Wut??
 

http://i731.photobucket.com/albums/w...0/DSC07176.jpg

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst...665868332.html

I think it is powered in a way similar to a stairmaster. It's an intriguing concept. I bet something like that would appeal to a lot of casual cyclists who don't use a very efficient cadence normally.

Yay: http://www.alenax.com/
Nay: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/alenax.html

Yeah, one of my local bike shops has two NOS Alenax bikes hanging in their rafters. The look fun to mess around with but that is the limit of my interest. I imagine replacement parts are tough to come by.

My friend is considering this CL ad. Should I encourage him? Obviously he wants it for a joke

It looks like its in pretty good shape underneath the layer of dust. It's hard to say how much these are worth since they don't pop up everyday. That being said, I think the asking price seems pretty reasonable for an oddity. It would be interesting to at least see it in person and take it for a spin. You can always try to bargain down a bit too.

I wonder what that shifter supposedly does???? I'd love to see the thing in person just to wrap my head around it. And of course, take it apart. But i don't think the seller would like that.

I'd absolutely go for it. I mean, what the heck? It might be good, it might be bad, but you'll never know unless you try. You only live once! (be sure to lowball the seller, of course).

If all else fails you can try putting those crank arms on another bike for an April fools joke.

Way cool bike. Wonder how it climbs.

Replace: bicycle
With: rifle

brings back memories.

It's the exact same motion as on the old big wheel racing bike from the late 1800's that had the small wheel in front, american flyer? Can't recall, however it is a far less efficient way to power a bike.

Looks a little like the first bicycle to me.
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/4...9macmillan.jpg

This idea comes back again and again, with the new inventors not having learned from the previous ones. It's an utterly flawed idea, as Jobst explains.

These things either sold well nationally, or their US distributor was located in NJ, because I've literally seen dozens of them over the past several years on CL and at garage sales, usually at ridiculous prices.

That's the most ridiculous thing I've seen in the last 45 minutes of being on the internet.

The internet is, indeed, a very strange place.

I went to the 1981 bike show, back when they held it at the Colosseum in New York City. A Japanese company had reinvented this. It was set up on a trainer, and the suit-and-tie-clad gentlemen invited me to try it. I pedaled it extremely hard, and it exploded under me, causing me to fall. I wasn't hurt at all. They were extremely sorry and embarrassed. I told them not to worry about me, and I also told them why I didn't think it was a good idea. They thanked me.

Basically the problem they think they're solving is the dead spot of the pedal stroke, where you're not applying much or any power. They replace it with the power portion of the stroke. It doesn't take into account the energy it takes to accelerate your leg from zero to the power portion nor the energy it takes to decelerate your leg back to zero at the bottom. Total energy expended increases with this design.

This is an attempt to fix a problem that can be solved with better pedalling technique.

That said, I still want to try it lol