Green Options

I just want to pre-empt this post by saying I’m not a fan of pedaling. I always look awkward on bikes. Personal preference.

But I know there are millions of people out there who enjoy cycling (they always seem to get in my way on the road) and that there are plenty of people who would bike to work if they could. Inclement weather, distance, and rough terrain are probably the biggest factors in why most people don’t bike to work. For those of you still considering the trek, there is the Goblin Aero…and as awkward as it looks, these guys might be  on to something.

I hate traffic. To me, there are few things worse in the world than having to sit idling in traffic, moving at an inch an hour, all because some dimwit blew out a tire. It is part of the reason I consider myself a country boy at heart. At least to me, the city is a nice place to visit, but I could never live there.

But a new, novel idea involving pedals and a monorail system has the potential not only to eliminate traffic, but emissions and accidents as well. Called simply The Schweeb, this self-enclosed, pedal-powered personal pod is already in use at an amusement park in New Zealand. Geoffrey Barnett and his team of designers see the Schweeb not only as a vehicle of amusement, but as a replacement for personal motor vehicles in traffic congested cities.

Heavy Pedal Cyclecide Bike Rodeo is a consortium of inventors, bike mechanics, artists, musicians and visionaries who love bikes and building stuff. Their wild imaginations having created all manner of beautiful recycled bike art machines- everything from a wacky two-wheeled Chupacabra to a complete bicycle-powered carnival. Bicycles are seen not only as a vehicle, but also as a medium for creative expression and fun. Cyclecide member [...]

Those were the words that I heard exclaimed by a young man on a blue Schwinn ten-speed as thousands of my fellow bicyclists and I came pouring out of the Stockton Tunnel during Critical Mass last Friday. He seemed a little overwhelmed and thrilled by the endless throbbing swarm of bicyclists that were flowing past.

Over a billion of our fellow world citizens do not have access to clean drinking water. Over three million people die annually as a result of waterborne diseases, making them the leading cause of death on our planet. Often when clean water is available, it is located miles away and takes hours and much effort to transport. A new tricycle has been invented that could potentially help to solve some of these life-threatening problems.

The Aquaduct is pedal-powered vehicle that [...]