The Dogsled pedal-powered quad debuts at Woodward
Click above for high-res gallery of The Dogsled
We don't actually get a vote on the show America's Got Talent, but if we did we'd award the win right now to the designers and builders of The Dogsled, which makes its initial debut this weekend in Detroit for the Woodward Dream Cruise. Although its final destination is this year's Burning Man out in the Southwestern desert, the NextCruise event, a green-minded cruising alternative running alongside the Dream Cruise, has brought the machine out to play a bit early. Looking over the build pictures, this pedal-powered machine looks like a scaled-down monster truck with its fully-triangulated frame made from steel and its solid axles front and rear. The frame is suspended both by transverse leaf-springs mounted above the axles and coil-overs at each corner. All four riders pedal to power the right rear wheel with the left rear seeing braking duties. Good 'ole-fashioned American ingenuity at its best. We'll see if we can track this thing down while it's stuck in traffic on Woodward Ave. Saturday afternoon.
Gallery: Woodward 2008 Preview: The Dogsled
[Source: The Dogsled via Jalopnik]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Pete 9:30AM (8/15/2008)
My neighbor built that!
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Den in IN 9:35AM (8/15/2008)
I hope they put emission control equipment on those motors. I hear they are horrible CO2 and methane producers!
Seriously, what a cool project! Nice job.
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C.W. 9:37AM (8/15/2008)
me neighbor built it too!
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Pete 10:07AM (8/15/2008)
Oh, really?
eric 9:43AM (8/15/2008)
Its the Flintstones car of the future!!
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Dude 10:12AM (8/15/2008)
So the greenies build a human powered vehicle and it looks like an SUV. Might as well put a HUMMER grill on it.
How's that for irony.
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sam 10:13AM (8/15/2008)
This is really cool. Hopefully we'll see some pics of in it action (maybe even get a top speed run) at Burning Man. Obviously a lot of work went into this - i gotta get into some engineering projects.... so lazy.
http://www.samalamadingdong.com
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SCBG 10:58AM (8/15/2008)
As a cyclist I must say that it would be a great deal better if it was made from carbon or ti (much lighter) with some Fox racing shox, eight Mavic Ksyrium Elites (I can't help but wonder how those would be tied together, Look clipless pedals, and finally some SRAM drivetrain gear.
Since it seams all riders are responsible for the power I can't help but wonder who gets to decide the gear they're in.
To all you cycling novices I apologize for the worthless post.
Brad 10:29AM (8/15/2008)
Maybe it's just me... but shouldn't the front axle NOT be solid so it can STEER?
And then shouldn't there be a rear differential so they can.. steer? I guess that just adds weight...
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john riley 12:24PM (8/15/2008)
There are steering knuckles on the front axle. At BM it won't be running on pavement, so lack of a diff (if it is lacking - there is a big cylinder in the drivetrain that might be a diff) would not be a big deal.
Brad 1:43PM (8/15/2008)
It says that is has solid axles... that would suggest that there is no dif.
Bill Hancock 10:56AM (8/15/2008)
That will fit right in at Burning Man...
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Cornell89 11:59AM (8/15/2008)
While vacationing in Rome this summer, we visited a large park where they rented 4-person pedal cars with an electric "boost" motor - when you get to a hill, the electric motor kicks in helps you up the slope.
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spencer Brown 11:49AM (8/15/2008)
Looks like it weighs A LOT! I wouldn't want to pedal it up a hill.
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emilevv 2:01PM (8/15/2008)
I Agree! From an engineering standpoint they missed a very important design requirement: IE. Pedal power and heavy weight do not agree!!
R? 11:57AM (8/15/2008)
A one wheel drive "scaled-down monster truck" ?
lol
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john riley 12:19PM (8/15/2008)
If it is going to Burning Man, maybe there is an art component to follow. As at the kinetic sculpture races (these go on land and water).
http://store.trekbikes.com/jump.jsp?itemID=1457&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C15%2C445%2C447&iProductID=1457&bShopOnline=1
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Gerald 1:06AM (8/16/2008)
I remember we had one of these when I was kid. Only it was pulled by horses.
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