http://www.gizmag.com/the-shweeb-human-powered-monorail/9678 / Citat:

Recently, fully-faired recumbent bicycles have attained speeds of over 90kph (56mph) on paved . However, recumbent bicycles are unstable, highly-susceptible to side-winds topple and their low profile makes them a dangerous prposition to use in traffic due to their low visibility.

Barnett has spent six years developing how to efficiently transfer pedal power to drive wheels enclosed within a monorail track while allowing the vehicle to swing freely underneath. The hard wheels on the steel rail mean that there is very little rolling resistance.

Barnett describes his high efficiency, no emission urban transport system thus: “Here’s how it works. You get up in the morning; descend to the second level of your apartment building where there’s a Shweeb port and empty Shweebs waiting for you. You cruise over the top of the traffic jams. You don’t pay parking. You’ve produced no pollution. You arrive at work fit, healthy and ready to go.

“You don’t own the Shweeb. You use it like a shopping cart. Empty vehicles are restocked to wherever they are needed.

“Shock absorbers between the vehicles ensure that vehicle come together smoothly. When a fit rider comes up behind a slower rider, the impact is cushioned and they act as a single unit. The rider at the rear is sitting in the slipstream of the leading rider and is able to put all their power into pushing the lead vehicle. Two Shweebs acting together will always travel faster than either rider separately. Even if the lead rider were to stop pedalling, the energy required to maintain a vehicle’s momentum on a flat track is minimal.

“Stations are off line. Anyone wanted to get off just merges off the main rail and the platoon continues at top speed.

The urban Shweebrail network is inexpensive, has a tiny footprint, and each Shweebway requires only a square meter of airspace…It’s safe, silent and sustainable.

Frånsett att det bara gäller där de byggts så kan det ju öka toleransen till HPV att det är ok att cykla så att man kan cykla till stationen och det finns bevakad förvaring av cykeln eller att det går att ta den med på nåt sätt.

Bästa vore att man kan cykla med den inuti den individuella shweeben så underlättar det ju att man tar sig från A till B utan att behöva använda motor.