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Bicycle without chain!


fatoumata

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Actually I was thinking about how to make a bicycle function without chaine may be by applying a magnetism principle( attraction??) between the 2 wheels.

 

Do you think it's theoretically possible? which mechanism might need to be developed/experimented? physics theories to apply?:rolleyes:

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Actually I was thinking about how to make a bicycle function without chaine may be by applying a magnetism principle( attraction??) between the 2 wheels.

 

Do you think it's theoretically possible? which mechanism might need to be developed/experimented? physics theories to apply?:rolleyes:

 

Like this?

 

zerobike.jpg

 

""Makota Makita & Hiroshi Tsuzaki

This is known as the "Zero" and is a marvel of modern industrial design. It is a prototype of a bike with hubless, magnetically suspeded wheels and a magnetic drive. The bike is very lightweight and powered by cranking magnetic pedals which rotate the tires suspended between other magnets. ""

 

http://mikebloggle.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.htmlres

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that thing looks crazy! Wonderful! I hope that the assumptions used in the design will one day come true.

 

Assumption:

"assuming future advances in magnetic superconductivity"

(so I guess it does not actually work).

 

Read more (the assumption can be found on the picture itself): A mode of transportation [Prototype]

 

Still, quite a nice thing to look at and dream about. Whether I'd trust it to climb a mountain with me sitting on it? Hmm... perhaps I'd go for old skool :D

 

[edit] And a bit of IXQuicking (alternative for Google) found that the design is form 1988... lol. It's 20 years old (link provides no picture, but the designer's names are similar).

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I imagine any type of human powered magnetically coupled drive would be horribly inefficient.

 

only the human part. but luckily that is easily replaced by a machine. doesn't even need that much intelligence either. you can often replace humans with a large rock and nobody would notice the difference.

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The link has an extra 'res' added onto it. This link http://mikebloggle.blogspot.com/2008/05/a5-designer-makota-makita-hiroshi.html points directly to the page about the Zero. Sounds really awesome, I'd assume it's pretty pricey too though.

 

Pricey ain't the half of it.

 

A mode of transportation [Prototype]

 

"the magnets suspend the tires between them, assuming future advances in superconductivity"

 

This is mostly conceptual design, not practical design. Reminds me of the gravia lamp that would never have worked as advertised.

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thanks 4 your contribution...

This design is amazing!

But how, do you think we can make it practical? the question of pricing 'd come later.

 

Can we make it more suitable and attractive to people? At a large scale, which magnetic tools, principles do we use to manufacture them?:rolleyes:

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Not to be a killjoy or anything but it seems the superconducting magnets (not yet available) would put the price beyond what even todays best racing bikes cost, about $30k-$40k. If it is legal for racing, that would be the market. If not, then very few people would pay that kind of money for a bicycle.

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I have visions of a newspaper articlew at some stage in the future describing the horrific injuries inflicted on two cyclists who tried to pass eachother on bikes of this sort.

 

"Regretably, the emergency services were unable to cut away the wreckage as the "jaws of life" became irrevokably attached to the real wheel of one of the bikes.

 

First aid treatment was also severly hindered until a bystander (who refused to give his name) supplied a box cutter with a ceramic blade which was non magnetic. The man was last seen heading in the direction of the local flying school. Authorities would like to speak to him urgently.

 

The issue was further complicated because, while both parties has credit cards with them which should have vouched for their abillity to pay medical costs, for some reason neither of their cards worked and nor did those of anyone else involved.

A passing physicist was asked to look at the combination of gyroscope forces and magnetic interactions and said "Bugger that!- I'm taking up flower arranging".

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I have visions of a newspaper articlew at some stage in the future describing the horrific injuries inflicted on two cyclists who tried to pass eachother on bikes of this sort.

.

 

ROFL.

....a large number of senior citizens with pace makers were found dead in their tracks in a neighborhood inhabited by cyclists with futuristic looking bicycles.....

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OK I get z message of z bad consequences of the magnetism

 

But still couldn't we mix a magnetic material such as steel and another material? they would attract strongly enough the centers of each wheel but not as much strong to attract things at e.g. 0.7m

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Back to the bicycle without a chain idea.

I was thinking about mounting a fan on one of these proven/patented designs for days when I'm too tired to peddle and there is no wind.

 

The wheels could turn a couple of small generators to power the fan.

 

US06932368-20050823-D00000.gif

Apparatus for Harnessing Wind to Drive a Bicycle

patent#: US 6932368

issued on 8/23/2005

 

US06880844-20050419-D00000.gif

Wind-Assisted Bicycle

patent#: US 6880844

issued on 4/19/2005

 

No chain should be required (although it looks like the original designers may have included peddles/chains for ancillary propulsion).

 

What do you think?

Edited by DrDNA
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What if you hang a really strong magnet out in front a steel-framed bike....like a carrot on a pole in front of a donkey?

 

Now that's a good idea - and if we make the magnet strong enough, all you have to do is raise the stick above the bike and you get a flying bike! :D

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Now that's a good idea - and if we make the magnet strong enough, all you have to do is raise the stick above the bike and you get a flying bike! :D

 

Thanks!

I was thinking about putting another magnet behind the first one, eg, facing the first one but with opposite polarity, for the extra boost which is required for passing lanes or going up steep hills.

 

PS: Contrary to what you and that wicked woman that stole Toto in the middle of a tornado believe, I do not feel that flying bicycles are the wave of the future.

Like cars, we can barely operate them in two deminsions (x-y), much less three (x-y-z)

:)

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