Reverse free wheel!

[Antuny]

So I believe that there are some european trikes (be they traditional or recumbent) that can reverse if peddled backwards. It seem to me that this is an eminently sensible thing to be able to do if you ride a trike. Anyone know how it works and how to get hold of the relevant part?

 

[TheDoctor]

My guess would be a fixed gear of some sort, so it won't freewheel in either direction. That limits you to a single gear, or three if you can use a S3X hub gear. I can't think of another way of achieving this.
@mickle ?

 

[Antuny]

My guess would be a fixed gear of some sort, so it won't freewheel in either direction. That limits you to a single gear, or three if you can use a S3X hub gear. I can't think of another way of achieving this.
@mickle ?

Thank you. I've tracked down the bikes that have this facility; Van Raam Tricycles based in the Netherlands. Yep, I thought it was a fixed wheel at first but from videos you can see that the trikes free wheel and to reverse you have to pedal backwards and eventually (some sort of clutch?) engages and the trike begins to reverse - just intrigued as to how they do it.

 

[404 Not Found Anywhere]

I think it may involve a hub gear with a coaster brake... back pedal enough and you start going backwards. It does mean that you have as many reverse gears as forward... I recall reading about it in Velovision many years ago

 

[figbat]

Wouldn't a coaster brake hub work like this anyway?

 

[Antuny]

Thank you both for the steer - I'll take a look at coaster brakes

 

[TheDoctor]

Coaster brakes normally apply the brake with about a half-turn backwards of the pedals, although there may well be a specialized use of them in Trikes that I don't know about.

 

[mickle]

Coaster brake hub using an adapted torque arm. Pedal forwards - go forwards. Apply backwards pressure to the pedals - slow and stop. Pedal backwards from stationary - reverse. Many manufacturers have used it over the years on trikes, particularly cargo trikes, wheelchair carriers and tandems. Can be used on deltas (where it's installed as a 'jack' drive and power taken off via a second sprocket attached to the right side hub flange) and tadpole trikes. Nijland (Workcycles), VanRaam, Hase, Nihola all use them.

 

[Antuny]

Coaster brake hub using an adapted torque arm. Pedal forwards - go forwards. Apply backwards pressure to the pedals - slow and stop. Pedal backwards from stationary - reverse. Many manufacturers have used it over the years on trikes, particularly cargo trikes, wheelchair carriers and tandems. Can be used on deltas (where it's installed as a 'jack' drive and power taken off via a second sprocket attached to the right side hub flange) and tadpole trikes. Nijland (Workcycles), VanRaam, Hase, Nihola all use them.

Brilliant, thank you