Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Pedal-Powered, Precession, One Man Merry-Go-Round

 conversion kit to assemble a hovering bicycle round-about
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About all you need are strong legs and lungs and a bicycle with high gears. Remove the rear wheel and mount the kit’s flywheel of the same size. The flywheel is geared to turn backwards causing forward precession of the gyroscope-bike.

Lock the outrigger-type support bars to the right side of the bicycle frame. The support bars meet at a socket that can be rested on the top of a post driven into the ground or suspended from a rope hanging from a strong limb.

Attach the extra long kick stand and lift the bike up onto it. The wheels are now a foot over the ground and the support arms are level. Mount the bike and pedal it as fast as you can in the highest gear then kick away the stand. You and the bicycle, like a gyroscope on its side, now seemingly float while orbiting clockwise around the end of the post or rope. Extra excitement results from precessing on a swinging rope.

—FarmerJohn, Oct 04 2004

Gyroscope Math Page http://www.gyroscopes.org/math.asp
[FarmerJohn, Oct 04 2004]

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       ummm...yes Steve and david, stop pedaling, apply the brakes, and the merry-cycle-round angles downward until the backward-spinning flywheel contacts the ground, causing an abrupt halt (or even change of direction).
—FarmerJohn, Oct 04 2004
   

       You know how a spinning top goes mental if the flywheel touches anything? <mental vision of [fj] rocketing uncontrollably across room>
—david_scothern, Oct 04 2004
   

       This is good. I have been considering posting an idea that halfbakers should all contribute towards paying a full-time mechanic to build ideas like this one.   

       I notice with a sinking heart that the public:fairground rides section is much smaller than it once was.
—wagster, Oct 04 2004
   

       I meant suspended by a rope *or* supported on a pole, but I get your drift.
—FarmerJohn, Oct 05 2004
   


 

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