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Twike

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Re: Twike

#91

Post by pornel »

hkt wrote: post #47
samcheng wrote: post #41

These things are still a bit far outside the mainstream, but if anyone hasn't tried an ebike yet, I highly encourage it! It really is magic mobility, with the free feeling of being on a bike, without the sweat or the necessary fitness to travel at 20 or even 25 mph. I don't think Twikes (or other recumbent bikes / velomobiles) will gain popularity in the near term, but I'm very confident that ebikes will continue to…

In the UK they're limited to 15mph and only operate in assist mode (as opposed to full drive). Where are you that allows that kind of speed?

The limit is a bit annoying, but in practice cars in city traffic aren't moving much faster than this anyway[1]. During rush hours even a limited bike is faster than the cars.

[1] https://www.london.gov.uk/questions/2019/19767

Re: Twike

#92

Post by YeGoblynQueenne »

el_nahual wrote: post #12

Another example of how, if you had to design a vehicle for passenger city/suburban use, you would never ever ever come up with an ICE sedan, or to be honest even an electrical vehicle of "normal" proportions. Pretty sure the car is the most harmful invention of the 20th century. The damage it has done to the environment, our health, and social fabric is hard to grok. A couple edits for clarification: - I'm talking ab…

>> As a species we are more than capable (as evidenced by the OP!) of building a variety of modes of transport that are better in most every way (utility, externalities, price) to cars.

As a species, yes, but -and I know this sounds hokey- we are not in control of the automobile industry. Market forces are -and we don't control those, either. Like so many mythical creators, we have lost control of our creation and it's not destroying us.

What's worse, we have now raised multiple generations of humans who know no other way of being and for whom any alternative is unthinkable, or ridiculous. "What, I'll go around the city pedalling my little three-wheel bike? That's stupid!".

Alternatives will have to be a lot better than automobiles to be able to replace them: be much cheaper, much more comfortable, much more convenient. Is there anything like that on the horizon?

Re: Twike

#93

Post by Tepix »

I'm a sucker for these bicycles (or quadcycles) with roofs. There have been countless attempts to bring them to market but it seems they mostly end up being too expensive or not making it to production.

Re: Twike

#94

Post by Tepix »

Hamuko wrote: post #76
albertgoeswoof wrote: post #44

> Pedaling warms the user, making electric heating in winter unnecessary Well that's one way to spin a missing feature ;)

Too bad it doesn't really work. Winter biking is still cold as shit and breathing in -20°C air is not fun.

That hasn't been my experience. One the airstream is blocked you won't be cold for long.

Re: Twike

#95

Post by AnIdiotOnTheNet »

el_nahual wrote: post #12

Another example of how, if you had to design a vehicle for passenger city/suburban use, you would never ever ever come up with an ICE sedan, or to be honest even an electrical vehicle of "normal" proportions. Pretty sure the car is the most harmful invention of the 20th century. The damage it has done to the environment, our health, and social fabric is hard to grok. A couple edits for clarification: - I'm talking ab…

Couldn't agree more. I have come to really really hate cars. One of my short term goals is to find a job I don't need to commute to by car. This is shockingly difficult in the midwestern US.

Re: Twike

#96

Post by YeGoblynQueenne »

agent008t wrote: post #75
benrbray wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For anyone who has trouble understanding this perspective because they've lived in car-dependent hell their entire lives, I recommend the Not Just Bikes channel. He does extremely detailed comparisons of US cities vs Netherlands and other places. Here is a recent one [1]. For me, I always felt that something was wrong about American cities / suburbs but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Then, I spent a few months…

There could be some 'grass-is-greener' effect in play here as well though. Many that grew up having to use public transportation would see being able to use a private car as very appealing. I think everyone hates commutes regardless of whether they have to stand in a packed train car next to sweaty people, or sit in an air conditioned comfortable car listening to music but stuck in a traffic jam. That's not to say th…

The problem is that this freedom and comfort and fun of driving is only part of the deal. The rest is being stuck in traffic or looking for parking - and I suspect that accounts for most of the time driving, for most people, especially when driving to work (i.e. during rush hours).

Re: Twike

#97

Post by johnsea »

Nice bike/attempt but not many of them in circulation (too expensive, too exposed). Fwiw, pedaling does not provide a large fraction of the needed energy and I don't think the mechanical complication was worth it. Twike is the past imo.

Maybe Microlino, a wonderful, stylish, energy efficient vehicle, will be the future (certainly smarter than the crap suv tanks one sees driving around here (in the inner city)).

Re: Twike

#98

Post by heresie-dabord »

el_nahual wrote: post #12

Another example of how, if you had to design a vehicle for passenger city/suburban use, you would never ever ever come up with an ICE sedan, or to be honest even an electrical vehicle of "normal" proportions. Pretty sure the car is the most harmful invention of the 20th century. The damage it has done to the environment, our health, and social fabric is hard to grok. A couple edits for clarification: - I'm talking ab…

> You can design a vehicle that takes you quickly from a -> b that doesn't weigh 2 tons and uses 18m^2 at rest.

The Smart Electric and the Fiat 500e are notable examples of practical errand vehicles that use space and energy efficiently.

However, they are not the answer that consumers want to hear in the transportation dystopia of US society, where every vehicle must be an armoured car that can take a family of consumers (with at least one dog) through a vast zombie-apocalypse wasteland to fill the pantry at $warehouse-sized-retailer.

What most people think they need for a vehicle is often a grotesque exaggeration of their likely needs and perhaps also a masochistic acceptance of absurd network congestion called "commuting".

Re: Twike

#99

Post by leokennis »

benrbray wrote: post #49
el_nahual wrote: post #12

Another example of how, if you had to design a vehicle for passenger city/suburban use, you would never ever ever come up with an ICE sedan, or to be honest even an electrical vehicle of "normal" proportions. Pretty sure the car is the most harmful invention of the 20th century. The damage it has done to the environment, our health, and social fabric is hard to grok. A couple edits for clarification: - I'm talking ab…

For anyone who has trouble understanding this perspective because they've lived in car-dependent hell their entire lives, I recommend the Not Just Bikes channel. He does extremely detailed comparisons of US cities vs Netherlands and other places. Here is a recent one [1]. For me, I always felt that something was wrong about American cities / suburbs but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Then, I spent a few months…

If you can read Dutch, recommend this book: https://decorrespondent.nl/hetrechtvandesnelste

Very good introduction on how the few people (~15%) who really benefit from driving cars dictate far more than their share of public space, cause 99% of traffic deaths etc.

Re: Twike

#100

Post by auxym »

el_nahual wrote: post #12

Another example of how, if you had to design a vehicle for passenger city/suburban use, you would never ever ever come up with an ICE sedan, or to be honest even an electrical vehicle of "normal" proportions. Pretty sure the car is the most harmful invention of the 20th century. The damage it has done to the environment, our health, and social fabric is hard to grok. A couple edits for clarification: - I'm talking ab…

>you would never ever ever come up with an ICE sedan

What's worse is that even sedans are losing popularity in favor of SUVs and full size trucks. In 2021 I find this staggering.

On electric cars: we've had politicians subtly suggest that EVs will be a magic solution to all our transportation problems, including traffic. EVs obviously won't fix city congestion.

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