So, why do I feel compelled to ride it then?
What the hell is it you ask? Good question. As discussed in The Week, and Gizmodo, it's an invention they found on Kickstarter, called the "halfbike."
First of all, it's not a "bike." It has three wheels, making it a "trike" or "halftrike."
The inventors (who are trying to raise $80,000 in order to mass produce it for hipsters too cool for conventional bikes or even fixies) are trying to market it as a commuter. Does this really look like a useful or convenient way to get to work? They also point out that it is small enough to fit in an elevator (my Secteur fits fine in the elevator at my office, thank you) and light enough to carry up stairs. Hey, I'd be the first one to point out that hipsters are generally lacking in upper body strength, but I daresay that even they could probably handle lugging a twenty pound bike up a few flights of stairs.
The halftrike pretty much abandons all the things that make a bike a bike (including two wheels):
"The Halfbike completely does away with a seat, and even handlebars, requiring riders to remain standing while they grasp a vertical shaft to help keep balanced."
Nothing quite as invigorating as grasping a vertical shaft in order to maintain balance first thing in the morning I always say!
Disclaimer: the following video is not a Portlandia or SNL skit. It is an an actual attempt to make you want to fund this project and/or buy a halftrike.
(If you are accessing "The Bikeist" from a smartphone, you may need to follow this link to watch the embedded video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSO8AJBYLRU.
Why would I want to commute on something so uncomfortable and that I could probably outrun? This thing makes less sense to me than that crazy Elliptigo contraption:
Not buying it. But, if someone sends me one, I'll be glad to test-ride it and post video right here on this very blog-site. So, if you have about $800 or so you don't know what to do with, let's have some fun with the halftrike!
No comments:
Post a Comment