ConferenceBike
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ConferenceBike is the product name of a bicycle for seven people manufactured by the Velo.Saliko company. The passengers sit in a circle, looking inwards. The driver has a steering wheel and two brakes .
technology
The ConferenceBike has the basic shape of a tricycle , but has four car ( emergency ) wheels, two of which are twin rear wheels. The frame consists of curved arms made of tubular steel with a deep passage, which are arranged in a star shape. There is space between the arms to enter and step up easily. The completely covered power transmission takes place by means of bicycle chains , which are each connected to double cardan joints via a freewheel and form an annular collective shaft ("ring shaft"). The total power is transmitted to the rear axle with a motorcycle chain. It has two independent braking systems that act on disc brakes and a parking brake . The lighting corresponds to a doubled bicycle lighting system. A car rack and pinion steering is used as the steering . Thanks to the widely height-adjustable saddles, the ConferenceBike can be ridden by people between 1.45 and 2.00 m tall.
It weighs around 200 kg, some of which have no gears .
Legal
As a purely muscle-powered vehicle, the ConferenceBike has the same status as a bicycle and is therefore allowed to drive on the road. Because of its width, there is no need to use bike paths. Due to its classification as a bicycle, the ConferenceBike does not need a TÜV approval and is license and tax-free, but is subject to the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations ( StVZO ). The restrictions on counter bikes (“beer bikes”) in some cities do not apply to ConferenceBikes.
history
The concept of the ConferenceBike goes back to the American Eric Staller, who lives in Holland . As an artist and designer in New York in the late 1980s, he had the idea of a multi-person bicycle that would simply make users and passers-by happy. The passengers sit in a circle instead of facing the direction of travel, and everyone looks at each other.
The first prototype was made in the USA in 1989 and was called "Octos". It was an eight-seater vehicle with an external ring-shaped frame and four wheels. Later, a three-wheeled, five-seater model was created with a heart-shaped frame when viewed from above, the “Love bike”. Other versions as three-wheeled six-seater with an external polygonal frame were built in Holland by different manufacturers. All of these versions had one steered wheel at the front and two at the rear, one of which was driven. The driving force was collected by interlocking bicycle chains.
Starting in 2001, the engineers of the company Velo.Saliko , which was founded in Hanover , developed a completely new concept and design with a star-shaped frame, two wheels in front and improved road holding thanks to a lower center of gravity. The drive force is collected here by means of a compact ring shaft with cardan joints. The ConferenceBike has been built in series since 2003 and sold worldwide.
Operation and use
Thanks to the circular seating arrangement, passengers can quickly get into conversation, which makes it ideal for group seminars and team training. It is also ideal for sightseeing tours and guided tours for smaller groups over longer distances and for promotions. The inventor of the ConferenceBike donated a copy to an organization for the deaf-blind to enable them to cycle as a group experience.
Various rental companies and operators of rental stations have included the ConferenceBike in their program. The focus here is more on the attraction and the fun factor. The ConferenceBike is increasingly used in marketing and for promotions, especially since advertising space can also be attached. It is also used in the field of tourism.
Technical specifications
- Length: 2.50 m
- Width: 1.80 m
- Weight: 220 kg
- Turning circle: 6.50 m
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www.giessener-zeitung.de/giessen/beitrag/17582/mit-dem-qconference-bikeq-durch-das-autofreie-lumdatal/
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from June 21, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Dresden Local: ConferenceBikes ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ [1] ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ [2] ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ http://www.cannstatter-zeitung.de/lokales/cannstatt/Artikel878516.cfm
- ↑ http://www.berliner-zeitung.de/newsticker/krieg-der-sterne-am-pariser-platz,10917074,10925050.html
