It was great to see that some of the large manufacturers are heading into the cargo bicycle market. Hopefully it’ll bring cargo bicycles into the mainstream and make a dent in car traffic.
Check out the Kona Ute. They’ve added this great new longbike to their huge lineup. Longbikes are great for anyone who wants an all around bicycle that they can use for commuting, getting groceries, camping, and to transport small adults or older kids.
I ran into this video about New Urbanism, which is the trend in urban planning which promotes walkable livable cities. This video is a really cool intro to the whole idea. Hopefully the idea of using bicycles for transport in these new cities will take off.
German manufacturer, Fine Mobile GmBH, builds a fantastic pedal powered human electric hybrid car. It has a top speed of 53 mph (85 kmph) and a range of 80 miles (130 km) per charge. With it’s fully enclosed body and luxury features, it might just be the all weather solution that you’re looking for. The only catch, with a starting price of $26,000 USD (20,000 €) this beauty will be in the hands of a lucky few.
Check out their website at: http://www.twike.com
Stoke Monkey is a electric power-assist unit that fits on a extra long chain-stay bike, such as a bike equipped with an Xtracycle setup. It works by a variable-speed throttle on the handlebar and a tandem-like drivetrain setup. Once the motor is on, the rider would have to pedal along (like a tandem stoker). They claim a cruising speed of 30 mph on the flats.
To the right is a Sycip longbike equipped with a Stoke Monkey.
Electra, a bike company that specializes in cruisers and townies, have came out with a new line of commuter bikes called, Amsterdam. The bikes have the look of the Dutch bikes at an affordable price. Amsterdam is retailing for $550 and comes in classic and sport model.
I edited some video of the Shanghai Maglev Train from a recent business trip to China. We covered the 40 km distance from downtown Shanghai to the airport in 8 minutes. Top speed 430 kph (267 mph).
It’s not directly related to cargo bicycles, but more so with hybrid commuting (using a bicycle locally and a train between cities). Imagine if a high density region like the US West Coast corridor (Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, LA, and San Diego) were connected with a high speed rail line like this.
It would definitely make hybrid commuting a more viable and enjoyable option. Plus imagine all the fun bicycle tours that become a realistic option. The rail lines wouldn’t have to be magnetic.
But wouldn’t that be cool?
A German company called Beyss Leichtfahrzeuge makes a totally cool human powered zero emission vehicle called Go-One³. Designed by a designer from Daimler Chrysler that helped bring us the Smart Car, the Go-One³ is a fully enclosed weatherproof pedal powered tricycle. With features like it’s carbon fiber shell, turn signals, and electric assist this is like no other bicycle you’ve ridden before.
Looks so hot, it’s been used as a prop for TV commercials and magazine ads for companies like Puma.
Now if they can only do something about the price tag… $7689 US Dollars with shipping.
OUCH!
Recumbent trikes with full fairings came from human powered vehicle (HPV) racing. One was Mike Burrow’s Windcheetah, originally intended as a stable HPV trainer for HPV racers. Recumbent enthusiasts soon discover the advantanges of a fully faired trike for commuting compared to a full faired recumbent bike. There is no need to balance the vehicle at stops, no worries of side wind blowing the vehicle around.
Velomobile became the term used to describe these fully faired recumbent trikes built for commuting in traffic and offering all-weather protection.
One of the most well know is the Leitra, with a flip-forward front section that allows entry and exit of the rider.
Check out velomobile.net for more info on velomobiles.
Rivendell, is a bike company specializing in quality bikes for cyclists looking for a bike with lightweight, durability and practicality in mind. Grant Peterson of Bridgestone fame with bikes like RB-1, MB-1, XO-1 started Rivendell and continue the philosophy of simplicity and practicality combine with classic lug contruction. All bikes comes with fender clearance and rack mountings. Their bikes strike a nice balance between specialized racing bikes and overweight hybrids.
The bike pictured to the right is their Atlantis model.
I just posted my photos from the North American Handmade Bicycle Show at the San Jose Convention Center. There was a huge number of custom bicycle builders from all over the world attending the show. The variety of bikes ranged from all out velomobiles to rat bikes built with found materials. It was great talking with the builders who went out of their way to be friendly and answer any questions.
Some of the themes I noticed throughout the show:
Some fun stuff I saw at the show:
