Quality tandem racing tricycle on facebook

[T4tomo]

the only trike I ever had was front wheel (direct) drive

 

[fritz katzenjammer]

My wife and I enjoy our tandem so I showed her this beast. She took one look and how low the stoker’s bars were and their proximity to the front seat and gave me a stern no.

 

[Sharky]

A few years ago now ...

 

[Ian H]

Full admiration which one is you ?

I can still remember my first 100 mile tandem ride with the Kidderminster section of the CTC with Neil White who's parents had a couple of touring tandems.
We rode up to Ironbridge so not a flat route at all great times

I'm on the front. John, behind me, has the gears.

 

[Ian H]

TWD would require a new axle assembly. Trikit made them, but I believe he was wanting to retire. Longstaff used to make them. Modern ones use a pair of freewheels or one-way clutches that allow the faster wheel to overrun. Older, differential types had the disadvantage that, if you lost traction on one wheel, you'd stop.

 

[biggs682]

I'm on the front. John, behind me, has the gears.

So you are the engine and John is gearbox

 

[Ian H]

So you are the engine and John is gearbox

We were both engines (though he'd disagree). The gears were voice-operated: I shouted at him.
John's over 80 now.

 

[biggs682]

We were both engines (though he'd disagree). The gears were voice-operated: I shouted at him.
John's over 80 now.

He has all those memories

 

[mickle]

Differentials are pretty rare, and not without their own drawbacks. They do split the torque between two wheels, so the chance of wheel slippage due to loss of tyre traction is significantly reduced. Its often suggested that on OWD trikes the nearside wheel being driven tends to counter the effect of road camber on the steering. Sort of pushing the trike up and away from the kerb. But im not convinced.

 

[Ian H]

Differentials are pretty rare, and not without their own drawbacks. They do split the torque between two wheels, so the chance of wheel slippage due to loss of tyre traction is significantly reduced. Its often suggested that on OWD trikes the nearside wheel being driven tends to counter the effect of road camber on the steering. Sort of pushing the trike up and away from the kerb. But im not convinced.

I can't say I noticed the anti-camber effect. Adverse cambers were a pain - you had to lean to the left to maintain traction.

 

[404 Not Found Anywhere]

I have two trikes with differentials… they were pretty common in the past, the double freewheel innovation was introduced , I believe , by George Longstaff and then used by Trykit. Whilst a diff drives the outside wheel (the fastest moving one) in corners, the double freewheel drives the slower one which means in tight corners more effort tends to be needed but it also means that the non-slipping wheel gets driven. This does lead to challenges on slippy hills on my 1990 Ken Rogers upright, but generally a bit of judicious out of saddle weight redistribution helps. My other diff trike is my Kettwiesel recumbent, wheel spin is much less of an issue but I think that is due in large part to all weight being over the rear axle on really steep climbs… it also has much fatter grippier tyres. My first Kettwiesel was one wheel drive and climbing steep hills with it was really challenging… the front wheel was always lurching into the gutter (it was the right wheel that was driven, being a German machine). In contrast the diff on the current Kett means I can lift the front wheel on steep hills and ride it uphill on the two rear wheels! Surprisingly it keeps a pretty straight line.

 

[mickle]

Off topic, but on the subject of differentials. (Which were invented for pedal tricycles before being adopted by the motor industry) Early cars had a single brake drum acting on the drive shaft ahead of the differential. It meant that if one wheel lost grip under braking - in a wet gutter - you'd end up with the offside wheel rolling along un-braked, while the slipping wheel would just spin backwards at the same speed.

 

[404 Not Found Anywhere]

My Ken Rogers indeed has a Sachs hub brake on the rear axle, I think it’s mounted after the diff and it does lock both wheels but it’s as effective as chocolate brake blocks! I have a spare front hub brake (also Sachs) and was thinking of building it into a front wheel to augment the front canti brakes.