You don't need a big engine ...

... to be impressively loud on the road.

I was outside the front of the house just now, when I heard a strange
noise, the source of which appeared to be slowly approaching. Looking
up the road all I could see was a pushbike wobbling down the hill
towards me, ridden by a big bloke in a big flouro jacket ... and a
visored helmet. Aha!

Squeaking and rattling he got close enough to identify as one of the
MoT testers from Flitwick motorcycles, obviously not hugely enjoying
clattering down the road in this morning's persistent heavy drizzle,
riding what appeared to be a vintage sit up and beg pushbike.
Embarrassed doesn't really describe his whole body language, as last
time I saw somebody hunched over that far they were bending into the
teeth of a blizzard.

The bicycle didn't warrant the popping and banging going on, though.
As he slowed to allow a car to pass in the opposite direction, there
was a fusillade of what sounded like musket fire, borne out by the
sudden appearance of a cloud of drifting black powder smoke from his
right boot. As he passed me the source of the cacophony came into
view - a third wheel mounted to the right of the rear wheel, also
spoked but of smaller diameter, topped with a glossy black fuel tank
and what was obviously a small engine between tank and wheel.

He applied the rod-operated brakes with some gusto and even considered
dragging his feet as he slowed further to turn around in the splay of
the road opposite, then as he faced back up the hill, applied pedal
power with equal energy. As he picked up speed and came level with me
again (I was leaning on the front wall by then, grinning like a loon
at him) he applied motorised beanage and the little motor picked up
with deafening effect.

It must be a tiny single cylinder affair, exhausting straight to
atmosphere without benefit of silencing. The discrete popping merged
into an indiscreet banging as it picked up speed and pedal use became
superfluous - he probably made a heady 20mph up the hill away from me.

A strange sight and sound for a wet Tuesday morning though - a
three-wheeled powered bicycle which must have been in for MoT test and
I assume the only way to check the brakes (apparently vestigial) was
to take the rattletrap down the road.

As it progressed into the distance, I could see the engine-driven
wheel moving independently of its chain-driven brother and only then
noticed the tiny red rear light and depending from that an equally
tiny black numberplate, bearing the mark in white "SV 4801". Cut-down
plate, eh? That must be from the days when you had to have a
gentleman in a top hat, carrying a red flag preceding you along the
Queen's Highway.

 

Cyclemaster?
My dad passed his test with one of those!
<fxroud>

Chris D

 

Might be a picture here:

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pattle/nacc/gallery/galindex.html

 

TFthat, Pete. I went through them all (TFfor the 'back' mouse button)
and the only one that resembles it is this one, the Wall:

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pattle/nacc/gallery/pw01.html

The only type in that page full of autocycles with a separate, driven
third wheel.

 

Seems to fit the description reasonably well. Or perhaps it was a
'Emett' type home brew special?

Anyway, three cheeers to Andrew Pattle for gathering such a wonderful
array of photos together. I thought the MR Kok might be a UKRM
favourite.