tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post4970047443445330015..comments2024-03-27T05:14:23.738-04:00Comments on Lovely Bicycle!: Alenax: the Ultimate Vintage Freak Bike?Velouriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-61611302715884129112017-02-27T10:28:13.000-05:002017-02-27T10:28:13.000-05:00I too bought mine at a similar outlet, paying abou...I too bought mine at a similar outlet, paying about twice as much. But, the REAL reason it didn't "catch on" was due to patent disputes. The orignal Australian designer sued an interloper company and got them removed from the marketplace, hence their incredibly reduced prices. Today Cardio surgeons claim they are ideal for low-stress rehab hence their renewed popularity and regained original pricing which was in the $300-range! Whenever I rode mine [now long since in storage but still in excellent condition] heads would invariable turn and I would be stopped every hundred yards or so by puzzled onlookers. I may just get it out, dust it off and do it all over again!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-31435994772459136772015-11-27T23:14:16.834-05:002015-11-27T23:14:16.834-05:00I bought my Alenax at a distress merchandise store...I bought my Alenax at a distress merchandise store for about $35. I fell in love with the novel shifting method. It is a very normal feeling bike and with a leg problem I have, it isn't necessary to stroke the peddle to the upper or lower limit to propel it just fine. The low range is totally adequate for the local hills and high is a good cruise . I like it.<br />keith williamsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-16653445536032173472012-12-24T10:23:19.861-05:002012-12-24T10:23:19.861-05:00Decades ago, Harold Knochin of International Bike ...Decades ago, Harold Knochin of International Bike (Commonwealth Ave. and a story himself)told me the Koreans hired an unnamed American bike biz guy to market these. Big advertising budget, of which he got a percentage. And although he knew the concept was going nowhere, what was the point of telling the Koreans?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-46837261105016572702012-12-24T10:21:24.300-05:002012-12-24T10:21:24.300-05:00I agree, all messing around aside, anything that g...I agree, all messing around aside, anything that gets us outside and working up a sweat IS a good thing.<br /><br /> But dang it, you can't expect us to sit here and not try to validate ourselves by denigrating anything that strays that far from our beloved dork talismans? That would be a bit too rational.<br /><br />Good day.<br /><br />SpindizzyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-58883916384652353602012-12-23T17:15:50.535-05:002012-12-23T17:15:50.535-05:00Which one of us looks most like Marlon Perkins?Which one of us looks most like Marlon Perkins?Corey Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15381826721030941179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-27935368600965445752012-12-23T15:02:48.146-05:002012-12-23T15:02:48.146-05:00Thank you for news of the ElliptiGo. For soemone w...Thank you for news of the ElliptiGo. For soemone with knee problems that looks like a superb machine.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272755559589366573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-66065523225187518692012-12-23T13:17:26.075-05:002012-12-23T13:17:26.075-05:00Ah the Treadle Bike...Here's some nerdery for ...Ah the Treadle Bike...Here's some nerdery for you nerds: This pedaling system actually predates conventional chain drives on safety bikes (for real, mid 1880s). With even earlier examples being found on high wheelers and other bicycle like machines. Before chains, this was a safe way to keep your feet from getting sucked into the wheel and maimed. I've ridden one of these and it's weird, but actually works quite well- if you like Stair Masters. GlitterBoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09477198238558913606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-30099229691096172672012-12-23T11:54:19.543-05:002012-12-23T11:54:19.543-05:00Another odd thing about this contraption was that ...Another odd thing about this contraption was that there wasn't any seat. I also was amazed at how fast it went. I was being run by a young woman and it really made quite an impression to see her flying by standing about 7 feet tall!<br /><br />I saw her twice within a day or so... but haven't seen her since. <br />jnhttp://www.johnnez.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-64334748681280792562012-12-22T20:01:20.144-05:002012-12-22T20:01:20.144-05:00OK, I shouldn't throw ANY stones here(I know, ...OK, I shouldn't throw ANY stones here(I know, the guy who hammered cut-off forklegs onto his bike to make a chopper, the guy who wrapped diesel soaked rags around the back tire of his Stingray to do Dragster style fire burnouts, the builder of how many tallbikes and an aggressively lethal swingbike and, and...) But ElliptiGos? Wow. The bike for people who don't wanna ride a bike, for people who don't LIKE bikes, the bike for people who will only ride a bike if it will INSULT everything good and bike-like.<br /><br /> I know I said I dig freaky bikes, and really(really), I do, but with the ElliptiGo I've discovered the point at which I'm willing to join the angry mob, jumping up and down and shouting outside the appliance store where they sell them (They don't sell them in Bike Shops do they? That would be like Fox News plugging Al Franken's next book, Like Julia Child serving you a deepfried Milkyway. Like, like, I dunno, somebody like, really cool doing something, like, really bad).<br /><br />Yesterday when I got up and peeked out the window to see if the Mayan Apocalypse was really upon us, I was kinda expecting it to arrive on a fleet of flaming ElliptiGo's. Hordes of recently divorced men in Yoga pants, ponytails blowing free, riding the wrong way down the bike lanes humming "Call me maybe" as they cast sheets of scalding Latte' through the open windows of gridlocked minivans. Holy Crap! What if!?<br /><br />I saw one that had clearly been on it's side. Can you imagine what wrecking one would be like? The moment when one realizes "This babies goin' down!" Do you ride it out in hopes of pointing it towards some empty field and sacrificing oneself for the good of mankind or punching out and letting it scythe though some used comic-book store full of the leaders of tomorrow. The term Train Wreck applies here in a way that proves it's relation to actual trains is only a metaphor. <br /><br />I could go on...<br /><br />Spindizzy Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-8944656269829854352012-12-22T19:45:06.605-05:002012-12-22T19:45:06.605-05:00I volunteer to man the tranquilizer gun.I volunteer to man the tranquilizer gun.Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01285886035638697215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-77726414132754027112012-12-22T16:24:53.752-05:002012-12-22T16:24:53.752-05:00And who defines what's a waste of resources an...And who defines what's a waste of resources and what's not? Lots of innovation starts out as trial and error. Without trying, you don't get anywhere. Do you know how many resources venture capitalists throw at startups in hopes that the ideas that come out of them actually amount to something profitable? And how seldom that actually happens? The point is that every once in a while the risk pays off, and the payoff ends up advancing society.somervillainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13903377050982678550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-62247084835725815882012-12-22T15:25:40.504-05:002012-12-22T15:25:40.504-05:00Last time I saw Scott Dickson he was riding conven...Last time I saw Scott Dickson he was riding conventional cranks.<br /><br />Two third places an three wins at PBP is not so shabby, for rider or for equipment.<br /><br />Whenever I think I know a lot about pedalling and how the human animal does it, I remind myself of this weird stuff that works too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-49593347752021009782012-12-22T14:19:49.857-05:002012-12-22T14:19:49.857-05:00"Sounds like another ElliptiGo sighting. Some..."Sounds like another ElliptiGo sighting. Someone should start tracking them to try to determine their population and range..."<br /><br />If I design the ear tags, will you fabricate them?Corey Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15381826721030941179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-7388609991575036662012-12-22T13:58:51.959-05:002012-12-22T13:58:51.959-05:00Disturbingly, I see more and more ElliptiGos on th...Disturbingly, I see more and more ElliptiGos on the local bike trail. The riders seem to have a difficult time steering them.Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-74679523593966023802012-12-22T12:40:12.989-05:002012-12-22T12:40:12.989-05:00Who defines what is a perceived or actual problem?...Who defines what is a perceived or actual problem?DaveUKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-69544284284253761222012-12-22T12:07:11.606-05:002012-12-22T12:07:11.606-05:00Sounds like another ElliptiGo sighting. Someone sh...Sounds like another ElliptiGo sighting. Someone should start tracking them to try to determine their population and range...<br /><br />SpindizzyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-44665082912242182992012-12-22T09:18:14.710-05:002012-12-22T09:18:14.710-05:00There isn't a strong rationale for linear peda...There isn't a strong rationale for linear pedaling on a regular bicycle, but it would probably make sense for velomobiles, possibly also for recumbents--the mechanical advantages would be superior.<br /><br />msrwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16405671873250914126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-78829971784015826742012-12-22T08:44:16.857-05:002012-12-22T08:44:16.857-05:00I'm sure you'd appreciate the bicycle I...I'm sure you'd appreciate the bicycle I've seen on the trail here in Seattle lately. It looks to be built somewhat along these lines, only the rider stands up as if they were cross country skiing... and the action of the pedaling is about the same as cross country skiing.<br /><br />The wheels seem about like a regular bike but the handlebars sort of stick straight up and the position of the rider is standing upright. The first time I saw it I was shocked... with the oddest appearance of the rider rushing down the trail while standing up vertically and looking very, very tall.<br /><br />I know there's all kinds of weird bikes built in odd configurations, like those horizontal bikes and the eggshell racing bikes. But in more than a decade of trail riding I hadn't seen a vertical skiing bike like that before.<br /><br />jnhttp://www.johnnez.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-9820349614725271852012-12-22T03:15:16.555-05:002012-12-22T03:15:16.555-05:00Not sure if I agree. So-called solutions to percei...Not sure if I agree. So-called solutions to perceived rather than actual problems, which there are many, are a waste of resources.supermundanenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-59882517038782183872012-12-21T23:58:43.186-05:002012-12-21T23:58:43.186-05:00I found the MTB model of one of these in great con...I found the MTB model of one of these in great condition several years ago at the city dump. I didn't like riding it and kept it around just for the novelty of it. Eventually sold it to regain the storage space.Randyhttp://locojoe.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-70034177491827684142012-12-21T23:47:36.004-05:002012-12-21T23:47:36.004-05:00I saw a couple at the Copake Bicycle Auction (wort...I saw a couple at the Copake Bicycle Auction (worth a post if you can get there this spring) two years ago. They did not bring all that much, if I remember correctly.<br /><br />I confess to not really looking directly at them. Hideous, blasphemous, and dorky all at the same time. (And not the good hideous/blasphemous/dorky.)Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01285886035638697215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-36049162367363671302012-12-21T23:24:19.455-05:002012-12-21T23:24:19.455-05:00The Alenax wasn't the first try at this. I'...The Alenax wasn't the first try at this. I've seen an Italian bike from the 30's with the same mech.<br />Of course, there is the bike bungee. <br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLeBHI3LYAoDavehttp://davidnewtonguitars.squarespace.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-53024692603792304882012-12-21T23:14:50.931-05:002012-12-21T23:14:50.931-05:00It reminds me of the Jockey Cycle that my dad brou...It reminds me of the Jockey Cycle that my dad brought home from an auction one time in the 60s. We had lots of fun riding it around the yard. Unfortunately somebody parked it behind my dad's truck and he flattened it.<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isslIh7cwooMT cyclisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17451590809473759574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-62296793047861819392012-12-21T22:28:16.559-05:002012-12-21T22:28:16.559-05:00Using reciprocating treadles is an idea that dates...Using reciprocating treadles is an idea that dates back to the 1879 Facile.<br />http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennypoo/5534177521/<br /><br /><br />JohnMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18162066024782656044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-24470380358589885122012-12-21T21:44:05.468-05:002012-12-21T21:44:05.468-05:00I still have most of the bits for a Bio-Cam, it ca...I still have most of the bits for a Bio-Cam, it came off the bike Lynn Brooks used to win the 1982(I think)Nice triathlon. I put it on a nice Raleigh Carlton racebike and rode it a bit. It seemed like there was some effect but nothing like the adds promised. When I built a fixed wheel for it and tried it on rollers it had this pronounced surge as the sprocket advanced and retreated on the cam. Pretty unsettling but entertainingly freaky.<br /><br />Spindizzy Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com