Hyperbike: Great, But We're Not Riding It

It's good to see NASA hasn't lost touch with good, practicle design philosophy and has made a sensible alternative to a Bicycle. I can see the streets full of these in a few years time!

N.B.

Main Entry: ¹bi·cy·cle
Pronunciation: 'bI-si-k&l, -"si- also -"sI-
Function: noun
Etymology: French, from bi- + -cycle (as in tricycle)
: a vehicle with two wheels tandem, handlebars for steering, a saddle seat, and pedals by which it is propelled; also : a stationary exercise machine that resembles such a vehicle

Well, its not really a bicycle but a tricycle. Besides, out of such research comes new ideas that weren't even being looked for. The post-it note adhesive was a "failed" result by a researcher looking for a better adhesive.

I can't think of a better project for NASA to fund, can you?

What a joke and with our taxpayer dollars yet.

Leave it to NASA, because I can't think where in this world you could ride something like that .... let alone at 50 mph.

I think NASA is "riding" us.

That looks great! If you get tired, head up a hill and stop, roll back and try to stop again, and you have a real moon-walker, returning all that wasted blood to your head. Suddenly. It might not work much better on a down hill stop.

RichH

This thing is just so stupid. The inventor claims that speeds of 50 MPH are possible, but that's pure rubbish. He's apparently based that on the gear ratios alone, without accounting for the horrible aerodynamics, the moment of inertia of the needlessly gigantic wheels, or the tremendous weight of the contraption itself. I'm all for odd pursuits, but don't try to tell me it's some sort of design and engineering breakthrough when it's really just a poorly considered pile of pipe.