The design
The design is largely based on Ohio BMV laws governing bicycles. The basic non-powered design meets all the requirements for a bicycle used on a roadway. The powered version will meet both Federal and Ohio State laws for a bicycle with an electrical power assist. These laws limit the speed to 20 mph on a flat, 750 watts, and use on roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or less. The Bricycle will have an LED headlight, tail lights and stop light, turn signals front and rear and a horn of some kind.
When this project started, gasoline in the US was less that $3.00 a gallon. Now with prices rising to over $4.00 a gallon in some parts of the country, the idea of alternatives to the conventional automobile are starting to catch on. Consider our design to be a solution. The batteries we plan to use are fairly inexpensive and can easily be recharged from any standard outlet in a few hours. There are health benefits through peddling if desired and far less impact on the environment in terms of manufacture and operation, on roads, bridges and landfills. We have no way of checking, but an auto manufacturer probably discards more material in the production process of one unit than we used to build my prototype.
Prototype Rendering
The Man behind the Plans
Brian Sauer has 36 years of manufacturing experience with the past 22 years in the Biomedical field. He has an extensive background in mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems and has worked on projects for NASA. Brian has AUTOCAD and Solid Works experience and a strong background in machining, welding, and fabrication.
