Hand-Pedaled Trike - His Wheels International

This is the Day with Nancy Turner, July 2, 2013

By AT | July 8, 2013 - 7:41 pm | audio

Alice joined Nancy Turner on Moody Radio’s This is the Day program with Nancy Turner. Alice shared the new direction of His Wheels International.

Spring Arbor University & HWI Brainstorm Session

By AT | June 28, 2013 - 11:22 pm | events, journal, partnership

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On Monday June 24th Kevin and Alice left home at 5AM and drove 4 hours to Spring Arbor University (SAU). There we met with old and new friends. One of the old friends was Carla, Alice coast-to-coast cycling leader from 1977. It only took us 2 hours for 5 of us to travel the world through our brainstorming efforts. Pray with us as we watch our university trike consortium grow. (more…)

Trike Stress Testing

By AT | June 28, 2013 - 10:06 pm | journal, partnership

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Today we did some potentially destructive testing on a DOTT trike frame. (Note that all of these tests were performed without the additional strength of a “Haiti Brace” installed. The Haiti brace is an extra support welded into the frame below the seat that helps to strengthen the trike frame. All current HWI trikes use this brace.)

These tests at HWI were done in parallel with the Solidworks computer stress analysis reports compiled by the students at Messiah College.

The intention was to provide us with a feel, both practically and theoretically for how strong the design was, and to help identify any weaknesses in the design. Unfortunately, we ran out of weight for the test as we approached 900 pounds. We really did not expect to get that far.

Our future tests will involve actually overloading the trike to see what parts do fail first.

As well as providing valuable theoretical analysis of the trike design, the students at Messiah College were able to identify the likelihood that most of our trike frame would still be strong enough even if we used a slightly smaller diameter of tubing. Thanks again to the students and staff at Messiah College for their work and suggestions.

: Stress Testing with 640 pounds

: StressDestructive Testing 760 pounds

: Stress Testing with 960 pounds

Burkina Faso

By AT | May 21, 2013 - 1:44 am | partnership

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John Meyer reviewing trike plans

In January 2013, we sent a His Wheels International trike kit via Messiah College’s Collaboration in Pennsylvania to a SIM Rehabilitation site in Mahadaga, Burkina Faso, Africa. While there for a January course, a couple of engineering students, along with some nationals, welded the trike together. John, Messiah’s engineering trip faculty advisor, said, “It was done on a questionably ‘flat’ concrete floor, with a square, tape measure, and the front fork trike template. We built it with good results.” (more…)