The Quadrilateral Trike

Joined
May 8, 2021
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1
Location
Oscoda, MI
I am working on a prototype, it will look something like a combination of the Warrior, Aurora, and StreetFox trikes. For the longest time, from my teenage years until now, I have wanted a bent trike. Now I am drawing up the design of what I envisioned nearly 35 years ago. The good thing is technology has seriously improved in that time. My wife enjoys riding as well, we have a Rover Tandem. She enjoys tads and I enjoy deltas. So my basic idea is to build a tadpole for her and a delta for myself that each lose the single wheel and combine into a quad. Part of the design involves a shaft drive on each that links together when they are combined and the single wheels are part of a trailer that can be hauled behind the combined trikes. One aspect of this design is the rear wheels on the delta are able to come together with cotter pins on sliding adjustable arms making the combined quad look like a trike. All six wheels have suspension in the design. So whether the tadpole, the delta, and the trailer are separated or combined we will have a smooth ride. Pictures, er rather, drawing will follow soon. I have managed to design a new suspension idea for the seat.

The two issues I have are; 1) I do not have a workshop and, 2) I want it to be bolted together not welded.

Mostly, my idea is to rent a storage unit somewhere nearby to store everything and find a local welder / fabricator for the parts of the project that I am unable to do.
 
Joined
Sep 16, 2018
Messages
1,360
Location
Netherlands
The hang them also behind each other, but then they only remove one wheel. As you remove 2 wheels, than you make from 2 a real tandem.

I have seen it only one time that they combined a tadpole and a delta, but they removed the front wheel and mounted it, like a trailer behind the other one.
 
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
4,575
Location
Nottinghamshire England
Sorry the more complicated you make it the less likely it is you will get it built and it will be ridable.

Emiel's design is much better , that way you both get a trike , the tadpole pulls the delta either as a 3 wheel trailer [ much less weight on the tadpole rear end ] or hanging from it like a powered 2 wheel trailer. You get independent pedaling [ so not having your heavy and over complicated shaft drive ] which would be useful.
Adding suspension will be difficult as the trikes weight will differ between coupled and uncoupled , seat suspension does not work really as it tends to absorb pedaling power as you push against the seat ?

Not advice maybe you want to hear , however we do want you to succeed and have built stuff that works !

Kettweisel tandem



Paul
 
Joined
Sep 16, 2018
Messages
1,360
Location
Netherlands
I know that design also. I can't find the image with the 2 different trikes on it, that do the same, but I will Piet it as I find it.
It is a symple design and easy to change back to 2 trikes.
As you mount the front part, that you renave on the back, than you can swap it when you want.
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
2,384
Location
Wakefield, UK
You are aiming high considering you have no workshop and presumably have limited tools too. If your design is done in a quality CAD program you can reasonably farm out some production knowing it will work. If you have more basic sketches then it's likely many parts will be modified as you go along. No great issue if you're making things yourself but expensive if farming it out.

I strongly suggest learning to weld over bolting everything. Bolts are heavy and boltholes like to elongate.

Suspended seats can have the effect of robbing power from pedalling. I look forward to seeing your design of it.
 
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