Though not really intended for commuting long distances or hitting some serious mountain trails, Footbikes are a blast to get around with.
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.
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.
Read more about FOOTBIKE.
Popularity: 8% [?]
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.
huh…I didn’t know that the term”World Champion Kick Bike Racer” even existed.
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.
I didn’t even notice that there was a bike in the picture because I was staring at his sweet sock & sandal combo.
I think the correct term would be World Scooter Champion.
http://www.kickbike.com/index.php?mid=340
That guy looks like Stewart Smalley.
That guy looks like he’s offering you candy to ride his bike.
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!
db look a bit closer to what he’s holding. It’s just one of the best business cards out there.
by the way… here’s a photo of the STP kick bike guy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/84977575@N00/192372360/in/set-72157594203108900/
It is called a scooter. They’ve been around for a long time. Check out http://www.digglerstore.com.
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.
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
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!
[...] 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 [...]
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.