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UNIQUE TREADLE DRIVE BICYCLEThis is my version of W B Smith's 1917 unusual Tasmanian patented bike.The objective of this project was to recreate a treadle drive using modern one way clutch bearings. The problem Smith had was that ratch type clutches have 36 teeth (similar to modern rear freewheels) this mean that every change of direction there is a lag of 9 degrees. Since you are only driving through an arc of 120 degrees this amounts to 27 degrees per revolution not very efficient, where as modern clutch bearings are instantaneous. |