A 1988 Moving Bottom Bracket front Wheel drive

[hamishbarker]

I saw this picture in an old issue (volume 9 no. 2) of the journal of Human Power (IHPVA).Check out that front chainring!

I guess the front tube isn't telescoping. If it was, wouldn't that be prior art to the Cruzbike patents? In some ways I like the simple frame design. Not sure if there would be too much stress at the bottom of the head tube gusset, and I guess having a rigid tube up near the head support would have disadvantages whereas the silvio and vendetta brace the seat in the lumbar region, allowing some springing of the upper seat back to effectively isolate the head from the road a bit better.

 

[Doug Burton]

Patents expire after 15 years...

...and John's patents are distinguished by the adjustability feature.

Tom Traylor patented the MBB/FWD concept in 1992. Tom and Cruzbike are great friends, and he loves John's designs.

Could be that Mr. Stegman never filed a patent. Prior art has to be filed to affect subsequent patent applications.

 

[John Tolhurst]

Tom's was a design patent,

Tom's was a design patent, where prior art has to be of a like visual design, not of a like invention.

My patent is for a telescoping tube between handlebar and BB. Only once one appreciates true ergonomics of the whole body engaging the frame can the need for and invention of this solution emerge.

 

[hamishbarker]

the conversion kit's tft

the conversion kit's tft adjustability really is a great and key feature. i moved my seat back a bit today in order to shorten the tft and thereby raise the bottom bracket some more. the daily 46 km round trip commute is a pleasure even though my conversion is very heavy and has 1.75 inch tires. when they wear out, i'm looking forward to some thinner and higher pressure ones.

 

[Ivan]

It is really amazing how

It is really amazing how refined John's Cruzbikes designs are, seeing the iterative improvements in these past few years. The fact that what was recently an experiment is now in full production and winning RAAMs is incredible. I marvel at the thought behind my Silvio 2.0 as much as I marvel at my diminutive Brompton.