Rowbike
Encyclopedia
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
, generally considered a recumbent bicycle
Recumbent bicycle
A recumbent bicycle is a bicycle that places the rider in a laid-back reclining position. Most recumbent riders choose this type of design for ergonomic reasons; the rider's weight is distributed comfortably over a larger area, supported by back and buttocks...
, and a rowing machine
Indoor rower
An indoor rower, or rowing machine, is a machine used to simulate the action of watercraft rowing for the purpose of exercise or training for rowing. Indoor rowing has become established as a sport in its own right...
. "Rowbike" is a trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
of the RowBike company. The RowBike company was founded by Scott Olson, the inventor of Rollerblade
Rollerblade
Rollerblade is a brand of inline skates owned by Nordica, part of the Tecnica Group of Trevignano, Treviso, Italy.The company was started by Scott Olsen and Brennan Olson in Minneapolis as Ole's Innovative Sports; when they sold the company, it became Rollerblade, Inc...
inline skates. "Rowling" is a combination of rowing and rolling and is sometimes used in place of rowing when describing a rowbike.
A rowbike is differentiated from a handcycle in that a handcycle typically uses a circular motion as opposed to a back and forth, rowing motion. Handcycles are typically marketed to people who have lost the use of their legs, while rowbikes are marketed to people who want to include rowing in their exercise routine.
Although a rowbike could be classified as a human powered vehicle, as opposed to a fitness machine, rowbikes are used almost exclusively for exercise and fitness, rather than for transportation. Four wheel variants also exist, and like most bicycles, rowbikes can be used with a stand that permits use as a stationary bike
Stationary Bike
"Stationary Bike" is a novella written by Stephen King, which was originally published in the fifth edition of From the Borderlands in 2003. It was recently released as part of King's 2008 short story anthology, Just After Sunset.-Synopsis:...
or indoor rower
Indoor rower
An indoor rower, or rowing machine, is a machine used to simulate the action of watercraft rowing for the purpose of exercise or training for rowing. Indoor rowing has become established as a sport in its own right...
.
Terminology
While many of the parts to a RowBike are standard to normal bicycles or recumbentRecumbent
Recumbent may refer to:* Recumbence, the act or state of lying down or leaning.* Recumbent bicycle, a bicycle which places the rider in a seated or supine position...
bicycles, there are many that are proprietary
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
to the Rowbike, and can only be obtained from the RowBike company.
- Shock cord - This is a bungee cordBungee cordA bungee cord , also known as a shock cord, is an elastic cord composed of one or more elastic strands forming a core, usually covered in a woven cotton or polypropylene sheath...
with a loop at one end that permits the mounting, with a removable link, of a standard bicycle chain. The opposite end of the shock cord is normally knotted to prevent it from slipping into the power lever. The shock cord is located inside the power lever and is normally not visible unless the power lever is pulled all the way back. The shock cord loses its elasticity over time and needs to be replaced when this happens.
- Power LeverLeverIn physics, a lever is a rigid object that is used with an appropriate fulcrum or pivot point to either multiply the mechanical force that can be applied to another object or resistance force , or multiply the distance and speed at which the opposite end of the rigid object travels.This leverage...
- In the picture show it is the blue lever. The rider pulls back on the power lever to propel the Rowbike.
- Swing arm - The swing arm is attached to the frame of the Rowbike in a manner that allows it to swing freely. The chain is then attached to the swing arm.
- Dave CamCamA cam is a rotating or sliding piece in a mechanical linkage used especially in transforming rotary motion into linear motion or vice-versa. It is often a part of a rotating wheel or shaft that strikes a lever at one or more points on its circular path...
- The Dave cam is the pulley at the end of the power lever.
- Seat Wing- The seat is mounted on the seat wings. The seat wings are brackets that have three rollers each, which permit the seat assembly to travel back and forth freely as the rider rows, the 6 rollers wear out and need to be replaced regularly.
Propulsion and steering
Steering, braking, shifting, and propulsion are accomplished through the handlebars. The brakes and brake levers are standard bicycle components. The handle bars are specific to the Rowbike and cannot be upgraded, although standard grips, bar ends, and other accessories can be mounted on them. The front fork is controlled (or steered) with cables in a manner similar to a recumbent bicycleRecumbent bicycle
A recumbent bicycle is a bicycle that places the rider in a laid-back reclining position. Most recumbent riders choose this type of design for ergonomic reasons; the rider's weight is distributed comfortably over a larger area, supported by back and buttocks...
. The gears on the rear wheel, the shifter, and the derailer are all standard bicycle equipment. Feet are on fixed foot rests, as opposed to moving pedals. The seat, which is specific to the RowBike, slides back and forth on rollers. Unlike a boat the rider faces forward. If the rider's stroke favors the left or right side, the rowbike will pull off course, as would be the case with a boat. Balancing on a two wheeled rowbike while rowing requires some practice, even for a skilled bicyclist.
Drive train
RowBikes transmit power from the rider to the wheels using a standard bicycle chain, rear gears, and derailleur. Both wheels are standard bicycle wheels, the rear wheel is fitted out with a standard freewheel. The chain on a Rowbike does not travel in a loop, as is the case with a standard bicycleBicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
. It moves back and forth over the rear cog
Cog
Cog may refer to:* A part of a gear system* Cog , a small sailing vessel* A tenon that extends all the way through another piece of wood, in joinery* The evil robots in Toontown Online...
in a sawing motion. The chain is connected at one end to the frame of the rowbike and to the shock cord (bungee cord
Bungee cord
A bungee cord , also known as a shock cord, is an elastic cord composed of one or more elastic strands forming a core, usually covered in a woven cotton or polypropylene sheath...
) on the other. As the rower pulls back the chain engages the rear cog
Cog
Cog may refer to:* A part of a gear system* Cog , a small sailing vessel* A tenon that extends all the way through another piece of wood, in joinery* The evil robots in Toontown Online...
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. All Rowbikes have a rear derailleur, even single speeds, due to the need to keep proper tension in the chain.
If the gears on the rear wheel are not optimal an ordinary bicycle has the possibility of changing the size of the gear on the crankset
Crankset
The crankset or chainset , is the component of a bicycle drivetrain that converts the reciprocating motion of the rider's legs into rotational motion used to drive the chain, which in turn drives the rear wheel...
(the chainring). Unlike a bicycle a Rowbike does not have a crank set. To optimize the 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.http://rowbike.com/how_it_works_videos.html
History
While the idea of a rowed bicycle is attractive there does not seem to be any evidence of a successful mass market design. At the present time it is very rare to see someone riding a RowBike, or any form of rowed bicycle. Scott Olsen is quoted as saying "the jury is still out on rowbike". As with many bicycle related novelties, examples of rowed bicycles appear early in the development of bicycles.A newsreel
Newsreel
A newsreel was a form of short documentary film prevalent in the first half of the 20th century, regularly released in a public presentation place and containing filmed news stories and items of topical interest. It was a source of news, current affairs and entertainment for millions of moviegoers...
from 1937 clearly shows a rowed bicycle that is very similar to today's RowBike. It does not use a bungee cord to maintain tension, instead it has a circular chain case mounted where the derailer normally hangs. The case seems to have a spring mechanism that pulls excess chain links into the case, much the same way the shock cord pulls excess chain into the power lever. Like the first version of the RowBike the chain is connected to the end of the power lever, and there is no "Dave cam"
See also
- Rowed vehiclesRowed vehiclesA rowing cycle is a wheeled vehicle propelled by a rowing motion of the body. Steering, braking, and shifting are usually done by the handlebars. Feet are on symmetrical foot rests, as opposed to rotating pedals. Unlike many rowing boats, the rider faces forward. Rowing cycles exist in numerous...
- Rowing machine
- HandcyclesHandcyclesA handcycle is a type of human powered land vehicle powered by the arms rather than the legs, as on a bicycle. Most handcycles are tricycle in form, with two coasting rear wheels and one steerable powered front wheel. Despite usually having three wheels, they are also known as handbikes.Many...
- Quadracycle (human-powered vehicle)
- TricycleTricycleA tricycle is a three-wheeled vehicle. While tricycles are often associated with the small three-wheeled vehicles used by pre-school-age children, they are also used by adults for a variety of purposes. In the United States and Canada, adult-sized tricycles are used primarily by older persons for...
External links
Other row bikes, some in production some not http://rowingbike.free.fr