What if the Auto Industry Designed Bicycles?

[Bicycle Bob]

Human Power output has been well studied. The lungs are the real limitation on power output, long term. The most famous human powered aircraft are a mix of upright and recumbent types. Power output variations were down in the noise of packaging considerations.
Cyclic torque variability is not much of a problem on a road vehicle compared to a prop driven one, and flywheels are often proposed but never used, even on human powered boats.

[VWCw]

on a less comical note, there's this.

[fidalgoman]

One of the cost factors for sure is safety. Check this out. Gives you a greater appreciation of vehicle requirements in the US.

LINK

Check out some of the other Chinese crash test as well.

Um, I think I put this in the wrong thread. I had several threads open and was being pestered to do something for my wife. Sorry, I don't know where to put it.

[Piwoslaw]

Originally Posted by VWCw

on a less comical note, there's this.

They call that an electric bike?? An electric scooter - maybe, but not a bike. That thing doesn't even have pedals!

The VW bik.e has a range of 12.5 miles, but if you need more range to complete your errands, the bike battery can be charged by a car's DC current and a typical AC plug.

Put some pedals on it and you can increase its range and be independent from AC or DC power at the same time.

OK, now that I've calmed down a little... I sometimes throw my bike into the trunk and ride it after leaving the car either at the edge of downtown or when it goes to get serviced. The best of both worlds...

[Thymeclock]

They call that an electric bike?? An electric scooter - maybe, but not a bike. That thing doesn't even have pedals!

Well, the design curve looks a bit like an inverted beetle.

I'm wondering what good this would do in a snow or a rainstorm? Maybe it never rains or snows in Germany? I don't think so...

Oh, now I get it! It never rains or snows in the VW lab where the engineers dreamed this thing up.

[NiHaoMike]

Originally Posted by Piwoslaw

They call that an electric bike?? An electric scooter - maybe, but not a bike. That thing doesn't even have pedals!



Put some pedals on it and you can increase its range and be independent from AC or DC power at the same time.

OK, now that I've calmed down a little... I sometimes throw my bike into the trunk and ride it after leaving the car either at the edge of downtown or when it goes to get serviced. The best of both worlds...

If it had pedals, it would be a hybrid, not pure electric. I think the problem with trying to add pedals is the drive connection, since it must fold up. Regular chains won't work because of that.

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by NiHaoMike

If it had pedals, it would be a hybrid, not pure electric. I think the problem with trying to add pedals is the drive connection, since it must fold up. Regular chains won't work because of that.

In German, a "bike" would be a fahrrad. Actually the Germans don't really have a word that corresponds directly to the concept of a two-wheeled cycle the way the French do (bicyclette or velo) from which we get our words bicycle and velocipede.

Well, if my grandmother had wheels, maybe she'd be a BUS, eh?.

Time for the Volkswagen Krauts to get out of their engineering lab and get on a real bike.

[shockware]

Ferrai Bicycles if you really want a fast bicycle

[Christopher Jordan]

If car companies recalled the Zap PU and put a V-8 in.... throw eco-friendly out the window; but what a thrilling suicide run! Being in a newer temporary (for me) apartment, no outlets are in the 50 car garage downstairs. I charge and leave the E-Pod at my old garage. I have to keep my gas-guzzling car here to get it. Not really good planning in my opinion.

[Christopher Jordan]

Nailed VW. Now; the other 3:
My other car's a bike | Life & Style