Rowed vehicles

A rowed vehicle is propelled by a rowing motion. Steering, braking, and shifting, are usually done by the handlebars. Feet are on symmetrical foot rests, as opposed to rotating pedals. Unlike many rowing boats, the rider faces forward. Rowed vehicles exist in numerous designs, particularly with respect to frames and drive mechanisms. Commercial production numbers for rowed vehicles are small compared to that of standard bicycles.

Propulsion and steering

Some rowed vehicles use a stroke similar to a boat, in that force is used only when straightening the body, the drive portion of the stroke, not the recovery. Other rowed vehicles, mostly those that use linkages and crankshafts in their drive trains, use force in both straightening and bending the body. On most, the handlebars move; most also have moving footrests. Some have moving seats.

The handle bars on some rowed vehicles travel on a semicircular path due to the handlebars being mounted to a fixed length lever pinned to the frame. Some attempt to simulate the more level stroke used in rowing a boat, for example Streetrower and Vogabike. Streetrower has "the most natural rowing action of any rowing vehicle to date". [Peter Eland, in [http://www.velovision.com Velovision magazine] , September 2007.]

The Street Rower uses a unique steering system actuated by servos and controlled by the rider with a joy stick.

Drive Train

Rowed vehicles generally have one of three drive trains: chain, linkages, or cable.

The Rowbike brand uses a standard bicycle chain, rear gears, and derailleur. The chain on a Rowbike does not travel in a loop, as is the case with a standard bicycle. It moves back and forth over the rear cog in a sawing motion. The chain is connected at one end to the frame of the rowbike and to a bungee cord on the other. As the rower pulls back the chain engages the rear cog and the bungee cord is extended, and when the rower returns forward the bungee cord contracts, pulling the chain back and ensuring there is no slack in the chain. All Rowbikes have a rear derailleur, even single speeds, due to the need to keep proper tension in the chain.

Rowbikes that use linkages include Champiot and Powerpumper. They use linkages connected to a crank shaft, similar to a pedal car.

The Thys Rowingbike and Streetrower use a cable which coils and uncoils about a spool. Thys calls his version a snek drive.

Tandem, Three and Four wheeled variants

Balancing on a two wheeled rowed vehicle while rowing requires some practice, even for a skilled bicyclist. Tricycle and quadracycle forms are usually heavier but do not share this problem. [ [http://www.mth.msu.edu/~drachman/cycle/irishmail.html Irish Mails ] ] The Streetrower is a tricycle with two wheels at the front and one at the rear; the Vogatrike also has three wheels. An early quadracycle, the 'Irish Mail', was similar to railroad handcars used by railroad workers to inspect tracks. The four-wheeled Champiot is reminiscent of the 'Irish Mail' type machine in that it uses linkages, not a chain, in its drive train.

Thys has produced a tandem rowingbike.

See also

*Indoor Rower
*Handcycles
*Quadricycle
*Tricycle

External links

Commercial sites:
* [http://www.rowingbike.com Thys rowingbikes]
* [http://www.rowbike.com Olson rowbikes]
* [http://www.streetrower.com Streetrower]
* [http://www.champiot.com Champiot rowed quadracycles for able-bodied and paraplegic riders]
* [http://www.vogabike.com Vogabike rowed bicycle and Vogatrike]
* [http://www.powerpumper.com Powerpumper rowed quadracycles for children]

Other sites:
* [http://rowingbike.free.fr/ A variety of rowing bikes]
* [http://www.mth.msu.edu/~drachman/cycle/irishmail.html Irish Mails - an early 1900s rowed quadracycle]
* [http://blog.naver.com/dlrlftjd7.do A-Row bike]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsOu8Li4NTk Video]
* [http://www.sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/weird_bike_stuff2.htm Landrower and Rowcycle tricycles. Weird bicycle stuff at Charlie Kelly's website.]

References