The Pedespeed Uni-Skate: Has Its Time Finally Come?

General
1

I don’t know whether the “pedespeed” was ever actually manufactured or not. I’m
sure it would work. I would think that it would be easier to do than the BC
wheel. Has anyone ever built, ridden or seen a pair of these?

http://www.jimskipper.com/victoria/2001-1/tech.html
Has a charming drawing of the pedespeed in use. Also an interesting monocycle
farther down on the page, though that design might need a little more
thinking-through. And I want that watch!

http://www.library.umass.edu/catalog/greenfield/Grnfld.htm
Mentions the pedespeed in the “Amusements” section, along with an amusing
opinion about the future of the bicycle. The image link leads to the preceding
site.


Someone MAY be interested in marketing the thing, though given the
tongue-in-cheek nature of a couple of the other items, it may be just a joke.

  • Joe in MN
2

They’re real. About 15 years ago I read a treatise on Victorian cycles; by compareson, we are a relatively unimaginative lot. There were photos of the device- the leg bracers looked to be cast iron- I believe the foot pad was wood…

-Christopher

3

Josue Barretto of Puerto Rico rode something similar to this at UNICON. He used it in his artistic freestyle routine.

4

Re: The Pedespeed Uni-Skate: Has Its Time Finally Come?

>They’re real. About 15 years ago I read a treatise on Victorian
>cycles; by compareson, we are a relatively unimaginative lot. There
>were photos of the device- the leg bracers looked to be cast iron- I
>believe the foot pad was wood…
>
>-Christopher

>Josue Barretto of Puerto Rico rode something similar to this at UNICON.
>He used it in his artistic freestyle routine.
>
>
>–
>yoopers - Bruce & Mary Edwards

Good… The concept is too cool to die. Are there pictures anywhere of Mr.
Barretto using his version?

To me the most interesting age of any new technology is always the early years,
before people figure out what a bike or an airplane or whatever is “supposed”
to look like. People experiment with all kinds of weird things, and even the
dead ends are highly cool just for the creativity put into them. The bicycle
has obviously become many times more efficient and practical since that time,
but those early machines with their peculiar configurations and great spidery
wheels have lost none of their magic.

  • Joe in MN
5

Re: The Pedespeed Uni-Skate: Has Its Time Finally Come?

> To me the most interesting age of any new technology is always the early
years,
> before people figure out what a bike or an airplane or whatever is
“supposed”
> to look like. People experiment with all kinds of weird things, and even
the
> dead ends are highly cool just for the creativity put into them. The
bicycle
> has obviously become many times more efficient and practical since that
time,
> but those early machines with their peculiar configurations and great
spidery
> wheels have lost none of their magic.

Go to Oshkosh in the spring for the air show and look at the experimental
stuff for transcendent happiness.

6

RE: The Pedespeed Uni-Skate: Has Its Time Finally Come?

> >They’re real. About 15 years ago I read a treatise on Victorian
> >cycles; by compareson, we are a relatively unimaginative lot. There
> >were photos of the device- the leg bracers looked to be cast iron- I
> >believe the foot pad was wood…

I believe Al Hemmiger picked up a pair at an antiques flea market once upon
a time. Wheels were about 12" in diameter, bearings worked fine, and it was
designed to attach to your shoe. A very small shoe, unfortunately. Like an
old pair of skates. Don’t know if anybody every tried to ride those old
ones, but they sure looked interesting.

> >Josue Barretto of Puerto Rico rode something similar to this
> at UNICON. He used it in his artistic freestyle routine.

I tried Josue’s wheel. I think of it as a one-footed B.C. Wheel, but it’s a
little different. Because both your foot and your lower leg are attached
to the wheel, you have more leverage for staying on it. So it that way it’s
easier. But then again it’s all on one leg. I had to stuff a knee pad in
there to protect my shin from the leg holder.

After a few times hopping around the gym, I finally went for a run of 20’ or
so. Then, much to my dismay, Dan Heaton hopped on it, no kneepad, and went a
good 50’ on what I hope was not his first try!

> Good… The concept is too cool to die. Are there pictures
> anywhere of Mr. Barretto using his version?

I think I did. Working on getting them Photoshopped and up for public
inspection. I also took a closeup shot of the cycle.

Now, as for strapping one of these onto each foot, I think that would be a
little different. Surely a challenge, and much harder than a pair of
conventional skates or blades. No flat platform to stand on, that is. Also,
as is the case with in-line skates only much worse, no brakes! Don’t get
going down a hill… :slight_smile:

Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com <http://www.unicycling.com>

“This unicycle is made all from lightweight materials. But it uses a lot of
them.” – Cliff Cordy, describing the very heavy new prototype unicycle he
brought on the Downieville Downhill

7

Re: The Pedespeed Uni-Skate: Has Its Time Finally Come?

----- Original Message -----
From: Scott Kurland <skurland@juggler.net>
Newsgroups: rec.sport.unicycling
To: <rsu@unicycling.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2002 7:31 AM
Subject: Re: The Pedespeed Uni-Skate: Has Its Time Finally Come?

> > To me the most interesting age of any new technology is always the early
> years,
> > before people figure out what a bike or an airplane or whatever is
> “supposed”
> > to look like. People experiment with all kinds of weird things, and even
> the
> > dead ends are highly cool just for the creativity put into them. The
> bicycle
> > has obviously become many times more efficient and practical since that
> time,
> > but those early machines with their peculiar configurations and great
> spidery
> > wheels have lost none of their magic.
>
> Go to Oshkosh in the spring for the air show and look at the experimental
> stuff for transcendent happiness.

Is the air show in the spring now? Last time I went, a few years ago,
it was in late July and early August. Or is there another air show?

Lowell

8

RE: The Pedespeed Uni-Skate: Has Its Time Finally Come?

>I tried Josue’s wheel. I think of it as a one-footed B.C. Wheel, but it’s a
>little different. Because both your foot and your lower leg are attached
>to the wheel, you have more leverage for staying on it. So it that way it’s
>easier. But then again it’s all on one leg. I had to stuff a knee pad in
>there to protect my shin from the leg holder.
>… … …
>Now, as for strapping one of these onto each foot, I think that would be a
>little different. Surely a challenge, and much harder than a pair of
>conventional skates or blades. No flat platform to stand on, that is. Also,
>as is the case with in-line skates only much worse, no brakes! Don’t get
>going down a hill… :slight_smile:
>
>Stay on top,
>John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone

You could turn one of the wheels sideways and drag it to slow down. That would
be pretty hard on the structure though (and on the tire). Or maybe a hand-brake
of some kind could be mounted, with a lever at the top of the leg-brace near
your knee, so you could reach down and work the brake. The mechanics start to
get a bit complex that way however.

Hmmm. I am now visualizing an adapted BC wheel with leg braces so you can stand
on it with either foot and push with the other to get yourself going.

Here is a crude drawing of what this might look like…

(If the image won’t come up, try again later. AOL you know.)

Explanation: The leg support frame is connected to the “pedals,” so the pedals
don’t turn relative to the supports. The support doesn’t need to be strapped to
the rider’s leg, as the wheel will lean toward whichever foot is on the pedal
and keep the brace pressed against the calf of the leg. This way you can switch
legs and one leg doesn’t have to do all of the propulsion work. (All of this is
speculation, as I’ve never ridden a BC myself). I’m thinking now that the
curved brace-things at the top could probably be smaller and not stick out so
far. I don’t feel like redrawing it though.

Does this look like something that might work? Or has it already been done, and
I’m just literally reinventing the wheel?

  • Joe in MN
9

Re: The Pedespeed Uni-Skate: Has Its Time Finally Come?

> > Go to Oshkosh in the spring for the air show and look at the
experimental
> > stuff for transcendent happiness.
>
> Is the air show in the spring now? Last time I went, a few years ago,
> it was in late July and early August. Or is there another air show?

Nope, summer. I don’t know where my head was, sorry.

10

Re: RE: The Pedespeed Uni-Skate: Has Its Time Finally Come?

What you drew is pretty much the same as the wheel that Yoopers and John Foss mentioned - the one the Puerto Rican guy had at UNICON. If you take your drawing, remove one of the pedal/leg support assemblies and replace it with a stunt peg straight out from the axle, this is pretty much what that guy had.

11

Re: The Pedespeed Uni-Skate: Has Its Time Finally Come?

>What you drew is pretty much the same as the wheel that Yoopers and John
>Foss mentioned - the one the Puerto Rican guy had at UNICON. If you
>take your drawing, remove one of the pedal/leg support assemblies and
>replace it with a stunt peg straight out from the axle, this is pretty
>much what that guy had.
>
>
>–
>nbrazzi

Cool.

  • Joe in MN
12

pedespeed Thomas L. Luder’s Pedespeed 1800s

I have made a pair of working pedespeeds :astonished: Jan 2007
a video of these is at this link

I put the wheels on the inside instead of on the outside. Outside is to much leverage on the leg.

Please note that this video is one of my first times on the pedespeeds
now I am much better.

13

can you make a new video with your better skills

14

Your desisn looks harder to ride then the picture in the link seeing as yours dosent have the leg support its like to bc wheels with plates on on side.
I would also like to see some recent fottage of you.

15

working on new video… the following shows leg mounting

These photos show the leg support

16

Someone skated across the stage in Cirque Du Soleil’s Corteo on a pair of these. Pretty fast too.

17

forth coming new pedespeed aka twounicycles video

Yes I am working on a video.

I found some 100psi wheels 400mm at the ’ EASY RACER’ recumbant shop.
So version 2.0 is in the works :sunglasses:

18

YES it is time

YES it is time

The following spanish 1870 news articles
say that THOMAS L. LUDER
is the invevntor of the

PEDESPEED.

Thomas L. Luder was from
Olney Illinois, usa

The following link is the site I found Mr. Luder and pedespeed together.

Now, about YES it is time:o

Create an event in Olney Il, to honor Thomas L. Luder’s PEDESPEED.
My inkling is to have an 1/2 marathon and a full marathon, 5 and 10K also.

open class, criteria is one wheel on each foot ie my onewheelskates or reproductions of the pedespeed or modifications with the one wheel rule.

for instance a unicycler could have a unicycle on each foot :astonished:
or a ‘HEELIES’ person could give it a go.

Prize money for all entrants. How you think? Say there are 5 entrants 1st
gets 5 shares of 15, 2nd 4 of 15, 3rd 3 of 15, 4th 2 of 15 and 5th 1 of 15 :roll_eyes:

:stuck_out_tongue: Get on board or watch the train go to Olney;)

19

sounds like fun.

20

One wheel skates now perfected,working well

The new product is called “Chariot Skates” and can be seen on Video on www.chariotskates.com 2 videos there and click on show 21 for the new inventors. The Chariot skates are on first on the show.
They have a small wheel behind the larger carbon fibre wheel,to give a perfect sense of balance. I have been there when he does about 40 kilometres an hour, and not puffing.
They will be for sale sometime in the near future.
The usual comment when guys see them for the first time is awesome.
Previous attempts have possibly failed due to weight,these are very light, and the small wheel is critical after seeing the single wheel model.