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Description

A rack to take bulky and heavy loads to the market. To make and attach such a load rack is easy and can be done without cost.


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Load rack for bicycles, to be made on the spot
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Introduced at users level Hundredfold reduction of cost Applicable within poverty Income Comfort Rural



Why
Load rack for bikes, located over the front- and rear wheel. A temporary and quickly to be made construction for transporting products to the market-place only, where it can be taken off and partly left behind, similar as with temporary baskets. The wheelaxles should carry the extra load, the bicycle frame remains free from this.
Bicycles are used for transporting bulky and heavy loads. It is trickey to do this in a way that it is still possibe to peddle the bicycle. In practice sometimes special racks are permanently attached to the bicycle. Such racks may hinder the more normal use of this bicycle. Moreover normal bicycles are not build to take heavy loads over rough roads.

Special bicycles for heavy loads are not generally available.
An alternative could be a load carrier characterized with the following: the load does not rest on the frame of the bicycle, but is transferred directly to the wheelaxles; it is easy to mount and remove the load rack; such a load rack can be made by the user and adapted to the load to be transported.
The load rack should not be in the way to push the loaded bicycle or to ride it.

How
No cost and little time is involved in using thin metal wire to make loops near the wheel axles of front and rear wheel. Sticks rest in these loops. Higher up these sticks are attached to the steering handle in the front or a T-frame extending under the saddle. The user can attach a basket, bag, netting or frame to suit best the load to be trasported.
Although the load can be heavy and bulky, it is still possible to peddle the bicycle in the usual way.
To make sure that the load put on the bicycle is mainly transferred to the wheel axle, straps are attached where the wheel axles are bolted to the bicycle frame. These straps are made by winding some thin wire around frame and axle and twisting it into a loop. In each strap fits the tapered end of a straight stick roughly one and half a meter long.
For the load rack over the front wheel, these sticks are tied with a strip of rubber to the steering handle. For the load rack over the rear wheel, the two sticks are also mounted in the loops attached to the rear wheel axle, then higher up with rubberstrips to a T-shaped wooden extension strapped to the frame under the saddle.
Any basket, bag, netting or platform can be attached to the sticks, that support the load in the most practical way. This choice is left to the user.
After use only the wire loops remain attached to the bicycle frame for future use. The sticks and the T-frame are removed. On the way back from the market, these parts can be tied in a bundle to the side of the bicycle.



Additional information



Planned progress

  • Make a manual for this load rack and make it downloadable from the Demotech website.
  • Put this manual together from manual elements, in this case a manual unit about "welding wood" has to be made first.
  • A brake for the bicycle has to be designed to make it safe to ride or push a heavely loaded bicycle.
  • Bring this design for a load rack to the attention of NGO's that can test it in practice.



  • Internal links

    Comments on the Loadrack and Nightreader from India

    A Dutch artist, living in India comments on the load rack. He describes how each verdor has a similar and specialzed system of attaching merchandize to his bicycle.

    Requirements for the design of a brake for a bicycle

    List of considerations and requierments for a bicycle brake that can be locally made to replace the factory brake that has broken down.

    Why and How extended

    How No cost and little time is involved in using thin metal wire to make loops near the wheel axles of front and rear wheel. Sticks rest in these loops. Higher up these sticks are attached to the steering handle in the front or a T-frame extending under the saddle. The user can attach a basket, bag, netting or frame to suit best the load to be trasported.



    External Links

    Links related to transport bicycles


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    What name would YOU give to this device?
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