Switchbike - The best of both worlds



G

Grolsch

Guest
The switchbike was shown at the Holland Innovation show, although it's
not currently in production. By flipping a switch on the handle, it
converts quickly from a regular city bike into a recumbent bicycle.
Ron de Jong, the designer is still looking for a company to take his
bike into production. Wow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H39NiWbeOw
 
On Oct 15, 9:48 pm, "Grolsch" <[email protected]> wrote:
> The switchbike was shown at the Holland Innovation show, although it's
> not currently in production. By flipping a switch on the handle, it
> converts quickly from a regular city bike into a recumbent bicycle.
> Ron de Jong, the designer is still looking for a company to take his
> bike into production. Wow.
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H39NiWbeOw


What's the point?

"Just because something can be done doesn't mean it
should be done." - W. H. "Bill" Bell
 
On Oct 15, 6:56 pm, Ozark Bicycle
<[email protected]> wrote:
> On Oct 15, 9:48 pm, "Grolsch" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > The switchbike was shown at the Holland Innovation show, although it's
> > not currently in production. By flipping a switch on the handle, it
> > converts quickly from a regular city bike into a recumbent bicycle.
> > Ron de Jong, the designer is still looking for a company to take his
> > bike into production. Wow.
>
> >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H39NiWbeOw
>
> What's the point?
>

Attracting cool chicks, man!

Jeff
 
Ozark Bicycle wrote:
>
> What's the point?
>
> "Just because something can be done doesn't mean it
> should be done." - W. H. "Bill" Bell
>
>

One problem that recumbents can have for urban users is that many urban
buses with bike racks only allow them for use with upright bikes that
have conventional-length wheelbases.

Also it can be difficult to carry recumbents up and down narrow
stairwells, due to their longer overall lengths.

------

I think the seat base might be odd for upright riding, but then, if you
didn't use it that way much it might be useful.

The whole point of recumbents is greater comfort, the importance of this
matter being proportional to the distance of the ride, however--and most
Euro city-bike users tend not to ride real far at any one trip.

Also, .nl bikes tend to cost a fortune, a basic city bike easily costs
$500-$700 USD. You might end up paying a lot more for a bike that is
(comparatively) neither a very good recumbent or a very good city bike.
~
 
On Oct 16, 12:44 am, JeffWills <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Oct 15, 6:56 pm, Ozark Bicycle
>
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> > On Oct 15, 9:48 pm, "Grolsch" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > The switchbike was shown at the Holland Innovation show, although it's
> > > not currently in production. By flipping a switch on the handle, it
> > > converts quickly from a regular city bike into a recumbent bicycle.
> > > Ron de Jong, the designer is still looking for a company to take his
> > > bike into production. Wow.
>
> > >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H39NiWbeOw
>
> > What's the point?
>
> Attracting cool chicks, man!
>
> Jeff

Start out upright and wind up recumbent?
 

> - DO NOT Show quoted text -

big improvement in that clip if a large safe fell from the ceiling,
crushing the inventor
 
On Oct 16, 7:47 am, datakoll <[email protected]> wrote:
> > - DO NOT Show quoted text -
>
> big improvement in that clip if a large safe fell from the ceiling,
> crushing the inventor

sorry. i was out roding my naybor's nomad.
here's a relevant clip

http://www.bilstein.com

JB, where are Bils coming from?
 
On Oct 15, 9:56 pm, Ozark Bicycle
<[email protected]> wrote:
> On Oct 15, 9:48 pm, "Grolsch" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > The switchbike was shown at the Holland Innovation show, although it's
> > not currently in production. By flipping a switch on the handle, it
> > converts quickly from a regular city bike into a recumbent bicycle.
> > Ron de Jong, the designer is still looking for a company to take his
> > bike into production. Wow.
>
> >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H39NiWbeOw
>
> What's the point?
>

Recumbent for cruising out of town on country lanes amongst the
tulips, and upright for better confidence when riding in from Shithole
airport.
 
On Oct 16, 9:22 am, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Oct 15, 9:56 pm, Ozark Bicycle
>
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> > On Oct 15, 9:48 pm, "Grolsch" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > The switchbike was shown at the Holland Innovation show, although it's
> > > not currently in production. By flipping a switch on the handle, it
> > > converts quickly from a regular city bike into a recumbent bicycle.
> > > Ron de Jong, the designer is still looking for a company to take his
> > > bike into production. Wow.
>
> > >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H39NiWbeOw
>
> > What's the point?
>
> Recumbent for cruising out of town on country lanes amongst the
> tulips, and upright for better confidence when riding in from Shithole
> airport.

Sure, but wouldn't you rather have one competent, simple bike good for
both tasks over a complex, gimmicky POS?
 
It's ingenious and "gimicky." I would love to try one, just as a matter of
interest, but...
1.) It's bound to be heavy, just as folding bikes have to be heavy to cope
with the moving joints.
2.) The fork goes through a large change in angle in converting
upright/recumbent. What does this do to the handling? Increasing the
wheelbase and trail both act to decrease maneuverability.
3.) My guess is that the owner would find one configuration more useful
than the other, and then stop switching. So, wouldn't it be better to just
own the appropriate bike?

Did I actually see the rider go from upright to recumbent while actually
riding? Wow!
 
On Oct 16, 10:01 am, Ozark Bicycle
<[email protected]> wrote:
> On Oct 16, 9:22 am, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Oct 15, 9:56 pm, Ozark Bicycle
>
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > On Oct 15, 9:48 pm, "Grolsch" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > > The switchbike was shown at the Holland Innovation show, although it's
> > > > not currently in production. By flipping a switch on the handle, it
> > > > converts quickly from a regular city bike into a recumbent bicycle.
> > > > Ron de Jong, the designer is still looking for a company to take his
> > > > bike into production. Wow.
>
> > > >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H39NiWbeOw
>
> > > What's the point?
>
> > Recumbent for cruising out of town on country lanes amongst the
> > tulips, and upright for better confidence when riding in from Shithole
> > airport.
>
> Sure, but wouldn't you rather have one competent, simple bike good for
> both tasks over a complex, gimmicky POS?

You don't get the ladies with a putty colored Cavalier.
 
Ozark Bicycle wrote:
>
> Grolsch wrote:
> >
> > The switchbike was shown at the Holland Innovation show, although it's
> > not currently in production. By flipping a switch on the handle, it
> > converts quickly from a regular city bike into a recumbent bicycle.
> > Ron de Jong, the designer is still looking for a company to take his
> > bike into production. Wow.
>
> >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H39NiWbeOw
>
> What's the point?

Don't you see? It's a floor wax AND a dessert topping!

My Seattle friend Joe Kochanowski made a proudly bisexual machine
along those general lines, but without any process necessary to
convert from one orientation to the other. He just used whichever
suited him and the conditions.

http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/joe/2position_2.mpg

That Dutch bike thinks it can pass for straight, but it can't.
Someone should tell it.

Chalo


Chalo
 
Ozark Bicycle wrote:
>
> Grolsch wrote:
> >
> > The switchbike was shown at the Holland Innovation show, although it's
> > not currently in production. By flipping a switch on the handle, it
> > converts quickly from a regular city bike into a recumbent bicycle.
> > Ron de Jong, the designer is still looking for a company to take his
> > bike into production. Wow.
> >
> >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H39NiWbeOw
>
> What's the point?

Don't you see? It's a floor wax AND a dessert topping!

My Seattle friend Joe Kochanowski made a proudly bisexual machine
along those general lines, but without any process necessary to
convert from one orientation to the other. He just used whichever
suited him and the conditions.

http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/joe/2position_2.mpg

That Dutch bike thinks it can pass for straight, but it can't.
Someone should tell it.

Chalo
 
On Oct 16, 12:12 pm, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Oct 16, 10:01 am, Ozark Bicycle
>
>
>
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> > On Oct 16, 9:22 am, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > On Oct 15, 9:56 pm, Ozark Bicycle
>
> > > <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > > On Oct 15, 9:48 pm, "Grolsch" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > > > The switchbike was shown at the Holland Innovation show, although it's
> > > > > not currently in production. By flipping a switch on the handle, it
> > > > > converts quickly from a regular city bike into a recumbent bicycle.
> > > > > Ron de Jong, the designer is still looking for a company to take his
> > > > > bike into production. Wow.
>
> > > > >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H39NiWbeOw
>
> > > > What's the point?
>
> > > Recumbent for cruising out of town on country lanes amongst the
> > > tulips, and upright for better confidence when riding in from Shithole
> > > airport.
>
> > Sure, but wouldn't you rather have one competent, simple bike good for
> > both tasks over a complex, gimmicky POS?
>
> You don't get the ladies with a putty colored Cavalier.

Hey! The color of your cavilier is a personal matter! (some coppertone
might help, though ;-> )
 
I can understand why one would want to switch their bike to a
recumbent, I'm a little unclear on why they would ever switch back,
tho.
 
On Oct 16, 3:32 am, Ozark Bicycle
<[email protected]> wrote:
> On Oct 16, 12:44 am, JeffWills <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Oct 15, 6:56 pm, Ozark Bicycle
>
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > On Oct 15, 9:48 pm, "Grolsch" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > > The switchbike was shown at the Holland Innovation show, although it's
> > > > not currently in production. By flipping a switch on the handle, it
> > > > converts quickly from a regular city bike into a recumbent bicycle.
> > > > Ron de Jong, the designer is still looking for a company to take his
> > > > bike into production. Wow.
>
> > > >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H39NiWbeOw
>
> > > What's the point?
>
> > Attracting cool chicks, man!
>
> > Jeff
>
> Start out upright and wind up recumbent?- Hide quoted text -
>

You can do that without a bicycle.

Tequila.

E.P.
 
arrhg snort harheheheh

yeah I thought maybe AA in Holland but the mousetrap? serious ludes?
where are they? deMoine?
maybe the inventor has hemrhoids or shingles.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

RobertCZ
What are the best ways to stay focused and alert during long hours on the bike?
Replies
11
Views
65
Road Cycling
cleff
cleff
John Minnesota
What's the best way to acclimate to high altitude during a ride?
Replies
15
Views
131
Road Cycling
dommyk
dommyk
Kel57
What are the best ways to handle the physical demands of racing in extreme heat or cold?
Replies
14
Views
121
Road Cycling
pert
pert
bc1021
What are the best techniques for descending safely and efficiently during a race?
Replies
14
Views
97
Road Cycling
SadieKate
SadieKate
Raoul Duke6
What are the best road cycling documentaries and films?
Replies
11
Views
90
Road Cycling
dalronathos
dalronathos
Top Bottom Back