They're long and they're low...

December 21, 2010 4:28 PM

Neal Fegan, of the Montana Transit Authority, designs custom-built, one-of-a-kind velocipedes with an 8-point steering system.

The "Montana Transit Authority" link contains a few articles and videos, as well as his designs:

Dog
Blue
Yellow
Red
Grey

And here's his latest creation.

posted by gman (17 comments total)

WANT.
posted by ocherdraco at 4:31 PM on December 21, 2010

Awesome. I love oddball-yet-useful designs.

I recall a television commercial that had a guy with a unique velocipede that didn't use pedals. Instead, you would stand inside it and kinda do full-body crunches, and a spring action would make it go.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 4:41 PM on December 21, 2010

Very cool. They remind me of Josh Hadar's bikes too:

http://hadarmetaldesign.com/gallery.php
posted by bluelight at 6:12 PM on December 21, 2010

Those are stylish, I need to reevaluate my request for no gifts this Christmas. Also, am I the only one who will now refer to his trusty velocipede?
posted by Felex at 6:19 PM on December 21, 2010

uber cool and I want one.

The Penny-farthing

Number 6: "Last week, # 14 was an old lady in a wheelchair. You're new here, and you're one of them."

as always
posted by clavdivs at 6:33 PM on December 21, 2010

Ok, on Clav's penny-farthing link, there is this picture. In this picture, there is a lady riding a rather peculiar contraption. Does anyone know what that particular velocipede is called? I want one.
posted by dejah420 at 7:21 PM on December 21, 2010

I always wondered if a forward driven wheel design like red was possible.
posted by BrotherCaine at 7:24 PM on December 21, 2010

dejah420
I would say a Touren-Tricycle. (the picture a social variation of)

"The Invincible"
lot 544
yes, i love old bikes and cycling when i was young
posted by clavdivs at 7:42 PM on December 21, 2010

Regarding vintage velocipedes, there's an interesting set of old tobacco cards that has illustrations of many weird beasts - see here, for example.
posted by carter at 7:53 PM on December 21, 2010

My buddy Peter builds bikes. He calls them Whymcycles. You can see pictures of lots of his creations here. He turned me onto the swing bike of which I have become a huge fan. Last burning man (He was part of the Kinetic Cab Company) he turned me onto a tallie bike which stands about 6 feet tall at the seat and which comes with shocks so you can bounce the bike up and down, clearing the ground by several feet, as you move forward. (So much fun! - Dangerous too!) Peter is part of the kinetic race organization which is a must see for anyone interested in fun and unusual bikes.
posted by filchyboy at 8:17 PM on December 21, 2010

I always wondered if a forward driven wheel design like red was possible.

It's not without precedent.
posted by CaseyB at 8:31 PM on December 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

I always wondered if a forward driven wheel design like red was possible.

These very similar trikes have been used for years in the rental fleets here in Venice Beach. Never tried one, but they look to be perfectly functional and remarkably simple for what they are.
posted by 2N2222 at 9:55 PM on December 21, 2010

I had a minor conniption trying to imagine regular bus service in Greater Helena Metropolitan.
posted by Brocktoon at 6:44 AM on December 22, 2010

I always wondered if a forward driven wheel design like red was possible.

You might also like to check out the Python Lowracer project.
posted by werkzeuger at 7:06 AM on December 22, 2010 [1 favorite]

It's not without precedent.

And for good reason, putting the drivetrain in front on a recumbent eliminates the ridiculously long and heavy chain. You just have to figure out how to steer the damn thing, which the Python does in a very novel (challenging?) way.
posted by werkzeuger at 7:09 AM on December 22, 2010

FUCK YES
posted by auralcoral at 2:11 PM on December 22, 2010

Python looks cool.
posted by Mitheral at 10:50 PM on December 26, 2010