Trike hinge design?

Joined
May 31, 2013
Messages
3,980
Location
South Benfleet, Essex, England, UK
FWIW, both of my folding trikes only EVER get folded if I am going on a long journey with them and maybe with passengers or camping stuff in the car. Otherwise I drop all the seats and find a way to put the unfolded trike in. It is in many ways "less hassle" than activating the hinge (13mm spanners anyone?). The commercial trikes that fold and have a QR hinge design may of course be a lot easier and simpler to fold/unfold, and are made with this "ease of folding" very much in mind.
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
2,384
Location
Wakefield, UK
Folding along the suspension pivot will cause very little issue with chain and cables. Route them close to the pivot, which should be done anyway and the biggest issue will be stopping the chain from falling off everything as it goes slacker during the fold. A chain retainer made to put in when the rear wheel is removed will be very useful. A 1st gear rear cog to take up the slack of the missing wheel on a spare skewer will do - the skewer can be drastically shortened so as to only act on one side of the frame. Having a pulley with chain retainer for both drive and return on the seat side of the pivot will ensure the chain keeps as close as possible to it's unfolded length when folded. Gear and brake cables simply need enough slack from any mounting points fore and aft of the pivot to bend without kinking.
 
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