NYC XYZ wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:
> >
> >
> > You're mixing up my comments on using a small, simple, cheap, compact
> > inflatable raft/boat with using a real take apart kayak.
>
> Indeed, that's true -- in my mind, for the purposes of getting a bike
> over water, they're the same, "functionally" speaking.
No they are not functionally the same. The take apart kayak is capable
of any water voyage. Wherever. The small inflatable raft is to cross
small bodies of water or for pure pleasure on a lake. Your pedal thing
is not capable of any water voyage. Its a gimmicky thing for sort of
pleasure use on a lake. Sort of. The only functional equivalency
between the things mentioned is they all float.
>
> > With the inflatable, you get a proven boat, shape anyway, that is
> > smaller and lighter and simpler and cheaper than your pedaling kit
> > thing. To cross bodies of water, or to enjoy on a city lake or calm
> > water, a boat would be much better. The inflatable would easily be
> > transported in a small backpack.
>
> But what's more proven than crossing the English Channel?
People swim across the English Channel. Long before this pedal thing
was invented. Swimming is still not a practical or safe or reliable
method to cross large bodies of water. Or even smaller bodies like
rivers. Inflatable crafts liek the one I mentioned in the link from
REI have crossed the English Cahnnel long before your pedal thing was
invented too.
>
> And your suggestions seem like they are necessarily slower, as this
> Shuttle Bike kit uses pedaling power. Surely it's a more elegant
> solution to incorporate the very bike into the whole affair than to
> have it simply as "dead weight"??
Why do you assume your pedal thing is fast on water? How big is the
paddle/propeller? The size of the paddle/propeller and how fast it
turns is what detemines speed. And waterline, etc. of the boat. What
provides the power is not relevant. A take apart kayak paddle has
sufficient area to move an inflatable boat at a reasonable pace. Why
is it elegant to have the bike part of the craft? How many ferry boats
in the world transporting millions of cars use the cars to power the
ferry boat? Couldn't the cars all be driven onto rollers and then have
the car wheels work to turn the ferry propeller? Elegant? James Bond
movies always have cars that turn into boats or airplanes or gondolas
that turn into cars. Elegant? I've also seen bikes that have sails
attached to them. On RAGBRAI of course. Elegant?
>
> > http://www.rei.com/category/4501484.htm
> > Here are some inflatable rafts from REI. Alpacka rafts are mentioned.
> > Alpacka is made by your Feathercraft company.
>
> No, I said "First Light," from Australia -- but thanks for the link. I
> actually have an inflatable already, the Sea Eagle PaddleSki.
> Unfortunately, that's 60 lbs. -- rolled up!
The inflatables I linked to weigh less than 5 pounds. I'd rather carry
around 5 pounds than the 27 pounds of your pedal thing.
>
> > Cheaper than your pedal
> > thing by a $100. Less than 5 pounds. 8"x22", smaller than your pedal
> > thing. I am sure there are many other inflatable rafts out there too.
> > Some a bit bigger to better carry a bike and gear across water.
>
> You know, I did make a mistake in my earlier post -- the Shuttle Bike
> kit is actually ~27 lbs., so it's heavier than the previous solution
> I'd imagined, a ~22-lb. First Light folding kayak.
>
> But again, I don't know how you can beat something which by
> incorporating pedaling power into its design performs much faster and
> efficiently.
Is it faster? How maneuverable is your pedal thing? How safe?
>
> > With the take apart kayak, you get a proven real boat capable of
> > crossing any body of water carrying anything you want to carry. Its
> > heavier and bigger than the pedal thing mentioned. But is safe and
> > capable. If you were to take this along on a real major journey, you
> > could easily ride to a waterway, assemble the kayak, go down or up
> > river many miles, and then start the bicycling again. A BOB trailer
> > would likely be required to carry the folding kayak. The BOB would
> > also carry your other essential gear on a real major journey.
>
> Yeah, but dude! It'll be cumbersome enough mounting a bike across the
> bow -- where will you stow the BOB???
Make two trips if need be to cross bodies of water. Which is what the
inflatable would be used for. With a folding kayak, put the bike on
the bow and the BOB on the stern. Gear inside. Go for miles and miles
in any direction on the water, safely.
>
> With the Shuttle Bike kit, the bike is part and parcel of the solution!
> And the solution tucks away when not in use.
And I am suggesting trying to incorporate a bike into a boat is a bad
idea. Better to keep them separate. Don't end up with an unsafe,
unmaneuverable floating thing powered by a bike, supposedly. Your
pedal thing tucks away into a 27 pound backpack. Can you imagine
carrying another bike on your back while riding your bike? Wow. You
had better be pulling a BOB to transport your pedal thing. 27 pounds?
Wow. With my inflatables, they are less than 5 pounds. A loaded
Camelbak weighs that. Not 27 pounds.
>
> I simply can't imagine carrying around all the gear you suggest just to
> achieve the same thing at a necessarily slower pace.
The gear I would suggest for simpy crossing bodies of water or
recreational use is the less than 5 pound inflatable boat. Cheaper,
safer, lighter, smaller than your 27 pound backpack sized pedal thing.
The gear I suggest for a true around the world human powered trip would
be the folding kayak. Same weight as your pedal thing but capable and
safe for anything. Your pedal thing requires the same gear to
transport it as a folding kayak because it weighs 27 pounds, as much as
a stout bicycle. And is the size of a backpack. The size of a large
rear pannier, or larger.
As for slow pace, I can kayak fairly quickly. Kayaks are reasonably
quick. I suspect the folding kayaks are much faster than your pedal
thing. As well as safe and maneuverable. The inflatable raft is quick
enough to get across bodies of water or for recreational use on a lake.
And safe and maneuverable.
