Independent pedaling system for tandem bicycles

An independent pedaling tandem bicycle comprising:

• (a) a frame defining a captain position with a captain bottom bracket for a captain and a stoker position with a stoker bottom bracket for a stoker;
• (b) a front wheel;
• (c) a back wheel having a rear hub;
• (d) a stoker crank assembly attached to the stoker bottom bracket for pedaling by the stoker;
• (e) a first chain directly coupling the stoker crank assembly with the rear hub of the tandem bicycle;
• (f) a captain crank assembly attached to the captain bottom bracket for pedaling by the captain;
• and
• (g) a second chain directly coupling the captain crank assembly with the stoker crank assembly, wherein one of the stoker crank assembly or the captain crank assembly incorporates a freewheel assembly so that the other of the stoker crank assembly or the captain crank assembly may be continued to be pedaled in a forward direction by the stoker or the captain when the one of the stoker crank assembly or the captain crank assembly having the freewheel assembly is not pedaled in a forward direction by the stoker or the captain, wherein the captain crank assembly comprises:
• (i) a first adapter plate;
• (ii) a second adapter plate coupled to the first adapter plate and securing the freewheel assembly therebetween;
• (iii) a first chainring coupled to the first adapter plate and receiving the second chain;
• and
• (iv) a crank arm coupled to the freewheel assembly so that rotation of the crank arm in the forward direction causes the freewheel assembly to engage and turn the first chainring in the forward direction, and rotation of the crank arm in a backward direction causes the freewheel assembly to disengage and allow the first chainring to rotate independently of the rotation of the crank arm.

A tandem bicycle, comprising

• (a) a frame having a captain pedaling station and a stoker pedaling station;
• (b) a bottom bracket at one of the pedaling stations;
• (c) a crank arm at the one of the pedaling stations;
• and
• (d) a chainring assembly for attachment to the bottom bracket and to the crank arm, the chainring assembly comprising:
• (i) a unidirectional bearing adapted for coupling to the crank arm and the bottom bracket;
• (ii) a first adapter plate;
• (iii) a chainring mounted to said first adapter plate;
• and
• (iv) a second adapter plate coupled to the first adapter plate and securably holding the unidirectional bearing therebetween so that the attached chainring is rotated in a forward direction if the crank arm is turned in a forward direction, and the attached chainring freewheels if the crank arm is stopped or turned in a backward direction.

A bicycle comprising:

• (a) a frame defining a position for a rider and provided with a pedal assembly, a front wheel, and a back wheel having a rear hub;
• (b) a bottom bracket attached to the bicycle frame;
• (c) a unidirectional bearing coupled to the bottom bracket, wherein the unidirectional bearing comprises a freewheel assembly comprising:
• (i) an annular outer sleeve carrying a plurality of radially projecting teeth and defining a plurality of notches between the plurality of teeth;
• (ii) an annular adapter plate;
• and
• (iii) means for fixing the teeth of the annular outer sleeve to the annular adapter plate;
• (d) a chainring coupled to the freewheel assembly;
• (e) a chain linking the chain ring with the rear hub of the bicycle;
• and
• (f) a pair of crank arms coupled to the unidirectional bearing so that the rotation of the pair of crank arms in a forward direction causes a corresponding forward rotation of the chainring, and non-rotation or backward rotation of the pair of crank arms allows the chainring to freewheel.