Recumbent Monorail - City people mover?

[WhiteSilvio]

Hi,
I happened to catch this on the TV last night, and I want one for my city, or rather I want a whole network. I reckon it could be fitted in with existing transport corridors and maybe even "electrified" to give say a couple of hundred watt motor up to maybe 1000watts.
Looks interesting.
Oh and I reckon the pod has a double chainring on the BB so it's actually 14 speed; but I could be wrong.

Click on the picture "Shweebin' in NZ" (Presumably it will end up under the tab "NZ and Pacific" but for the moment it's on the linked page)

Can't afford a streamliner? This might substitute, and it could be easily adapted to carry a small amount of "luggage".

Have fun.
John R

 

[MrSteve]

Awesome!

I did not notice how the pods adjust for different X-seams?

 

[Mark B]

That's way cool.... I want one!!!

Mark

 

[Gromit]

Found the direct link to the video.

 

[WhiteSilvio]

yakmurph wrote: Awesome! I did not notice how the pods adjust for different X-seams?

Hi Steve/yakmurph,

I think that the seat moves on the bottom frame rails. The drive arrangement, up to the top, seems to be totally "fixed" (relative to the pod and it's hanging wheels), and you just move the seat up to it or away from it. Clever not having the drive frame as part of the seat support frame, not unlike the Sigma adjustment arrangement. Sort of logical when one thinks about it.

Regards,
John R
PS thanks for the Direct link Gromit. Not quite the same as cheese, but useful, and less fattening!

 

[Mark B]

Those cars are pretty boxy. I can only imagine how fast they would be if you would streamline them a little. Also, what if you could link multiples!??! :shock: I bet that would be stupid fast!

Seriously, if people weren't so lazy, this could be a legit form of transportation through some heavily commuted corridors in all kinds of weather. Too bad it will probably never see the light of day as anything other than recreation. I only hope that this is not what cycling is reduced to someday.

Mark

 

[WhiteSilvio]

Mark B wrote: Those cars are pretty boxy. I can only imagine how fast they would be if you would streamline them a little. Also, what if you could link multiples!??! :shock: I bet that would be stupid fast!

Seriously, if people weren't so lazy, this could be a legit form of transportation through some heavily commuted corridors in all kinds of weather. Too bad it will probably never see the light of day as anything other than recreation. I only hope that this is not what cycling is reduced to someday.

Mark

Maybe we may see more of this design?? Check out shweeb.com
Here's a link to a Youtube video by the designer.Shweeb explained.
Someone with some vision.
Enjoy. Regards
John R

 

[Mark B]

I love the idea. I think it would be great to have a transportation system such as this. However, one must keep in mind the laziness of the human animal. This will probably never see the light of day as a serious mode of transportation until every drop of oil has been used up, every bit of electricity we can muster is being used and there are no other alternatives.

Mark

 

[MrSteve]

Mark B wrote: I love the idea. I think it would be great to have a transportation system such as this. However, one must keep in mind the laziness of the human animal. This will probably never see the light of day as a serious mode of transportation until every drop of oil has been used up, every bit of electricity we can muster is being used and there are no other alternatives.

Mark

In general, I agree.
Here's a counter-proposal:
Build the the things and focus the marketing efforts to... target people like us;
Build them so that they generate electricity.

Look at all the possible positive points!
-We get to exercise, have fun and burn delicious calories.
-We get to be 'Green' while we 'offset' some carbon.
-We get to generate power while we're being 'Green' and offsetting some carbon.
It would help if we, the 'generators', get a chit/receipt for the electricity generated,
to be honoured by the local power company.

I wonder if laziness would be overcome by greed?
You know, get off the couch... make power... your power bill shrinks....

---

Basically, I want one!



-Steve

 

[currystomper]

Mark B wrote: Those cars are pretty boxy. I can only imagine how fast they would be if you would streamline them a little. Also, what if you could link multiples!??! :shock: I bet that would be stupid fast!
Mark

There was a piece on british TV about these a couple of years ago - the main idea seem to be that you naturally "chain gang" together on the track and then can go faster as there are many of you punching though a single hole in the air. This idea seems to be lost in the racing of the two cars in the video.....

..I'd love to try it out. I would if there is a way to 'gang' many Cruz bikes together - it would be a blast (assuming the guy in the front was a good driver!!)

CS

 

[Mark B]

yakmurph wrote: Build them so that they generate electricity.

Look at all the possible positive points!
-We get to exercise, have fun and burn delicious calories.
-We get to be 'Green' while we 'offset' some carbon.
-We get to generate power while we're being 'Green' and offsetting some carbon.
It would help if we, the 'generators', get a chit/receipt for the electricity generated,
to be honoured by the local power company.

I wonder if laziness would be overcome by greed?
You know, get off the couch... make power... your power bill shrinks....

---

Basically, I want one!



-Steve

Nice thought, that could work. I just keep thinking that people go out of their way to make excuses:

1. Don't want to get sweaty before work
2. Have to go to the store/daycare/bar/brothel (fill in your personal afterwork destination)
3. People might see me on that thing.
4. It gets in the way of my smoking.
5. Who knows who was in that car before me? EWWWW!

There's more, I'm sure. But I agree; I want one, to and I sure as heck would ride it!

Mark

 

[WhiteSilvio]

currystomper wrote:

Mark B wrote: Those cars are pretty boxy. I can only imagine how fast they would be if you would streamline them a little. Also, what if you could link multiples!??! :shock: I bet that would be stupid fast!
Mark

There was a piece on British TV about these a couple of years ago - the main idea seem to be that you naturally "chain gang" together on the track and then can go faster as there are many of you punching though a single hole in the air. This idea seems to be lost in the racing of the two cars in the video.....

..I'd love to try it out. I would if there is a way to 'gang' many Cruz bikes together - it would be a blast (assuming the guy in the front was a good driver!!)

CS

Hi Currystomper,
Check out the "Shweeb explained" video. The designer talks about linking pods together and elsewhere in the video there are little "trains" of pods doing tours through and over all kinds of terrain. (Clearly an animation of what could be.)

On the point about "ganging" Cruz bikes I'm not sure how this would work, but I have seen (but can't remember offhand the make) delta trikes hooked together. They remove the front wheel and then tow the next one and the next and...... end up with a train, a bit like the "luggage movers" at airports, or the trackless trains at fairs, but obviously human powered only.

Regards,
John R.

 

[John Tolhurst]

I puzzle about track switching to get us where we actually want to be. If its a fixed speed fixed route then its like a train, and if so, I think I'd rather be in a train.

 

[currystomper]

John

You are ahead of us again - Even if you can over come the problem of track switching, if you have two tracks coming together with traffic on them you have the same problems as 'normal' traffic. :roll: :roll:

How the idea looks interesting for train replacement, for fairly long commutes. :idea: But what you really need is a system where you can ride your Cruz into a pod, ride the pod train and then use you Cruz at the other end of the journey.

There is a design challenge!!

CS

 

[Peder Torgersen]

This might not be the ultimate solution for transportation for the future.
But it has some good sides one that I thought about is that it should be able to be equipped so the rider will get fresh filtered air in polluted areas.

One thought was because of the volcano on Iceland we are affected the planes can’t fly and the dust is falling down here.
Volcanoes aren’t normally a big problem but bad air in many cities is a big problem many places.
Transportation will probably change in the future and I hope there will be clean air for bikes to ride on the street safely.

Peder

 

[Sylvain]

Bicycle trains could also be a nice alternative, for groups. Big ones could attain 100 km/h...
http://fitnesscar.free.fr/une_solution_de_transport.html

A couple of years ago, I also read on the IHPVA forum about the project of building enclosed elevated pressurized bicycle paths. Giant fans would make the bicycles faster. And no rain, no snow. Did anyone see it?