Bizarre Human Powered Water Bikes – Extreme Sports
While it may not be anything new, designs and concepts are ever-changing in the genre of extreme water sports for waterbiking, water bikes, Hydro-bikes or WaterCycles — pedal powered ‘boats.’ Designs and concepts are merely limited by the inventor’s imagination or foolio as they ‘walk on water.’
Human Powered Boats — HPB’s — can however, refer to row boats, paddle boats, pedal boats, canoes, kayaks, surf skis or even rowing shells.
Bizarre Water Bikes in HPB Competition
Known as the Pumpabike, Trampofoil and AquaSkipper
Trampofoil — also known as Hydro-bike, HydroSlide, Hydrothopter or Aquaskipper — is a light, one-person, human-powered hydrofoil. It’s propelled by hopping up and down like a pogo stick with both feet together on a footboard, and kept afloat on a centrally-placed wing once the correct speed is achieved. Another wing in the front maintains a constant height of the Trampofoil in the water.
It’s started and landed from the shore, or preferably from a jetty, and requires a bit of experience. When the Trampofoil is moving too slowly, it will sink. The unit travels anywhere from 5 to 12 knots, depending upon the manufacturer.
AquaSkipper User Help
AquaSkipper Not as Simple as it Appears
Silver Swan
Silver Swan
Super Phoenix
Wet Wing Piloted by Ernst Eschbach. Human Powered Boats World Championship at Eutin Lake near Lubek, Germany , July 21-22 2001. Photo Ó Paul Eschbach
The Pogo Foil is a human-powered hydrofoil boat with a flapping wing propulsion system, weighs about 50 pounds, and travels over 11mph.
The boat rests on pontoons at the start, and then the rider begins hopping up and down — hence the “pogo.” The vertical motion causes the main hydrofoil below the pilot to start to make thrust. This main wing is made of a carbon/epoxy composite, is about 2 m in span, uses a NACA 4415 airfoil section, and pivots just ahead of the quarter chord. The pivoting is controlled by a lever arm to a nonlinear spring aboveboard. The springiness controls how much thrust you get.
As you gain speed the front, smaller foil pushes the nose of the boat up. When ‘flying’ the depth of the front foil is controlled by a small spatula on a lever arm which rides along the surface of the water and actuates the elevator flat on the front foil. The front foil is steered by the handlebars, and when you are flying you balance the craft just like a bike. As you gain speed you lean forward, and then in a magical and difficult-to-master moment the craft rotates up, the hulls pull clear of the water, and you are flying!
Free Enterprises
Free Enterprises
Ironbutterfly / Free Enterprises
Air America / Free Enterprises
All carbon fiber, pedal it like a bike, or fly it like a plane . . . Free Enterprises began their research in 1982, and currently builds and sells them, and supplies parts. The company manufactures and designs pedal drive units, boat hulls, hydrofoil drive units and components and any kind of custom composite part
Flyak by Foil Kayak
Flyak Foil by Foil Kayak
When paddling at speeds less than 10 km/h (2.8 m/s), the Flyak behaves just like a stable, conventional kayak. When the speed increases to just under take-off speed, the front foil first lifts until it is about one chord length under the surface, and the Flyak is tilted about 1 degree backwards.
When the speed is about 25% higher than the take-off speed, the hull is lifted out of the water. Top Speed can be more than 50% higher than “take-off” speed. At top speed, both foils are less than one chord length under the surface.
There are no flaps or any other mechanisms that sense the surface to keep the Flyak level. About one chord length under the surface, the lifting ability of a hydrofoil decreases, so the Flyak is kept level by simply ‘leaning’ the foils up against the surface. The foil winglets give added lift and directional stability.
To fully enjoy hydrofoil paddling, you will need flat water and a nice tail wind. The Flyak is all about speed — kayakers who are able to paddle 500 meters in 2 minutes or less are fit enough to ‘fly.’ At longer distances, slow paddling in a normal racing kayak is more efficient than hydrofoil kayaking.
Decavitator / MIT
On 27 October 1991, Mark Drela pedaled the human-powered hydrofoil, Decavitator , to a world-record speed of 18.5 knots (9.53 meters/second) over a 100 meter race course on the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts.
In the spring of 1993 the Decavitator team was awarded the DuPont prize for the fastest human-powered water craft. This prize was to be awarded to the first team to break 20 knots over a 100 meter course, or to the team with the fastest speed on record as of 31 December 1992.
Sea Jogger
Addressing the latest trend in fitness and recreation, revolutionary Sea Jogger , allows the user to exercise and relax at the same time. This unique and easy to use personal water propulsion system provides no-impact exercise by converting the destructive energy of impact into exercise. Sea Jogger is portable and lightweight. It utilizes a unique, quiet and effective fin propulsion system, which allows you to glide effortlessly on water.
HydroBike
The HydroBike achieves incredible “human powered” speed, utilizing their state-of the art propeller and impulsion system, with claims to be the fastest and most efficient water bike in the world.
The HydroBike is allegedly virtually impossible to tip over, and can even be used as a dive platform. The water bike handles well in shallow water to get in close to shore. The near silent to operation makes it great for trolling. It’s lightweight and easily assembled or disassembled. You can easily transport this waterbike on a car top carrier or larger bed pickup truck.
Barracuda from Dockaccents
Ergonomically designed, the Barracudas incorporate a human-powered motor design with a roto-molded hull, making them comfortable, durable and fast — up to 6 mph. The folding propeller reduces resistance for a smooth gliding action, making this innovative water bike one of the coolest rides on the water.
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I just dug this story….excellent and fascinating! Your blog is da best!
Really strange water bikes, amazing.
Incredible, thanks Deborah for this great post (like the others) !!
You missed your very own human power afficionada Greg: http://www.adventuresofgreg.com/ who will be pedalling across the Atlantic…
Thanks so much Kuanyin. It’s always great to see you here
Some of them truly are, News
Thanks so much Skullpat, glad you enjoy
Thanks for the info, Fruey
I actually sent you an email from my email editor inadvertently before seeing your comment here to realize that you weren’t Greg. Ooops. I’ll shoot him the same email from his website.
I would guess that he didn’t come up in my searches, as I was looking for human powered bikes, and not vehicles. I appreciate your tip and link though
No problem on the email… because you’re in a different timezone I woke up this morning to the chain of email
.
I don’t know Greg personally but I’ve followed his exploits online, he sets a great example in his dedication to pushing himself hard, and his Kid Power program is a nice way to take that fitness ethos to schools with some interesting stuff (for example a recumbent bike wired up to a computer game).
Nice article by the way, some interesting reading here.
-Fruey a.k.a Simon
All the pictures look sporti and funny. I think i will try one or another of this sports in this summer
I’d be game myself if I were anywhere close to a large body of water, Maik. Have fun with it
Highly amusing! Is there like devices for choppy water?
I don’t know of any small personal pleasure crafts that I would recommend for choppy waters, Serj.
A lot of these inventions look funny but all of them look like mad mad fun! I’d love to go on one of them…on sand though…’cos I’m sure I’d topple over and that would be way too embarrassing. I’d never be able to live it down. Big props to those who give it a go though.
I’m with you, John. Many look pretty bizarre, but probably a blast to try out and master. I’m not a great one for dexterity, so I would be right behind you
An incredible amount of comprehensive research! Amazing post!
Some of these crafts are just simply amazing. They just have to click with the public. I remember when the first personal water jets came out.
Some of these are great! I love the ingenuity that goes into these. People putting there creative talents to work to make a better way or just have more fun. Thanks for all the information in the blog entry!
now that is something i would LOVE to do!!!
Wow those are amazing. I love this type of watercraft. I would love to have one of these for myself.
Really cool snaps !!
amazing
Yeah I read the now keywords thing… I’m just retarded that way. I actually found your site looking for cool bikes. Anyways I am not a bike dealer just an enthusiast. HPV for road has some pretty cool vehicles. These watercraft seem to be missing one thing… the element of fun. Why does everyone look so stressed. The water skipper looks like a real good time if you fall off. I can only imagine the joy of towing it a few hundred yards so you can get back on it. But the propeller driving craft does look interesting.
Well perhaps you’ll then understand why your comment has been delinked due to your blatant disregard for our request, but because you’ve contributed to the conversation, it hasn’t been deleted.
Indeed, the water skipper appears to be a lot more of frustration than fun
where can I find an original pumpabike seller in china ?. and what is the price range ? Going crazy for one
hello,
have you heard about my pedal powered airship!!
for the one who like pedaling…here is my website
http://www.rousson.org
why not flying…pedaling
have fun
stephane
These are some cool water vehicles, I have never seen any in the UK though, would be cool to break the mould and get one fo our local beach. Can you buy these on the net?