Amphibious bicycle

Posted on October 14, 2011 by .
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Amphibian Bicycle Can Travel on Land Or Water.

We’ll soon enter the rainy season here in Northern California, when many of our riverside bike paths will be inundated. With this bike I can just float the bike down the Guadalupe River straight to work, and then pedal upstream for the trip home. I don’t think those fat tires will fit on a bus bike rack, unfortunately.

amphibious bicycle

From Modern Mechanix blog, which grabbed it from the December 1932 Popular Science magazine. There have been similar, more recent designs for the various kinetics contests out there.



See also:

  1. Bike polo steering wheel
  2. Inverse recumbent
  3. Free bikes! Free bikes! and more free bikes!
  4. Rain cover bicycle rack


  • Chip

    So How bad do the riverside trails get?  I commute from downtown to Milpitas and use the Guadalupe trail near the airport.  Will I be able to do that year round?  

  • http://www.cyclelicio.us/ Cyclelicious

    The low underpasses get flooded with any prolonged rainfall.  It subsides quickly, but you can still count on mud and debris.  Just take 1st Street instead and use Brokaw to get into the airport. @Wuss912 is a little more familiar with winter conditions on the GRT — I’m sure he’ll weigh in.

  • http://twitter.com/Wuss912 Wuss912

    the water gets pretty high… you might not be able to clear under the bridges…..

  • http://twitter.com/Wuss912 Wuss912

    a couple of years ago a giant 100ft tree blocked up the tunnel under Montague expy. it was carried by the water in the river and i think they had to cut it up with chainsaws so they could drag it out…
    The GRT gets really full and parts of the trail get pretty muddy so i’d recommend that you plan for an alt route if it’s raining or has rained that day.the silt mud that gets left on the underpass ramps is slick as snot so be careful or it will take you down.The Mud gets really bad next to where the old rental parking lot was next to the airport. and it’s the sticky stuff so you can’t really ride over/through it as it will stick to your tires and gum up your frame…Fortunately there are plenty of alternate routes. (1st is always good for me and it has the light rail alt if you get a flat)

  • Rainfish umbrella

    Lot of great ideas floating around out there. Uh…this one may be questionable.

    Rainfish

  • Chip

    Thanks for the tips, gentlemen.  I probably would have fallen for the mud booby trap pretty quickly.  

    I’ve tried to avoid 1st for the two underpasses, but I have had to jump on the light rail because of flats.  I love having choices!

  • http://www.cyclelicio.us/ Cyclelicious

    “floating around” heh heh.