I found a few articles about the Baumvelo (tree bicycle) They can be "Parked" at a desired spot and the climber can then ascend via other means, or work their way along a lateral as needed. At $2500.00 US I'm actually thinking about it. I have no bucket truck, renting man lifts gets expensive, and you cant always get them into yards. I think as long as the tree is bare, or the Client wants the husks removed it would be worthwhile.
Here in Florida it's not too difficult to sell H/O's on cleaning the palms. Carpenter ants LOVE setting up shop in the dead husks.
One article:
The Swiss tree bicycle or ?Baumvelo? is a device for climbing tall straight trees which are branch-free to the live crown. It is lighter to transport than sectional ladders but heavier than climbing irons. It does no damage to the tree. It is suitable for use on stems with diameters ranging from 30 ? 80 cm (Yeatman and Nieman 1978). Olesen (1972) found it very useful for climbing pine trees in Mexico. In the UK it was found particularly useful for conifer species with large cones e.g. Pinus, Picea, Pseudotsuga, in which the collector seeds to move from branch to branch to pull off the cones, rather than remaining for long in the same part (Seal et al. 1965). Its use in that country is now, however, restricted mainly to research collections, since the increased area of mature plantations allows bulk seed collections to be made easily from felled trees and ladders are more convenient for seed orchard collections.
4.12
1. Stirrup
2. Foot support
3. Vamp strap
4. Instep strap
5. Strap tightener
6. Support
7. Rubber pad 4.12 Tree bicycle, tree gripper or baumvelo, showing parts. (H. Schneebeli & Co.) 8. Hinge head
9. Hinge pin
10. Coil Spring
11. Leaf Spring
12. Holding Device
13. Locking Lever
14. Steel Band
4.13
4.13 Tree bicycle in use, with safety harness, helmet and ropes. (British Forestry Commission)
The tree bicycle contains two separate units, one for each foot. Each unit consists of an arm (longer in the upper, shorter in the lower unit) to which is fixed a rubber supporting block which rests against the trunk. The lower end of the arm carries a stirrup or pedal with strap and quick release clips, which holds the climber's foot. The upper end is attached to a steel band forming a circle of adjustable diameter around the stem. The tree bicycle is used in conjunction with safety harness or belt, support chain or strap, safety line, safety clips or carabiners and nylon ropes.
Operation of the tree bicycle is well described by Seal et al. (1965) and Yeatman and Nieman (1978). The steel band should not fit too tightly round the stem, which would hinder them sliding upwards. They will grip properly as long as the toe of the climber's boot does not touch the trunk when his full weight is on the stirrup; when that happens it is necessary to unclamp, shorten the loop and reclamp the band on each foot in turn. After securing the bands round the base of the tree, the climber fits his feet into the stirrup, closes the quick-release clips and fastens the straps. He also passes his safety strap or chain round the stem, adjusting its length in accordance with stem taper. The climber ascends, putting his weight alternately on one or the other stirrup and lifting in turn the free foot to raise the loosened band. He pauses to adjust the bands, one at a time, to allow for the taper of the tree. Obstructing branches must be pruned flush with the stem as they are encountered.
The climber continues to ascend until the upper steel band meets the lower living branches of the crown. He then reaches into the crown to fit a nylon safety rope to hold the safety line and proceeds to ?park? the tree bicycle. The essential operation is to tighten the lower band of the bicycle so that it grips the stem tightly even when there is no weight on it; there is then no risk of the bicycle slipping down the stem out of the climber's reach. The climber opens the ankle clips on both stirrups, frees his feet from the straps, unhooks his safety strap and climbs into the crown.
The tree bicycle provides an extremely safe means of climbing straight branchless trees without damaging them and is lighter and more portable than sectional ladders. Some practice is needed but most men become competent and quick in its use within a few days. Its main disadvantages are the cost, the fact that its use is limited to a certain range of diameters and that, unlike ladders and climbing irons, it requires the bole to be pruned of branches all round the circumference up to the living crown (Robbins et al 1981). Where regular climbing of the same trees is foreseen, however, as in seed stands or seed orchards, the cost of thorough initial pruning is fully justified. It is advisable to work always with two tree-bicycles within call of each other, because a man in difficulties on a tree at a height greater than can be reached by a ladder can only be reached on another tree-bicycle (Seal et al. 1965), or by climbing irons.
4.14
4.14 Hand picking Larix cones in Britain. Note use of safety line and anchorman and tree bicycle ?parked? at base of crown. (British Forestry Commission)