{"id":174243,"date":"2019-06-17T10:02:33","date_gmt":"2019-06-17T10:02:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=174243"},"modified":"2019-06-17T10:03:33","modified_gmt":"2019-06-17T10:03:33","slug":"the-best-of-the-water-bikes-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2019\/06\/17\/the-best-of-the-water-bikes-world\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best of the Water Bikes World"},"content":{"rendered":"

The claim on the home page of the Schiller company\u2019s website is quite dramatic. \u201cMeet the S1-C,\u201d it reads. \u201cThe Future of Mobility on the Water.\u201d The accompanying photo shows two young women riding a kind of bike \u2013 with pedals, part of the frame and a kind of chain drive \u2013 that has been placed atop what looks like two fat surfboards. They are shown in the waters beneath San Francisco\u2019s Golden Gate Bridge, so we know they are in California (but then again, where else would they be?).<\/strong>
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There\u2019s a subscription pitch that continues the claim. \u201cA new future in urban mobility is about to begin,\u201d it promises. \u201cOne that has no congestion, no traffic lights, and no potholes. A \u2018middle mile\u2019 of transportation on the vast expanse of waterways running through and around the world\u2019s largest cities.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Meet the S1-C<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Yes, water bikes \u2013 in this case, a marriage of the bicycle and the catamaran. This is not a version of the pedal boats one sees tourists riding on rivers during the summer, at speeds of up to 0.5 kph. No, these water bikes \u201care engineered to transfer the maximum amount of human energy into speed on the water\u201d and, with a 1:7.5 gear ratio, can reach 16 kph on the water \u2013 assuming, of course, the waters are calm. The energy put into pedalling is transferred to a so-called outdrive with propeller, which moves the water bike.<\/p>\n

One problem with this water bike is that it sells for $5,500, with replacement pontoons and a replacement outdrive costing $1,500. You also need to have a vehicle to transport it to the nearest river, and then you need to assemble it. Schiller claims the assembly takes less than 10 minutes.<\/p>\n

Clearly, water bikes are becoming a trend, because a company called Manta5 offers its own version, the Hydrofoiler XE-1, \u201cthe world\u2019s first Hydrofoil e-Bike that replicates the cycling experience on water. Experience the freedom of riding over lakes, rivers, and ocean. No roads, no traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ONU9gkDnJ6Q<\/p>\n

The E-1 isn\u2019t just the world\u2019s first hydrofoil electric bike, but it\u2019s also \u201cthe world\u2019s first hydrofoil to boast the submerge launch capability, allowing the rider to begin cycling from a stationary position underneath the water.\u201d It also works in moderately choppy conditions and has a top speed of about 21 kph, though it\u2019s not stated if that is human-powered or e-motor powered. It too needs to be assembled, which the company claims takes only 2 minutes. The price? A cool $7,490.<\/p>\n

HydroBikes offers three models of water bikes, the Explorer (pedal-powered), the Cruiser (electric-motor-powered) and the Explorer II (double-pedal-powered; in other words, a water bike built for two). \u201cThis is no slow paddle boat,\u201d the company says about the Explorer, claiming that it reaches a cruising speed of 6.5 to 9 kph \u201cwith minimum effort.\u201d It sells for a relatively modest $2,199.<\/p>\n