I went to look for a particular frame for a mountian bike for my wife at a local charity that fixes up bikes for people who need them especially kids and they had a funky bike for sale. It was a Yankee bike. They told me to ride it around and test it out. It shifted from the crank with 9 speeds and had a singlespeed rear wheel and setup. For something funky it could be a nifty commuter for the right person with a chainguard. I just wondered if anyone else had happened upon one of these. Here is a link with pics of one and even the owners manuel on the 2nd page. Also the brake on the rear is a cable that wraps around the rim and when squeezes stops the bike. Its a unique machine.

http://ustimes.com/Bicycle/