6 AMAZING BIKES THAT FLY, FLOAT OR GO FASTER THAN CARS

6 amazing bikes that fly, float or go faster than cars
By Cat DiStasio (Inhabitat), Engadget, 12 June 2015.

These days, many people prefer two wheels to four. Folks opt for bikes instead of cars for the exercise, the manoeuvrability, the low environmental impact and the camaraderie among riders. It's the ever-changing design of bikes that grabs the world's attention, including those of us who aren't so steady on two wheels. Whether you're a diehard cyclist or you're sceptical of human-powered transportation, here are six incredible cycles that will leave you thinking bikes are a superior class of vehicle.

1. Highway-ready speedster: The Raht Racer

This three-wheeled hybrid vehicle looks more like a Mars rover than a bike, and its carbon fibre body is designed to carry you along your commute at the same speeds as a car. Not many cycles offer a roof for rain protection and cargo space for your laptop, but the Raht Racer has both plus a second seat for a passenger. Incredibly, the Raht Racer is capable of traveling as fast as 100MPH. The Racer gets its impressive speed potential from its hybrid flywheel generator, which multiples the pedal power of the driver.

2. Wave-riding cycle: Schiller X1

When you think about biking, “water crossing” probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Yet, here it is: a bike that travels on water. The Schiller X1 looks a bit different than a traditional bike because it was designed from the ground-up to be the ultimate water bike. Its twin oscillating propellers allow the rider to use the handlebars, with no rudder in sight. The X1 is a refined version of an earlier design and it allows bike riders to go where no bikes have gone before. The updated S1 model is now for sale with a US$4,500 price tag, so it isn’t likely to replace other popular modes of water transport.

3. Bike in the sky: The Flike

ET has nothing on this all-electric flying bike. Called the Flike for obvious reasons, this contraption recently set off on its first manned flight. The tricopter cycle runs on zero-emission lithium-ion polymer batteries, is equipped with six individually controlled rotors and has the capacity to sustain a 30- to 40-minute flight. Designed in just six months by a team in Hungary, the Flike is made to manoeuvre like a helicopter and it can even hover in one place. A second prototype is already in the works, and the makers hope to put it on the market and watch it take off.

4. Pedal-powered submarine: The Scubster

As it turns out, some cycles don’t even need wheels. The Scubster, a human-powered watercraft, is what happened when French engineers crossed a pedal boat with a submarine. Pedalling this mini-sub turns a twin propeller system, allowing the underwater bike to reach a depth of around 20 feet - perfect for rivers and shallow ocean adventures. Riding this submerged cycle requires something that no others on this list do: an oxygen tank. And since the vessel is fuelled by pedal power, your air supply is the only thing restricting the length of your underwater journey.

5. Award-winning pedal copter: AeroVelo Atlas

The Atlas isn’t exactly a reliable mode of transportation, but it’s worth a cool quarter million. This human-powered helicopter scored its Canadian maker the elusive Sikorsky Prize worth US$250,000 in 2013 during an incredible indoor flight test. The Atlas managed to exceed all the requirements set when the competition began in 1980: The craft hovered within a 33 x 33-foot square at a height of 10.83 feet for 64 seconds. AeroVelo is all about pushing the envelope, and the company is currently working on a speed bike to test in the 2015 World Human Powered Speed Challenge.

6. Record-breaking speed bike: Human Power Team’s VeloX 4

Many cyclists are driven by a need for speed, aching to find ways to maximize the single horsepower the human body can create. The Dutch engineers behind Human Power Team have been working for years to develop the fastest speed bike possible, and in 2013, they did it. Their high-tech recumbent bicycle, the VeloX 3 (the predecessor to the current VeloX 4, pictured), reached a speed of 133.78KPH (over 80MPH), setting a new world record for the fastest pedal-powered vehicle. A newer model, the VeloX V, will attempt to beat that record later this year.

Top image: The VeloX speed bike. Credit: Human Power Team.

[Source: Engadget. Edited. Top image and some links added.]