Wikipedia says the bike most popular car around the world. It even has an official day. June 3rd. It was invented in the 19th century as an alternative horse-drawn carts, which has been the most common for centuries. What could you afford. The alternative was to walk. The bike has managed to make short trips more bearable. And long. As early as 1935, the first documented cycling trip was made. Europe, Asia and USA. By sea, of course, by boat. And another curiosity, the first bicycles were without pedals. Something that is back in fashion today. At least there are those who are betting on it.
Modern bicycles are very similar in terms of their basic shape and structure. They change Manufacturing materials, gears, braking system and/or tire type. But once you saw the bike, you could recognize them all. This was not the case in the early years of the bicycle, when ingenuity was not always practical. There are models with giant wheels, or with a giant wheel and a tiny one. Bikes that were difficult to get on and off but were relatively successful. There were also more comfortable ones, with two rear wheels and one front.
Today we have bikes for everyone imaginary earth. Walking, pirouettes in the air, climbing mountains undisturbed, covering long distances, breaking speed records… And they all use pedals. Thanks to the pedals, we reduce the effort required to move the bike. That is why it is more convenient to ride a bicycle than to walk. Unless you’re going uphill. Nowadays there are different types of pedals: simple, grippy, folding, magnetic…
It’s over. If you search the Internet for bicycles without pedals, you will find models for the smallest. Very comfortable models in which you sit and you only need to move your legs to move. But as we get older, our parents give us bicycles with pedals. First with three or four wheels, so as not to fall to the ground at the first pedaling. And finally, we learn with only two wheels. But the pedals are always there. So, if the pedal is so important to the movement of the bike, why bicycles without pedals? Genius or extravagance?
fleece
We’ll start with the Fliz, a pedalless bike model born in Germany. Its official page hosted on Blogger is in German. For the first time something about this bike was published in the summer of 2012. There are also mentions of him in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2018. Since then, we know little about the project. There was a prototype that we managed to capture in photographs. Sometimes there is even a video of the Fliz bike moving. But if you try to buy them, it will be difficult for you.
The authors of this idea are Tom Hambrock and Jüri Spetter, two German engineers. As written on the project page, they were inspired by one of the first modern pedalless bikes from the German manufacturer Laufrad. “We have created bicycle concept healthy and ecological mobility in a crowded urban space”. What the Fliz bike does is combine cycling with walking. And you have to move your legs to make the bike move. When it reaches a certain speed, you can raise your legs and save energy.
Although we can see what Fliz is like in the videos and photos, it is worth describing it. Traditionally, it consists of two identical wheels. Front, with traditional steering wheel with brakes. But everything changes in the central part. There is no seat. And the center strip is above us where we find a harness to which we must tie ourselves to make it more convenient. Come on, if you ride the Fliese, you’ll be hanged.
If you’re interested in getting one of these bikes without pedals, you’re in for a hard time. You can try your luck by contacting its creators. On his official page you will find the address Email address. But looking in bike shops, it is impossible to find it. Moreover, in Cuora, a Q&A platform, someone asks why it didn’t work out. And the answers set her back by one and a half. Basically they criticize the need walk with herits exaggerated size, that there is no place on it to carry something, maneuverability…
Lofrad
Name Lofrad it is relatively popular in Germany. This bicycle manufacturer, according to its official website, over 30 years of experience in the production and sale of children’s, road and even electric bicycles. And in its catalog we can find bicycles without pedals. Obviously, for the little ones and not so much. But they also have a model for older ones. Literally.
Its creator is an octogenarian Albrecht Schnitzer. Although he was assisted by his son Heinrich Schnitzer. The idea was so well received that they formed their own company, verywho makes this bike for Lofrad, which sells them in its physical and online stores. Available in six colors and you can purchase add-ons such as travel bags. I don’t know if bikes without pedals are sold outside of Germany.
The idea of this bike without pedals, made of carbon fiber and with aluminum wheels, is to offer Adults an alternative to facilitate their mobility and does not imply stigma, as is the case with walkers. The result is a bike that doesn’t require you to know how to ride a bike. That is, since you have to move your legs to move it, there is no balance problem. Other than that, it’s a normal bike with brakes and a saddle you can sit on. It just doesn’t have pedals or chain. It weighs approximately 4.5 kg and can withstand loads up to 100 kg.
Levicul
Innovation has its risks. We have seen two examples. The one that went wrong and the one that went right. FROM Levicul It also wasn’t as expected. He came at the wrong time. But it deserves a mention for being a pedalless bike that looks a lot like electric scooters what we see today in many cities. There are those that have a saddle closer to motorcycles than to the original skateboards or scooters. Come on, the invention was on the right track, but the electric motor was missing function in the market. The competition from scooters was too strong.
Person responsible for Levicul New Zealand inventor and entrepreneur Tom Mackenzie. After several prototypes of bicycles without pedals, in which 19th century models with wheels of different sizes were restored, he eventually developed a model of a bicycle very close to scooters. It was a bike in which you sat comfortably. You only needed to move your feet on the ground from time to time to get the bike going. Levicul. Perfect for getting around town and commuting to work or anywhere without much effort.
To seek funding, the project was published in kickstarter in 2015. And he got NZ$28,260, more than the NZ$25,000 he needed. In total, he sold only 23 models of this bike without pedals. Those that matched the 23 sponsors who invested the most money in one total 76 sponsors. The planned circulation was 200 copies. There were two models, one for children and one for adults. Among their virtues, besides comfort, they were very compact and lightweightsince they were made of aluminum.
Sitgo
In the Netherlands we find a company Sitgoresponsible for two models of bicycles without pedals, classical and Final. These are bikes that, at first glance, have everything that any bike should have. They simply removed the center bar, pedals and chain and placed foot base comfortable. It is in the Netherlands that there is a long tradition of cycling due to its orography. And bicycles without pedals ground level they are much tastier. A little boost and enjoy the scenery. But they are also electric.
The idea of these bicycles was born in 2013, but under the name Sitgo emerges in 2018. And to make these pedalless bikes an electric vehicle, they joined forces with another Dutch company, W-Tec/EML. As stated on its website, “it can be used in public road and, thanks to the low pitch and 24 inch tiresIt is very suitable for people with disabilities.”
“Reinforced frame, power supply from 24 to 36 voltsRemovable battery in the trunk, the motor is moved from the front wheel to the rear, which provides a better and more stable ride, and automatic ignition light in the dark. There are also many additional options such as: suspension fork, wider footrest, including an extra wide option, a more powerful battery and bag holders for the trunk.
Otherwise, these bikes are sold mainly in the Netherlands itself. You can try to buy them online, but I don’t know if they ship to other countries. To this should be added its price. Approximately 2575 euros per model classical. and model Final appears in online stores at a price of 3149 euros. Not a bad expense for a bike without pedals. Of course, this time electric.
Source: Hiper Textual
