Arquivos Diários: 2008/04/18

Some people like to do things differently. If they didn’t we wouldn’t have inventors or weird people. Michael Killian is an inventor. He is a 46 year old software engineer from Dublin, to be exact, who recently invented a Sideways Bike, and not too long ago, invented the Sideways Scooter. Some people may think a Sideways Bike is a little weird, but I think it’s oddly creative.

The Sideways Bike is meant to ride for recreational purposes, not for speeding and not for traffic. Not anytime soon at least. You can’t exactly see the traffic riding sideways. It’s the type of bike you’d ride in the park or down the sidewalk of your neighborhood. It’s just a leisurely experience with you and the outdoors.

The Sideways Bike uses front and rear steering. Like in snowboarding or skating you are moving sideways. The pedals are at right angles to the wheels. A set of handle bars are at either end. The bike is also more maneuverable than a conventional bike. Mastering turns may become a challenge at times, especially for uncoordinated people, but who doesn’t like a challenge. I love challenges. I’ll give it a try.

Michael has already taken the bike on tour to test on the streets. Some of the places he’s toured are: New York, Boston, Paris, Amsterdam and Cologne. There is also a smaller modified version of the sideways bike which if or when available could be sold for £150. It has two sets of handlebars and smaller wheels and on this bike the cyclist faces forward riding sideways.

Just think. The first bicycle invented, The Walking Machine, had no pedals and was made of wood. Then came, The High Wheel Bicycle, which had pedals attached to the huge front wheel. A few bike innovations later came, The High Wheel Safety, which had pedals on the huge back wheel. Many bike innovations later comes the Sideways Bike. It may not be the most useful bike around, but who says it has to be useful to be fun. There once was a time when people thought cellphones in cars were useless and now they’re all over the place.