Quote:
Sponger, you must be looking for something like this:
Xtracycle Hitchless Bicycle Trailers and Sport Utility Bicycles
I am a daily bicycle commuter, about 30 miles daily round trip. I also use a bicycle for lots of errands around town, so I know what it is to use a bicycle as a utility vehicle and a transportation vehicle, not a recreational toy. Most people think of bicycles at racing toys or recreational toys, not as people movers or cargo movers. It is not all that far fetched to use a regular bike for carrying a light weight passenger a short distance on gentle terrain.
If you want to haul cargo instead of a person, this is for the serious stuff:
Bike Trailers & More - Bikes At Work Inc.
|
Recycled, tools, not toys. Sounds like we're on the same page. Thanks for the links! When I have the time and money, that's going to be exactly what I go for. My current bike is slated to only last for 3 more months, but when I settle down and buy/build my next one, that will come in handy!
It's funny your round trip is 30 miles, that's exactly what mine used to be. Sometimes in 115 degree heat.
Unfortunately, to be where I wanted to be, I had to move outside of biking range, and carpool/bus instead. However, the town I'm in is small very bike-and-pedestrian friendly, making for good low-speed riding.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WitchDoctor
Now that the argument seems to be over, I'd just like to point something out.
Sponger, how can you expect anyone to take your argument seriously? You took the time to look up the physical properties of a bolt, but thought it was a good idea to put 5 times the rated capacity on that makeshift seat? Amazing.
|
Not a "good idea" but simply an idea. I wasn't asking for an evaluation of the safety of using a cargo rack for a bike seat--I have already done that evaluation. I was asking for ideas on better rear seats for bicycles as the rack I was using was not adequate.
The bolt's failure mode worried me more than the seat's. I knew the struts might possibly buckle and lower the "seat" onto the wheel, but aluminum's yield stress is far below it's failure stress, so the worst that would happen would be the passenger seat sloping gently backwards and rubbing on the tire. Which is why I bothered to calculate the bolt's shear stress and failure load and accepted that the struts might yield in a benign failure, which is indeed what happened. I didn't know the wall thickness of the struts (and had no way of finding out without cutting through them and destroying the rack) so I couldn't calculate the actual yield stress of the rack. I estimated it was over 100 lbs, and--indeed it was--but not by much, thanks to the cantilever design. I assume it was built that way to save money on materials, and I should've taken a harder look at it before buying it (or simply ridden around the pothole), because there are racks out there that would not have failed in it's place.
If the bolt had failed, it would have resulted in a faster drop and a more dangerous condition.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
