It looks like people invented bicycles because they didn’t want to walk over long distances, and this new vehicle provided excellent transportation without work shoe soles. However, it appears like the intriguing Japanese design industry has finally come up with a walking bicycle, a rather self-contradictory, but nevertheless fun vehicle. Kind of silly, but truly funny.
The Walking Bicycle Club, for this is the name of this uncanny contraption, is in fact a trike-shaped vehicle, powered by human muscle. You can imagine crossing a bike with a stepper and something in between them to transform the pumping power into forward movement. The WBC was created by Katayama Kogyo, a Japanese automotive parts manufacturer, and its maker say it offers the combined experience of walking and riding a bike at the same time.
Even though a stepper-like movement has almost nothing to do with the natural movement when walking, this bike will most likely sell well, at least in Japan, given the inclination this country’s inhabitants seem to have for an awful lot of completely wacky things.
The idea is pretty neat, truth be told, and it could be improved quite a lot using an “air walk” movement pattern, like the one in elliptical bikes. The Walking Bicycle Club also comes with an electrical motor which will assist riders in times of need when struggling uphill. However, at 2.5 Ah, the battery pack is rather diminutive, and the 2-hour recharging time is not a stellar feature, either. Apparently, the Walking Bicycle Club will be introduced in July, with a price tag of $3,000 (€2,200). Cool or fool, the decision is up to you.
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