of feelings ... excitement, exhilaration, fright, disappointment, elation, relief, ... Edited August 2, 201114 yr by kitchenman
August 2, 201114 yr Its on my list of the next place I go to camp/cycle...really looking forward to it. I will be starting from around Bradford on Avon....so the other end to you, it looks wonderful, I love cycling alongside canals. The canal at taunton/bridgewater, near me, is really interesting......I need to get a rack for my car so I can nip over there more often, rather than getting the m/home out. Anyway Alan, glad you got back safely, no doubt you are already working on a safer mark II version. Lynda
August 2, 201114 yr Author Its on my list of the next place I go to camp/cycle...really looking forward to it. I will be starting from around Bradford on Avon....so the other end to you, it looks wonderful, I love cycling alongside canals. The canal at taunton/bridgewater, near me, is really interesting......I need to get a rack for my car so I can nip over there more often, rather than getting the m/home out. Anyway Alan, glad you got back safely, no doubt you are already working on a safer mark II version. Lynda On your Powacycle Windsor? ... Has it got nice big fat tyres? Have you got any photos of your bike? Re: a mark II version ...It will have a piece of wood that does not disable the use of the pannier rack and the towing bike will be fit for purpose and any canals I go on will have tarmac tow paths with no bridges or gates! ..
August 2, 201114 yr Yes, thats the one, just a bog standard windsor.....it goes everywhere, forest tracks, canal tow paths etc, tires look quite chunky they are the original ones, I have never had a puncture.......its not the most powerful bike in the world (!) but its taken a lot of abuse, has been problem free and never complains. Lynda
August 2, 201114 yr Author Yes, thats the one, just a bog standard windsor.....it goes everywhere, forest tracks, canal tow paths etc, tires look quite chunky they are the original ones, I have never had a puncture.......its not the most powerful bike in the world (!) but its taken a lot of abuse, has been problem free and never complains. Lynda Who could want for anything more. Are you going to have it serviced? I road mine for 9 months before my first service and that was way too long! ...
August 2, 201114 yr Its never been serviced Alan...not even a drop of oil.....you're making me feel guilty....perhaps I had better look after it better.....
August 3, 201114 yr Author Its never been serviced Alan...not even a drop of oil.....you're making me feel guilty....perhaps I had better look after it better..... Well,, I am doing daily extreme cycling! .. so, my bike gets a thrashing ... I'm probably overdue a service now and it only seems like yesterday that I had it done ....now I'm making myself feel guilty! ...
August 4, 201114 yr Well,, I am doing daily extreme cycling! .. so, my bike gets a thrashing ... I'm probably overdue a service now and it only seems like yesterday that I had it done ....now I'm making myself feel guilty! ... Hi Alan, sorry to hack your thread! Your inbox is full so I can't send you a message....The F4W Ride manual is too big to load on here, can I have your email so I can send it to you? Many thanks Mark
August 8, 201114 yr Author Hi Alan, sorry to hack your thread! Your inbox is full so I can't send you a message....The F4W Ride manual is too big to load on here, can I have your email so I can send it to you? Many thanks Mark Yes, of course, I'll PM you and tidy up my inbox! ...
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