anyone seen this? human electric trike thesis?

I don't doubt it! Still, I have ridden a heavy bent and had no difficulty with hills. I rode it up Windemere frequently without issue and I am 57! It is all in the gearing. Provide a low enough gear and the hills go away. Well, it will be slower on the hills, but they can still be managed. Anyway, there are no real hills 'round here. I used to live (and cycle) in hamilton. There you have hills!

My sense is that this bike is mainly a project for school. if there was ever a market for it is another thing entirely. I was impressed by the machining on the components, but I thought the whole thing was a tad complicated. The over-engineering issue would lead to a higher expectation of a breakdown coupled with obscure and hard to (or impossible to) find replacement parts.

The center of gravity being as high as it is will make the bike more prone to tipping when turning. The weight would have to be a concern as, I would expect, the bike would be pedaled most of the time, the motor being an "assist." I don't know what sort of batteries he is using, but if they are lead-acid, they will be very heavy. Gel-cels would be lighter, but still heavy. I am not certain if gel-cels have sufficient capaciity to be of use in this application.

I have no experience riding trikes, but any I have seen have been lower (less air resistance lower to the ground) and much less complex. Even so, the cost can exceed $3000.00 for a decent trike. I dispair to think of what this one would cost if it actually were to come to market.

Sorry, I have sold the Bianchi.

Cheers

Charles 

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