Uploads from whymcycles

Maker Faire toy load train

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:12:15 -0700

whymcycles posted a photo:

Made our total fun-cycles load in One trip from Millicent to our Maker Faire booth/tent..we left behind a few for folks to ride there instead of walk....On our Sunday exit train, I had three kids on board, plus a couple more bikes over my head on the Kinetic Sculpture amphibian
German wheel's crossbars...oh, while 'ghost-riding' the trike uber tallie with my free right hand. Good times!
Found a video of my tiny "Cozy Roadster" coming in first in the Death-Defying Pedalcar Figure Eight Races www.flickr.com/photos/chachijones/8758164571/in/faves-270... maybe one will surface with some of the furious cornering Action!

This Idea/Egg won't hatch..

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:26:15 -0700

whymcycles posted a photo:

White Etha-foam tie-on sand tires, soft, but ok..Then..(Big Then)..not enough weight on front drive wheel, either sitting..or too much weight standing up.. So the triple segment track/loop of etha-foam to 'roll'/drive over & through...Naaaah. I'll just pedal-trike on rollable surfaces, and seven-foot hoop roll/hamster trek on too soft sand or steep dune portions. Ten Days until the fun/madness of the 45th annual Grand Championship Kinetic Sculpture Race from Arcata to Ferndale commences!
For The Glory!
In action the way I will race it Memorial Day weekend www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh7JmfaJqLs&feature=youtu.be
but there will be @2miles of sand, not just 80 feet of urban dune... hence the above mad idea...

Bounce For Glory circumnavigates Kinetic Bus, Millicent, and her new murals

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Mon, 06 May 2013 23:40:37 -0700

whymcycles posted a video:

Lilly and Sam stand ahead of Daddy as they slowly bounce a circuit of Millicent the Magnificent's Kabica mural of our various Kinetic Sculpture racers . Jerri tadpole trikes to steadi-cam for your visual ease. Got giggles? The peculiar whistling is the white tube on the handlebars, actually a dishwasher drain hose being blown or inhaled through...
Pictured on the mural are: Bouncing Friendly Gnome, The Two-Ton Tricycle, the Pear County Chopper, the Kinetic Choo Choo, Henry Ford Goes Surfing and a 1950's GM streamliner locomotive. All painted images rendered by airbrush and paint brush by Kurt Kabica.
See you on the road! (Generally not too far from I-5 betwwen Port Townsend, Washington and Ventura, California..!)

Vitruvian Wheel towing Whymcycles w/ tots to Davis's Loopalooza!

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Sun, 05 May 2013 16:10:33 -0700

whymcycles posted a photo:

Sons Colin & Sam & little Lilly pose as I head off with a trailer and hoop full of fun little cycles. Folks pedalling Davis's circum-city bike path had 10 stations to visit on the circuit. My post at the East end of the Hwy 113 bike overpass has an art station as well as my half dozen beasties to try out as the cyclists paused to get the Loopalooza 'passports' stamped. Nice weather prevailed from the dark morning clouds. Huzzah!
In the background is the wonderful tailgate mural of a 1950's GM streamliner diesel-electric locomotive, painted by Kurt Kabica. The tailgate is of course, the rear of Millicent, our Kinetic Sculpture Racing Mobile Kinetic Laboritorium .Headquarters and .Tea Room.
The mural of the for sides of the bus via an all family bouncer ride..
www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10200406032531318&...

Full Suspension handcycle..Replacement from #1 nicked in Dec. '007

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:12:44 -0700

whymcycles posted a photo:

About to rent out a handcycle to some folks..$75/month..that's $2.50/day, 11 cents an hour..but I couldn't face letting the gold 3 speed go to get beat up, so I made this today. Good use of my time, right? But i'd missed the similar one, below, that my wife had stolen from her at Sac.City when 9 months pregnant in Dec' '07(see below). So I killed two old bike worries with one stone...
Whatever....
The rear wheels are from a Craftsman lawnmower, footrest from a Nordic-Trak, chain rollers from a snow-board practice device of some stripe...and of course, the floating derailliuer 'dynamic' chain tensioner (!) it pulls the slack chain whether one is powering forward or when braking with the back-pedal coaster brake, ta daaa!
Like my old stool with scooter floorboard for a seat? handy, dandy...
60,000 account views as of today..in 7 years....

Mini quad Got Chain? rub her belly gently..there's a lot of teeth here...

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:12:43 -0700

whymcycles posted a photo:

Here's the 4 chain runs on this little anchor..She rides sweet, but to lift her overhead on-top the mini-van...better get the truss ready..
There's a German blog/forum that's been running up the first shot o' this mini-beast, but i can't quite make out what they're going on about...
No worries.
The mid-ships jack shaft is simply the two crank-sets tied together, using the original bearings, and a short section of 1" square tubing bolting the two straightened cranks via pedal thread ends used as bolts...
In action with three aboard.. www.flickr.com/photos/27047646@N00/8485933656/in/photostream

A Picture Perfect Picnic Day **99th Annual!

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 10:08:00 -0700

whymcycles posted a photo:

Our 15th or 16th UC Davis Picnic Day parade as the Davis Whymcycle Society, we had only about 30 riders this year, but still we had over two dozen cycles out for the fun. Let's see..three quadracycles ,,4 riders, three handcycles, 4 tadpole trikes for 7 riders, two unicycles, three bouncing whymcycles, two electric scooters made back into pedal bikes, two two-seater Kinetic racers: Visualize Whirled Peas & the Whymcycle Express for 4 more, two mini hi wheelers, two swing bikes, one double eccentric bike, one rowing trike and one 'normal' 16" kiddie bike and a wheel chair towing a trailer, hitch & tongue made by me..that's 33 riders off the top of my ol' head.. Still, great times, and we had the UCD Alumni Pep Band serenading us the entire way..
www.flickr.com/photos/russellr/8666306625/in/contacts/
and a set taken by Russell R. : www.flickr.com/photos/russellr/sets/72157633292968302/wit...
Photo page from The Davis Enterprise, photo by Wayne Tilcock.

Sam & Dad test the new tadpole scooter/Whymcycle bouncer #126 to-be

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 21:25:23 -0700

whymcycles posted a photo:

Nine years after giving away my First trike Whymcycle bouncer, the pining gave way to practicality, and I simply am making another. The two side-headsets are saved from handcycle builds, and the tie-rod linkage is simply sawed-off trimmings/leftovers from my workbench. Blustery April winds on my seven mile homeward tallbike commute today had me cinch down the chin strap.. which I always sew onto my bucket hats for that purpose... The resulting Rip Van Winkle beard effect is something to behold..I generally get 'thumbs ups', or 'You're my hero, man!' when I ride tall, and today was no different..despite the fairy-tale whishkers effect... Sam was happy to try out the steering, which he no doubt will be bouncing & using soon enough!

Two chickies egged on to an Early Easter Morn High wheel ride.

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 10:37:48 -0700

whymcycles posted a photo:

One looks too to 'hatch-a-bell' , while her sister chickster uses her talon talent to keep her pollo poultry purchase perch perchance whilst she sits seat-u-ated on her cedar cycle seat near-to her handle-bar bound seat-ster . We gotta give them props for staying ahead of their roof-top propped weather-vane cycles...ouch!

Sam Asleep on the Bowseat of Lila

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 22:31:46 -0700

whymcycles posted a photo:

Sam was tired enough and comfy enough that he dropped off to sleep, but not off of, his front perch bowsprit pillow-seat. Jerri had off-loaded Lilly, and Dorje the Kitty briefly tried out the pilot seat. Off to the side are the tallie trike, and my oldest two-seat trike, 'Blue'. All three get pretty heavy family use. Blue is still running a 1950's New Departure coaster brake hub, with an equally antique Sears tire on it. Lila is about ten years old, Blue is from 1996, and parts of the tallie trike date to 1996-97 also... we do have to stop for dropped shoes now and then...

Kayak trailer behind rear-steer break-down tandem

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:57:52 -0700

whymcycles posted a photo:

Summer of '93, we were rigged to trailer the kayaks to the American River near Cal Expo..Northrop Ave access to the Jededah Smith Parkway. The trailer folds up, or can be sat 'through' on the water trek.
I still have the tandem, trailer and the kayaks..trailered them on it to Putah Creek in Davis, CA last summer in fact..
The kayaks are 'wash-deck' with no 'man-hole', handy for giving small kids rides or lying down to take in the sky views...or duck low-hanging shrubbery..
Trailer made from a lawnmower handle, scooter forks, wheels and stems, and a handle bar. Airless foam tires, too. No welding...
Rope bow carry-handles on the kayaks are bungeed to the bike rack..that's the 'hitch'......

One Facebook contributor's photo/pun/postulation...

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 07:53:15 -0800

whymcycles posted a photo:

From the FB Davis Meme, From Lt. Pike's peppering, to (my) Peter's peppering the populace with peculiarly preposterious pcycles.. A typical big college/little town collision of progress vs. values, advanced science vs. protective perceptions... oh well!

And in 2008, the University celebrated its 100th year, among the festivities were British 'Town Criers' Lone Twin, who did a 30 day study/celebration of Davis activities..kind-of touching, really..
www.youtube.com/watch?v=83SSfrx9_ZA&list=PLE641FBBD15...

Entering and Exiting the Bat Cave

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 05:55:42 -0800

whymcycles posted a video:

Sam & Lilly and I daringly dash thru the quarry tunnel at the Bronson Canyon 'Bat Cave', used for most of the last century as a rustic/exotic movie location, about a mile or so north of Hollywood Blvd. Great spot to hike or bike ride in the thronging metropolis of LA! *Sorry, not a steadycam shot, and Jerri's camera trike is pretty rattley..a thousand pardons!

Bronson Caves, Hollywood Sign and Jerri , Sam & Lilly

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 05:55:42 -0800

whymcycles posted a photo:

Up Canyon Drive and Bronson Ave. in the Hollywood Hills lies the rock quarry that serviced the road bed of the long-gone Santa Monica RR . It is a popular site for movie/TV 'location' shots, and a fun place to hike. Jerri & I pedalled up from the road to the old 'Bat Caves' used in the Batman TV series for the famous Batmobile exits. The west end is one 'hole', the eastern canyon/quarry side has a central Big opening and a left and right smaller 'cave' holes.
The little front wheel drive quad, made with two 16" kiddie bikes, pulled the uphill dirt road nicely. The rear wheel steering makes it fun also.
Here it is in action..: www.flickr.com/photos/27047646@N00/8485933656/in/photostr...
And the exit, with Adam West et al.. www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBe3QzVW5_8
Note the fake bushes, etc. as the B-mobile tears out the mountain!
This: www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=-t...
has , from 1:20 on, more canyon/quarry footage, carefully spliced/edited../\_/\

Lilly & I enter Bike Tunnel Sealed & Buried 23 years

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 06:30:22 -0800

whymcycles posted a photo:

With Lilly taking a slug from her Pepper Pedaler water bottle, we tricycle on our lilac-coloured tadpole triple tandem trike through the long-buried but newly opened ped/bike tunnel. This make 26 Davis bike tunnels. That's an awful lot for town with only 9.9 square miles, with 50+ miles of bike/ped only bike paths and 50+ miles of bike lanes. Nice Echo, too. Going home we went through 5 bike tunnels, one under I-80, another beneath the Union Pacific RR tracks. Got Echo?? Hello-ooooooo!
We Should we call it "The Troglodyte Bike Tunnel".!!
Photo From the Davis Enterprise
www.davisenterprise.com/local-news/city/two-decades-later...
see next photo for an older distant tunnel, sometimes used by cyclists..

Jerri & Huell Howser in 2008, Winters, CA

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 17:39:17 -0800

whymcycles posted a photo:

Huell was in Winters for a California's Gold show, and they needed cyclists for the RR to bikes & peds bridge over our Putah Creek . Jerri was told by Huell that the Big Blue Bouncer was too distracting for the scene. Jerri was very upset, and Huell gave her a hug and photo op. News just over the wire today, 1/7/13, that Huell has died. RIP.

New Year's 1953

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 11:11:00 -0800

whymcycles posted a photo:

My father, age 35, holds his 7 week old twin sons (me + my bro), thoughtfully
gazing at the New Year's celebration next door. (note clock)
This was the cover illustration for the R.C. Allen
office machine company's Jan. 1953 'Keyboard' magazine.
My twin Larry is facing the camera, while I gaze at the 'party'.
The company and my family were based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Last Day of shopping, Two Days after the last of Days..(Mayan, No Mine!) or Back in the (hi)Saddle Again!

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 15:17:24 -0800

whymcycles posted a photo:

Holiday-Hatted again! & back up on the Tallie Trike saddle agin, after Lilly precipitated me from aloft on Nov. 18 . She tried to 'help' me up a curb, but wrapped herself around the wheel enough to get swallowed into the rear triangle if we'd gone forward enough to not tip me past the point-of-no-return.. So I bailed, and if tennies instead of thin sandals had shielded my right heel..no worries.
So I hobbled and wheeled around classes for a month on a pedal-less ha'penny.velocipede..I highly recommend that method of locomotion when injury limits the weight an extremity can bear.
Jerri rides her favorite, the swing-bike, with a kid-cart in tow..
At rear, my cycle-laden van awaits .

Tripedo Tadpole Trike with ragtop, Windshield and Naughahyde body

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:41:02 -0800

whymcycles posted a photo:

Hidden electric assist, and stealth cover over mechanicals, I got to use up a lot of old left over upholstery bits, and ising glass and do some nice grommet and snap work. Now it's two stories, but the body just might go on again one of these days...
An old print from a friend's calendar... grainy, yet crisp!
The beard was yet red and brown...

Unicycle for Three...with training Wheel

nobody@flickr.com (whymcycles) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:41:02 -0800

whymcycles posted a photo:

Not successful, rideable uneasily by one. Suggested by a kindergartener in 1997..couldn't say no...
tried with two, no injuries, but not fun enough to persist with..and quite a load for one wheel in the uni
configuration. Whaat the heck!