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Can Pedal-Powered Farming Reduce Costs & Help The Farmer? The Culticycle Might Do It

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Culticycle

The Culticycle is a novel idea over at Farm Hack, a website dedicated to the small entrepreneurs looking at innovation in farming. While just a proof of concept in these pictures and videos, the idea is a pedal powered tractor that can do what many small tractors do well, but without consuming fuel. It can do most low-horsepower tasks such as cultivating, spraying, seeding, or moving small bits of gear around.

This prototype was built from a variety of parts, that consist of:

  • The front ends of 2 bikes welded together at 42” on center;
  • A lawn tractor differential mounted in a unistrut rectangle for a rear end , with 3/4″ round axles and 20” ATV tires;
  • A bike frame welded above the rear end with motorcycle sprocket and chain driving the differential (a spring-loaded idler tensions the chain);
  • A belly mount lift to hold cultivators, seeders, etc.;
  • A bike handlebar, separate from the bike frame and joined to the front end, steering the front wheels.

It is actually pretty cool to watch the video and see the solutions to common cycling problems (chain tension), and the ways they came up with to solve them, without knowing about the traditional bicycle methods.

The prototypes are built from rebar, unistrut, landscape rake tines, and parts from bikes, an ATV, and a lawn tractor. They wanted to show that human pedal power can do some jobs of small tractors. It would take more time and physical effort, but be less costly, better on the environment, and better on the health of the farmer. They say this one was built for testing, and they are working on bringing an affordable product to market. Click past the jump to see the video explanation of the machine, and a few shots of it at work…


farmhack.net/tools/culticycle

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Ilikeicedtea
Ilikeicedtea
9 years ago

Cool idea with horrific cycling ergonomics.

RicoL
RicoL
9 years ago

You could hook a traction animal to that thing and generate one horsepower.

Old McDonald
Old McDonald
9 years ago

How do I say this kindly?

This is the worst, most ill-conceived, poorly designed, horribly executed, stupid devise I have EVER seen. If the goal of these fools is to lower farm productivity to pre-medieval levels & starve half the human race they are on to something. Mankind 1000s of years ago domesticated beasts of burden & developed machines to make farming more productive & improve the lot of farmers…these misanthropes think the ancient Romans had the best system.

Their engineering blundering is only surpassed by their videography ineptitude. Never have I seen such a demonstration of incompetence in so many fields in one place. Have they no shame?

b
b
9 years ago

@Ilikeicedtea

For real. He’s not aero at all with those bars flipped upside down. At least they got the saddle angle right!

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
9 years ago

I think this works about a quarter as well as just a hand pushed model but I guess its twice as fast. So if my estimates are right, at best, you’ll get a killer workout if you get off that thing without killing yourself.

Farmer Geddon
Farmer Geddon
9 years ago

This must be the first “bicycle” I’ve ever seen that truly is laterally stiff but vertically compliant. A bit too vertically compliant – they need an oversized carbon fibre model.

AbelF
AbelF
9 years ago

so the pedals are…. behind the seat?

Reek Hovac
Reek Hovac
9 years ago

I bet it really plows in the turns.

Ace
Ace
9 years ago

As soon as I seen this absurdity I knew someone would have a comment that would be great.Thank you Old McDonald! You didn’t let me down, you had me laughing so hard I could barely type.

Will
Will
9 years ago

“What I need is a tractor that makes me work harder and slower”… said no farmer ever. Seriously, my brother was a pro rider who now farms, and there’s no way you could convince even him that this is a good idea.

V
V
9 years ago

Why does he keep pointing at things?

phella
phella
9 years ago

At the very least such a contraption should have multiple seats so you can have a chat while you plow.

For those of you that disagree, is it with the concept, or the execution?

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