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VV discussion
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Author: steve green (---.server.ntli.net)
Date: 17-01-2005 23:29
I've seen an intereting boat design on the Swallow Boats website- www.swallow.boats.com- a pedal boat for serious use. They are in the process of finalising the design, but it's worth a look.
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Author: silverback (---.server.ntli.net)
Date: 18-01-2005 07:47
The link only takes me to a page to apply for a loan to buy a boat.
Cannot find a page for pedal boats.
Richard.
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Author: Arch (---.york.ac.uk)
Date: 18-01-2005 08:34
Try without the dot between swallow and boats...
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Author: Arch (---.york.ac.uk)
Date: 18-01-2005 08:48
It's very pretty! Even more so than the canoe I fell for last week. It just evokes "Wind in the Willows" so well - there is nothing, simply nothing, half so much worth doing, as messing about in boats. Give me one of those, a hamper and a mole, and I'd be off!
Of course, it has the disadvantage of only being a boat, and not land transport. So add a Brompton to the hamper, and you've the perfect holiday!
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Author: Alison (---.ilford.mdip.bt.net)
Date: 18-01-2005 10:20
Thanks for your interest in our Winsome pedal skiff - we are keen to know if the concept will appeal to cyclists at all or whether they like earth rather than water under their feet!
We are still at the point of welcoming any design feedback so please take a look:
www.swallowboats.com/winsome.htm
and do complete our on-line survey with any comments you might have.
If we wanted to have some cyclists try the boat out, is there any cyclists' event we could bring the boat to in the spring? - we need water unfortunately - a canal or lake or river or something...
We'd love to hear any ideas you guys have...
Thanks
The Swallowboats team.
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Author: Wobbly John (---.kings-ely.cambs.sch.uk)
Date: 18-01-2005 13:47
The Broads eco freindly boat show looks interesting. Any body fancy going pedal boating there? - Swallowboats? Cyclemagic?
I'm going to email them and ask about taking the Pedalmouse. http://boatpage.xntrick.co.uk
Wobbly John
If it ain't broke - fix it 'til it is.
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Author: Arch (---.york.ac.uk)
Date: 18-01-2005 15:30
"If we wanted to have some cyclists try the boat out, is there any cyclists' event we could bring the boat to in the spring? - we need water unfortunately - a canal or lake or river or something..."
Ride Leicester seems like a good idea... Can't remember the dates offhand - Rog? Or it's been mentioned elsewhere on the forum. Abbey Park has a lake and a river...
I'd certainly look forward to having a go!
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Author: Wobbly John (---.kings-ely.cambs.sch.uk)
Date: 18-01-2005 16:30
Ride Leicester! Ride Leicester! Ride Leicester! Ride Leicester! Ride Leicester!
Where's Roger?
Ride Leicester is on 29th May in Abbey park
Local cycle clubs, bike projects and volunteers who want to get involved in the festival can contact Ride Leicester by email at [email protected] or contact Andy Salkeld (City Council Cycle Co-ordinator) on 0116 2232114
Wobbly John
If it ain't broke - fix it 'til it is.
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Author: Arch (---.york.ac.uk)
Date: 18-01-2005 17:21
I think Rog might be busy with some phone calls at the mo... (cryptic wink, only Rog will know, assuming he knows I know what I know.)
Please do bring the Winsome to Leicester, I want a go! Seamus, you've had some pedal boat experience haven't you... ;-)
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Author: Alison (---.ilford.mdip.bt.net)
Date: 18-01-2005 17:49
The Ride Leicester Festival looks interesting - does anyone have any idea how large the "boating lake" in Abbey Park is? I looked at the website for it and saw they hire out pedaloes and rowing boats on it but Winsome moves pretty fast and is a bit wasted on very small boating ponds!
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Author: steve green (---.server.ntli.net)
Date: 18-01-2005 18:42
Silverback, I'm sorry about the URL. It was late, and I was fascinated/captivated by the concept and wanted to bring it to the Veloworld's attention..
Arch, Thankyou for correcting the URL.
Alison didn't mention that Swallow Boats makes kits. That makes the boats more accessible. Diifficult to tow with a bike, though!
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Author: Wobbly John (---.gotadsl.co.uk)
Date: 18-01-2005 20:55
I can not remember the boating lake at Abbey park. I don't think that the river that runs through the park is open to navigation. The GU canal runs past the park - it actually separates Rogers Cyclemagic site from the park.
Alison - If you are interested in Ride Leicester, email Roger from his Cyclemagic site (http://www.cyclemagic.org.uk/). As you will see, they are also interested in pedal boats and will be able to advise what is available to you.
Quote:
Diifficult to tow with a bike, though!
Don't set challenges like that on here!
Wobbly John
If it ain't broke - fix it 'til it is.
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Author: steve green (---.server.ntli.net)
Date: 18-01-2005 23:07
Wobbly John, show me!
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Author: Arch (---.york.ac.uk)
Date: 19-01-2005 08:48
True, the boating lake at Abbey Park isn't all that large, or deep ( I know, I've fallen in it). I was forgetting the canal. But I'd have thought the river could be boated on, as long as it was away from the the weir...
I was wondering last night if the Winsome could be towed by bike. How much does it weigh? I guess for maximum flexibility or touring, you'd want a trailer frame that folded up to be carried in the boat, along with the bike, but that might be getting a bit bulky. Imagine though, pedalling to a river, pedalling along it for a day, and then getting the boat out and turning up at a camp site with it behind a bike!
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Author: Alison (---.ilford.mdip.bt.net)
Date: 19-01-2005 10:53
Thanks. I'll email the guy you suggest - certainly looking at a map on the web, it looks like some navigable canal runs alongside the park - if it's the GU - that would be great.
We'll check out the possibilities - launching still might be a problem and the dates.
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Author: Dave Holladay (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 19-01-2005 11:22
Ride Leicester (Cyclemagic workshop actually) has a couple of pedal boats and there are several more just up the road on Rutland Water.
I hope to bring an SBK shuttle bike kit which clamps on to any basic MTB and we did cross the Solent on one a few years back. The proprietor of SBK also arranged to cross the Channel (the hard way - Isle of Wight to Normandy!) - successfully with an SBK and an endurance cyclist (trip took 31 hours!). There are about half a dozen SBK kits in the UK - several on the River Lea in E London.
The event which presaged Ride Leicester was Spokesfest, and that has featured water borne craft in years past. Roger also mentioned a pedalicoptor which can just about lift itself off the ground, and I think it's almost open season for things pedalled - does anyone know where we can find some Karbykes for racing - these are magic - I tried a sprint model in Ferrara in 1997 and got hooked.
The other fun thing to bring over would be a bicycle football team from Belgium - did that in Vondelpark in 2000.
Dave Holladay - glued to a Brompton most of the time.
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Author: Wobbly John (---.kings-ely.cambs.sch.uk)
Date: 19-01-2005 14:14
Quote:
Steve Green Spake:
Wobbly John, show me!
Velovision has previously shown articles on 'trailing' boats behind a bike. I tow my Pedalmouse boat behind the bike (http://trailers.xntrick.co.uk - scroll down page)
If you suggest something is difficult by bike, a Velovision reader some where will have either:
a) already done it.
b) know a website showing it being done.
c) attempt to prove it can be done.
Wobbly John
If it ain't broke - fix it 'til it is.
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Author: Wobbly John (---.kings-ely.cambs.sch.uk)
Date: 19-01-2005 14:23
By the way. I tow the pedal boat to the river behind the bike. When I get to the river, the boat is too small to put the trailer and bike in. We have designed and made an adaption to allow floats to be added to the trailer, the bike to be fitted to the trailer, and the trailer to be coupled to the boat. You should be able to tow the trailer down the river with the bike on it.
However where we use the boat there is about an 18" drop into the river and we chickened out of trying to launch the trailer with the bike on it (it would probably be even more awkward to get it out).
The adapted trailer is on the web page in the message above, at the bottom of the page.
Wobbly John
XnTRICK Cycles
If it ain't broke - fix it 'til it is.
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Author: silverback (---.server.ntli.net)
Date: 19-01-2005 16:32
There is a great pic of someone towing a boat on the organic engines site
http://www.organicengines.com/SUV/index2.htm
It looks like hard work to me.
Richard.
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Author: Roger the Hilldodger (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 19-01-2005 16:38
Hello everybodypeeps - I've been busy making phone calls. Think it's sorted now, Arch, but I might have to visit York in disguise for a while. If you see Elvis walking down High Petergate it might just be me.
Anyway, boats.
The river in Abbey Park is plenty deep enough for hpb's and to the south edge of the park is a sort of slipway. Cyclemagic has a Nauticraft Sprite and Escapade, Surf Bike and my Edwardian watercycle. It would be great if people could bring others.
I'm building a watercycle based on a Penny Farthing but won't have it ready for then - but what I have built can be on display.
Ride Leicester is going to be filmed by a specialist media company and a funky DVD produced, so the more machines we can attract the better!
Roger the Hilldodger
The world's most handsome cycling historian. Probably.
Leicester's 4th best Les Gray impersonator.
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Author: Arch (---.york.ac.uk)
Date: 19-01-2005 16:59
Blimey Rog, last time I noticed you were Leicester's most handsome cycling historian, today, the world! Did you catch up with the opposition and disfigure them? Actually no, I only know one other cycling historian, and you beat him hands down. I'll look out for Elvis on Petergate... Mr Riley seems to think you have the guts of pedal boat up for grabs and reckons I should build one... Is that right? Dunno if it could be ready for May...
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Author: Roger the Hilldodger (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 19-01-2005 17:13
I become better looking the older I get.
Yep, we have a spare drive out of a Surf Bike - think we may have more than one if anyone else is interested. They're free on the condition that you build a boat and bring it to a future event in Leicester.
The Surf Bike drive is what Wobbly John used They need a good clean and overhaul - think they may need the bottom sprocket replacing - but they're an easy way to build a pedal boat.
Roger the Hilldodger
The world's most handsome cycling historian. Probably.
Leicester's 4th best Les Gray impersonator.
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Author: Arch (---.york.ac.uk)
Date: 19-01-2005 17:36
Ok, put one aside for me... (Like I need more things to do...!)
I can certainly clean stuff, as Riley found out when he discovered me polishing the ball bearings out of one of my wheels...
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Author: steve green (---.server.ntli.net)
Date: 19-01-2005 18:12
Wobbly John, point taken.
I was only saying that it would be difficult to tow what's the size of a rowing boat with a bike. Part of the design brief is that it should be car-toppable, so weight isn't the problem, it's the bulk.
By the way, how big is your boat? Well done for towing it with the bike.
Roger, if you have more Surf Bike Drives, may I have one? I keep saying that this year I'll get on the water. (Sea kayaking, but there's a big lake just down the road). I really fancy the Leicester event. It's starting to look very interesting (currently my most overused word...). Trouble is, I work on Saturdays, so my weekends are slightly skewed.
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Author: Dave Holladay (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 20-01-2005 00:00
Roger - and others
What would really make the day is if we can track down the Escargot, a trail-boat built for the Environment Agency and it used to be Bristol-based.
It used 2 Surf-boat drives fitted so that you sat in the cockpit and pedalled with or without a second pedaller, handled brilliantly when I tried it out on Swindon Canal.
Has anyone heard of it lately?
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Author: Roger the Hilldodger (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 20-01-2005 07:46
Dave,
I know where Escargot is - it's in a shed in Peterborough.
18 months ago it was offered to Leicester City Council on long term loan on the understanding that Cyclemagic would overhaul, maintain and manage it.
The EA sent me a structural report they'd had done and from reading that it appears to be sound but needing quite a bit of work.
One condition of the loan was that it would be stored under cover and, at the time, we weren't able to offer that.
Steve,
I'll have a look to see how many drives we have. And everyone throws a sicky from time to time - we'll vouch for you being at deaths door and needing to take the waters in Leicester.
Roger the Hilldodger
The world's most handsome cycling historian. Probably.
Leicester's 4th best Les Gray impersonator.
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Author: Roger the Hilldodger (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 20-01-2005 10:14
From the IOW cycling festival web site for 17th september
Cycle the Medina Fun Race, Sandy Point (Seaclose) Newport
Invent a machine to pedal your way across the Medina. This competition will attract vessels of all sorts as spectators gather to see if they sink or swim. If you would like to enter a vessel either as an individual or team then please contact Ruth Jones at Wight Leisure on 01983 823347 or email [email protected]. . There will be prizes for the fastest crossing as well as the most beautifully dressed vessel.
Do I feel a raid coming on!
I've just spoken to Ruth and she's quite keen on the idea!
Roger the Hilldodger
The world's most handsome cycling historian. Probably.
Leicester's 4th best Les Gray impersonator.
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Author: Simon Sprocketbender (---.server.ntli.net)
Date: 20-01-2005 11:24
Towing big boats can be done - I used a Brox (it was the only thing I had with decent brakes...)
http://www.optimav.flyer.co.uk/broxpunt1.jpg
http://www.optimav.flyer.co.uk/broxpunt2.jpg
picture is a bit rubbish mind you, captured from a video.
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Author: steve green (---.server.ntli.net)
Date: 20-01-2005 19:20
Roger,
Thanks. i'll keep my fingers crossed.
I've found the designer of Escargot. He's Phillip Thiel, an American naval architect. He has a website, called Pedal Power Afloat. Sorry, no URL. My wife tidied up today, and included my "notes" (shabby bits of paper with all sorts of odd stuff on them) in the cull. If I get Lucky, she can mind the shop, while I go on a retirement cruise in Leicester. (But most certainly NOT the Joe Orton kind. A pedal boat will do!)
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Author: Arch (---.york.ac.uk)
Date: 21-01-2005 09:11
Well, for better or worse, I've just emailed Ruth to express an interest in entering the Medina challenge. If we all have a go, I reckon we can cover more miles cumulatively than the ill fated Aurora... (For overseas readers, this luxury cruise ship was due to cruise round the world, leaving this week, but due to engine trouble only managed to do laps of the Isle of Wight...)
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Author: Roger the Hilldodger (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 21-01-2005 18:40
We have three spare Surf Bike drives and I think one board in Simon's shed.
All three drives need an overhaul.
Arch and Steve can have one each so if anyone wants the third then let me know.
It's free on condition you bring the boat to Ride Leicester either this year or next
Roger the Hilldodger
The world's most handsome cycling historian. Probably.
Leicester's 4th best Les Gray impersonator.
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Author: steve green (---.server.ntli.net)
Date: 21-01-2005 20:46
Many thanks to Roger. Now I'm going to have to put my pedals where the lake is! Fortunately, there are some boat plans lurking in the house. Somwhere...
I'm already fantasising about "cycling" IN the lake, as well as along the shore.
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Author: Seamus (---.force9.co.uk)
Date: 24-01-2005 17:56
What was that nice pedal boat at the first Cyclefest?
The one that had the frilly roof and folded in half for easy transport.
I think it was called the Newt but wouldn't swear to it.
Ayup Arch, pedal boats I'm OK with generally.
It's only stupid, upright pedal-powered surfboards I don't get on with and, post-Clecy (Crecy?) I'm not allowed on pedallos;-)
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Author: Roger the Hilldodger (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 24-01-2005 18:02
It was the first Spokesfest and there's a picture of you in it on the Spokesfest web site.
Roger the Hilldodger
The world's most handsome cycling historian. Probably.
Leicester's 4th best Les Gray impersonator.
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Author: Seamus (---.force9.co.uk)
Date: 24-01-2005 18:20
Yeah, that's right.
Spokesfest was what I was thinking of but it's been such a long time since it last ever happened that I couln't remember the word.
Who's Les Gray? Which reminds me of a funny story which unfortunately only really works if spoken aloud.
Suffice to say, all the secondary schoolkids in Maltby who had ever had a couple of French lessons always thought that the High Street furniture shop, Les Machons," was pushing it a bit with it's stupid french name whatever it meant whereas everyone else knew it was the shop owned by a Mr. Les Machon
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Author: Roger the Hilldodger (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 24-01-2005 19:31
Who's Les Gray?!
You bloody philistine. The late, great, Mr Gray was lead singer with the popular beat combo known as Mud.
Roger the Hilldodger
The world's most handsome cycling historian. Probably.
Leicester's 4th best Les Gray impersonator.
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Author: Arch (---.york.ac.uk)
Date: 25-01-2005 09:02
Oh! Mud. That's a Tiger Feet reference is it? Lost on me I'm afraid, I was going to ask who he was...
It's funny, but when I tell people I'm going to build a pedal boat to race on the IoW, several of them have asked "How will you get it there?". Er, in a van, I expect. But it did lead onto a discussion of whether you could get to the IoW by inland waterways from York... No one is sure of the canals south of London. Of course one could get to the Thames, then go out and round the Kent coast. Hmmm, the world's busiest shipping lane in a pedal boat...
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Author: Tom (---.park-s46b.dslaccess.co.uk)
Date: 25-01-2005 09:52
Arch, I'm afraid it's simply a matter of you not *looking* like a girl who can handle a 16-tonner so well she attracts proposals of marriage...
(Thinks - what would such a girl look like...? Answers on an different forum, please)
... there's so much time, and so little to do. No, wait a minute...
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Author: Arch (---.york.ac.uk)
Date: 25-01-2005 10:03
A magnificent exaggeration of the facts!
(And I was looking at the mouse boats forum and saw a picture of a guy who carries two on a pickup, using a sort of rack. So maybe that Marina is a good idea after all....) (Sorry, private joke.)
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Author: Seamus (---.force9.co.uk)
Date: 31-01-2005 19:26
Ther was a good cartoon in, "Viz," many years ago.
Roadside sign, "Caution ! Mud on road," and a littlefurther down the road the group singing Tiger Feet.
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Author: Mary Arneson (---.chcgilgm.dynamic.covad.net)
Date: 13-02-2005 15:17
"If we wanted to have some cyclists try the boat out, is there any cyclists' event we could bring the boat to in the spring? - we need water unfortunately - a canal or lake or river or something..."
How about Cycle Vision in Zandvoort? They will be near water and would certainly be interested in pedalboats. (see: http://www.ligfiets.net/nieuws/bericht.php3?id=1292) They had a pedal-powered hovercraft last year.
I've put up a photo of a guy pulling a sailboat with a bike, as well as a couple pictures of an amphibious Hase Trike at: http://www.velomobiling.net/modules.php?set_albumName=WeirdStuff&op;=modload&name;=gallery&file;=index&include;=view_album.php
Mary
*Osell Long-wheel-base recumbent
*Cab-Bike velomobile
*RANS Screamer tandem
*Brompton/Junik folding recumbent
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