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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.
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.
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"
This is a substitute for a clever sig that fits within the maximum number of characters.
volume o7 NetBSD
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.
--Welcome to the Realm of the Hawke--
If you get sweaty after biking 6 miles, the max range of this POS, you need to get into better shape.