How Strange Can You Make Them?

We've seen how bicycle design evolved over the years, so it's not much of a surprise that cyclists - and those who design them - really are innovators.  Hey, after all, it was a couple of bicycle mechanics from Dayton, OH who designed and built the first powered man-carrying aircraft, remember?

So, in addition to the "safety bike" basic design and the "recumbent" design which we've explored in an earlier post, there have been developed many more variations, some pretty spectacular.  Of course, we have tandems, like this one:

Or, a weird twist on a tandem, with the stoker facing backwards!

And, of course, recumbent tandems:

And I really like a back-to-back recumbent tandem!  I once rode in a group ride that had one of these, and, believe me, it was disconcerting to fall in behind a bike like this, only to see another cyclist, pedaling like crazy, apparently coming right at you!

But what about triples and quads?  Yep, folks have built traditional bikes that can be ridden by three or four people!  Pretty ungainly, in my opinion, but still . . . .

So let's mix it up.  If we have tricycles, like this one:

Why not a recumbent tricycle, like THIS one:

Moving right along . . . what if the hills are too steep?  Why not add a little 'boost' to help you along?  With the advent of advance ion batteries, which can pack quite a punch in a lightweight package, adding a small electric motor to just about any kind of bike can help.  They're becoming particularly popular now for use by urban commuters. (Full disclosure: several years ago, I added such a device on my recumbent bike.)  Here are just a few such 'assisted' machines:

Like an assisted adult tricycle:

Or an "add-on" kit that can be used on any bicycle:

Or get really kinky with a back-to-back recumbent tandem with a booster!

I think it's safe to say if you can THINK of a weird design for bicycles or tricycles, someone has probably built it!

--Jim Kellett