10 Slick Concept Bicycles From The Future

[Aushiker]

Business Insider Australia takes a look at the "future of pedal-powered transportation", i.e., one of the design driven articles. Anyway what was interesting to me at least was that there are a few recumbent concept designs in the mix ...








Andrew

[LittleWheelsandBig]

That middle one would tip over easily in fast corners.

The bottom one uses a lever drive? Given the wheel locations, tipping over in fast corners looks near certain.

[Charlotte]

In fairness, they'd all tip over in fast corners - it's just the last two for which this might be an issue 

[Kim]

The middle one has the bonus feature of tipping over in fast winds, too...


Seriously though, the first two look like bad implementations of well-established designs.  Nothing futuristic here.

The belt-driven hand-cranked trike with an upright seating position (if that's what it is) might have merit...

[SlowCoach]

The belt-driven hand-cranked trike with an upright seating position (if that's what it is) might have merit...

Ah, thank you for pointing out that it's handcranked. I've been looking at that picture, trying to work out what contorted position you have to get in to get your feet so high, and come to the conclusion that it must be some form of mobile extension to the Kama Sutra.

[Torslanda]

This, for me, shows the limited thinking that is going on in the design world.

I have a concept - I have never drawn it - of a human powered, electric assist vehicle. I have a thing for the modern 'super scooter' such as the Suzuki Burgman because it incorporates weather protection such as it is and, most importantly, covers the drivetrain comprehensively.

What are illustrated above are 'bikes with bits added', they do not offer viable alternatives to the bicycle. Until designers visualise a 'vehicle' then alternative transport will remain an eccentric diversion. What I want is a 'whole concept' design IYSWIM. Car manufacturers do not ask you to add lighting, luggage capacity, weather protection or instrumentation when  you buy their vehicle, why shouldn't we expect our HPV/personal transport or whatever to be the same?

[Kim]

Maybe designers want to avoid the association with Clive Sinclair (who, to his credit, was always thinking about this properly, even if the implementation was a bit naff)? 

[Cudzoziemiec]

But there are plenty of bikes (and trikes) with luggage capacity, built in lighting and covered transmission, it's just that few of them get sold in this country (though an increasing number do, it seems).

Of the designs above, the top one is interesting for being front-wheel drive only, something which has not yet been successfully implemented in any two-wheel vehicle to my knowledge.

[Kim]

Of the designs above, the top one is interesting for being front-wheel drive only, something which has not yet been successfully implemented in any two-wheel vehicle to my knowledge.

Raptobike.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Guggled it. Interesting. I see it (Raptobike) runs the chain in two sections, from cranks to a pulley above the front wheel then straight down the forks to minimise twisting when turning the front wheel. How well does it work? The design above has a much shorter, straight chain almost at right angles to the steering axis - could be a problem?

[Kim]

Guggled it. Interesting. I see it (Raptobike) runs the chain in two sections, from cranks to a pulley above the front wheel then straight down the forks to minimise twisting when turning the front wheel. How well does it work?

Paging EdinburghFixed.  EdinburghFixed to the cradle-mounted courtesy phone please...

I haven't ridden a Raptobike, but I've had a go on a Toxy lowracer with a similar drive arrangement.  Steering was limited (which is less of a problem than it sounds) and my leg got *covered* in oil.

The design above has a much shorter, straight chain almost at right angles to the steering axis - could be a problem?

I think what they've done is mount the bottom bracket to the steerable part of the frame - there's a strut to the fork that seems to suggest that.  Means the pedals move around as you steer (and with practice you should be able to ride no-hands), Flevobike-style.

[JennyB]

The design above has a much shorter, straight chain almost at right angles to the steering axis - could be a problem?

I think what they've done is mount the bottom bracket to the steerable part of the frame - there's a strut to the fork that seems to suggest that.  Means the pedals move around as you steer (and with practice you should be able to ride no-hands), Flevobike-style.

More like a Cruzbike. Seems to work OK there (but they've got chainstays). 

[Cudzoziemiec]

Yes, it looks like they have.

But what are the advantages of front-wheel drive for bikes? Generally, that might be adapted for upscribbles too - not a shorter, simpler and lighter chain.

[LEE]

Design students may as well move on to something else to be honest.

The future of bicycles won't look too different to this in my opinion.



Maybe with a belt drive instead of a chain, but an electric motor will become ubiquitous over the next 20 years.

Riding a recumbent, in jeans and T shirt, under a plastic canopy, in Australia, in summer.....really?

Come to think of it, the future of cycling won't look too different to this..

[Kim]

But what are the advantages of front-wheel drive for bikes? Generally, that might be adapted for upscribbles too - not a shorter, simpler and lighter chain.

Minimal, as far as I can see, other than two-wheel drive for mountain bikes (and the most sensible way to achieve that is with an electric motor in the front hub, which is cheating).  It makes real sense on a recumbent because it saves weight and avoids having to compromise on chainline or seat position.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Two wheel drive has been tried at various times with motorbikes but never really worked. Certainly hasn't made it into anything remotely resembling mainstream.

PM is probably right. From ordinary to safety in the 1880s, recumbents invented in the 1930s, now electrics - one big development every 50 years or so is probably the way cycling goes. Maybe when we're all very, very old something radical will come along and work.

[Kim]

I think there have been big developments more recently than that, but mainly in the world of tadpole recumbent trikes (eg. the elimination of brake steer).

Electric bicycle technology is now 'good enough', people just need to realise they want them - just look at Germany.  A revolution in battery technology could make it even better, of course, but a revolution in battery technology is going to change so many other technologies at the same time.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Making the first practical tadpole recumbent trike would be a big development but they've surely been around a while. I don't know what you have in mind but is it really a big development or a refinement?

[peterc]

Of the designs above, the top one is interesting for being front-wheel drive only, something which has not yet been successfully implemented in any two-wheel vehicle to my knowledge.

Raptobike.

...and the Burrows Ratracer SL I just sold. Lots of the Battle mountain bikes, and the Penny Farthing course, it's more a case that rear wheel drive is something of a young upstart. (I can't see it catching on myself.)

You do have to worry about torque steer if the drive side of the chain isn't basically parallel to the fork pivot line, Rapto bikes seem to have no major issues with this, but I've not tried one so can't say.

[uphillbothways]

Front wheel drive 'bents are brilliant - you save two chains worth of weight (plus chaintubes etc), and it massively simplifies the design of bikes with very low seat height. As a bonus, it becomes far easier to design a folding or separable recumbent. The only real vice of the Raptobike design is that the idler tends to nibble on your leg if you don't fit an idler cover, otherwise it performs impeccably. As far as I'm concerned, rear-wheel drive recumbents are essentially obsolete - Mike Burrows seems to concur.

[Kim]

Of course we wouldn't get very far in life if we disregarded everything that Mike Burrows considers to be obsolete 

[Lardy]

That middle one would tip over easily in fast corners.

The bottom one uses a lever drive? Given the wheel locations, tipping over in fast corners looks near certain.

Nope, neither will tip over. They'll be prevented from doing so by a tiny but immensely powerful computer-controlled electro-mechanical tilt system. If the the system determines that the vehcile can't be tilted any further then the small but immensely powerful EM brakes will be operated. And in doing so, the KERS will charge the tiny but immensely powerful battery. The latter will also power ABS the unit (which will be part and parcel of the above).

Motorcycles wil become two-wheel drive when electric motorbikes become the norm. As the technology develops and becomes smaller, the same will be applied to bicycles - and the line between electric bicycles, scooters/mopeds and motorcycles will be blurred.

'Course, I may be talking b*****ks.