just kick it

Oct 9th 2007

By: Randy Policar

A A

Footbike

Though not really intended for commuting long distances or hitting some serious mountain trails, Footbikes are a blast to get around with.

Gary Schmitt

I had the pleasure of meeting Gary Schmitt a World Champion Kick Bike Racer and talked about Footbikes. Gary showed off 3 models: Street, Track, and Trail which all come in various colors.

different styles and colors

I even had a chance to ride one of these bad boys around the convention center. Being a bike fanatic, I instantly fell in love with the ingenuity of a Footbike. If you get a chance to ride a Footbike, I would definitely suggest you jump on it.

Leave a comment

Noah

October 9th, 2007 at 18:27

Return to top

I can’t tell which, but that thing is begging for either a direct-pedal conversion a-la Ordinary Bicycle (penny-farthing, big-wheel bicycle, what have you) or a Briggs and Stratton spinning the back wheel.

Maybe both.
RL Policar

October 9th, 2007 at 19:18

Return to top

huh…I didn’t know that the term”World Champion Kick Bike Racer” even existed.
Ghost Rider

October 9th, 2007 at 21:32

Return to top

As long as it’s not a trail-hogging Trikke, I am all for it.

Honda used to make a kickbike back in the late 70s…my sister and I had two of them. They had a t-shaped footpedal that you pushed with one foot while the other foot stood on the platform. That footpedal worked a chained ratchet assembly that drove the rear wheel and would get you FLYING!!! I know it’s not the same concept, but this bike jarred my memory.
Logan

October 9th, 2007 at 21:55

Return to top

I didn’t even notice that there was a bike in the picture because I was staring at his sweet sock & sandal combo.
Randy Policar

October 9th, 2007 at 22:47

Return to top

I think the correct term would be World Scooter Champion.

http://www.kickbike.com/index.php?mid=340
Ghost Rider

October 10th, 2007 at 04:02

Return to top

That guy looks like Stewart Smalley.
db

October 10th, 2007 at 07:32

Return to top

That guy looks like he’s offering you candy to ride his bike.
Greg Raisman

October 10th, 2007 at 07:35

Return to top

I saw a guy ride one of these in Seattle to Portland in 2006. That’s 204 miles on one and he made it to Portland in the middle of the pack of 10,000 riders.

Also… what’s wrong with socks and sandles?! Keeps you warm, but lets a little air in. I think it’s a perfect combo!
Randy Policar

October 10th, 2007 at 07:41

Return to top

db look a bit closer to what he’s holding. It’s just one of the best business cards out there.
Greg Raisman

October 10th, 2007 at 08:47

Return to top

by the way… here’s a photo of the STP kick bike guy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/84977575@N00/192372360/in/set-72157594203108900/
Bruce Alan Wilson

October 10th, 2007 at 10:32

Return to top

It is called a scooter. They’ve been around for a long time. Check out http://www.digglerstore.com.
Lance

October 10th, 2007 at 11:46

Return to top

Oh man, sorry for laughing but thanks for the link to the kickbike Randy. I never knew that sport existed and it’s just funny to see finely tuned athletes on a hyped up razor scooter.
Gary

October 10th, 2007 at 14:20

Return to top

It’s faster than a speeding Razor and you can use any footwear you want. (Socks optional.)

http://www.iksaworld.com/welcome.html

Race Speeds: 16 – 21 mph
Moses

October 11th, 2007 at 21:46

Return to top

Don’t get too cocky boys— these machines fly! here is one of our favorite YouTube links–

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2i9GhU0aME

A scooter—sometimes? A Diggler–not really but nice try! If you jump on this with an athletic backround then we caution you to take it easy—–think 6 mile loops, think home in time to keep the family balanced, think becoming a stronger rider.

Think Footbike!
Moses

June 17th, 2009 at 12:45

Return to top

Hey—for the sake of science I thought I would toss a note onto this board in honor of our first North American sanctioned footbike race.

Okay—it was really a division within the Utah Marathon, but it counts. We had ten kickers and Gary Schmitt knocking some time off of his fastest marathon.

In Europe and Australia, a footbike race is made up of a criterium, sprint, relay, and marathon event spread over three days.

Footbike, Just Kick it! | Mountain Bike Riders

October 26th, 2007 at 09:58

Return to top

[...] few weeks ago, Randy posted an article on BikeCommuters.com featuring Footbike. We had met them at Interbike and found this thing to be pretty [...]

Bike Commuters

Recent Comments

Categories

Categories

Friends

Meta

just kick it

Leave a Reply