Apr 2 2008Walking Bike Features Sneakers, Horrible Ride

MORE: bicycle, bike, horrible ideas, questionable, shoes, transportation, why

shoe-bike.jpg

The Walking Bike was designed by Max Knight (not to be confused with Max Rook or Max Bishop) and has a wheel of shoes instead of the traditional metal and rubber. I swear I've seen this idea in a movie or something. Anybody else remember that? Anyway, the thing actually goes, and there's a video of it in action after the jump. And by "in action" I mean a guy attempting to cross a street on it, realizing it was a bad idea, and getting off.

Hit it for the video.

The Walking Bike [newlaunches]

Thanks to Allison, who has the same name as the girl I was in love with in 1st grade, for the tip

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1. jessee jackson - April 2, 2008 1:55 PM

thats called "intelegent design"

2. al sharpton - April 2, 2008 1:56 PM

u spelt "intelligent" wrong, f@gg0t.

3. jessee jackson - April 2, 2008 1:56 PM

:p

4. Amy - April 2, 2008 2:00 PM

I don't know why but there is something about that bike that I find very disturbing, maybe it's because I'm imagining actual severed human feet in those shoes.

5. al sharpton - April 2, 2008 2:03 PM

if those were human feet, that would mean that 8 ppl had to get their feet cut off just to make that bike!

:D

6. poop - April 2, 2008 2:14 PM

amy, stfu before i give you a mushroom shaped bruise on your forehead. i mean it. shut up *right* now. ...oh ok, i see, you want to play. **whoooosh FWAP!!!!**

7. Scott - April 2, 2008 2:18 PM

Next thing you know, people will start doing crazy stuff like walking. OK, that's years away but it could happen!

8. Jinu - April 2, 2008 2:26 PM

Why would you want to hit Amy with a mushroom? That's very rude, IMO.

9. .Ben - April 2, 2008 2:31 PM

When did all the "cool kids" start posting on here?

Is it half term or something?

10. SmokingGirl - April 2, 2008 2:54 PM

I think someone was going for spelled since 'spelt' is a type of wheat germ. But thankfully, I digress.
I do agree with the thought that there are severed feet within those shoes and that would worry me only if I knew the individuals that gave said severed feet for this ridiculous design.

And yes, I am one of the Cool Kids. I drive a '91 Oldsmobile, I smoke, and I drink Absolut before 11:00 am. Did you read that...that reads AM people. My cult-like following is now accepting applications. Thank you.

11. .Ben - April 2, 2008 3:07 PM

Hmm... Considering the correct spelling and grammar of that post, SmokingGirl, I don't think you are a "cool kid".

If you have a basic comprehension of the English language, you ain't cool.... At least by 2008 standards.

12. mare - April 2, 2008 3:13 PM

dr. seuss?

13. SmokingGirl - April 2, 2008 3:16 PM

Jealousy...jealousy. *sigh*

14. bonzo420 - April 2, 2008 3:25 PM

wasn't that the bike in the orig willie wanka to mix the shiznit up? or am I wrong...anyway id beto afraid to ride that thing in fear of kicking ny own ass!

~420~

15. johann - April 2, 2008 4:11 PM

fuck, Al's some kind of counting genius!

16. damn luddites - April 2, 2008 4:31 PM

sorry smoking girl, but "spelt" was used correctly -
spelt (spĕlt)
v.
A past tense and a past participle of spell1.
http://query.nytimes.com/search/query?query=spelt&srchst=ref


wasn't there a bike like that in one of the old Max Fleischer cartoons?

well, it's after 4pm - time time to go smoke a cigar, drink vodka tonics (Chopin potato vodka). that's right smoking girl - PM. the coolest crowd sees no reason to get up early just to drink.

17. martygras9 - April 2, 2008 4:59 PM

My bike is way cooler.

http://www.javivicente.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/shoe_bike.jpg

18. David Donahue - April 2, 2008 5:14 PM

OK, perhaps I'm missing the point here, but this is just a poorly solved engineering problem. It should be easy to do better with just a little thought.

The main difficulty I see from watching the video is that having shoes of this size on spokes generates a very bumpy ride making practical riding impossible or at least very difficult.

Many solutions call out to me here:
-Change the gear ratios to provide greater force to drive the wheels at correspondingly reduced speeds.
-Use smaller shoes on a larger wheel base, thus decreasing the bump size.
-Use the same shoes and wheel base but use a flexible toe/ankle assembly that smooths the transition of weight from one shoe to the next.
-Use multiple wheels in front and back at alternating rotations to increase the number of weight distribution points
-Use a standard tire/wheel system giving truly smooth ride, but place a Shoe themed cover over the wheel that conceals itself except when it's holding the weight.

I bet we can do better than this artist and have a similarly looking shoe bike, but with much greater functionality.

Goodluck!

19. ubee0173 - April 2, 2008 5:51 PM

this is why dr. suess didnt design bicycles... remember the foot book?

20. al sharpton - April 2, 2008 11:13 PM

johann - no sh!t i'm a genius, i'm al - f*cking sharpton!

liek, teh dude thats on tv and b4lck and sh!t.


21. Maersk - April 3, 2008 7:20 AM

Can someone please translate the language that "bonzo420" uses into something comprehensible, please?

22. Quase - April 3, 2008 10:58 AM

Haha, it was Gyro Gearloose. Here is the pic for his unicycle:
http://www.dvddiary.com/phpBB/images/200408/20040828-11217-0_bike1.jpg

23. al sharpton - April 3, 2008 1:14 PM

maersk, what bonzo meant to say was:

get f*cked up.

light ur t*ts on fire.

:|

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