This is the Shweeb, the world’s first human-powered monorail racetrack. Each capsule holds one rider who has to pedal his or her way to her destination. Apparently it can get you from Point A to Point B much faster than a bike. The seats adjust to your exact height and they level of comfort compares to that of a hammock. For now, you can only find the Shweeb in an amusement park in New Zealand. Who knows where this new means of transportation may find a home in the future. Check out a video of this thing in action after the break.
According to the company website: “Our proposal to get you safely and quickly from one point in the city to another would be to elevate you onto a network of interconnected monorails where you never have to stop at traffic lights. The ideal vehicle for such a system already exists. Fully faired recumbent cycles, because of their low aerodynamic resistance, are breaking all bicycle speed records and currently reaching speeds of 90 kph (56 mph) in sprints. Suspending these comfortable and highly efficient machines from monorail tracks has the added advantage of taking away the rolling resistance of pneumatic tyres. Trains of Shweebs can further reduce the aero drag C ten people travelling at 40 kph will each have a lot less work to do than a single rider at the same speed. A single rider requires only a fraction of the energy to achieve the same speed as a normal cyclist C thanks to the significant reductions in both aero drag and tire friction. The vehicle is completely weatherproof, you can’t derail or fall out while on the cellphone or Blackberry.”
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