This is the thread for discussing all other methods of propelling a bicycle or HPV (Wind, Steam, Rubber bands, Clockwork, Compressed Air, Hamsters on Treadmills etc etc).
Please keep the main Electic Bikes Forum for ONLY discussing electric bikes.

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa276/Sianelleofavelorn/bikesailing.jpg

This is a link to a video of two compressed air bikes under test. The commentary is in French, but that doesn't take much away from the video. Watch the sound volume because these bikes are very noisy which is something that would need to be worked on IMHO before they could be used on the road.

http://www.archive.org/details/ElectroAirBike

http://www.electroairbike.com

This is a link to a successful steam powered aeroplane built in 1933. Yes I do know it's not a bicycle, but the schematics and other diagrams would also work just as well if applied to a bicycle.

http://www.rexresearch.com/besler/beslerst.htm

That steam powered plane is cool. Trouble is, it's not exactly alternative fuel. They used oil.

I guess you could power one with wvo which would make it alternative. A simpler, cheaper, possibly more efficient method of wvo propolsion is diesel. Anybody got any biodiesel powered bikes out there?

There is a company that makes a diesel motorcycle for the military. It is klr 650 based and is supposed to be good for 120 mpg. There is supposed to be a civilian one in the works, but, it will be $$$$$.

Steam is of interest to me because where I live is close to enormous plantation forests and it's easy to get hold of sawdust and mill slab for very cheap (sometimes free!). Travel over vasty distances doesn't bother me much because I'm perfectly content to stay in my own district and have nuffing to do with 'them odd folk over hill'. If I can travel to the surrounding villages I'm perfectly content and really steam would be just corker for that :thumb:

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa276/Sianelleofavelorn/classic_600.jpg

Call me crazy, but the thought of having live steam that close to fairly sensitive portions of my anatomy gives me the heebies.

I'm old enough to remember such vehicles (if you want to call them that) in Chicago, only we called them "weenie wagons" or hot dog carts. Same copious venting of steam, large yellow umbrella shading the 'works' and rider. I'm certain ours smelled ( and tasted) much better than the one posted. Ah, I can taste it now, a good Kosher dog on a steamed bun, slathered with mustard, relish, onions, cukes and hot peppers washed down by a favorite cold beverage! Life was, still is, good!

How you gonna ride these things I wonder. Moreover how you gonna handle such a piece of metal if you have to manually move it in small space like a room or garage at least. However someone might have a pleasure to try to ride such a thing. I would certainly try this one :roflmao2: