More designs.

Over the last couple months I've been so lucky as to have been contacted by numerous people interested in being involved in the project's design process. This post is intended to show some of my more recent thinking and to aid in those ongoing e-mail conversations. I hope it is likewise of interest to the masses particularly those shadowy home-builders who stealthily pass through this site without leaving a trace. If you can't read the text in the drawings, don't worry, just check them out in higher res here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27342523@N06/sets/72157607517597124/

Trailer Hitch:
Emphasis is on ease of construction combined with rapid hitching and unhitching. The hitch is inspired in part by that used by the Center for Appropriate Transport (http://catoregon.qwestoffice.net/hpm/hauler.htm)
Rickshaw with Gears:
This one is fun because it would be super easy to build in the U.S. using go-kart parts. You can get axles and sprockets and brakes from any go-kart dealer though the sprocket "blanks" here (http://www.jackssmallengines.com/gokart_alumsprkt_40f.cfm) would be the best. And you can get bearing pillow blocks from the likes of Northern Tool. Spoked wheels would be the only challenge and you might have to use ones intended for ATVs. Here in Nairobi there are some 64 spoke rickshaw wheels with robust hubs so I'm in good shape. The real key to this design is the introduction of gears (so simple) because that is the major concern expressed when rickshaws are discussed amongst bicycle taxi drivers. With the second leading cause of death in Uganda (second to malaria) being accidents on motorcycle "boda boda" taxis, these might have a place in the transportation mix. Then again, the attraction of the motorbikes is rapid transit through congested streets which these might not be able to provide. Regardless, they do have a major market opportunity as the connecting link between public transit stops and people's doorsteps or transport within local communities. They are also cheaper and more pleasant to ride than the local buses i.e. don't involve sitting on top of other people with your knees somewhere behind your head. My design is built off of a standard mountain bike.
Tadpole:
A tadpole is a tricycle with the twin wheels in the front instead of back thus giving it a big head with a narrow tail and its name. Inspired by Smarty Hardy (http://www.smartyhardy.com/integrated_sh.htm), I've been thinking a lot about suspension as a way to reduce stresses on the frame and wheels on vehicles carrying heavy loads on very rough roads. The following is a design for independent suspension on a tadpole using a simple trailing arm design. I would love to get a chance to try out my idea for homemade shock absorbers. Also included is a design for a simple center pivot. Usually people use headset bearings and a long "head tube" for this purpose, but I thought this would be easier and cheaper to manufacture.
Longtails:
The following are some pretty self-explanatory design for longtails built off of traditional mountain bikes. One is suspended, the other not. With the wheel way in the back, I'd be a little worried about fork failure under heavy loads ie. be careful if you build one of these. Building a truss on the fork Jeff Jones-style would be one remedy... but then you might just break the head tube or the down tube.
Again, to see higher res versions of these drawings, along with other designs and project photos, go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27342523@N06/sets/72157607517597124/