Rowcycle

Rowcycle is a generic term used to describe a land based hybrid row powered vehicle with wheels and a drive train similar to conventional pedal or recumbent bicycles. These vehicles derive propulsion from energy delivered to the drive train of the cycle through a rider initiated rowing action. There are many models of rowcycle products available on the market today. These models share a common objective of harnessing a rider’s rowing motion, but differ greatly with regards to design and engineering concepts that allow the vehicle to provide optimal performance and rider usability. In general, rowcycles rely on a system of belts or cables and pulleys to harness rider energy and transfer it to the drive train of the cycle. Some use chain linkages to transfer the energy to the wheels, others extend the cable system directly to the wheel to initiate wheel movement.

Model Variations

Rowcycle manufactures have developed various designs to harness rider developed energy for use in propulsion. The method used by the designer to capture that energy vary greatly.

• Olson Rowbike transmits power from the rider to the wheels using a standard bicycle chain, rear gears, and derailleur. The chain on a Rowbike does not travel in a loop. It moves back and forth over the rear cog in a sawing motion. The chain is connected at one end to the frame to a bungee cord on the other. As the rower pulls back the chain engages the rear cog and the bungee cord, which is concealed in the power lever, is extended, and when the rower returns forward the bungee cord contracts, pulling the chain back and ensuring there is no slack in the chain. To optimize gearing a pulley called the "Dave Cam" was introduced in 2006. The Dave Cam doubles the amount of chain pulled with each stroke, as a larger chainring increases the amount of chain pulled with each revolution of the pedals.

• The Thys Rowingbike and Streetrower use a cable which coils and uncoils about a spool. Thys drive train version is called a snek drive.

• Tarasov Rowcycles feature patented row-drive™ drive train technology to efficiently harness energy developed by the rider’s body during a given row stoke. Based on human biomechanics and kinesiology, row-drive™ technology utilizes a belt and pulley system to capture the energy generated by the legs in a 2:1 ratio to the energy generated by the arms during and equivalent stroke. The system uses a belt to link the arm stroke and the leg stroke mechanisms and a shock cord to act as a recoil spring to return the mechanisms to the start position at the end of each power stroke. The belt winds around a drum assembly and transfers the gathered energy from the stroke to the chain drive that turns the rear wheels. Row-drive™ effectively combines total body involvement in a balanced rowing motion by merging the power of arms, legs and back. It allows the rider to develop maximum energy for propulsion and efficiently transfers that energy to the drive train of the cycle. Arm and leg stroke mechanisms work independently. When the rider pushes with their legs, they move; when they pull with their arms, they more; or when they push and pull with legs and arms simultaneously, they move. All this happens while the rider sits stationary. Tarasov also uses a specially developed telescopic tube mechanism to integrate arm stroke power generation and directional control in one mechanism. This allows a straight line, linear pulling motion originating at the steering source. There is no separate steering mechanism. This avoids the pendulum shaped pulling motion common in many other designs. The leg stroke mechanism also features linear power generation from the hips directly along the belt path of the drive train.

References

• "Energy Cost and Locomotive Economy of Handbike and Rowcycle Propulsion by Persons with Spinal Cord Injury" from Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development Vol . 32 No . 2, May 1995, Pages 170-178
• Landrower and Rowcycle tricycles