Sometimes when riding a bike down a rather uphill road, (sometimes it seems uphill both ways) riding can become more tedious than fun. Sure, some find that a challenge and attack it with zeal, but others find it an obstacle to being more active on their bike. With electric assisted models becoming more prevalent in bike shops for just such a market, it is no surprise that others would seek to find their own way to profit from the trend.
Rather than making this a What a Concept post, I decided to make this a regular post about the progress that even some of the worst concepts can inspire. Not that I would single out any as being so badly conceived today, but to place a perspective on how progress is made.
Instead of following the electric trend, or reinventing the gas conversion kits that already exist in the market, some chose to spread out and try something new. The personal propulsion system called Thrust Pac, takes on more kinds of transportation than just a bike. If it has wheels, floats, or possibly can fly, this unit can make it easier to move it. Just strap one on, start it, and your off. Sure it seems a little "Rocketeer"-ish, can be a little noisier than most around you would like, and looks like overkill, but those hills just became less intimidating. With a price starting at $895, not including the vehicle you choose to propel with it, it sounds a little steep. Of course it can be more considerable if you factor that it works on more than just one vehicle. If you canoe, bike and roller blade, it will work for all three. If your like me, then finding a way to tie a chair to my push mower with a thrust-pac on back this may be worth it just for the fun and interesting ways to make stuff mobile.
By no means am I promoting this. To me it seems a tad excessive on many levels, and not enough in others, but it is a start in the direction of getting ideas brought into the battlefield of cycling. It also helps to show that there is no one dimensional approach to making bikes the alternative transportation it can be. The excuses of not being physically able to ride enough to use it instead of a car for short trips are fading, and soon with those excuses the ability will follow as the assist methods are used only to assist. People would become better able to go without them as usage increases. Those of us "old school" types scoff at the idea of an electric bike and power through those hills knowing we can coast down the other side and end up the better for the challenge. But as we get older, knees start to go, hips, or virtually any malady that may fall, I welcome the advancements that will keep me on the saddle for more years. Fortunately I have time for them to better perfect these means, so I do not have to strap a wind machine to my back, and look like a Cajun air boat on a bike. For those of you that do not have as much time, or are already looking, there are still the electrics that are currently available in the bike shops. In all honesty they have come quite a long way and work fairly well.
No matter how much time any of us has, what our condition or what our excuse, just keep in mind that in other parts of the world, the bicycle is used for far more than just riding. While we complain about that steep hill, I cannot imagine even travelling across a flat with some of the loads and things they use a bike to transport. So thank goodness for the progress made by even those that tried and failed. Besides giving us some entertainment on Fridays, you may just inspire an idea that will become the next big thing.
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