General Cycling Discussion - Future electric bicycles. Will electric or bicycles ever fly into the air?

Will electric or human powered bicycles ever be able to fly, riding on sidewalk and take off flying from a sidewalk into the air and go 4,000 feet high or greater in the next 5 to 20 years from now?

I cannot wait for someone to invent this?

Nope. :D

Koffee

Ummm yeah sure whatever.....
http://cms.psychologytoday.com/google/

Will electric or human powered bicycles ever be able to fly, riding on sidewalk and take off flying from a sidewalk into the air and go 4,000 feet high or greater in the next 5 to 20 years from now?

One hopes not. However, I have to ask, does riding up a mountain greater than 4,000 feet in height count?

http://www.ihpva.org/Air/

I believe it was the early 80's, on TV, when I watched a pedal powered plane that looked like it was covered in Saran Wrap cross the English Channel. It was ridiculously slow and flew only a few feet off the water, but it made it.

http://www.ihpva.org/Air/

I believe it was the early 80's, on TV, when I watched a pedal powered plane that looked like it was covered in Saran Wrap cross the English Channel. It was ridiculously slow and flew only a few feet off the water, but it made it.

That was the Gossamer Albatross. I saw it's predecessor, the Gossamer Condor, at the St. Louis Science Center. I was very impressed at the large size and very, very light weight of the human powered airplane. For example, insted of a bicycle chain it used a lightweight bead-style chain, like you'd use to turn on a light, to drive the propeller. It was neat!

Definately a half-baked idea.

Suggest you ask in
http://www.halfbakery.com/

That was the Gossamer Albatross. I saw it's predecessor, the Gossamer Condor, at the St. Louis Science Center. I was very impressed at the large size and very, very light weight of the human powered airplane. For example, insted of a bicycle chain it used a lightweight bead-style chain, like you'd use to turn on a light, to drive the propeller. It was neat!


Can space travel be far behind?

They've already had human powered aircraft. I can't wait to stick lance into one of those.

As someone else has mentioned, there was the Gossamer Albatross which actually flew. However, you can always indulge your fantasies if you find an arcade with PropCycle (http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=&game_id=9139). If I ever have some spare cash, I would love to buy one of these old games for my house. :D

http://images.webmagic.com/klov.com/images/10/1057558779.jpg
http://images.webmagic.com/klov.com/images/10/1066240478.jpg

People have mentioned the gossimer condor and gossimer albatross. Cyclists were able to fly using these things but it took are really strong and light cyclist to get these things flying and the machines were very large and unwieldly. It was possible but it was in no shape, manner, or form... practical.

As for having people flying around in their own little flying machines, I don't think that is a very good idea. People kill themselves off every efficiently in powered vehicles like autos and motorcycles and there you are only fooling around in 2 dimensions. Flying involves 3 dimensions with the added problems of wind, take off, landing, and navigation (you know there are no signs in the air). The average motorist seems to have skills that are almost adequate for controlling a ground vehicle. Give him/her a flying machine and watch life expectancy plummet.

Hey Pat, are you trying to qualify for my screen name?

I agree with everything that you said, but times and people change. There used to be laws that were designed to prevent automobiles from scareing the horses. People used to think that the speeds made possible by trains would prevent people from catching their breath. Who ever would have thought that the same century would witness both the first powered flight and men walking on the moon.

I'm 61 years old. Before I die, I expect to see some form of flight as a commuting option for at least the upper middle economic class.

I'm 61 years old. Before I die, I expect to see some form of flight as a commuting option for at least the upper middle economic class.

Welcome to New Jersey. There is a scheduled, commuter, helicopter that lands and takes off twice a day, every day, in the parking lot next to where I work. It flies from NYC to Oceanport, NJ.

& pigs will be riding them !

i would hate to bonk in a pedal powered plane:D.