Posts Tagged ‘inventions’

Strange Bike And Monorail Fusion May Revolutionize City Travel

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Safe, weatherproof, environmentally friendly, and a good workout, too!

  • Geoffrey Barnett’s ingenious new invention combines a recumbent (lying down) bicycle with monorail technology, creating the “Schweeb.”
  • The invention may provide an alternative means of city travel, and it’s cheap and ecologically-friendly, to boot.
  • Apparently, recumbent cycling is faster than upright cycling, and a monorail would be the safest way to get around crowded cities quickly.

Facts & Figures

  • “Schweeb” is derived from the German word “schweben,” which means “to float” or “suspend.”
  • Barnett worked on the design for six years while he lived in Tokyo, and opened a 200 meter (650 foot) track in Rotorua, New Zealand in 2007.
  • The Schweeb can reach speeds of up to 35 mph.

Best Quote

“To me, as a cyclist, it’s just obvious, you should be able to ride over the top of traffic, so I came up with the idea of a weather-proof capsule that is completely safe.” – Geoffrey Barnett, Inventor