FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a wheeled vehicle, and more particularly to a scooter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Scooters have been in existence for a long time, but have been designed and engineered largely for use by children on paved or smooth, relatively flat surfaces. The word "scooter" usually describes a two or three wheeled vehicle having a steerable front wheel and a platform extending between the front and rear wheels on which one or both feet of the rider may be placed as the device is ridden. Scooters are commonly propelled by the rider pushing with one foot. Although there have been many variations in structure during the evolution of the scooter, most prior scooters have had wheels of small diameter and width, and little or nothing in the way of braking and suspension systems. A fundamental object of such scooter structures is effective low speed travel on paved or smooth, relatively flat surfaces.

People have been trying to provide a safe, economical, effective, and exhilarating device for descending hills and mountains, such as ski runs, when they are not covered by snow. This problem has become increasingly pressing as ski resort operators have come to appreciate the potential revenues that would result from the development of a summer surrogate for skiing. One approach to solving this problem has involved the development of the so-called "mountain bike." The structure of mountain bikes attempts to solve the problem of providing a wheeled vehicle capable of negotiating rough "off road" terrain, including downhill slopes, with sufficient speed, safety, and finesse to have recreational appeal. Although such mountain bicycles are much better than normal bicycles for descending rough terrain, they still cannot travel safely over terrain as rough as much of that found on many hills and ski slopes. Their design tends to put the rider in a precariously high

and precariously fer forward position when riding down relatively steep hills. Their frame structure restricts the rider's freedom of position and motion. Their bicycle chain can catch on tall grass and twigs. The relative difficulty of dismounting from a bicycle means that if a mountain bike falls over, its rider is likely to fell with it. For these and other reasons it would be desirable to have a vehicle which is better than mountain bikes for descending rough or steep terrain, such as that found on many ski slopes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved vehicle for descending rough terrain.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved scooter structure for descending rough terrain, such as might be found on the sides of hills, mountains, and snowless ski slopes, with sufficient speed, stability, safety, and finesse to have recreational appeal.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved scooter structure for descending rough terrain wherein the scooter structure is of lightweight but durable construction.

According to the present invention a scooter is provided which includes a front wheel supporting member, such as a fork; a front wheel assembly rotably mounted on the front wheel supporting member; a steering shaft extending from the front wheel supporting member; a steering pivot in which the steering shaft is pivotally mounted; a rear wheel supporting member, such as a fork; a rear wheel assembly rotably mounted on the rear wheel supporting member; a platform having a surface for supporting a user's foot; and structural members supporting the platform from the steering pivot and the rear wheel supporting member. Preferably both the front and rear wheel assemblies include pneumatic tires that are greater than 5 inches in width, greater than 14 inches in outside diameter, and have more than four inches between their inside and outside diameters.

Preferably the scooter includes a brake, such as a powerful, lockable disk, drum, or band brake on at least the rear wheel assembly.

It is also preferred that the steering shaft extends through the steering pivot at an angle which is at least twenty degrees off vertical when the scooter is standing upright on a horizontal surface to give the scooter greater steerability when going down hills, and that a suspension system be mounted between the steering pivot and the location on the front wheel supporting member where the front wheel assembly is rotably mounted. To further increase comfort and control, or as an alternative front suspension system, the handlebars can be mounted on a shock absorber.

In preferred embodiments a majority of the weight of the scooter, excluding its tires, is comprised of lightweight materials. In some embodiments the scooter's body is formed of a monocoque body, such as one formed of molded lightweight material. Such lightweight construction makes the scooter easier to handle and transport and safer to use. To further increase safety, some embodiments place padding on some of the surfaces which face a rider.

To increase the stability of the scooter, it is preferred that the platform which supports a rider's feet be at or below the level of the front and rear axles. To increase the ability of the scooter to traverse rough terrain, it is preferred that the bottom of the platform be at least at least four inches off the ground.

To help prevent the rider from being spattered with mud and dirt, fenders can be placed over the wheels, and to enable the rider to rest during certain portions of his or her ride, a seat, preferably a low one, can be placed over the rear wheel. It is also preferred that the scooter have handlebars, the height of which can be adjusted, preferably by hand, for different height riders and different type slopes.

Preferably the scooter is relatively large, having a wheel base of at least forty-two inches, since it is intended for adult use, although smaller versions can be made for children.

At first blush the idea of making a gravity driven scooter for adults may sound silly. Many of us think, rightly or wrongly, of scooters as a relatively useless toys for young children who haven't learned how to ride a bicycle. To those of us experienced at riding bicycles, it would seem that a bicycle provides much more control than a scooter, and would be the preferred vehicle for descending steep hills and mountains. Despite the world's tremendous preference for bicycles over scooters, the scooter of the present invention has many advantages when used for descending hills and mountains, and particularly ski slopes.

Its large, fat pneumatic tires not only absorb shock, but also help the scooter roll safely and effectively over terrain which is covered by rocks, bumps, loose gravel, dirt, sand, patches of snow, and grasses, such as the terrain commonly found on ski slopes. The large height of the scooter's wheels allows it to have a platform which is lower than its axles, giving it relatively good stability, while at the same time giving it enough clearance to go over rough terrain.

The feet that the scooter's rider stands on a relatively low platform — rather than sitting on a relatively high seat, straddling a metal frame, with feet on peddles — means the rider has much more freedom of movement. It gives the rider much more freedom to keep his center of balance low and back, decreasing the chance that the scooter or its rider will fall forward when hitting a large bump. It makes it easy for the user to absorb the bumps by bending at the knee, as in skiing, rather than receiving them through a seat. It makes it much easier for the rider to lean his weight from side to side in turning, and to use his or her feet as an outrigger to stay upright in sliding turns. It also makes it very easy for the user to quickly jump off the scooter when it is about to fall or hit something.

The device for descending hills and mountains disclosed in this application is a scooter, rather than a motor powered vehicle, such as a motor cycle, motor scooter, or all-terrain vehicle. This makes it lighter, easier to handle and control, and more safe. It also makes it less polluting, less noisy, and more aesthetically pleasing. Since the major intended use of the scooter is on ski slopes,

motorized power is not necessary because the scooter and rider can be taken to the top of a ski slope by a chair lift or gondola.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects of the present invention will become more evident upon reading the following description of the preferred embodiment in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a slightly elevated side perspective view of a scooter forming one embodiment of the present invention, taken from the scooter's left hand side;

FIG. 2 is a slightly elevated side perspective view of the scooter shown in FIG. 1, taken from the scooter's right hand side;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the scooter shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is side close up of the front wheel, steering fork, lower steering shaft, the steering tube and the front suspension of the scooter shown in FIG. 1, with the covering of that suspension removed so its spring can be seen;

FIG. 5 is a side view of another embodiment of the invention having a molded, monocoque body and fenders, including a rear fender which functions as a seat;

FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of the upper steering shaft and its connection to the handlebar in another embodiment of the invention which includes a handlebar suspension;

FIG. 7 is a slightly elevated side view of the scooter shown in FIG. 1 with the addition of padding to help protect a rider in case of falls;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the handlebar, its connection to the steering shaft, and the upper portion of the steering shaft, showing the padding illustrated in FIG. 7 from another angle;

FIG. 9 is a side close up view of the rear fork and rear wheel assembly in an alternate embodiment of the invention which uses a drum brake on its rear wheel instead of a disk brake, as did the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a side close up view of the rear fork and rear wheel assembly in an alternate embodiment of the invention which uses a band brake on its rear wheel instead of a disk brake, as did the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 11 is a rear view of the steering shaft in an alternate embodiment of the invention showing a hand-operable mechanism for allowing the rider to adjust the height of the top of the steering shaft, upon which the handlebar is mounted;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the hand-operable mechanism shown in FIG. 11, taken along the lines 12-12 shown in FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, a scooter 30 which forms one preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. Its front and rear tires 32 and 34, respectively, are lightweight pneumatic tubeless tires with a knobby tread, with an outside diameter of twenty inches, a sidewall width of six inches, and an inside, or bead, diameter of eight inches. Other embodiments of the invention preferably use lightweight tires, with outside diameters greater than fourteen inches, sidewall width greater than five inches, and a difference between the outside diameter and inside diameter being at least four inches. In some embodiments the rear tire will have a relatively smooth

tread, so that when the rear tire is slid around in a sliding turn, it will dig up the terrain less. In such embodiments, the rear tire may have larger tread on its upper side edges, so that the scooter will have reasonable traction in normal turns, when the scooter is tilted to one side but the rear tire is not purposely slid to one side.

In most embodiments it is preferred that the pressure in the tires should be low enough to maximize the tires' shock absorbing capabilities. For example, in the scooter 30 the air pressure in the tires is typically low enough that the centers of the front and rear axles 44 and 46 are approximately nine and a half inches off the ground, rather than approximately ten inches, as they would be if the twenty inch tires 32 and 34 were fully inflated.

The front and rear wheel rims 36 and 38, respectively, of scooter 30 are eight inches in diameter and six inches in width, and are made of spun aluminum. Other embodiments of the invention can use other lightweight rims, such as ones made of other types of aluminum, of titanium, or of a metal or carbon fiber matrix composite, with dimensions to accommodate the particular tires with which they are used.

The front and rear hubs 40 and 42, respectively, of the scooter are made of cast aluminum, with standard bearings. Other embodiments of the present invention use hubs made of other lightweight metals or of a metal or carbon fiber matrix composite. The front and rear axles 44 and 46, respectively, are made of steel or aluminum. In other embodiments the rim and hub could be made as one unit.

The front wheel assembly formed of the tire 32, rim 36, and hub 40 is rotably mounted on the front axle 44 between bifurcated and substantially parallel legs 48 of a front, fork-shaped, wheel supporting member. A steering shaft 50 is connected to the front wheel supporting member at the center of the horizontal connection 49 between its two parallel legs 48. The steering shaft extends upward in a direction roughly, but not quite, parallel to that of the parallel legs. The steering shaft is

pivotally mounted in a steering pivot, or tube 51. Standard sealed bearings are used at the top and bottom ends of the steering tube.

A front fork suspension system 52 is mounted on the steering shaft between the fork of the front wheel supporting member and the bearings below the steering tube 51. In most of the figures this suspension is shown with a rubber cover, which is used to keep out dirt. In FIG. 4 the suspension is shown with this rubber cover removed. This suspension includes a metal shaft 54 extending in the axial direction of the steering shaft. This shaft is fixedly connected to the lower part 56 of the steering shaft, which is connected to the horizontal connection 49 which forms the crown of the fork between the front legs 48. The shaft 54 is positioned to slide in and out of a hollow axial cylinder formed in the bottom of an upper portion 58 of the steering shaft. Although the shaft 54 can slide in and out relative to the upper portion 58 of the steering shaft, it cannot rotate relative to it, due to a slot and groove construction. The slot and groove construction uses bearings to allow the in and out motion to take place without sticking. The slots and grooves insure that steering of the front wheel can be accurately controlled by the rotation of the upper portion of the steering shaft 50. A stiff compression spring 60 and two elastomer shock pads 62 placed at each end of the compression spring 60 function to absorb shock between the front wheel and the upper portion of the steering shaft which is mounted in the steering tube.

Numerous front fork suspension systems have been designed for use on mountain bikes. Most of these could be adapted for use on the present invention. In some such systems, not only are springs and/or elastomeric materials used to absorb shock, but also damping devices, such as pneumatic or hydraulic pistons are used to dampen the bounce caused by such shocks. Such damping devices have not been used in the suspension of scooter 30 to save cost, but in other more expensive embodiments they might be desirable. In yet other embodiment of the invention, a suspension system could be mounted in each of the two legs 48 of the front fork member, rather than on the steering shaft, as is shown in the figures.

The top of the steering shaft 50 contains a telescoping section 64 which is collinear with the portion 66 of the steering shaft 50 that extends up above the steering tube 51. The telescoping section 64 can be slid in and out of the portion 66 when the adjustment collar 68 is loosened, but is firmly locked relative to the portion 66 when the collar is tightened. This allows the handlebar 70 to be adjusted for riders of different height. A metal handlebar connector 72 connects the handlebar to the top of the steering shaft, while spacing it approximately six inches in front of, and slightly above, the top of the steering shaft. In other embodiments handlebar can be mounted at other positions relative to the steering shaft.

The steering shaft 50 is slanted back at an angle of approximately thirty degrees from vertical. The forked legs 48 of the front wheel supporting member are slanted back approximately two degrees more, forming a slight angle relative to the tilted steering shaft. Because of this angle between the forked legs and the steering shaft, when the steering shaft is rotated, the angle of the fork legs 48 relative to the ground changes. When the front wheel is pointed straight ahead, the forked legs 48 point as fer forward as possible relative to the steering shaft, and, thus, they are in their most horizontal position. This allows everything which places weight upon them and the steering shaft to be as low as possible. When the front wheel is turned away from straight ahead, the forked legs point more downward from the steering shaft, and, thus, become slightly more vertical, raising up everything which places weight upon them. Thus, the force of gravity tends to cause the front wheel to be self-righting, that is, to tend to point straight ahead.

The combination of a slanted steering shaft and a front fork which places the axle of the front wheel at an angle relative to the axis of that shaft has been used to achieve a self-righting front wheel in scooters before. But slanting the steering shaft of a scooter by approximately thirty degrees is unusual. It is done in the scooter 30 because, unlike traditional scooters, it is designed to travel down relatively steep, bumpy bills at substantial speeds. Increasing the tilt of the steering shaft increases the change in vertical height which results from turning the front fork away from straight ahead, thus increasing the self righting tendency. This is important on rough terrain, because on such terrain there are many bumps which tend to turn the wheel, and, thus, is it important to increase

the self-righting force on that wheel to help overcome such tendencies. In other embodiments of the invention slightly greater or slightly lesser angles of slant for the steering shaft can be used, but it is recommended that the slant range being between twenty to forty degrees off vertical.

In the scooter 30, the top ends of three lightweight tubular frame members 74, 76, and 78 are attached to the rear of the steering tube. The bottom ends of these tubes are spaced diagonally downward from their upper ends, such that the bottom ends lie in a generally horizontal plane below the level of the axles of the front and rear wheels. The top ends of the upper two of these three downward slanting tubes, tubes 74 and 76, are attached near a single point close to the top of the steering tube 51. The lower portions of these upper two tubes 74 and 76 diverge from one another at equal angles relative to the longitudinal axis of the scooter, such that their bottom ends are spaced apart by approximately the width of the axle of the rear wheel and are equidistant from the bottom of the steering tube. The top end of the lower of the three downward slanting tubes, tube 78, is attached near the bottom of the steering tube. The bottom end of tube 78 is spaced forward of, and equidistant between, the bottom ends of tubes 74 and 76.

The top two downward slanting tubes 74 and 76 are angled down approximately one hundred and seven degrees from the slanting axes of the steering tube and shaft. Since the axes of the steering tube and shaft are angled down approximately thirty degrees from vertical, the downward slanting tubes 74 and 76 are at a total angle of approximately one hundred and thirty- seven degrees to vertical. The lower downward slanting tube 78 is angled down approximately one hundred and nine degrees from the steering tube, or approximately one hundred and thirty-nine degrees off vertical. In other embodiments, the portion of the scooter's frame that descends down from the steering tube could descend at other angles.

The scooter 30 has a lightweight tubular bottom frame having two substantially horizontal, parallel side tubes 80 and 82 spaced apart by approximately the width of the rear axle 46. The forward end of each of the side tubes 80 and 82 is attached to the lower end of that one of the top two downward slanting tubes 74 and 76 which extends to its side of the scooter. The forward end of

each side tube is also attached to the rear end of one of two horizontal diagonal tubes 84 and 86, which form the front of the substantially horizontal bottom frame formed by the front diagonal tubes 84 and 86 and the side tubes 80 and 82. The front ends of the two front diagonal tubes 84 and 86 are joined together at the bottom end of the lower downward slanting tube 78.

The rear ends of the two roughly parallel side tubes 80 and 82 of the bottom frame act as a forked wheel supporting member for the rear wheel assembly. The rear wheel assembly has generally the same dimensions and qualities as the front wheel assembly. The rear wheel is rotably mounted on the rear axle 46, which in turn is mounted between two rectangular metal tabs 90 that extend up from near the rear ends of the two side tubes 80 and 82.

In some embodiments of the invention, the upper two downward slanting tubes 74 and 76 could be extended and bent to form the two side tubes 80 and 82. In some alternate embodiments, the rear fork assembly may include a suspension system, although a rear suspension system is not as important as a front one. In other embodiments the side tubes 80 and 82, or extensions from them, could be made of strong flexible structures which provides vibration and shock absorption, but which resist twisting. Other methods used to provide rear suspensions in wheeled vehicles could be used in other embodiments of the invention.

A platform 92 is positioned between the substantially parallel, horizontal side tubes 80 and 82, at a level which is approximately at or below the level of the front and rear axles. In some embodiments this platform can be even lower to provide greater stability. The platform can be formed of wood, but it is preferred that it be formed of a lightweight material such as fiberglass and epoxy resin, or even lighter composite materials In the scooter 30 the platform is angled so that its front is slightly higher than it back. Without a rider on the scooter the clearance underneath the side tubes 80 and 82 at the front of the platform is about eight and one half inches off the ground and at the rear of the platform is about seven and three quarters inches off the ground. This slant helps make the platform easier to keep one's footing on when traveling down steep hills.. In some embodiments the platform 92, in addition to having a horizontal portion as shown, also has a tilted

portion which extends between the upper surfeces of the lower part the downward slanting tubes 74 and 76. This helps prevent the rider's feet from slipping forward off the platform when going down steep slopes.

The scooter 30 has a wheel base, that is a distance between its front and rear axles, of approximately 51 inches. It is preferred that the wheel base of adult versions of the scooters embodying the invention be at least 42 inches. This allows the scooter to have large radius wheels, a steeply slanted steering column, room for a rider to stand comfortably behind that steering column, and a high enough clearance to travel across rough terrain.

The scooter 30 has lightweight cable-actuated disk brake assemblies 96 and 98 mounted on the front and rear wheels, respectively. The actuating cables which work each of these brakes extend to a respective hand-grip brake lever 100 mounted on the handlebar 70. In other embodiments the brakes could be actuated by rods, electronic controls, or hydraulic actuation. The brake on the rear wheel is powerful enough to lock the rear tire when the scooter is being ridden downhill, by a rider of the normal size for which the scooter has been designed, over most natural terrains at speeds of up to at least twenty miles per hour. By "most natural terrains" we mean most terrains found on the sides of mountains and hills, such as dirt, grass, snow, or gravel. We mean to exclude unusual surfeces, such as wet tar, which might make locking the rear wheels abnormally difficult. It is preferable, in feet, that the brake should be strong enough to lock the rear wheel at even higher speeds, since the scooter 30 can easily reach speeds in excess of thirty miles per hour when traveling downhill.

When the scooter is traveling downhill, locking the rear brake causes the rear wheel to break traction with the ground, making it easier to swing the rear of the scooter around in a sliding turn, much as one slides the back of snow skis around in a parallel turn. Locking the front wheel is generally less desirable than locking the rear wheel, and, thus, in some embodiments, the front wheel can either have a weaker brake, a non-locking brake, or no brake at all. In some alternate

embodiments other types of relatively strong brakes, such as the drum brake shown in FIG. 9, or the band brake shown in FIG. 10, are used.

The frame structure in the scooter 30 is made of tubular aluminum. In other embodiments such tubing could be made of any material of sufficient strength, including steel. Steel has the advantage of providing high durability and high weld strength and of being relatively inexpensive. Those for whom cost is of less concern will tend to prefer a body made of a lightweight material having a higher specific strength, that is, a higher strength to weight ratio, than steel, such as aluminum, titanium, and certain carbon fiber matrix composites. This is because the lighter the scooter, the more convenient, efficient, pleasant, and safe it will be to use.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the invention, a scooter 30A, which uses a lightweight monocoque frame structure 104 rather than the tubular aluminum structure shown in the earlier figures. In the portion of the scooter's body which has a monocoque construction there are no beams or tubes to bear the scooter's and the rider's weight and the forces generated in using the scooter. Instead the skin of the monocoque body itself bears such forces. Such monocoque structures can be fabricated of metal such as aluminum or titanium, as well as molded out of a fiber matrix composite material. Such monocoque bodies have the advantage of being very lightweight relative to the structural strength which they provide and they allow much greater design flexibility than tubular construction.

The scooter 30A also includes fenders 110 and 112 over the front and rear wheels, respectively. Such fenders have the disadvantage of addding the scooter's weight. They have the advantage of helping prevent mud, watet, dirt, and rocks from being thrown on the rider. The front fender 110 is mounted between the front fork legs 48 near the top of those legs. The rear fender 112 is part of the monocoque body 104. It is shaped to form a seat on which a rider of the scooter 30A can rest. In some embodiments the seat over the rear wheel can be substantially higher than that shown in FIG. 5. But in the preferred embodiments the seat is relatively low and out of the way, as is shown in FIG. 5, so it does not prevent the rider from instantly jumping on and off the scooter,

and so that it does not prevent him or her from leaning back, leaning from side to side, or squatting while riding.

FIG. 6 is a partial view of an alternate embodiment of the invention in which the handlebar 70 is mounted on a shock absorbing suspension 114. The suspension includes a block 116 which is bolted to the top of the upper, telescoping portion 64 of steering shaft. A handlebar-carrying lever 118, in which the handlebar 70 is mounted, swings up and down about a pivot 120. A shaft 121 also swings up and down in a generally parallel fashion about a lower pivot 122. This shaft pushes against a compression spring 124 and is connected to a hydraulic piston 126. The compression of the spring 121 pushing against the shaft 121 tends to hold the handlebar-carrying lever at the normal, desired height. When shocks suddenly push the steering shaft up, the give in the spring 124 lets the handlebar held by a rider swing down relative to the steering shaft, absorbing some of the shock. The hydraulic piston dampens the vibration of the handlebar-carrying lever to prevent undesirable oscillation. A more detailed description of a handlebar suspension similar to that in FIG. 6 can be found in U.S. Patent No. 5,186,074, issued to John R. Arnold on February 16, 1993, entitled "Bicycle Handlebar Shock Absorber" which is incorporated herein by reference. In other embodiments of the invention other types of handlebar suspension systems could be used.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate another embodiment of the invention in which protective padding is placed on some of the surfeces which faces a rider who stands on the platform looking forward. In this embodiment, two side shafts 130 stick out horizontally from each side of the upper, telescoping section 64A of the steering shaft 50, just below its top where the handlebar connector 72 is attached to it. A cylindrical, high density foam pad 132, having an axial opening shaped to tightly fit around a side shaft 130, is placed over each such side shaft. A similar cylindrical, high density foam pad 134, having an axial opening shaped to fit tightly around the upper portion 64A of the steering shaft 50 is placed over the upper portion 64A before it is inserted into the rest of the steering shaft. Although not shown, it is preferred that a tight covering, made of a material such as plastic or nylon cloth, be wrapped around the foam pads to protect them from dirt and abrasion, and to keep them in place, particularly during impact against a rider's body. Such padding is desirable because,

although the rider can normally safely step or fell to one side when the scooter fells, in some accidents, particularly those on steep terrain when the front wheel hits a large object, the rider may be thrown forward toward the steering shaft. It should be understood that in other embodiments of the invention, other types of, shapes of, and locations for padding can be used.

In FIG 8, handle grips 138 are shown on the handlebar 70. It should be clear to those skilled in the art that such handle grips could be used on any embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show a hand-operable mechanism 160 used on some embodiments of the invention to allow the rider to quickly and easily adjust the height of the handlebar. This is important because it is important to have the handlebars at the right height for each person who is riding the scooter.

The mechanism 160 allows the user to unfix the top, telescoping section 64B of the steering shaft from the lower portion of that shaft 66B in which it is slidably mounted, so the handlebar which is mounted on the telescoping section 64B can be raised or lowered. The mechanism 160 comprises a metal band 162 which can be tightened around the lower portion 66B by means of screws 164, the lower one of which is shown in FIG. 12. The band has a hand-release lever 166 mounted on it which has a protrusion 168 sticking out of its inward pointing surface. This protrusion is designed to fit through a correspondingly sized hole 170 in the lower part of the shaft 66B, and into one of a vertical series of correspondingly sized holes 172 placed along one side of the telescoping section 64B. A spring 174 biases the hand-release lever inwardly against the steering shaft to insure that the protrusion 168 remains firmly in place inside the holes 170 and 172 unless the lever 166 is purposely pulled away from the steering shaft.

When the hand-release lever is pulled away from the steering shaft, such as to the position 174 shown in dotted lines in FIG. 12, the protrusion 168 is pulled away from the holes 172 in the side of the telescoping section 64B, allowing that section to be slid in or out of the lower section 66B, so as to adjust the height of the handlebar. Once the handlebar is at the right height for the

user, the user can push the hand-release lever back against the steering shaft so the protrusion 168 will stick into a hole 172 and fix the telescoping section 64B at the current height.

Preferably the telescoping section 64B is mounted in the lower portion 66B of the steering shaft with a slot and groove construction using bearings to allow the telescoping section to slide without sticking and without the holes 172 getting out of alignment with the hole 170 in the shaft 66B.

It should be understood that the forgoing descriptions and drawings are given merely to explain and illustrate the invention and that the invention is not to be limited thereto, except in so fer as the interpretation of the appended claims are so limited. Those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments illustrated and described, and the true scope and spirit of the invention are to be determined by reference to the following claims.