The Bike That Fought Back
The idea: a ratchet turns one way and catches the other; gears trade speed for force.
Read it
Who is in this book
-
Beto a child of the Green Takes things apart -
Ratchet A ratchet lets a wheel turn one way and catches it the other way from MachineForge -
Lan a child of the Green Goes first; makes a friend in a minute -
Pinion Meshing gears trade speed for force; count the teeth to know how many turns from MachineForge
Every recurring character has a short tune, so you can tell who is on stage before a word is said. The tunes play only when you tap, and the Reading Access sound switch turns them off.
The Honest Page
Which parts of this story are true, stretched or made up?
True
- Most bikes have a freewheel: a ratchet in the back hub that lets the wheel turn on while the pedals stay still. The clicking you hear when you coast is its catches. Source
- On a fixed-gear bike there is no freewheel, so the pedals turn whenever the wheel turns. Source
- With 42 teeth at the front and 14 at the back, one pedal turn turns the back wheel three times; on a 28-tooth cog it turns one and a half times.
Stretched
- A few drops of oil unstick the catches. What we simplified: Sometimes the catches need the hub opened and cleaned properly, which is a grown-up job with the right tools.
Made up
- The Mend Shed, Mrs Patel and her blue bike are made up. Ratchet and Pinion come from MachineForge.
Tell it back
Tell the story in your own words: who was there, what went wrong, and what they found out. Then a brass bell from the bike, for the shed's shelf of fixed things goes on your belt.
On your belt: a brass bell from the bike, for the shed's shelf of fixed things.
Your belt lives on this device. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Ring the hammer for someone
Pick this book for someone younger. The link carries only the book, and it will wait for them on the Green.