Would work better with a recumbent I think.
A recumbent? Coming right up! (Designed & built by an engineer at Trek in Wisconsin. Those folks know snow.)
If it's for the city to plow the bike lanes...just send out a Street & Sans truck to the 'burbs for the parts pick up. Or wait...I gotta uncle, he's friends wit' da alderman...he'd build this for a juicy city contract! No problem!!!!
Well, if you're really serious about this...you may want to touch base with the fellow in the video who designed and built the prototype. If you explain that it will be used for nonprofit community improvement, who knows, maybe he and his company, Trek, will donate one or two finished models? Or at least send you good construction drawings.
Not living on your South Side and possessing zero mechanical or welding skills, I'm probably no help in constructing one of these, if that's what you plan to do. Any welder/mechanical types interested? I'd supply some beer and moral support.
h' said:
I know we're being silly here, but I can't help but seriously entertain this; most of the sidewalks on the boulevard parkway that are major pedestrian connections in my neighborhood don't get plowed, and I've often thought of trying to do it myself somehow . . . but I don't see how this could be workable as an option for the city unless they built mini-garages to store them all around the neighborhoods.
Even though the builder makes the operation look kind of easy, It would not be practical to ride one 4 miles from the far end of a ward back to the "yard."
And I don't think they'd do well with wet or packed snow. Still, would love to start work on building one or two-- speak up if you want to partner.
Kevin Blake's step-by-step building plans:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/DIY-Human-Powered-Sno...
Drawings/photos:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/multimedia/image-gallery.aspx?id=214...
Further reading at:
http://1world2wheels.org/blog/for-real-pedal-powered-snow-plow/
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to-plans/4297360
http://inventorspot.com/articles/diy_invention_pedal_powered_snowplow
https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=0&oq=ke...
Fermi lab guys have been doing it for years - Link here.
Created by Dave Peterson
email:
Original: March 4, 2003
Updated: January 13, 2004 with new photos. February 2, 2004 with electric vehicle information. Feb. 5, 2004 with action photos. Feb. 18, 2004 with path photos. Feb.27, 2004 with links to the next generation. Feb. 2, 2005 added Contents. May24, 2005 changed email to image. January 28, 2008 removed hit counter, added links to page 2 for the Better Cutting Plow. Feb. 19, 2008 latest version of 30 degree plow. Jan. 2, 2009 with links to articles. Feb. 26, 2009 updated contents with links to snow grommer and movies.
Key phrases:
Bicycle pulling snow plow, Bike path plowing, Shoveling the bike path, A plow behind a bike, Bike Snow Plow, Clearing snow from bike path.
No that looks MUCH easier to build and use. Thanks, Julie!
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