People seem to believe that regular old bikes are simply too boring these days. It reminds me of the transition of skiing to snowboarding. Sure skiing is still fun, bit it simply isn’t as cool (Note: I much prefer skiing) as the thrilling culture of snowboarding. In that vein, the makers of the dreamslide managed to convert what otherwise looks like a regular bike into a unique riding experience.
The very first thing you’ll likely notice about the dreamslide is that there isn’t a seat. So if you aren’t so sure about if your lower body strength, you may want to consider hitting the gym first. The motion of the bike looks more akin to surfing. I’m not sure how comfortable this would be after a few miles, but the thought here is that you feel like you’re participating in a boardsport instead of a heavily modified bicycle.
I should also note that it has a crank-like device that is designed to allow you to stand up and pedal without huffing and wheezing and thinking you’re gonna die. The crank is called an APS (Adaptive Pedaling System. Every new thing needs at least one ridiculous acronym) and it has two independent crank-arms. The rear crank moves upwardwards roughly three times faster than the crank descends. If that sounds confusing, the motion is likened to running, and it lets you rest your weight on the lower leg as the top foot comes over the top of the circle. I guess you’d have to try it to really find out for yourself. Think about it carefully, though, because such a bike does not come cheap. We’re talking serious bank here, or $1,730 in U.S. dollars.
If you’re looking for some other bike mods, we’ve featured some here at Walyou. You could take a look at Lance Armstong’s geeky counterpart, or keep your head high on the steampunk racer.
Dreamslide Via: Wired
