New Zealander Invents Segway Alternative

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New Zealander Invents Segway Alternative

Posted by ryuzaki0 on Friday September 4, 2009 @07:00AM from the looks-like-potential-bruises-to-me dept.

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.

24 of 282 comments (clear)

Can you spell Face Plant? by icebike · 2009-09-04 07:03 · Score: 3, Insightful

Seriously, this looks like it could trip on your average pothole, curb cut, or simply breaking hard.
Yes, your feet are fairly forward where you might be able to catch your self, but I see a lot of separated shoulders in this this bikes portfolio.

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1. Re:Can you spell Face Plant? by OhHellWithIt · 2009-09-04 07:13 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  There is a the pennyfarthing was replaced by the safety bicycle. And, with the range and battery lifetime given, it works out to about 83 cents a mile, which is probably still more expensive than a Hummer.
  
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2. Re:Can you spell Face Plant? by Rei · 2009-09-04 07:26 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  There is a the pennyfarthing was replaced by the safety bicycle [wikipedia.org].
  Huh. So... can I bike if I want to? Can I leave my friends behind?
  
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3. Re:Can you spell Face Plant? by fridaynightsmoke · 2009-09-04 07:39 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Well, your friends don't bike, and if they dont bike, then they're no friends of mine.
  
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4. Re:Can you spell Face Plant? by Arthur+Grumbine · 2009-09-04 07:47 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  You're really over exposed as well, i fail to see how this is any better than an electric bike in any way!
  That's because the greatest difference between this and a segway or bicycle was sneakily hidden in the article (and in the pics of the article):
  
  Crucially, you can fold it into a bag and carry the whole 22lb package anywhere
  It actually looks pretty damn useful (large backpack size when in bag) for being able to carry it into buildings, offices, subways, taxis, other-areas-you-can't-easily-take-an-electric-bike.
  I could totally deal with the range and potential stability dangers, unfortunately that price is a deal breaker.
  
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5. Re:Can you spell Face Plant? by dr2chase · 2009-09-04 09:08 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  The folding bikes already weigh about 25lbs, pre-Bionx. The weight matters, a lot. I bought a cheap used folder once as an experiment, it was great to have it on a business trip, but it was Too Damn Heavy.
  
  However, if I were spending that sort of money, I would save a little, and get a plain old folder, with no assist -- faster, longer range, "lifetime" warranty on the motor.
  
  The guys are chasing the "biking's-too-hard-for-me" market -- which, to be fair, is pretty good sized here in the US. It's mind-boggling, here in fat-land, to see all the people who drive to the gym (and all those who just drive, but not even to the gym).
6. Re:Can you spell Face Plant? by TobyWong · 2009-09-04 10:21 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  What exactly is mind boggling about people who drive to the gym?? You have 1.5 hours to workout, shower, and get ready to go. How much of that time do you want to spend in transit? Not to mention the fact that a lot of people go to the gym to attend classes because they enjoy the social component. How about people who drive to the gym, work out, get changed, then go to work or on to some other engagement. You think they should jog there and show up in sweaty gym clothes? What an asinine comment.
  
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7. Re:Can you spell Face Plant? by epine · 2009-09-04 12:16 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  This is not fully appreciated: the I-don't-want-to-turn-up-to-work-smelling-of-sweat crowd are one of the major lock-ins on full planet destruction. We could solve the environmental crisis if only people were willing to show up not smelling like roses.
  I'm only being mildly facetious. These details matter.
  I can get to most of my appointments in this town by bicycle in twenty minutes, but I can't get hardly anywhere dry. I'm not out of shape. The human body only converts about 25% of caloric energy into propulsion (this is the coefficient on the Concept II rowing machine, which I've seen supported elsewhere such as Tour de France VO2 max estimates). The other 75% streams out my pores.
Safety? by neurogeneticist · 2009-09-04 07:05 · Score: 3, Insightful

What happens if you brake going down a steep hill?
1. Re:Safety? by Anonymusing · 2009-09-04 07:37 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  This sounds like a Dr. Seuss story.
  A bloke named Mike
  Had a bike named Yike.
  Hello Mike!
  Hello Yike!
  Mike on Yike went down the hill
  Mike went first when Yike took a spill.
  Hello Hill!
  Goodbye Yike!
  
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Re:Really good ideas... by schnikies79 · 2009-09-04 07:12 · Score: 3, Informative

Naa. Everyone I see that gets a DUI switches to a moped.

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The real alternative ... by neonprimetime · 2009-09-04 07:13 · Score: 5, Insightful

... is to just use your damn bicycle. Why pay $5,000 for that thing? Why pay money for a segway? Buy a bike for a couple hundred bucks or cheaper. It's better for the environment and costs less. I don't see the need for this fancy motor scooter crap.
Re:Really good ideas... by PeterM+from+Berkeley · 2009-09-04 07:13 · Score: 5, Insightful

Wow, that's a really negative way to put it. If someone I know starts biking a lot, I think, "wow, good to see you making an effort to improve your health" along with, "thank you for reducing your carbon footprint", not, "you're a drunk loser!"
About the most negative thing I think of when I learn someone I know is switching to biking is, "Gee, watch out for all the idiots in cars who are trying to kill you!"
yeah yeah. by Colin+Smith · 2009-09-04 07:13 · Score: 4, Funny

http://www.bicycle-power.com/electric.html
Hey. I've had a great idea. People could propel these things using their legs, getting fit at the same time. So you would be moving to your destination *and* saving money in gym fees *and* saving all that waste time at the gym too.
Think I'll patent it.
"A method for increasing human fitness and moving towards a destination at the same time."

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Personal mobility by improfane · 2009-09-04 07:15 · Score: 4, Insightful

I find this personal mobility devices pathetic for able bodied people.
Why aren't we satisfied with walking anymore? I will be walking 30 minutes twice a day from September.
The only issue is boredom and wasting of time. I will counter this with podcasts.

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1. Re:Personal mobility by Tenebrious1 · 2009-09-04 08:35 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  I find this personal mobility devices pathetic for able bodied people.
  Why aren't we satisfied with walking anymore? I will be walking 30 minutes twice a day from September.
  The only issue is boredom and wasting of time. I will counter this with podcasts.
  So... you don't actually do this *walking* stuff now? You don't actually know what it's like walking to work in a suit, when it's 95 degrees with 95% humidity? You don't know what it's like meeting with clients smelling like you just walked out of the gym? You don't know what it's like having to spend $100 a week on drycleaning? And you're calling people pathetic.... that's funny.
  The device would have been great for my last office. It was a 4 mile ride to the train station, the commute into the city, and then a 2 mile subway ride. Would have been fine by bike, but you couldn't take the bike on the train, so you would have needed two bikes. Which I wouldn't have minded either, one bike from home to station, one in the city from station to work, but there wasn't any place to lock up a bike at work and you weren't allowed to bring the bike into the office. The YikeBike could be stowed in a garment bag, that would have been perfect.
  
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Re:Sobriety, please by oldspewey · 2009-09-04 07:18 · Score: 4, Insightful

This thing does one thing the Segway can't: it folds into a shoulder bag and weighs 22lbs. That means I can bring it upstairs into the office once I get to work, or hell even bring it onboard a commercial airliner as unchecked baggage.
In my opinion, if the longevity could be extended to somewhere north of 2500 charges it'd be a pretty compelling gadget even at $5,000.

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Segway and ordinances by OhHellWithIt · 2009-09-04 07:21 · Score: 3, Interesting

When the Segway was finally unveiled, the disappointment pretty much killed off any widescale distribution of the device (along with crazy city ordinances).
I don't know about crazy city ordinances, but I was astounded by the speed with which the electric personal assistive mobility device gained recognition and all the rights of a bicycle under Virginia Law. I believe the law changes were in the books even before the first Segway hit pavement in Virginia. And I'm just willing to bet that you'll find similar treatment in state laws on both U.S. coasts.

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"Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past." -- George Orwell
Re:1000 charges? by Rei · 2009-09-04 07:21 · Score: 3, Insightful

Agreed; this is ridiculous. Less range than your average e-bike and more expensive than your average e-bike. Who would buy this? Heck, you could buy a 60-70mph, 35-60 mile range electric motorcycle for just a few $k more.

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Get out, or I'll have vice-president Agnew's headless body throw you out!"
STOP!!! by Tibor+the+Hun · 2009-09-04 07:23 · Score: 3, Funny

You had me at "praying mantis"!

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Re:Really good ideas... by oldhack · 2009-09-04 07:29 · Score: 3, Interesting

Pretty good gizmo except for a fatal flaw - me in my car. MUAHAHAHAH!!!

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Leave it to a Kiwi by Alzheimers · 2009-09-04 07:38 · Score: 5, Funny

Leave it to a Kiwi to put training wheels on a unicycle.
Slashdot: Negativity From Nerds. by mypalmike · 2009-09-04 08:10 · Score: 5, Insightful

Yet another article where a bunch of know-it-alls put down an invention for not being the status quo. "It's too expensive. It looks dangerous. Ride a bicycle. Ride an electric bike. Ride a motorcycle."
Go back to your basements and play WoW. The creative people are busy creating.

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Re:Really good ideas... by Hatta · 2009-09-04 08:11 · Score: 4, Insightful

You're not ostracized because they think you got a DUI. You just smell bad because you biked 10 miles to work and haven't had a chance to shower.

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