Advocacy & Safety - SciFi for the Bicycle Guy

Over at Wired there's an article about a new, faster, gyroscopic fuel-cell powered concept vehicle. See http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,61216,00.html?tw=wn_story_page_prev2

So what does this have to do with bicycles? Take a closer look at page two, where issues of road use are discussed. Granted, this is a ways off, but if vehicles like this and the slower segway become popular, will they become allies for space on the car-dominated roadways or competitors for increasingly congested "bike" lanes? Could bike lanes become co-opted by "better" environmentally friendly forms of transport?

This thing looks it could stand a chance on the roads. The SHT is too slow (and most folks too timid) to go it on the roads. Contrary to the article, the SHT never was legal on most sidewalks, leading Kamen to lobby for laws allowing the SHT on the sidewalks.

You've got a good point there. We cyclists should band together with any legitimate form of alternate transportation.

As long as they remember that we are in charge.

... the vehicle will likely weigh in at 360 pounds. Also, the Segway tops out at 12 mph while the Embrio hits 35 mph in the learning mode alone.


This does not belong on a path, instead it should use the road.

Sounds like this guy has just reinvented the motorscooter. I'm not impressed.

Dan

It looks like another gadget the world doesn't need.

The 360-pound Embrio may not be suited for today's city streets or sidewalks. But experts believe an infrastructure will emerge for these alternative, one-person vehicles.

Bicycles have been around for 200 years and infrastructure for them is very little to none. What chance would an expensive and heavy (160kilograms) thing like this ever have of getting infrastructure built.

CHEERS.

Mark

Demographics and public safety SCREAM for Neighborhood Electric Vehicles and a supporting interconnected grid of sub-35mph/55kph streets. Lido "Lee" Iacocca, one of the most effective leaders in the history of the American automobile industry, is now betting heavily on Lido Motors. Fortunately, NEV-friendly streets can be very bicycle-friendly streets, with calmed intersections and low speed limits which permit even the timid among us to join the main traffic flow safely and confidently.

That's interesting. Across the entire state all our side roads and back streets are now 50kph zones.

CHEERS.

Mark

I don't get it. Why go with one wheel and then add things like gyroscopes and landing gear, when two wheeled vehicles only need a human inner ear and forward motion to remain upright?

You don't need one wheel to solve the problem of not enough space on the road, just doubling the occupancy of most vehicles currently on the road to two will do a lot more, let alone filling them to capacity.

You don't even need to go electric (and the idea of a petrol engine generating electricity seems more than a little absurd and pointless to me) to conserve fuel. A small, light weight and very aerodynamic car uses a fraction of the fuel of 'normal' cars.

This looks like another mutant with a short life expectancy. Such is the fate of engineering 'solutions' that try to be Too Clever By Half.

That's interesting. Across the entire state all our side roads and back streets are now 50kph zones.

That's also the case here on the Gold Coast. Of course, the fact that it's almost never enforced kind of defeats the purpose. Having said that, I've seen it work in parts of nothern NSW that I've ridden in.

As far as the 'vehicle' in the article is concerned, it just looks like a glorified motorcycle to me. I don't seriously expect it to replace the more conventional motorcycles in the near future. Personally I'd give it two years life expectancy at most - for the fad value should it ever reach that level of popularity.

I don't get it. Why go with one wheel and then add things like gyroscopes and landing gear, when two wheeled vehicles only need a human inner ear and forward motion to remain upright?

In case you haven't noticed Allister, many people are lazy.

In case you haven't noticed Allister, many people are lazy.

Indeed, but even motorised bikes qualify, and are still relatively simple and a proven technology. What advantage does this thing have over an electric Vespa type scooter?

Alister

Some experts speculate that as streets become more crowded and alternative energy sources are developed, we'll see an entirely new lane emerge to accommodate miniature one-person vehicles.

uhhhh, arn't these called bike lanes. I always love it when someone makes a change in something and acts like they just invented the airplane.

What we have here is a high tech single wheel motorcycle. The Segway is a high tech electric scooter. Remember all that press about "IT" the invention that would instantly change the world (Segway). Well, I have seen four so far. I don't think they have had a big effect on LA traffic.