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Rediscovering the Handcart

solar.lowtechmagazine.com

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Re: Rediscovering the Handcart

#11

Post by readthenotes1 »

SOLAR_FIELDS wrote: post #5

As the article points out these things are lovely until you have a hill. Fortunately the original designer built it for use in the Netherlands, a country purpose built for human powered vehicles due to its flatness. I do question its utility in any environment even remotely less flat than NL. I guess you could take it to Denmark too?

It has always amazed me how even an almost imperceptible upslope can increase effort moving up it.

I guess the answer here is something like a ski lift powered by the handcarts going downhill.

Re: Rediscovering the Handcart

#13

Post by starkparker »

ErroneousBosh wrote: post #10

Given that it appears to be made (at least all the mechanical bits) out of bike parts, I kind of wonder why they didn't just make a cargo bike. If you need to push it, you can push a cargo bike probably easier than this. If you're really worried about rolling resistance give it suspension.

Did you see the section of the article that responds to that exact non-hypothetical question posed to them while using it?

Re: Rediscovering the Handcart

#14

Post by kjs3 »

Epa095 wrote: post #2

"Many people have asked us why we didn’t build a four-wheeled cart that wouldn’t need to be balanced. However, four wheels would double the rolling resistance and thus the effort required to push the cart. Furthermore, a four-wheeled cart is less maneuverable and more difficult to drive on uneven terrain. You also need to get two extra wheels, and you need to build a steering mechanism. " I would have asked them why…

I have a 4-wheeled wheelbarrow/cart/whatever. I think Scotts made it, but I could be wrong (it's green with orange lettering); I got it at some big-box years ago. It's wildly easier to move than my regular wheelbarrow, precisely because you expend no effort balancing it, and it's equally easy to use pulling as pushing (even with kinda crappy small, hard wheels). It is definitely not as maneuverable as the traditional, but it's easier on (most, not all) 'uneven terrain' (again, I don't have to balance it) and it doesn't have any 'steering' other than pushing the handles so it points the direction I want to go (I do know there are more elaborate versions that have a steerable set of wheels; I got the cheap version).

I guess tl;dr: I dunno what these guys are going on about and wonder if they've ever actually tried a 4 wheel cart.

Re: Rediscovering the Handcart

#15

Post by SOLAR_FIELDS »

readthenotes1 wrote: post #11
SOLAR_FIELDS wrote: post #5

As the article points out these things are lovely until you have a hill. Fortunately the original designer built it for use in the Netherlands, a country purpose built for human powered vehicles due to its flatness. I do question its utility in any environment even remotely less flat than NL. I guess you could take it to Denmark too?

It has always amazed me how even an almost imperceptible upslope can increase effort moving up it. I guess the answer here is something like a ski lift powered by the handcarts going downhill.

I would pay to see that contraption. I'd pay double to ride the ski lift

Re: Rediscovering the Handcart

#16

Post by ErroneousBosh »

starkparker wrote: post #13
ErroneousBosh wrote: post #10

Given that it appears to be made (at least all the mechanical bits) out of bike parts, I kind of wonder why they didn't just make a cargo bike. If you need to push it, you can push a cargo bike probably easier than this. If you're really worried about rolling resistance give it suspension.

Did you see the section of the article that responds to that exact non-hypothetical question posed to them while using it?

I did see that. It sounds like they just like finding ways to make life hard for themselves.
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