4450 kilometres with the Test Prototype

Test Prototype (0-proto) as it was in summer 1997

The construction of the Test Prototype

• frame: square aluminum pipes (6063-T6), MIG-welded by Heikki Lavio who makes aluminum boats at Ilmarin Vene Oy, Helsinki
• "hand aided leg stearing", the stearing axle was under the seat
• driving and stearing front wheel: 20" (406 mm), Shimano Nexus 7-Speed hub and roll brake
• Fauber bottom bracket, chainring 48 teeth (both second hand), pedals for normal shoes
• two rear wheels: 26" (584 mm) without brakes, 14 mm axle (roll chair hub)
• alternativ rear wheels in winter 1996...97: 20" wheels, drum brake hubs (Sachs/Galaxy); tested 550 km (not good)
• seat: frame of aluminum pipes 22 mm, Nylon band; neck rest with foam plastic
• tires in back wheels: Nokia rollspeed 37-584 (26"); in front wheel Nokia Tracer S 47-406 (20"), in winter Nokia Hakkapeliitta 57-406 (20") with spikes (see the pictures at the end)
• track 800 mm (32")
• wheelbase 850...1100 mm (adjustable); 2000 first kilometers 850 mm (33"), then 1000 mm (39"); tested allso 1100 mm (43"), not good, too long
• buttom bracket hight 600 mm; seat hight about 400 mm
• lamp, mirrors, reflectors etc.
• weight about 24 kg

Needless parts

Because this was a test prototype, there awere few parts which were adjustable (e.g. stearing shaft). Part of theese became needless duaring testing:

• the front suspensions a là Flevo (did not work, too soft)
• the front telescope was not addjustable (aluminum-aluminum connection did not glide).

Driving experiences

Test drive circumstances

• driven about 4450 km commuting trips during one and half years (Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa), max 90 km/day
• all kinds of road conditions: hot, cold, asphalt, sand, rain, snow, slippery ice (during about two weeks in every winter)
• few people tested the trike; the dimensions were good for small / medium sized men (I am 175 cm, 5' 9").

Driving

• the trike was steared by legs; hands were used only for stabilizing the stearing; it was possible in moderate speed to read a map or use a phone or communicator; the easiness of the stearing was the most important difference compared with other trike models
• the driving and stearing front wheel made the trike to turn easily allso on slippery roads; the driving wheel was allways going to the right direction
• a stearing damper (type motorcycle) was necessary to avoid too sharp turns
• the trike did not sheer as much as an ordinary bike or recumbent bike; it was easy to drive very accurately (but only with steering damper).

Comfort and safety

• sitting postition was wery good and the seat comfortable
• even a long trip (6...7 hours) did not harm neck, hands, back or ash; it was nice to see sights on slow, long trips
• in the test model the seat and center of gravity were still too high; the trike did fall in shap turns; it was anyway possible to put the feet to the ground and avoid rolling; rolling did not happen backwars as in tadpole trikes.

Gear

• Shimano Nexus 7-Speed iwas good in town traffic; it is possible to change while standing in lights
• 7-Speed was good in small hills; fast driving was not possible (best 25 km/h); few gears more were needed; in winter 7 speeds were OK.

Brakes

• there was only one brake; Shimano Nexus roll brake in the front wheel; it was effective enough
• in winter 1997...97 I tested two alternative rear wheels with Galaxy drum brakes (Galaxy = old Sachs, made in Norway); rear brakes helped stopping in winter time on hilly roads.

Effect of different tire sizes

• the rolling resistance of big rear wheels (26") is clearly smaller than that of 20", which I used about 550 km
• small rear wheels (20") were very bad in winter traffic (snow) and on stone streets (vibration)
• big rear wheels throw rainwater (there were no mud-gards now); small ones could be better.

Speed in different situations

• on flat the speed was nearly similar to normal uppright bike (I compared with my uppright with thick tires 26"), or 10...20 % slower, if soft (comfortable) tires were used
• upphills the trike goes slow (the weight was big, 23...24 kg + tools, rain coats etc.)
• downhills little faster than upprights (smaller air drag)
• top speed on level roads 41 km/h (I am not a sportler), downhills 48 km/h, but was is dangerous (delta trike, high seat); gears were not good for fast driving; a few more gears were needed
• the best speed on level roads is 12...25 km/h depending on the wind direction
• average speeds in Helsinki on 40...50 km trips was 12,5...17,8 km/h in summer (and much less in winter)
• it was easy to stop at traffic light and corners; stopping does not make harm or bad feelings, I could keep my feets on the pedals.

Additional remarks

• trike is easier to drive against wind than upright bikes; I can see it from the faces of other bikers; Helsinki is quite a windy place
• some bikers were afraid for my trike, though the biggest width was less than 950 mm (37"); the biggest permitted width in Finland is 1250 mm (49") for tricycles
• the construction has been durable; my weight is 70 kg and I allways carry much tools and other things with me
• now I don't drive it any more, because all the parts are connected to the first actual protoype, Hipparion Protohippus 1, that was ready to go in July 1998. The test prototype was in use 4451,5 km.

Test Prototype (0-proto) as it was earlier,
big and small rear wheels (26" ja 20") and >BR> high seat

Some additonal pictures of the Test Prototype and the Prototype, Hipparion

Choose picture and click. The biggest pictures are about 70 kB.

The Prototype (Hipparion Protohippus 1) has it's own page in English. Allso Protohippus 2 is there, but only in Finnish.

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