Amazing how you got the rollers in there! Of course, I have NO IDEA how such a drawing is made.
It will be made of steel and Yes, it will be a tad heavy. But when I compare with my "Henry Ford Goes Surfing", which was ridden extensively in 2007, also with four people pumping pedals, I am not worried. For "Henry" went like a rocket across the Playa. Well... it was capable of going like a rocket -- depending on rider enthusiasm for speed.
The Playa is flat, which beats the heck out of all the hills we climb in Kinetic Sculpture Racing. So I feel that RotoCycle will be OK if it weighs about the same as Henry -- which was 6 or 700 pounds on the Playa.
Some of the steel in the computer drawing can be eliminated.
Steering will be the tricky part. The great art of the thing will be for the four Pilots to coordinate the direction of their wheels so the thing can actually move. After a week of intense practice, it may become possible to ride it in intricate patterns across the Playa. Maybe. But I plan to equip each rotating unit with several latches for instant wheel alignment, or at least two latches -- one position for straight forward travel and one for rotating in place like a merry-go-round. These latches can be released by levers like bicycle brake levers, so the machine can be snapped into a spin after it is up to speed.
The sideways forces on the wheels will be brutal. So I'm going with motorcycle wheels. Anybody know if alloy wheels would be more resistant to tacoing than wire-spoke wheels?
