Open Source Pedal Powered Quadracycle

Basics

• A Four Wheeled Bicycle of sorts
• Original Version will be a Two Seat, with a small trunk, and a trailer hitch
• A Cheap People/Cargo Mover for local areas (no fuel, little maitnence)
• Modular, so can start out as frame + drivechain + seats only, and grow into essentially an ac-less small car (low speed)
• Can also add a motor (assist) later if desired

Industry Standards

• Rhoades Car
• A Forum Post On All/Most Available Producers
• XYZ Cargo Company

Existing Open Source Designs

N55 System

• An Article on It
• The Source

American Speedster

• Seem to be made with PVC Pipe?
• Their Website

University Studies/Designs

• California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo - "The Quadricycle Hand and Foot Cycle" (used hand pedals too (and turning via seat twisting?) , not too needed, but intresting)

Rough Sketches

Top Down View

• File Link (To Prevent Page Clutter)

Basic Design

Frame

• Thinking Pipe or Tube
• PVC Pipe, Fiber Reinforced Pipe , Steel Pipe / Steel Tube / Aluminium Pipe / Aluminium Tube
• Also want it to be at least dissasembleable to module sections (ie not all welded, use bolts for maitnenece/upgrading)

Seats

• OTS or DIY

Drivetrain

• Two pedals (one for each person)
• Clutch on each for each person being able to not have feet "pushed" if not pedaling, or if there is not a seccond person
• Then goes to a gearbox
• Then goes to both wheel axles (possibly a differental on each)?
• Also optional KERS using a flywheel and clutch for non-electric boost for stop/go and hills etc

Wheels

• Most likely standard "bike" tires+wheels
• May need non-spoke versions for better load capacity (ie more like motorcycle/car wheel hubs)

Windsheild

• Cut Acrylic With Add-on Frame

Onboard Battery

• Small battery up to a 12v lead acid for onboard electronics, and systems (if wanted)
• Could also add a roof mounted flexible solar cell array
• Then misc things like headlights, turn signals, bike computer, internal lights, radio/stereo/gps etc

Trailer Hitch

• What is the "standard" ?

Internal Links

• Velomobile
• Fibre Reinforced Pipe 3D Printer possible structual material
• Modular Vehicles
• Team Wikispeed
• This Part of the "Construction Sets" page
• Open Source Small Vehicle Modular Trailer

External Links

• The Wikipedia Page on Quadracycles
• The Wikipedia Page on The EU Classification of Quadrocycles
• A GrabCAD Search on Pedal Vehicles