image = FP04RJ0FKVQJ27A.jpg |designers = [[https://www.instructables.com/member/liseman/|Luke Iseman]] |dates = 2008 |vitamins = |materials = |transformations = |lifecycles = |tools = [[Wrenches]] |parts = [[Frames]], [[Nuts]], [[Bolts]], [[Wheels]], [[Plates]] |techniques = [[Wheels and axles]], [[Tri joints]], [[Trusses]] |files = |suppliers = |git = |licenses = [[https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/|CC BY-SA]]

Projects Transportation

=Introduction= The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport. It is a type of hatchback tricycle designed to carry passengers on a for-hire basis. It is also known by a variety of other names such as bike taxi, velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab, cyclo, beca, becak, trisikad, sikad, tricycle taxi, trishaw, or hatchback bike.

As opposed to rickshaws pulled by a person on foot, cycle rickshaws are human-powered by pedaling. Another type of rickshaw is the auto rickshaw.

=Challenges=

It really helps to ride for a pedicab service or otherwise establish an intimate familiarity with existing pedicab designs before jumping into this.

=Approaches= <gallery> FSWICPTFKVQJ28L.jpg| F2VYICWFKVQJ28Z.jpg| FTJTMOJFKVQJ296.jpg| FMWHSA9FKVR7AAW.jpg| F1ZS47SFKVR7AFB.jpg| FQGN0EXFKVR7AE0.jpg| FL1YTWNFKVR7AEF.jpg| FOZ2ADGFKVR7AGZ.jpg| F32IZ7BFKVR7AH8.jpg| F7W8OBDFKVR7AKP.jpg| FBQWH9XFKVR7AKO.jpg| FRHIUSKFKVR7AIU.jpg| FBVRXM9FKVR7AIS.jpg| FD79AQ6FKVR7AIT.jpg| FAHCTWZFKVR7AIN.jpg| </gallery>

Here's what I used to make this monstrosity:

And, I suppose wheels are helpful:) If you don't have bureaucracy to navigate in your metropolis, scavenge some strong wheels from a BMX bike. After getting shot down trying to get Craigslist wheels to pass inspection, I found the bike shop at which another local pedicab company buys wheels and ordered the same ones. At ~$130, the wheels were the most expensive part of this project.

The main tools I needed for this project were:

The area of the pedicab in front of the footrest gets a LOT of force applied to it: it's the end of a lever with your passengers at the other end.

My first designs bent so much that one actually bottomed out when I tried to brake, which would not have made for a very customer-friendly experience or me-friendly tip.

So, to arrive at the final product pictured, I found a couple of books on car trailer design (specifically, volumes 1 & 2 of M. M. Smith's “Trailers: How To Design & Build”). You can also check out what trailer hitches look like or just reason through some of the key points:

My system of attaching the trailer to the bike basically relies on the female rod end to pull the full trailer's load via its attachment to my bike. There are definitely many other ways to do this; I want to adapt this to include redundant attachment between bike and trailer for a future version (ie 2 bolts instead of 1)…

Love or hate the look I've arrived at, here are the basics of how I achieved it:

=References=

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