New Zealander Invents Segway Alternative

RainbowBrite writes "The YikeBike is the invention of a New Zealander aiming to alleviate city congestion. 'It might look like a collision between a praying mantis and a child's scooter, but it's the result of five years of work to reinvent the wheel, with one important addition: an electric motor. It's a bicycle, but not as we have come to know it. For a start, you sit upright and steer with your hands at your side.'" The YikeBike weighs in at a measly 22 lbs but has a hefty price tag of almost $5,000 US (£3,000). The battery's expected lifespan is only 1,000 charges, but the device has a projected range of around six miles.

Comments

It's a good thing it's slow....

[macraig]

It's a good thing it's a damned sight slower than a road or even mountain bike, because it's a recipe for road rash. In terms of design, trying to compare it to a Segway seems like a serious non sequitur to me, more like an attempt to misframe it in order to find it a position in the market: by comparing it to the Segway, it effectively rides on the coattails of the Segway, in the same way that intelligent design advocates create false "controversy" to give their claims a phony legitimacy.

This isn't so much news as it is marketing.

Re:Personal mobility

[fridaynightsmoke]

I see, it's "I do X so everybody should do X like me"
I see your "I walk so everyone should walk", and raise you "I drive so everybody should drive"

Sexist Design

[Marc_Hawke]

It's not for the ladies. Actually it's against anyone who doesn't have two bendable legs free.

You can't wear a dress. You can use it if you're in a brace. You have to be able to 'mount' the thing.

It's basically just a less useful design of a normal bicycle. The few improvements are balanced by new problems.