Anyone ever tried this?

[Wildcat]

There's also the extra weight of the brace that will encompass the whole thing. A lot depends on testing it out.

 

[CrazyDave]

http://riderungu.com/juggernaut/

 

[Wildcat]

http://riderungu.com/juggernaut/

I knew someone must have tried it before. I don't have the skill or patience for separate forks but that bike looks like fun.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

http://riderungu.com/juggernaut/

I'd like to ride that. It definitely solves the steering issue but I think it would feel really weird not being able to lean while turning.

 

[RivNut]

With the tires being as narrow as they are and the fact that they're close together will negate any need to think about the Ackerman principle. As long as the tires are not turning at the same speed, you shouldn't notice anything. Just make sure that you don't build in so much camber that you're trying to pick up the outside wheel when you turn. Running them on a common axle will not work.

 

[deorman]

Just to reiterate a point you made yourself on your second post to this thread, with a common steer axis as originally envisioned, this thing would try to highside on every turn, unless you eliminate or reverse the steering head rake. Otherwise I'm pretty sure the energy involved in wrestling it over to the correct side would negate any gain from floatation, which would only exist in straight line operation anyway.

Clear as mud, right?

 

[Wildcat]

If I had a very wide front wheel, say on a foot wide front fork, it would have the same footprint as 2 wheels on one fork. Except not as much rubber on the ground. As the bike turns, the outer wheel lifts up like the outer tread on a wide tire would as the bike leans. Then you are riding on just the one wheel in a tight turn instead of two. It'll have to be ridden to see how hard that is to ride.

 

[Wildcat]

I'm still considering this idea, maybe for the build off coming up. I found another example, but with too much weight with the mechanism. It would need some low gearing, one speed won't be easy to pedal very far. But it looks good, better than what I'll tinker together.

I want brakes on the front, so there's another issue. What if I left the original wheel in the forks and added an extra on either side? And while I'm at it, do the same for the rear, one drive wheel, and an extra on either side. The dropouts will have to be extended to the rear more than a foot for pedal clearance. That would allow the original brakes front and rear with gears, and still have a working bike if it doesn't work out. It'll have low gearing for sure, with the weight of 4 extra wheels. With 2.125 tires, that's over 6 inches of width front and rear. Lightweight rims and tires would be a plus. 1.75 tires would give more than 5 inches, so I may go that route at first to save weight, and money.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

So, like training wheels?

Luke.

 

[Duchess]

Hm, some ridiculous stylized training wheels might be a funny concept on a build.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

So, like training wheels?

Luke.

Biggest problem I can see is that if the outside wheels ride up on something you may lose all traction to the middle wheel, happened all the time to my Niece, she still does not like riding...

Luke.

 

[CrazyDave]

4.8" tires. No training wheels required!! http://surlybikes.com/bikes/moonlander

 

[Wildcat]

Biggest problem I can see is that if the outside wheels ride up on something you may lose all traction to the middle wheel, happened all the time to my Niece, she still does not like riding...

Luke.

I thought of that too. The 2 outer wheels can be on hinged springs somehow so they allow the center driving wheel to always stay in contact. That's gonna take a lot of figuring and engineering, just what I was trying to avoid. Maybe just one wheel in the rear.

 

[Wildcat]

4.8" tires. No training wheels required!! http://surlybikes.com/bikes/moonlander
View attachment 20928

They have fat bikes over here for about 400 bucks. Pretty good quality too. A little out of my price range, so I'll keep trying to make up some kind of bike that will ride as good in sand as those bikes do.

 

[Joe Monstermaker]

I think if I were you, simply trying to get through sand as inexpensively as possible, I'd widen the fork, then weld screw or rivet two similar wheels together side by side, lace them up like a single fat wheel, and mount two tires & tubes.

 

[RustySprockets]

Have you considered two front driven wheels and a steerable tailwheel?

 

[order99]

http://www.atomiczombie.com/Tutorial - HammerHead Trike - Page 1.aspx


The Forums seem to have a decent number of Hammerhead builders, seems like a perfect resource for a project like this! The stated purpose of the original designer was for ice and snow, might work for sand...