Doing great , I can see why you don't like it however it can't be knocked as it sits there finished and has been ridden.[ how many never get finished ? [ me included ! ]
It is a challenge to build something for 2 people , have you seen this video ?
Obviously though it can be improved or be used as a lesson to design the next one without it's current set of faults
Towards the end he shows a list of several successful quads , you can easily see he has swapped your height for length , of course this only works if you have the space to store and the space to ride something that big.
Hint when posting pick a different URL the second one down in the list [ Direct Link ], your pictures will then be bigger and we won't have click on them to see them.
Paul
PS love your ' pedalo style pedals ' , on my to do list to try
Thank you for excellent film about quadricycles, compering them realistically with three-wheelers. Mostly, enthusiasts for one of species are not objective and could see only qualities of their gang and disadvantages of opposite. The same author (I thought he is Russian, but he is Ukrainian?) are very realistic with his own models, knowing plus and minus for any of them. Very useful film! Well, I will construct quadricycle, narrower than his a lot, shorter too, hope lighter - and, this time just for one person. No power and energy to pull human weight of 180 kgs ~397 pounds in total (now a few kgs less)... More in my own thread, started soon!
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I will follow your advice about pictures, the first time I used full size and later transporting them all at once, so they appeared as thumbnails
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I am surprised that you consider my first quadricycle as good one, but I am glad for such opinion! When I was looking photos, to me it also looks good, especially in some details - but photos are old 10 years! I was choked how time flies. Practically, it was finished for less than a year, this second variant - but, I was younger then and we have garage near our old home. I used it as workshop, too! Later, I modified a few issues, from time to time, but never used it really, just a few circles around building. Later, I had to repair some details ruined during time, moving quad from garden to balcony of garden house. Paint isn't shiny as on photos, there are rust here and there and tyres must be pumped every few months, maybe replaced. Left derailleur still have to be repaired - I wasn't sure how to pull chain through derailer without de-montage both of them. Now, I know, but it is too cold. Right one is damaged, but anyway it is not operational - I removed right chain, no use of it - cranked-pedals "screw-off" from right pedal-system, when pedalling. For pedals I use what I could find on department for water-plumbing. Must weld some parts to be not "un-screwed" and too flexible during pedalling.
Maybe I would like it more if I was driving it seriously, or maybe even less - who knows...
Small introduction... When I arrived here to Swiss some 15 years ago, I decided to realize my old dream to have my own bicycle... With a new wife, I made conclusion that driving on two wheels is not for me (bad driver, without serious experience - and too old to learn... We saw similar old guy how felt in front of tramway, just for not any reason, and could be probably killed if one young girl didn't jump on rails and pulled away both him and his bicycle... So, we had a plan - DIY quadricycle for two of us, but just me pedalling.
At first I planed to buy all mechanics-system components and make chassis/body of something similar to Mochet Velocar. However, mechanical components cost around 1.000 Swiss Franks and I found two quasi-MTB bicycles for half of that.
Well, maybe the first mistake - instead to cut both of them and made what I want - I was sorry to destroy two new and nice bicycles, so decide to make such variant as was finished. It was often used by modest beginners and such variant of seating two persons were well-known and popular at the turn of the centuries XIX-XX. The most known was De Dion-Bouton quadricycle. It was developed from two-wheeled motto-bicycle, through delta three-wheeled mottorette to motto-quadricycle...
Well, such seating position was probably the second big mistake. It is comfortable for seating and watching around, entering in and stepping out - but, quite dangerous. Beside, such weight on the front wheels could be too much for ordinary bicycle wheels of 26", during rides and especially around corners, or bums and holes (not many of them here in Bern)… If I am not wrong, for quadricycles or three-wheelers, using bicycle wheels- the worst side-force effect is on the front wheels around corners?
My seating position is ergonomically good, with good passive and active visibility... But I would be too high in case of fall, resulting from accident or braking of construction? Then, so high centre of gravity with relatively narrow distance between wheels - a way to flipping over around corners? They weight of 52 kgs ~ around 115 pounds is too high for safe rides even seating alone - and, without electric assistance that now I do not have in plan, just wish it...
Some work should be done for serious testing, but just at the Spring and I do not have much will for that anymore.
I think, thta quadricycle is well constructed, strong and structurally safe. Then, steering system is strong and precise, with simple controls. Good front-wheel suspension. Then four handles for four brakes. Good system to control speed changes, both 3 at front and 7 at rear (left side only, right side is inoperative)…
Therefore, maybe not to give it as present, but to cut it, use what is good for new quadricycle and the rest sent to recycling centre. For metal, they do not charge anything but also do not pay anything. In Belgrade, I will sell that to Gypsies and they would resell that to junk-yards... Some of got they should use for they own cycle-karts, with pedals or TOMOS engine, or just pull-push karts...
So, we shall see what shall be the road to future: using our Citroen C-1, or tramways, trolleybuses and busses, or my quadricycle... Or, all of that combined...
