Flying bicycles
January 13, 2010 12:30 PM Subscribe
Kolelinia is a city fly attempt. We are born to move, this makes us alive. The transport is not only a transport, it has to be an experience! (via)
Personally, I'm more interested in the transportation experience in picture #2.
posted by EvaDestruction at 12:40 PM on January 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by EvaDestruction at 12:40 PM on January 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
It's got some sharp design images going for it. I'm convinced. High-wire trough biking is the wave of the future. No more of that annoying, "On your Left!" shouting needed here.
posted by Babblesort at 12:41 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by Babblesort at 12:41 PM on January 13, 2010
The inevitable "salmon" are gonna be a yoooge problem.
posted by everichon at 12:43 PM on January 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by everichon at 12:43 PM on January 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
Why bother with the bike? Why not just zipline all over the city?
posted by bondcliff at 12:47 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by bondcliff at 12:47 PM on January 13, 2010
Gonna need some re-engineering to accommodate the huge numbers of Segway riders that are going to be showing up any day now. ANY! DAY! NOW!
posted by kcds at 12:48 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by kcds at 12:48 PM on January 13, 2010
This won't interfere with jet pack traffic, will it?
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 12:48 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 12:48 PM on January 13, 2010
Why not just zipline all over the city?
Too hard to plan all the altitude changes. Plus there are rigid elements in this design which won't wear out and snap. (Much)
posted by GuyZero at 12:50 PM on January 13, 2010
Too hard to plan all the altitude changes. Plus there are rigid elements in this design which won't wear out and snap. (Much)
posted by GuyZero at 12:50 PM on January 13, 2010
It's all fun and games until someone's chain comes off right in the middle of a long segment and people start trying to go around.
posted by echo target at 12:54 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by echo target at 12:54 PM on January 13, 2010
Safety wires are for wusses.
posted by ropeladder at 12:54 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by ropeladder at 12:54 PM on January 13, 2010
And you thought seagull poop on your hood was bad.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 12:57 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 12:57 PM on January 13, 2010
Durn Bronzefist: "And you thought seagull poop on your hood was bad."
Bicyclists, being generally health conscious, tend to eat high fiber diets, it should clean up pretty easily.
everichon: "The inevitable "salmon" are gonna be a yoooge problem."
Bike salmon are caused by ignorant parents who don't understand the rules of the road giving misinformation to their kids, it should be less of an issue when you are not even on the road.
Was I the only one who noticed that they put bikes with straight bars and knobby tires in the illustrations? I would think with that smooth a track you would want a skinny set of tires and some drop bars, because without cars in the way the two things slowing you down would be wind resistance, and to a lesser degree, friction.
posted by idiopath at 1:03 PM on January 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
Bicyclists, being generally health conscious, tend to eat high fiber diets, it should clean up pretty easily.
everichon: "The inevitable "salmon" are gonna be a yoooge problem."
Bike salmon are caused by ignorant parents who don't understand the rules of the road giving misinformation to their kids, it should be less of an issue when you are not even on the road.
Was I the only one who noticed that they put bikes with straight bars and knobby tires in the illustrations? I would think with that smooth a track you would want a skinny set of tires and some drop bars, because without cars in the way the two things slowing you down would be wind resistance, and to a lesser degree, friction.
posted by idiopath at 1:03 PM on January 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
please no pinch flat, please no pinch flat . . . someone call the fire department!
posted by cmfletcher at 1:13 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by cmfletcher at 1:13 PM on January 13, 2010
Personally, I'm more interested in the transportation experience in picture #2.
Ah, the first rejected design: the slingtub.
posted by mrgrimm at 1:21 PM on January 13, 2010
Ah, the first rejected design: the slingtub.
posted by mrgrimm at 1:21 PM on January 13, 2010
Gonna need some re-engineering to accommodate the huge numbers of Segway riders that are going to be showing up any day now. ANY! DAY! NOW!
In the summer my commute is regularly inconvenienced by Segway tour groups clogging up the Lakefront Trail, even though motorized vehicles are prohibited from said trail.
I'M LIVING IN THE FUTURE!!! I'LL HAVE MY SEX ROBOT NOW PLEASE!!!
posted by hydrophonic at 1:23 PM on January 13, 2010
In the summer my commute is regularly inconvenienced by Segway tour groups clogging up the Lakefront Trail, even though motorized vehicles are prohibited from said trail.
I'M LIVING IN THE FUTURE!!! I'LL HAVE MY SEX ROBOT NOW PLEASE!!!
posted by hydrophonic at 1:23 PM on January 13, 2010
With no way to pass it seems the biggest impediment to speed would be a slower (or stationary) rider on the line. A rope tow would fix the former, the latter would be left to the fire department I suppose.
posted by waxboy at 1:25 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by waxboy at 1:25 PM on January 13, 2010
Is this a metaphor for how safe I feel when cycling on city of suburban streets?
At least I'd be responsible for falling off. I don't really think I have the same agency when I'm hit by a car just for stopping at a stop sign.
posted by Hoenikker at 1:37 PM on January 13, 2010
At least I'd be responsible for falling off. I don't really think I have the same agency when I'm hit by a car just for stopping at a stop sign.
posted by Hoenikker at 1:37 PM on January 13, 2010
It needs a better name.
posted by thinkpiece at 1:50 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by thinkpiece at 1:50 PM on January 13, 2010
oooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhh i want thissssssssssss.
posted by pwally at 2:02 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by pwally at 2:02 PM on January 13, 2010
want.
posted by whimsicalnymph at 2:11 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by whimsicalnymph at 2:11 PM on January 13, 2010
the slingtub
Some mornings, it's impossible to both bathe and leave for work on time. For those morning, there's SLINGTUB! Speed and hygiene in one convenient package!
posted by EvaDestruction at 2:27 PM on January 13, 2010
Some mornings, it's impossible to both bathe and leave for work on time. For those morning, there's SLINGTUB! Speed and hygiene in one convenient package!
posted by EvaDestruction at 2:27 PM on January 13, 2010
It seems like you're trading the danger of riding in traffic with the danger of falling from a height INTO traffic.
posted by doctor_negative at 2:28 PM on January 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by doctor_negative at 2:28 PM on January 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
No WAY would you get me on that thing!!!
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 2:33 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 2:33 PM on January 13, 2010
Yeah, this is great and all - until you're taken out by one of those flying tubs.
Damn slingtubs harshin' my flying bicycle
posted by deliquescent at 2:36 PM on January 13, 2010
Damn slingtubs harshin' my flying bicycle
posted by deliquescent at 2:36 PM on January 13, 2010
I can look at renderings like those all the time. They're art.
posted by bz at 2:51 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by bz at 2:51 PM on January 13, 2010
"With no way to pass it seems the biggest impediment to speed would be a slower (or stationary) rider on the line. A rope tow would fix the former, the latter would be left to the fire department I suppose."
Maybe that's what the blimp is for. If you get stuck it lowers a harness and you clip on, then it lowers you to the ground. Rescue blimps, flying bicycles and slingtubs - that's the future.
posted by Kevin Street at 2:59 PM on January 13, 2010 [4 favorites]
Maybe that's what the blimp is for. If you get stuck it lowers a harness and you clip on, then it lowers you to the ground. Rescue blimps, flying bicycles and slingtubs - that's the future.
posted by Kevin Street at 2:59 PM on January 13, 2010 [4 favorites]
I had this idea a few years back, but dismissed it because of the impossibility of maintaining any degree of safety. I'd love to have a prototype prove me wrong, though.
posted by LSK at 3:09 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by LSK at 3:09 PM on January 13, 2010
Am I missing something? Are there not literally innumerable ideas that would achieve the same result better, faster, and without the comical infrastructure and maintenance problems this contraption presents?
Maybe I'm just really bad at sarcasm.
posted by Pecinpah at 3:14 PM on January 13, 2010
Maybe I'm just really bad at sarcasm.
posted by Pecinpah at 3:14 PM on January 13, 2010
In all seriousness, this is the sort of thing that could really catch on with a certain crowd, but would never become widely adopted enough for any municipality to absorb the cost. It might be a new sport in the making, though.
posted by Kevin Street at 3:24 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by Kevin Street at 3:24 PM on January 13, 2010
WANT THIS!
If only to sandwich-bomb all the Segway-riding tools around Lake Merritt.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 3:25 PM on January 13, 2010
If only to sandwich-bomb all the Segway-riding tools around Lake Merritt.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 3:25 PM on January 13, 2010
It's too limited. To make it a worthwhile investment, it needs to get all non cars off the road – bikes, Go-peds, skateboards, rollerbladers (do people still rollerblade?), etc.. That said, the design and execution of the concept is outstanding – and a strong logo to boot.
posted by pmaxwell at 3:39 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by pmaxwell at 3:39 PM on January 13, 2010
It would be much easier to just keep cars off the road within certain densely populated areas. But that would be impractical, and inconvenient, let's put bicycles and rollerbladers and skateboards up on highwires instead.
posted by idiopath at 4:06 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by idiopath at 4:06 PM on January 13, 2010
Rescue blimps, flying bicycles and slingtubs - that's the future.
The future ROCKS! \m/ O_O \m/
Why yes, it's well past time for me to go home. Why do you ask?
posted by EvaDestruction at 4:10 PM on January 13, 2010
The future ROCKS! \m/ O_O \m/
Why yes, it's well past time for me to go home. Why do you ask?
posted by EvaDestruction at 4:10 PM on January 13, 2010
Am I missing something? Are there not literally innumerable ideas that would achieve the same result better, faster, and without the comical infrastructure and maintenance problems this contraption presents?
Maybe I'm just really bad at sarcasm/
Nah, he got a Ted talk out of it, lots of eyeballs on his website, got a good "artist's statement" out there, maybe some c.v. fodder. Lots of incoming links, probably a short interview or shout-out in the design blogs. The system worked. It worked for him, and it worked for the web-media.
I this is what architects do when they're not being graphic designers and they're not building buildings.
posted by sebastienbailard at 5:30 PM on January 13, 2010
Maybe I'm just really bad at sarcasm/
Nah, he got a Ted talk out of it, lots of eyeballs on his website, got a good "artist's statement" out there, maybe some c.v. fodder. Lots of incoming links, probably a short interview or shout-out in the design blogs. The system worked. It worked for him, and it worked for the web-media.
I this is what architects do when they're not being graphic designers and they're not building buildings.
posted by sebastienbailard at 5:30 PM on January 13, 2010
I'd love to visit their little utopian concept world. Being able to live without concern for entropy and imperfect material tolerances could be a delight. And, they have blimps.
posted by hoot at 5:32 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by hoot at 5:32 PM on January 13, 2010
Pardon me, TEDx. A bit of borrowed halo which people may not take too seriously.
It's sort of a joke, but he's not dropping the straight face when he tells it.
posted by sebastienbailard at 5:35 PM on January 13, 2010
It's sort of a joke, but he's not dropping the straight face when he tells it.
posted by sebastienbailard at 5:35 PM on January 13, 2010
WANT.
I've been thinking about something like this, but I haven't got past the too-expensive elevated bike path yet.
Passing is going to be an issue.
posted by sneebler at 7:00 PM on January 13, 2010
I've been thinking about something like this, but I haven't got past the too-expensive elevated bike path yet.
Passing is going to be an issue.
posted by sneebler at 7:00 PM on January 13, 2010
Anybody else ever actually tried to ride down the groove in a tramline without falling off?
Twenty years later, my hip still has a big dent in it.
posted by flabdablet at 7:51 PM on January 13, 2010
Twenty years later, my hip still has a big dent in it.
posted by flabdablet at 7:51 PM on January 13, 2010
It isn't a horrible idea, necessarily. Just a little impractical. Also, no love for people with fat tires or end bars, apparently. And how would you fix the safety device onto drop handles? The ends don't face out. Some even have the brake or gearshift levers attached to the end of the tube, so no go there either.
posted by caution live frogs at 7:20 AM on January 14, 2010
posted by caution live frogs at 7:20 AM on January 14, 2010
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posted by GuyZero at 12:34 PM on January 13, 2010 [1 favorite]