bicycle without pedals

[easysurfer]

I can't believe it.

IMO, the product looks pretty silly and that it requires a lot of effort.

New pedal-free bicycle relies on running momentum | The Sideshow - Yahoo! News

 

[Alan]

Cool. It looks like a skateboard for oldies.

However, I think I'll stick with my regular bike.

 

[easysurfer]

Yeah. That was my first thought. Like a skateboard.

 

[Texas Proud]

As they said.... it does not look like an improvement on current bicycles... your speed is pretty limited... how fast can you run

 

[Alan]

your speed is pretty limited... how fast can you run

I'm sure I could go a lot faster on this thing downhill. I hope it has brakes, otherwise they won't sell many in San Francisco.

 

[braumeister]

If you just want a bike without pedals, there is one that uses the same kind of mechanism as an elliptical trainer, and it gets pretty good reviews.

ElliptiGO | Outdoor Elliptical Cycles

 

[Texas Proud]

I'm sure I could go a lot faster on this thing downhill. I hope it has brakes, otherwise they won't sell many in San Francisco.

Faster than a regular bike I don't think so.....

With gearing, you can actually get a bike up to a high speed going downhill.... I did 55 mph once (this was when I was young and fit).... no way I could move my legs fast enough to do that speed.... but in SF, I guess you could get faster than that without any peddling...


I was looking around and found this.... a chainless bike...

Dynamic Bicycles - Top 10 Reasons to go Chainless

 

[Alan]

Faster than a regular bike I don't think so...../QUOTE]

I'm sorry, I thought in your post that I replied to, you said that your speed was limited to how fast you can walk. I agree that you can go faster downhill in a regular bike but you can go faster than walking on that "no-pedal" bike

As they said.... it does not look like an improvement on current bicycles... your speed is pretty limited... how fast can you run

 

[omni550]

I wonder how many miles they get per pair of shoes?

omni

 

[anethum]

I'm sure I could go a lot faster on this thing downhill. I hope it has brakes, otherwise they won't sell many in San Francisco.

Don't be so sure. There's a substantial percentage of cyclists in SF who ride "fixies", which is popular slang for fixed-gear bikes. A certain percentage of those folks ride fixies without brakes. I think even a fixie with brakes is totally impractical in a city with SF's topography. Riding one without brakes is sheer lunacy. But hey, you gotta be cool.
Fixed-gear bicycle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[bltkmt]

Fred Flintstone would love it.

 

[Alan]

Don't be so sure. There's a substantial percentage of cyclists in SF who ride "fixies", which is popular slang for fixed-gear bikes. A certain percentage of those folks ride fixies without brakes. I think even a fixie with brakes is totally impractical in a city with SF's topography. Riding one without brakes is sheer lunacy. But hey, you gotta be cool.
Fixed-gear bicycle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wow - that is crazy!!!

 

[MichaelB]

Don't be so sure. There's a substantial percentage of cyclists in SF who ride "fixies", which is popular slang for fixed-gear bikes. A certain percentage of those folks ride fixies without brakes. I think even a fixie with brakes is totally impractical in a city with SF's topography. Riding one without brakes is sheer lunacy. But hey, you gotta be cool.
Fixed-gear bicycle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wow - that is crazy!!!

Yes. Crazy - as in insane. What could go wrong with riding a bicycle without brakes in a city with traffic and lots of steep hills? Candidates for Darwin Awards.

 

[braumeister]

Apparently, it's also against the law to ride without brakes, despite being increasingly popular in some urban areas.

CYCLISTS FIXED ON BRAKING THE LAW « Adrian Rodriguez

 

[kyounge1956]

I don't get it either. If I wanted a device powered in that way, I'd prefer that grandfather of bicycles, the dandy-horse. I doubt that hanging from a harness would be as comfortable as sitting on a seat, and it seems to me the Fliz is also more hazardous than an ordinary bike or a dandy-horse. If you get in a collision with a car, you are strapped in, so you'd be dragged rather than thrown off.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I first thought you were talking about the Trikke: T78Deluxe - Trikke™ Official Site

sort of a three-wheeled "fitness scooter" you stand up on and make swing side to side to get momentum going. I saw them on the streets a few years ago, not recently, and the people riding them took up a LOT more room than the width of a bike lane as they swung from side to side, but they looked like a lot of fun.

 

[mystang52]

I first thought you were talking about the Trikke: T78Deluxe - Trikke™ Official Site

sort of a three-wheeled "fitness scooter" you stand up on and make swing side to side to get momentum going. I saw them on the streets a few years ago, not recently, and the people riding them took up a LOT more room than the width of a bike lane as they swung from side to side, but they looked like a lot of fun.

I can see where some people would find this fun. But for the life of me I don't see the logic/fun of that pedal-free bike. If anyone does, save the money and...run instead.

 

[kyounge1956]

I first thought you were talking about the Trikke: T78Deluxe - Trikke™ Official Site

sort of a three-wheeled "fitness scooter" you stand up on and make swing side to side to get momentum going. I saw them on the streets a few years ago, not recently, and the people riding them took up a LOT more room than the width of a bike lane as they swung from side to side, but they looked like a lot of fun.

It does look like fun, but how is it on a hill? I only watched a couple of the videos, and it looked like they were mostly shot on flat terrain.

 

[omni550]

It does look like fun, but how is it on a hill? I only watched a couple of the videos, and it looked like they were mostly shot on flat terrain.

Also, it looks like the flat terrain they are riding on also has very wide paved areas and paved paths. It appears that the Trikke requires a span of 3-4 feet in which to move laterally to 'carve' and create the momentum to move forward.

Although it looks like fun, at the same time I'd be concerned about trying to ride it anywhere that has pedestrians or vehicles (which makes it very limiting).

omni

 

[photoguy]

I don't know about the trike. I think I would just go rollerblading instead.

 

[Meadbh]

I think that is the dorkiest thing I've seen in a while. Definitely won't be getting one!

 

[mickeyd]

Riders of the Fliz must strap themselves into a harness (the "5 point belt system"). After building up enough speed, they lift their legs onto footrests located near the bike's rear wheel.

My initial thought is that they must have an abundance of under employed engineers in Germany.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I saw some young hipsters riding the Trikke-type of "bike" about five years ago on a Chicago street when I was taking a shortcut through an industrial area without much traffic. They took the whole lane going from side to side, and would erratically swing over and back every block or so to maintain their momentum. Definitely not compatible with street traffic (or even on the bike paths through the parks--the real bikers wouldn't like them, I wouldn't think), and I saw these "bikes" only the one time.

I wonder if this new Fliz vehicle will ever make it to the streets here.

 

[steelyman]

Not really related, but if you're ever in Paris, there is a "Fat Tire Bicycle Tour" run by American students that meets under the Eiffel Tower and then heads off as a group to sightsee. Those guys are expert at fanning out as necessary to stop/slow traffic. It's a great way to see the city!