Cycling UK Forum

To avoid taking the other discussion too far off-topic, does anyone know if there exists a bicycle/tricycle street sweeper design?

Even better would be a trailer that could be towed by any bike to keep the farcilities clear.

Google hasn't got much to offer, except this behemoth which wouldn't do for NCN1's 24" width restriction!

It needs some work to get the sweeping element actually centred on the path but there is definitely potential in this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoF62ltGqjg

you mean one of these?

Si wrote:It needs some work to get the sweeping element actually centred on the path but there is definitely potential in this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoF62ltGqjg

I feel sort of like I've been Rickrolled, by myself

I wonder whether just dragging a wide broom (held at an angle) would do any good. You might need to ride the same stretch of route several times, I suppose.

rootes wrote:you mean one of these?

When I'm multi-tasking, I have one of those for clearing the outside lane of the M62. Being only 5' 8* with short legs I've shortened the handle for reasons of comfort.

As was mentioned on the Segregation thread, mechanical sweepers suck up the dirt as well as brushing it. In order to do that we need lots of excess power, so a tandem trike/quad would form the basis of my preferred design . . .

When simply moving from place to place without sweeping, both riders power is used to maintain good speed and carry all of the extra machinery required. On arriving at the road to be swept, the gears are set so the stoker's effort is diverted to a vacuum pump while the captain propels the bike on his own, albeit more slowly. For high speed or apline routes, extra power could be provided by using a three seater, and in the winter, snowplough/gritter apparatus could be attached.

Can you imagine how fit you'd be after six months of doing that every day? Never mind Team Saxo Bank vs Team Astana - the Tour de France would be all about Bradford City Council vs the Highways Agency. Roadsweepers would be the new elite athletes - kids would watch competetive sweeping on the TV and dream of one day being professional sweepers for their favourite local authority!

I definitely think we're on to a winner here

I never saw one in the flesh, but apparently the French were running motorcycle "pooper-scoopers" around Paris walkways.

The sort of job you know would be just dirty. However, if you were bicycle racing the "balai" would always be behind you .

Cycling trivia quiz info. The voiture balai in the TdeF was discontinued in 2005 as being too humiliating for the riders. (For long enough, the only ways to abandon the Tour apart from not starting a stage were in the ambulance or the sag wagon. Climbing in a team car attracted a commisaire's fine.)