Thursday, March 4, 2010

Flying Bike that uses gravity and probably magic by Hoyoung Lee, Youngwoo Park, and Jungmin Park � Yanko Design


Got to love it when bikes are redesign, whether practical or not. This design by Hoyoung Lee, Youngwoo Park, and Jungmin Park.

Lemme do a quiz on you, bikers. How well do you love gravity? Not? I really hate it man, it’s terrible. So here’s the thing: you’re in luck. There’s a bike right here that defies it. Like a standard rebel. It’s called “Flying Bike” and it’s quite the magnetic levitator. By using the impetus of the bicycle, power is generated and magnetism brings the back of the bike up, up, up, until the gear is literally in the center of the back wheel, unconnected by anything other than the powers of the magnet.

The the magnet is strong! Kinetic energy brings the back of the bike upward as speed increases. This allows for decreased wind resistance and absorption of impact from bumps, stones, squirrels, etc.

But wait, isn’t that a sort of gear situation I see on the back wheel? Does that become dissipated once the bike goes fast enough to lift off the ground? Yes! There is a point where the force changes. This is similar to what happens in the front, but with a much smaller gear.

The biker’s gonna have to get used to this sort of situation.

Flying’s always a sort of “learning experience.”