The Fliz Is a Concept That Has Been Looking to Revolutionize Urban Mobility

When I first saw the Fliz, I couldn’t realize what I was looking at. I first thought it may be a device that assists people with disabilities. I then thought it may be some sort of training equipment. None of these ideas are what’s pushing the Fliz design team to revolutionize urban mobility.

What the Fliz really is, is a bicycle. That’s right, just a bike. But where are the pedals? Where’s the seat? Luckily it looks as if it has brakes. That and the wheels are kind of the only two things that may be bike-like in the whole contraption.

So how does somebody think of something like this? Well, not much work needed there, as the design is based on children’s peddle-less bicycles. You know, the ones you see children pushing themselves along on in parks.

But the Fliz is taking that children’s bike design to the next level. Now, the Fliz team isn’t looking to replace conventional bicycles, they’re pretty damn near perfect as is, but instead, tried to create a new style of urban mobility suited to tighter spaces and aimed at utilizing humans as the major engine component.

You can’t even consider it a bike really, as the whole contraption is built around two tires and a carbon fiber frame. That frame seems to be composed of two separate pieces that act as a support for the rider, a front-fork that allows you to steer and maneuver the vehicle, and the second part composes the remaining frame, including the rear fork.

Aside from making you looking like a miniature Dromedary riding the streets of L.A. or New York, there is no seat for this vehicle, so the rider of the Fliz is suspended in the air from a harness attached to the carbon-fiber frame.

That five-point harness was designed for the Fliz to make sure that the rider is kept in a comfortable, efficient and safe riding position. Taking into consideration your usual 10 to 15-mile bike commutes, that harness better be hella’ comfortable.

As you suspend from the harness the frame of the Fliz splits in two to open a space where the rider's head is positioned. That split comes down over the rider’s shoulders much like a safety vest, and further down toward the front wheel, is unified again to act as a support for the handlebars and front fork.

Aside from looking like you are trying to catch the Golden Snitch at high speeds, this thing looks pretty fun. It puts the rider in such a posture that you could Superman your way around town. And that feeling always brought a smile to my face as a kid.

But the classic bike seems to already do that, so does the scooter, skateboard and rollerblades. Maybe this is the reason why the Fliz isn’t so heard of. Alternatives to this alternative mobility vehicle seem to maybe do a better job. Who knows?

That not to say that if I ever got the occasion to ride one, I wouldn’t, I would. I just wouldn’t go out and buy one.