The Stone-Age Bicycle of the Future?

Yabba Dabba do you see yourself riding one of these bad boys?

Yeah - me neither.

It looks like an absolute hospital-fest just waiting to happen!

About the only plus I can see is a hell of a lot less maintenance and moving parts compared to the bikes available today.

It is a design that is sure to turn heads around town German designers have revealed a bizarre bicycle with no pedals. Instead, riders are strapped into a harness and move by walking or running - much like Fred and Barney do in the Flintstones.
But the "Fliz" is not a homage to the Stone Age cartoon family. Rather, it pays tribute to what creators Tom Hambrock and Juri Spetter say is the first bike — a velocipede that predates the bicycle we all use today.The bike is fixed to the rider with a belt system suspended from the machine’s frame under which the rider is fixed into place.
The bike is an entry into the annual James Dyson Award for technology , innovation and design open to international students and founded by the Dyson vacuum cleaner inventor.

Ninemsn
Daily Mail

Either way you've got to admire the Germans for their (sometimes insane) ingenuity - they are almost as good as their Japanese counterparts when it comes to technological innovations and weirdness

Excellent! I can't wait to break both my collarbones and maybe my neck. All in one crash!

Seriously? This is the dumbest thing I have seen come to two wheels in a long time. Proof even smart people can be stupid.

Looks like a real neck breaker if you crash if you ask me.
I`ll be sticking with the common bicycle over this crazy looking thing. I`ll be sure to laugh when I see anyone using this as well.

It makes the crotch look as flattering as a rock climbing suit except your in public, surrounded by people.

Lol, thanks for the laugh.

I kinda wanna try one but I wouldn't wanna be caught dead doing so.

It's probably pretty stable.
You'd lose all the mechanical advantage of multiple gears, though.

The only place I could see a market for this bike is the city of Seattle. Seattle has the hills to look really good going down hill. And it has the very strong espresso to fuel the rider attempting to uphill. Brilliant in a hipster sort of way I think.

That's enough, avante garde bicycle designers!

Can you imagine riding this over wet ground, where the tires will fling a 'landing strip' of mud/water across your crotch and face? No thanks. I'll stick to my retro banana-seat Stingray.

They should call it The Banana Peel... I don't know why, but they just should. Could you imagine going down a Seattle hill and then try to stop with your feet? On a rainy day? You can't just jump off it, like you should with a regular bike...You're strapped in like a freaking torture chamber!

Surely that cannot be good for your back, Id love to see this in the Tour de France.

reply to post by Sublimecraft


Stupid ...
What's the point of this thing.

Ha

No thanks, I will keep my old bicycle

Hell I'd give it a go for fits and giggles lol.

To be fair to the creator, with a few modifications (to make it a little more neck-friendly in an accident for a start) it would be good for people with limited leg functionality, one example would be someone who is undergoing physio on their legs after a spine injury. I could be wrong though lol.

S+F for the chuckles

Kaidan

I think I get it. We are not supposed to ride it. It is supposed to ride us.

reply to post by Sublimecraft


It lacks the mechanical advantage the pedals and chain provide. The pedals make it easier to ride and take less energy. Without the pedals, you may as well be walking or running everywhere you go. The only upside to walking and running it would provide would be for the downward slopes as you could pick your feet up and let the thing coast, providing you can keep it upright and not get thrown over a hillside or something.

How would a person keep from getting hurt if they wrecked and are strapped to the thing? It wouldnt' be much different than being strapped to a pair of skis. You go where the bike goes, not the bike goes where you go.