Crowd Funding For Crank Physics

BuzzSkyline writes "A new design for bicycle cranks violates basic principles of physics, but that's not stopping the inventor of Z-Torque cranks from trying to raise thousands in start-up capital through crowd funding." The picture looks intriguing for a fleeting moment before it looks silly. Covered in similar style at a site I'm glad to discover exists, the Bicycle Museum of Bad Ideas.

One's perception of reality...

[eksith]

...can quite comfortably fit outside it.

Re:Biomechanics

[Turminder Xuss]

A variable length crank that grew longer or sorter and avoided ground contact would be a wonderful way to over engineer a bicycle.

My W-Torque crank is twice as good

[Anonymous Coward]

Can I get twice the funding?

Easy enough to test first hand

[rusty0101]

It's called a 3d printer with PLA, and a technique called casting. Heck since one sode of this will be flat (ok, two sides,) you could probably do this with ABS plastic. Sure you need a software model, but you cnd probably frough one up fast enough in SketchUp, Blender, or even Corel Draw, simply knowing the requirements for mounting to the shaft and mounting pedals to it. And you'llprobalby have to tap the holes for securing each, but so long as your 3d Printer can handle the dimensions of a crank arm, you're golden.

Cast em out of aluminum, brush and laquor them, have fun with the custom cranks. Or if you're less concerned about weight, looks, durability, etc. cast em out of lead, gold, silver, platinum, use the abs print as a core for a carbon fiber build. Use the model to CNC them out of a block of stainless. Build a small mass driven generator into them and add LED's and an arduino to show of pretty lights, present a message as you're riding down the street, whatever.

You Say: "Crank Physics"

[Jeremiah Cornelius]

Automatically?

I think: "TIME CUBE"! [timecube.com]

Yeah

[pem]

I always slow way down when the guy up front is farting. Don't have to breathe as much of it that way.

Weebles wobble but they don't fall down

[tepples]

Just take a look at those infomercials that try to tell you that 1) for your entire life you've been wobbling around about to fall over

The solution to that is to become a Weeble, because Weebles wobble but they don't fall down.

needs more zags

[ffflala]

One measly zig? That's not going to efficiently couple my torque rotation constant. I want a crank with a minimum of five zigs and, for fuck's sake, a bare minimum of *three* zags... and that will be the "intro" model. The "pro" crank will come with seven zigs and five zags. The "custom" option will end the zigzags with a loop.

Throw in enough, and the bike will basically pedal itself. All I need to figure out now is how to perfect my shake weight handlebars. Still having problems with the braking on those things.