The earliest recorded pedal-powered quadricycle was exhibited 1853 at the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations World's Fair held in New York . This was about the same time that two-wheeled bicycles started to become popular. Quadricycles were one solution to the problem of low-speed stability in early cycles and were typically multi-seat models (as seen in the picture). Both tandem (in line, as depicted) and sociable (side-by-side) seating configurations were used.
Historically the most common layout placed the wheels at the corners of a rectangle. An alternative layout had its wheels at the angles of a rhombus (or, more generally, at the angles of a geometric kite). The rhombus layout proved less convenient, because such vehicles were less stable and left three tracks instead of two.
In the UK the term Quad bike refers to a motorbike style vehicle with four wheels that was straddled by the rider.
A resurgence of twentieth-century quadricycle use occurred in France where Charles Mochet introduced his Velocar pedal powered two-seat quadricycle in 1924. The various models of the Velocar featured wooden aerodynamic bodies and usually a three speed transmission. Production of final pedal-powered Mochet Velocar Model H ended in 1938, but Mochet went on to become a manufacturer of automobiles. The Velocar proved quite popular, especially during World War II when the French population was under German occupation and gasoline was virtually unavailable for civil use. Restored Mochet Velocars are still found in France.
During the 1970s and 1980s there was a resurgence of interest in quadricycles as personal transportation, driven by the 1973 oil crisis, environmental concerns about automobiles and the search for emission-free alternatives.
Modern quadricycles can be generally placed in five categories.
Quadricycles can often be found at tourist attractions where they are available to rent by the hour or day. Modern tourist quadricycles usually feature open seating for two or more riders in a sociable configuration. These vehicles are often designed to look like early 20th century automobiles with a bench seat, rack-and-pinion steering and canopy top. They are commonly called "surreys", due to their resemblance to horse-drawn wagons of similar appearance and the same name.
Examples of this type include:
Also like the rental surreys, pedal taxis are often constructed to resemble early 20th century cars and often feature awning coverings for sun protection.
Examples of this type include:
Touring quadricycles are constructed specifically for the personal ownership market and are built to be lighter and faster than rental surreys. Typically they seat one person or two people in side-by-side seating and feature independent pedaling and gear selection. They can have up to 192 gears, giving them remarkable hill-climbing capabilities. These touring quadricycles are used for long distance travel as well as local use; some are used for cycle-commuting to work.
Compared to touring or hybrid bicycles, touring quadricycles are more comfortable to ride, can navigate steeper hills more easily, deal with crosswinds better and can carry a much heavier load than a bicycle. Touring quadrcycles have disadvantages compared to bicycles including that they are heavier, require more storage space, typically have slower cruise speeds, are more complex to maintain and have a larger turning circle.
Examples of this type of vehicle include:
There are also plans available as well as some amateur-designed touring quadricycles made by combining two bicycles. These designs have had varying degrees of success. Examples of plans built quadricycles are:
An example of this type is:
Some quadricycles in this category have also been designed for military applications, such as light logistics transport.
Examples of this type of quadricycle include:
Lacking the mass and door locks of automobiles, quadricycles are often secured in the same manner as bicycles with "U" or "D" locks, chains or cables to convenient stout objects such as fence posts, signs or bike racks.
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