The Wonderful World Of Pedal-Power

Pedal powered machines come in all shapes and sizes and are capable of amazing things. Most have two wheels but some have just one wheel, some have three or even four. Their wheels can be any size from tiny to huge. Most are for one person but some are for two, three, four or even more riders.

Some cycles you sit down on and some have streamlined aerodynamic bodywork you sit inside!

• The speed record for the fastest Human Powered Vehicle in the world is 82.82 miles per hour (133.28 km/h)! That’s faster than a car is allowed to go on a motorway!
• Even more scary is the bicycle World Speed Record for riding down-hill, it’s 130mph (210 km/h)!

There are cycles which are specially designed for disabled people which they pedal with their hands. There are bikes for carrying people and bikes for carrying things. There are specially designed bikes for riding in snow and pedal powered boats for water.

There are even pedal powered aeroplanes!

Some cycles are designed to replace working vehicles such as cars, motorbikes and even vans. There are police bikes, army bikes, paramedics bikes and even pedal powered pick-up trucks.

The Twike is a two person, three-wheeled pedal-powered machine from Switzerland which is designed to replace a car for short journeys. It can even have a small electric motor fitted to help climb those Swiss Alps!

Paramedic bikes can’t carry as much emergency equipment as an ambulance but they can slip easily through heavy traffic and be at the scene of an accident in double quick time.

The Maximus is a British Rickshaw or Pedicab. It’s great for moving people short distances across towns and cities, replacing smelly diesel taxies.

Can you invent a special cycle that does a special job?

• What does it do? Does it have one or more riders? Where do they sit?
• Extra wheels carry more weight but slow you down. How many wheels does your special pedal-powered machine have?
• Skinny smooth tyres are fast on the road. Wide chunky wheels are better on sand, mud and grass. What kind of wheels does your machine have?
• How does it turn corners? How do you keep your riders dry when it rains?

Pedal power can be used to move people so can we use it to power other things?

Attach some bits of a chain-saw to a bike and it can be used to cut logs. Attach a food processor to a bike and it can make a delicious fruit smoothly! In third world countries, far away from any wall socket, people are using pedals to make electricity. In Malawi an old bike has had its back wheel removed and the bike chain now drives an electricity generator. One person can make enough electricity to power lights for the village, to work a washing machine or even power a telly!

Would you watch so much TV if you had to pedal it yourself every time?