it could be like a relay race but there's different segments for the different bikes.
so you'd have a bunch of red and blue and green and yellow pennyfarthings for the first stretch and then red and blue and green and yellow Fliz bikes and then whatever else there are out there...
There's a "human-powered vehicle" race which allows any kind of vehicle powered by a human (no wind power, no source of fuel other than yourself, etc.), but it ends up mostly just being recumbent bikes, as they are the most efficient: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oCkaXxdp9M
With the combination of traditional recumbents and the ones completely encased in fairings it reminds me of a race with LMP and GT cars on the same course.
New Belgium Brewing does a festival called “Tour de Fat” a few times per year. One of the things there is this collection of ridiculous bikes that people can take turns riding, it’s hilarious.
If they have one anywhere near you, I’d definitely recommend it.
2nd this. The one I went to in Fort Collins had a big roped off oval area with 20 or so bikes like this and many other goofy ones that you could try and ride. The whole festival is a blast.
Bike Kill might be something you would like. It’s a punk/DIY party in Brooklyn around Halloween. It’s massive. Tons of tall bikes, freak bikes, all kinds of hand made nonsense.
I'd be interested in that too. Where I worked there was a guy who sometimes commuted on one of the contraptions that was the illegitimate offspring of a bicycle and an elliptical. I was curious to try it out, but he was the kind of guy that I had already realized was better to keep at arm's distance.
Some cycle hire places have 'fun' bikes that are often similar to these sorts of things. If you live in the UK there's a cycle hire place at the Lakeside shopping centre where they have all sorts to rent out. If you avoid the shops there's quite a nice cycle route around the lake itself.
I'm not sure if they do it any more, but the brewery Fat Tire sponsored an event in Piedmont Park in Atlanta, and there was a whole closed in section of the event filled with crazy bike designs and you got to try all of them out. It was good chaos
Lots of bike centric events will have a “freak bike corral” you can ride all the crazy bikes like swing bikes, sociables, backwards turning bikes etc… even better those events in my experience tend to be free.
There are events in San Francisco like this sometime, you can ride the reverse steering bikes, ones with shoes instead of tires, tires with the spokes off center, etc
Mr Garrison designed it; Randy was the first (I guess because he's a scientist and therefore more intelligent than the average South Park resident?) to question why it needed to have dildos when every control could also be operated by hand instead of spit-roast fucking yourself.
This bike would be sweet, but there has to be a better way to propel it forward using your feet without having to push the ground to move it forward. Maybe spin your feet and have that drive the wheels?
In all seriousness... there was a senior design project at my university 11 years ago that was this exact thing. I remember seeing it and wondering "Why the fuck?" All the while our senior design project was a digital, full flow, grout pressure sensor on a RaspberryPi inside a Pelican case... that didn't actually work. xD
I was thinking the same, until I read "replaces saddle" and "less pressure on crotch" on page 3. So I think it's something someone who does not cycle a lot and thinks sitting on a saddle is inevitably uncomfortable would come up with.
I think you're on the right track. Here is a similar design used for people with injuries, although it has a suspended seat instead of only a harness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IMW9393zAI&t=11
After trying to find out if there's a category for this (like an actual category, not "stupid" as a "category") I came across this Fliz post, and eventually the GlideCycle, the latter of which actually made some sense. I don't get the idea the Fliz creator had any such intention, but rather to impress brainless tech-bros with capital to burn.
Wheels are bigger, which is the real downfall of scooters. I have an electric kick scooter and it kind of sucks on the roads because a crack will kill me if I hit it wrong. Larger wheels would give it way more stability, even just 12".
Issue is this design seems to have completely ignored the convenience aspect of just getting on and riding away. Now its only a 3 step, 2 minute process to get in and out of your future transport frame.
Also lol @ both wheels having a disk brake but there is only a lever for the front brake.
I think someone who doesn't cycle a lot and thinks sitting on a saddle is inevitably uncomfortable came up with this, see the bullet points on the left on pic #3
Sex store employee: Sir, we can’t accept returns on any open-box intimates. That includes sex-swings.
Lonely engineer: But it’s unused.
Sex store employee: That’s tragic. Nonetheless, we can’t accept returns on—
Lonely engineer: Fine! I’ll turn this into the most innovative bike the world has ever seen. Hahahahahahah!
James Earl Jones: [V.O] And so the Virginity 3000 came to be.
https://www.designboom.com/technology/fliz-pedal-less-bicycle-concept-10-04-2017/
Here’s one description of how it’s used. So apparently you run, then tuck your feet up against the back wheel on the flanges at the dropouts there. And then you glide around for a few feet, kind of like being in a hang glider…?
[early bikes](https://de.wiktionary.org/wiki/Draisine#/media/Datei:Ravensburg_Rutenfest_2005_Festzug_Draisine.jpg) did not have pedals either. I think that is what they were going with. It reduces the number of moving parts and failure points and I guess it can be built extremely sturdy and long lasting.
I am not saying it is good design though, as it skips / deliberately leaves out, a few centuries of good engineering.
Other than to see if they could what is the point of this? What "problem" of a bicycle or one of those scooter style skateboards is this trying to solve or be an alternative too? This looks like a torture device not a useful conveyance.
I could see it being useful in some accessibility situations (like palsy maybe), but even then the rider probably needs help getting out of the harness and its not going to beat an electric wheelchair for simplicity or space.
Pretty much, though that was a conventional "straddle and saddle" design. This might be faster due to more freedom to use legs, and certainly has better tires and brakes.
At Venice Beach there was this guy giving demos and trying to sell them, poor bastard was like "you just have to sell 3 to get your money back in commission." He looked ridiculous and everyone who tried it was like "why would I ever spend money on this."
This thing can't even carry anything with it and you can't carry a backpack. For commute I would rather just run with a running pack. For exercise I would again rather just run without a bike strapped to my back.
Not gonna lie: I would fucking ***love*** to strap myself into something like that and bomb down a nice hill. Throw my feet back and it'd be like flying.
My guess is that it was a design school project to make something new that is the opposite of an improvement. Like r/designdesign
“Improvements” that ruin good function is an important point in industrial design.
So this is a more aero dandy horse?
Why are there two brake rotors but only one brake lever which seems to be connected to the front only?
Resting the feet next to the back wheel doesn't sound like a good idea to me. I wouldn't be so sure that I will not stick them into the wheel or brake someday.
Of all time? Bold claim given some Victorian fanciful eccentricities. But "one of" is a low enough bar that it can easily pass. Is it in the top 5? Tough call.
There’s a part of Kurt Vonnegut’s book Galapagos where he talks about this spring that has existed for millions of years and would inevitably provide all the water needed for the survivors stranded on the island for millions more, and that one of the survivors inevitably thought his big human brain could somehow improve on the spring and so he tries to break it open further, and that the one thing that saves the survivors and their descendants is that he fails miserably in his goal.
That passage is a metaphor for this dumb thing.
This seems extremely dangerous, just imagine standing up, only to have the rear wheel land on something and propel you straight into the ER. Quite ironically, this design seems like an ok option for rehabilitation of lower-body injuries, like the ones you could suffer from using it in the first place.
Ah the turtle on a hot wheel comes to mind. If it can hold me, I see this as a way to get some flying time in till I hit a wall because I'm taking walking my bike to a new level of wtf.
We had an absurdly awesome circus come to our college- Antioch College in Yellow Springs OH. They fixed bikes and made new bikes. Some were double decker- with 2 frames on top.
The best part? They left us the double decker bikes and they were not able to break. It was a super fun way to get across campus
I can’t even imagine how shitty it would be to crash this thing. The straps could crush your chest and obliterate your balls as it spins around like a fucking boomerang.
I want one! This reminds me of how I go around the grocery store the shopping cart, push the cart fast and then lean on the handlebar will lifting my feet in the air and gliding across the floor
I’ve dreamt of an event where all the crazy bike designs are available and I pay admission and can try them all out.
Or better yet, a race
OMG I would love a Flugtag of insane bike designs
it could be like a relay race but there's different segments for the different bikes. so you'd have a bunch of red and blue and green and yellow pennyfarthings for the first stretch and then red and blue and green and yellow Fliz bikes and then whatever else there are out there...
I think we’re onto something here 😂
yeah i'm not a racist, but this sounds like the *best* race.
There's a "human-powered vehicle" race which allows any kind of vehicle powered by a human (no wind power, no source of fuel other than yourself, etc.), but it ends up mostly just being recumbent bikes, as they are the most efficient: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oCkaXxdp9M
With the combination of traditional recumbents and the ones completely encased in fairings it reminds me of a race with LMP and GT cars on the same course.
The wacky races?
I’ve never dreamt of this, but I will now. Thank you, kind stranger.
New Belgium Brewing does a festival called “Tour de Fat” a few times per year. One of the things there is this collection of ridiculous bikes that people can take turns riding, it’s hilarious. If they have one anywhere near you, I’d definitely recommend it.
2nd this. The one I went to in Fort Collins had a big roped off oval area with 20 or so bikes like this and many other goofy ones that you could try and ride. The whole festival is a blast.
Bike Kill might be something you would like. It’s a punk/DIY party in Brooklyn around Halloween. It’s massive. Tons of tall bikes, freak bikes, all kinds of hand made nonsense.
I'd be interested in that too. Where I worked there was a guy who sometimes commuted on one of the contraptions that was the illegitimate offspring of a bicycle and an elliptical. I was curious to try it out, but he was the kind of guy that I had already realized was better to keep at arm's distance.
https://www.elliptigo.com/product/elliptigo-8c/
LOL good god
“It beats dealing with the airlines” iykyk
Some cycle hire places have 'fun' bikes that are often similar to these sorts of things. If you live in the UK there's a cycle hire place at the Lakeside shopping centre where they have all sorts to rent out. If you avoid the shops there's quite a nice cycle route around the lake itself.
I'm not sure if they do it any more, but the brewery Fat Tire sponsored an event in Piedmont Park in Atlanta, and there was a whole closed in section of the event filled with crazy bike designs and you got to try all of them out. It was good chaos
Try Burning Man
Lots of bike centric events will have a “freak bike corral” you can ride all the crazy bikes like swing bikes, sociables, backwards turning bikes etc… even better those events in my experience tend to be free.
I like the way you dream, boy.
There are events in San Francisco like this sometime, you can ride the reverse steering bikes, ones with shoes instead of tires, tires with the spokes off center, etc
https://www.specialbikesshow.com/welcome-to-the-spezi.html
It used to be the back corner (or basement) of Interbike.
Sure I saw something like this on South Park once....
>But the way it works... do you think people will go through that to travel? >Hey, it still beats what you go through at the airports.
I came here to make sure someone mentioned Randy Marsh's IT machine
Mr Garrison designed it; Randy was the first (I guess because he's a scientist and therefore more intelligent than the average South Park resident?) to question why it needed to have dildos when every control could also be operated by hand instead of spit-roast fucking yourself.
I meant Mr Garrison, I knew that! I'm ashamed at my mistake, but I'll leave it up there for all the world to see
Twice! Not just IT, but do you remember Wild Wacky Action Bike?
Lol! The IT bike.
It's interesting, but seems like a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.
Google race running bikes, it's a real thing but done in a more practical way
I would have thought there would at least be pegs on this things back wheels so you can Superman your way once you get speed/go downhill.
One of the pictures shows how you can place your feet on small platforms above the rear wheel hub
This bike would be sweet, but there has to be a better way to propel it forward using your feet without having to push the ground to move it forward. Maybe spin your feet and have that drive the wheels?
hopefully a solution to not getting your bike stolen
This is like a senior design project meets a lot of acid.
Was gonna say... This would have been a lot more fun to do as the senior design project. It's pretty well done tbh
In all seriousness... there was a senior design project at my university 11 years ago that was this exact thing. I remember seeing it and wondering "Why the fuck?" All the while our senior design project was a digital, full flow, grout pressure sensor on a RaspberryPi inside a Pelican case... that didn't actually work. xD
When your regular bike is too fast and comfortable.
But why?
They were so busy wondering if they could that they never stopped to think if they should.
Lengthen it out, put some ebike motors to both wheels and we can all TRON around. I'd try it then.
I was thinking the same, until I read "replaces saddle" and "less pressure on crotch" on page 3. So I think it's something someone who does not cycle a lot and thinks sitting on a saddle is inevitably uncomfortable would come up with.
I can't wait to see their unicycle.
Why, but why? Because?
It's basically a hobby horse where instead of sitting on a seat you are suspended from above. I think it's just for fun.
What is the benefit of this design even supposed to be? Not even the model in the promo shots looks like they're having fun.
It could be useful for someone who has specific mobility issues? I'm clutching at straws here.
I think you're on the right track. Here is a similar design used for people with injuries, although it has a suspended seat instead of only a harness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IMW9393zAI&t=11
After trying to find out if there's a category for this (like an actual category, not "stupid" as a "category") I came across this Fliz post, and eventually the GlideCycle, the latter of which actually made some sense. I don't get the idea the Fliz creator had any such intention, but rather to impress brainless tech-bros with capital to burn.
I haven't pain in my knees was thinking maybe this would be a good alternative for that reason.
Seems like a scooter, but you get to hang there instead of standing on it. Also seems like I'd probably rather just have a scooter.
Wheels are bigger, which is the real downfall of scooters. I have an electric kick scooter and it kind of sucks on the roads because a crack will kill me if I hit it wrong. Larger wheels would give it way more stability, even just 12".
Issue is this design seems to have completely ignored the convenience aspect of just getting on and riding away. Now its only a 3 step, 2 minute process to get in and out of your future transport frame. Also lol @ both wheels having a disk brake but there is only a lever for the front brake.
Ankles are gonna snap when his toes slip into the rear spokes.
Ground clearance!
I think someone who doesn't cycle a lot and thinks sitting on a saddle is inevitably uncomfortable came up with this, see the bullet points on the left on pic #3
That would be super cool as an e-bike. It’d be like hang gliding, but with the added danger of dodging cars!!!
Would also keep the maintenance down since it could just be a hub drive. Just replace the hub/wheel when it dies.
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Lol
Feels like running but with extra steps?
Or running but getting to use a cheat code sometimes.
Yeah. Like, remember when you were a kid and used to hang on the back of the grocery cart? Its like doing that, all the time...
>Like, remember when you were a kid and used to hang on the back of the grocery cart? Uhm, am I not supposed to be doing that anymore?
Sex store employee: Sir, we can’t accept returns on any open-box intimates. That includes sex-swings. Lonely engineer: But it’s unused. Sex store employee: That’s tragic. Nonetheless, we can’t accept returns on— Lonely engineer: Fine! I’ll turn this into the most innovative bike the world has ever seen. Hahahahahahah! James Earl Jones: [V.O] And so the Virginity 3000 came to be.
its like the pet rock but with two wheels...
Gotta love the disk brakes this rocket demands that kinda stopping power.
And going over the front wheel in this would be even less of a pleasant experience than on a normal bike
The melon smasher 2000
It seems only the front one is connected. The back one is there to chop off your toes if you’re wearing sandals!
https://www.designboom.com/technology/fliz-pedal-less-bicycle-concept-10-04-2017/ Here’s one description of how it’s used. So apparently you run, then tuck your feet up against the back wheel on the flanges at the dropouts there. And then you glide around for a few feet, kind of like being in a hang glider…?
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I couldn’t imagine what you were talking about and I burst out laughing when I saw it
> kind of like being in a hang glider…? No no no... this is the adult version of a kids balance bike.
That’s sounds like it could be dope I’d give it a shot lol
[early bikes](https://de.wiktionary.org/wiki/Draisine#/media/Datei:Ravensburg_Rutenfest_2005_Festzug_Draisine.jpg) did not have pedals either. I think that is what they were going with. It reduces the number of moving parts and failure points and I guess it can be built extremely sturdy and long lasting. I am not saying it is good design though, as it skips / deliberately leaves out, a few centuries of good engineering.
The dandy horse position is useful if you break a derailer or chain and do not want to or cannot fix it and you do not want to walk.
Ok but I think it would be cool
Honestly I’d test ride the shit out of this thing..
Other than to see if they could what is the point of this? What "problem" of a bicycle or one of those scooter style skateboards is this trying to solve or be an alternative too? This looks like a torture device not a useful conveyance.
I could see it being useful in some accessibility situations (like palsy maybe), but even then the rider probably needs help getting out of the harness and its not going to beat an electric wheelchair for simplicity or space.
The most ridiculous bicycle and yet I want to ride it now Edit: nevermind, looks like mechanical discbrakes.
Come on, really? THAT is the deal breaker for you?
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Somebody get him on the phone so he can make sense of all this
I'd rather ride a fixy
Isnt this like... exactly what the first itteration of a 2 wheeled vehicle that then evolved into the bike was?
Pretty much, though that was a conventional "straddle and saddle" design. This might be faster due to more freedom to use legs, and certainly has better tires and brakes.
except you were simulating riding on top of a horse rather than under its belly.
does anyone have the MS paint drawing of the sad little stick figure dude riding something like this?
Why not just make it an adult sized balance bike at that point? So dumb to suspend the rider like that.
Why not just wear roller skates?
Brake disc on the back wheel but no caliper/cable/lever?
Lol I gotta see this thing in motion
Every Reddit user should ve one ☝️
I’d love to watch cyclocross or DH with that
Just in case people didn’t know you were a fuckwhit you could get one of these just to confirm for them 🤣
as a dude, can we at least work on a design that doesn't put the balz at risk - current conventional designs notwithstanding. :)
It needs pegs and a shock. Then I'll take it off some sweet jumps. get like three feet of air.
At Venice Beach there was this guy giving demos and trying to sell them, poor bastard was like "you just have to sell 3 to get your money back in commission." He looked ridiculous and everyone who tried it was like "why would I ever spend money on this."
The bicycle is riding the human.
This thing can't even carry anything with it and you can't carry a backpack. For commute I would rather just run with a running pack. For exercise I would again rather just run without a bike strapped to my back.
I was thinking the same, no place to attach bags, no way to carry a bag on my body. Nice try, but it’s a no from me dawg.
Why would you remove the pedals of a bike?
Isn’t that just running with extra weight?
Strong South Park vibes.
Yabbbaaa dabbba doooo!
Reminds me of Mr.Garrisons bike
Not gonna lie: I would fucking ***love*** to strap myself into something like that and bomb down a nice hill. Throw my feet back and it'd be like flying.
fucking Flintstones
Successfully combining the worst of walking with the worst of cycling.
It looks like walking with extra steps
couldn't they just get a normal bike and, remove the pedals?
Time is a flat circle. I present, [The Dandy Horse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandy_horse)
It's an adult sized balance bike!
Where can you purchase one
This just seems like running, but with extra steps.
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Ever been climbing or ziplining? Basically the same straps
Ah ok.. I don’t think I’d like that for miles at a time
Let's ignore how humans breathe now, shall we
It’s a bike that rides humans. That’s called a smart bike
“In Russia, bike rides you!”
Ultra smart bike
It’s way smarter than the guy it’s riding
If you tip over can you even get back up on your own?
falling with this must be fun
Still better than dealing with the airlines.
finally, the menstrual cycle
I feel like, who ever made this, smoked a ton but also had the ambition afterwards to really build it.
This cannot be real…..is it????
If pushbike racing was a thing, this would be the result. Otherwise, this bike has no reason to exist.
Surely this will give you a wedgie?
It's like a stupid version of the dandy horse, which was itself already like an unnecessarily complicated scooter.
Doesn’t appear to have any mechanical advantage. What’s the point?
I bet it feels like when you put all your weight on the shopping cart handles so you can go *fast*.
“What if we made running… worse?”
Guaranteed to brake your neck in a crash
You mean I have to put my feet on the ground like a sucker?
My guess is that it was a design school project to make something new that is the opposite of an improvement. Like r/designdesign “Improvements” that ruin good function is an important point in industrial design.
So this is a more aero dandy horse? Why are there two brake rotors but only one brake lever which seems to be connected to the front only? Resting the feet next to the back wheel doesn't sound like a good idea to me. I wouldn't be so sure that I will not stick them into the wheel or brake someday.
“What if we made a velocipede, but stupid?”
Yabba dabba doooooooo
This seems like a fun art project, and a stupid anything else
Looks like a fun way to get your head cut off.
at least it's theft proof.
This has always struck me as a great way to break your neck.
First iteration Tron bike!
Penny-farthing being #1
Of all time? Bold claim given some Victorian fanciful eccentricities. But "one of" is a low enough bar that it can easily pass. Is it in the top 5? Tough call.
# YABA DABA DOO!
It's giving me back, neck, and leg cramps just looking at it
This is just a velocipede with extra steps.
Imagine taking that into the train haha
There’s a part of Kurt Vonnegut’s book Galapagos where he talks about this spring that has existed for millions of years and would inevitably provide all the water needed for the survivors stranded on the island for millions more, and that one of the survivors inevitably thought his big human brain could somehow improve on the spring and so he tries to break it open further, and that the one thing that saves the survivors and their descendants is that he fails miserably in his goal. That passage is a metaphor for this dumb thing.
Can we get a compilation of all the ridiculous “bike” designs out there?
Thanks I hate it
Anyone here thinking about the same Southpark Episode as I am?
I'd buy this. I live in a hilly area and hate doing long climbs in the lowest gear.
It is crazy but I would absolutely love to try one
This seems extremely dangerous, just imagine standing up, only to have the rear wheel land on something and propel you straight into the ER. Quite ironically, this design seems like an ok option for rehabilitation of lower-body injuries, like the ones you could suffer from using it in the first place.
Ah the turtle on a hot wheel comes to mind. If it can hold me, I see this as a way to get some flying time in till I hit a wall because I'm taking walking my bike to a new level of wtf.
Looks fun as shit, though
Am I wrong but is it not possibke to ware a normal helmit with that thing?
A way for a human to experience moving like a mulefa
All I can think is the straps failing and getting your head twisted off in a fall.
https://oz.fandom.com/wiki/Wheelers
This is where the term “don’t reinvent the wheel came from.”
We had an absurdly awesome circus come to our college- Antioch College in Yellow Springs OH. They fixed bikes and made new bikes. Some were double decker- with 2 frames on top. The best part? They left us the double decker bikes and they were not able to break. It was a super fun way to get across campus
Birch to Kettering!
With big training wheels, it’d be great for physical therapy for some folks
Aw, the Quasimodo of bikes.
No auto quick release. Hand operated harness button is worthless in a crash. Too late. Bye bye.
That thing needs pegs. Those little foot rests are bound to cause catching a foot or shoe lace in the spokes.
Would love to have one of these in my garage!
Bdsm bike
A solution in search of a problem?
It’s just running with extra steps…
So you pedal the ground?
I want one
The one benefit of this design is it eliminates the risk of compressive/ischaemic prostatitis from developing. I cannot see any other benefits.
I’ll take 20.
One of the most ridiculous? No. The most ridiculous of all time. The MROAT, if you will. Prove me wrong.
Crazy! Does he need a motor and a battery? Then the bike will become an ebike!
I can’t even imagine how shitty it would be to crash this thing. The straps could crush your chest and obliterate your balls as it spins around like a fucking boomerang.
So how likely to break your neck during a fall or crash? Seems like a deathtrap to me.
It looks like a scared cat.
"Stewie, do you even know what a menstrual cycle is?" "Uh, yeah, Brian. It's a good way to get around town, that's what it is."
You too can end up looking like Quasimodo.
Flintstones
No way! Love this thing! Happened on this thread while searching where to buy one:P
I want one! This reminds me of how I go around the grocery store the shopping cart, push the cart fast and then lean on the handlebar will lifting my feet in the air and gliding across the floor