Tricycles, tandems, handbikes and more…

At this time of year, spring, bicycles are coming out everywhere again. Children are playing and cycling outside once more. Mothers and fathers walk alongside their children to teach them how to steer. Young and old, healthy or disabled, are eager to get out and about again! There are means of transport for people of all ages and abilities. If you cycle a lot yourself, you experience this every day. From a cycling perspective, I would like to show you the following.

Tricycles & Tandems

A tricycle is a three-wheeled means of transport.

Because these vehicles are more stable than two-wheelers, children's bicycles are often designed as tricycles with one wheel at the front, two wheels at the rear, and the pedals mounted directly on the axle of the front wheel. Large tricycles have been developed for people with a physical disability who can ride a bicycle but cannot maintain their balance on two wheels. These models have a separate bottom bracket connected to the rear axle via a chain. For people with a lower body disability, there are hand-powered tricycles: the handbike. A handbike is a type of bicycle or tricycle that can be propelled by means of a hand-operated crank system. Other examples of three-wheeled bicycles are cargo bikes and bicycle taxis. A cargo bike is a three-wheeled transport bicycle with a large box at the front, used to carry luggage. There is a modern two-wheeled variant. A bicycle taxi is a bicycle used for a ride for a fee. On the left is a rickshaw (cyclist in front of the box) and on the right a becak (cyclist behind the box). A velomobile is a bicycle that is completely covered and usually rides on three wheels. Most velomobiles have a riding position and propulsion system similar to recumbent bicycles. However, other forms of muscle-powered propulsion are also possible, such as a rowing motion.

A tricycle from 1880.

Tricycles as toys

It is not only humans who ride three-wheeled bicycles. As crazy as it may seem, “people” also let animals ride three-wheelers. If necessary, these three-wheelers are specially designed and built.

A monkey on a bicycle, what do you think of something like that? An elephant on wheels, how do they come up with that, the idiots… Three three-wheeled vehicles / Rickshaw for passenger transport

Children in traffic . . .

Keep children off the road, away . . . . . and help them cross the road In 1995, this Europa stamp was issued with the theme 'Peace and Freedom'. And . . . you have freedom on a bicycle too, even if it is on a tricycle.

Finally

The tandem is a bicycle designed to be propelled by two or more people. In the standard model, the riders sit one behind the other. They drive the chain together, with the pedals coupled to a second chain. However, constructions with independent drive also occur. The lead rider is called a captain and the rear rider a stoker. These are also the English names. A major advantage of the tandem is that rolling resistance and frontal air resistance are virtually equal to those of a single-rider bicycle, while the available driving force is approximately twice as great. The weight is also lower than that of two separate bicycles. As a result, high speeds are possible on a tandem and long distances require less stamina. Another advantage is that you always stay together, even if one person is in better shape than the other. Additionally, tandems are very suitable for cycling trips with a person who is visually impaired or who cannot cycle independently for other reasons. There are even people who think that a tandem is used exclusively to cycle with a disabled person. Initially, tandems were built by welding together two frames from ordinary bicycles to form a two-person bike. Nowadays, the technology has improved, and tandems are specially designed. They are usually equipped with gears. Because the frame is much longer than that of a regular bicycle, attention must be paid to sufficient structural rigidity during design and construction. Most bicycle manufacturers have a tandem in their range, but there is rarely a choice of different models. Standard tandems are usually touring bikes without top tubes; in other words, they are women's bikes, front and back. A 'ladyback' also exists. The tandems made for track racing are very different. These are, of course, track bikes, with a continuous top tube. There are also two-wheeled tandems for more than two people; models for three, four, or even five riders exist.