The Future in Bicycle Riding Is Here!

DetroitDad · December-17-10, 11:39 PM

Why did Google bet $1 million on Shweeb?

[[CNN) -- Living in Tokyo, Japan, during the late '90s, Geoffrey Barnett found it extremely difficult -- even dangerous -- to ride his bicycle to work every day.
"The traffic is incredible, and there's so much pollution," said Barnett, an Australian who worked in the city as an English teacher.
His students shared his frustration, and they would often talk about Tokyo's jam-packed streets during class.
"It was always a topic of discussion that motivated the students to talk, because it was a part of their life as well," Barnett recalled.
Out of those frequent discussions evolved Barnett's idea for Shweeb, a system of personal, pedal-powered monorail pods that he hopes can one day become an alternative form of urban transit. With Shweeb, pods hang from an elevated track that, theoretically, would stretch to destinations throughout a city

**Django** · December-18-10, 01:39 AM

Good luck with that.

Okay, it does look kind of fun, to do maybe once.

Sorry DD.

**maxx** · December-18-10, 01:06 PM

And free knee-replacement surgery with every 100,000 miles covered.

**East Detroit** · December-18-10, 01:31 PM

What's wrong with a normal bike, a bazooka and a road-id?

**gazhekwe** · December-18-10, 01:44 PM

I like how they have it set up like an amusement park. I can't see how it will solve a bike traffic problem really. You don't get to take your own bike on it, so you can't ride it to somewhere then get on your bike and go further. Why not just take the public transit option? Better exercise? That seems to be the best argument for it.

**wolverine** · December-18-10, 01:51 PM

Eh, I'll stick with regular biking. Seems fun to ride though as you'd achieve some high speeds. I think I'd get ticked off at a slow person in front of me as well. Can't pass someone on a track.

**Pam** · December-18-10, 06:35 PM

Having those tracks everywhere would be an eyesore. Not much space if you had packages or other stuff.

**wolverine** · December-18-10, 11:10 PM

Originally Posted by Pam

Having those tracks everywhere would be an eyesore. Not much space if you had packages or other stuff.

Yeah, I was just about to say. My bike handlebars are convenient for carrying groceries home. I'd bet the stuff would be all over those capsules.

Vox · December-19-10, 07:55 AM

Thing I'm seeing here is that most people seem to feel that they will be indestructable forever. Consider the aging process in the transportation decisions. People with disabilities? Not thought of here. Everyone is fit and walks and rides bikes. You just have to love the myopia displayed here.