Human powered vehicles

By John N. Hait

Save gas, lose weight, and have fun doing it! Good idea, right? Human power has always been the most common “alternative energy.” While sometimes it just means work, often it can be both fun and rewarding. Typically, HPV or Human Powered Vehicles are light weight, and more energy efficient than their gas-guzzling cousins. Why? Well, believe me, if your car had to grunt and groan like people do to carry all that useless extra weight, rather than just pouring in an extra gallon, cars themselves would demand efficiency!

Let’s take a look at some of the more interesting HPVs, going around the picture clockwise from the top. (For those who grew up with a digital watch, start at the top and go around to the right.)

I remember when human powered flight was “impossible.” But on June 12, 1979 Bryan Allen pedaled the Gossamer Albatross 24.1 miles across the English Channel, in 2 hours and 49 minutes. He only needed a top speed of about 18 mph, flying at an average of about 49 feet above the water. And he made it in one piece.

They said he was a professional cyclist. I guess that means that he got paid for riding a bike. Anyway, the Gossamer Albatross made 27 flights as part of NASA’s Langley/Dryden research program. Now that was some HPV!

Traveling through Berlin we discovered a couple of other interesting HPVs. The covered two-seater would be great when it rains. There’s a rental place at the Brandenburg Gate so you and your mate can glide your way around Berlin in pedal-powered comfort. Now that would be a great idea for a tropical place like Saipan.

At a quaint little bike shop, we found the ConferenceBike, one bike with seven riders. All seven seats have pedals, so all can share in providing power, but only one steering wheel, so they don’t try to drive off in seven different directions. The pedals are all hooked together with special universal joints that are laid out in a circle for seven small chains connected to each of the individual pedals. Naturally, each of its seven bicycle seats is individually adjustable for comfort, and to make pedaling easier.

The riders all sit in a circle facing each other around a “conference” table, so they can have a “conference” while they enjoy the ride. And if they all had cell phones, they could join in a conference call with people on other ConferenceBikes.

At the bottom right is a tennis shoe bike… just for fun. If you’re going to have to do something to lose weight, it at least ought to be fun.

The oldest, and still most efficient, HPV is the pole boat. It carries the most people and is the easiest to power. It’s really nice both for the skipper and the passengers. Although he’s up in years, he takes his time, making a very pleasant journey out of the ride through the flowers.

A colorful three-wheel taxi can earn this cabby a living, and make him healthier at the same time. Then of course there are the traditional bicycles.

HPV are more common than one might expect. How many do you have around your community? Well, in addition to bicycles, there may be a unicycle (one wheel) or a three-wheeled tricycle. Then there are the pedal boats, traditional canoes, and the must-faster sculling canoes.

Many communities sponsor bike races, and have various other events featuring HPVs. Where else can you find enjoyable transportation that runs on fish and rice, or maybe sauerkraut and sausage… or even hamburgers and french fries?

Today there are many new and exhilarating things that used to be “impossible,” described on the CoolScience website, and in CoolScience E-books. There you’ll find exciting reading about homes with a built-in comfortable temperature without needing commercial energy or machinery; how to produce electricity directly from scrap metal; how to anticipate what terrorists are likely to do next; and the theory of everything made easy. See www.coolscience.info. Click on Extraordinary E-books.

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