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Chinese launch linear-drive recumbent


Walkmate from Shanghai show an innovative, sliding-pedal design...

The following arrived in a press release from Walkmate from Shanghai, who according to their website certainly aren't just following the crowd: "We major in man powered cycling vehicles and related equipments including bicycles, recreational bikes, folding bikes, also, with exercise bikes, hydro bikes and ice bikes on the way."

Alongside news of a folding bike which, it must be said, looks rather Bromptonesque, they sent details of this certainly innovative recumbent:

Walkmate 1

As you'll see the main novel feature is a linear drive system:

Walkmate 2

Here's the verbatim press release:

Traits of Walkmate NEXT
The conception of recumbent bicycle has existed for a long time. With the ripeness and utility of the circle movement, nowadays, restricts the breakthrough of the recumbent bicycle, also it block its prevalence.

We make it more rational in terms of physiology and physical engineering, which improves the way people energize passively, and solve the problems such as over-pressure and frictions between legs and the saddle results from the over-small interface.

" walkmate" N's virtues
" walkmate" N adopts advanced straight line pedaling design for the manpower device, and success in changing the pedaling span according to people's specialties in adjusting the length, exchanging the feet in any position in riding, in addition, it also makes the arm of force stable which the current bicycles cannot achieve.

For Walkmate Next, pedaling in a straight line makes the riding comfortable and energy-saving, which can provide the rational riding way, easeful posture, and sound view.

The bighearted saddle offers the space for the change of the riding postures and makes the riding more comfortable. The special riding mode accelerates the speed and increases of the riding frequency, which makes riding more efficient.

Low barycenter design makes riding on and off more facile and safely by which even the urgent brake won't result in forward falling.

Walkmate N utilizes small chainwheels with no cranks, which makes the structure more terse and the looking more innovative.

Posted on 20 July 2005
 
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Your comments ...


  • From: Martin Arnold LoGo (rattat@dodo.com.au) on 2 August 2006
    • It'll never replace the 'orse


  • From: Miles (mileshellon@hotmail.com) on 2 August 2006
    • I think their folding bike looks closer to the riese & muller Frog than the Brompton.


  • From: mike (bikemike.horwell@btinternet.co) on 2 August 2006
    • Call me an old git, but I seem to remember Honda and one or two others trying linear drive back in the seventies. Back when Shimano tried Biopace and 10mm pitch chian. Oh and the front Freewheel.


  • From: gNick (gNick@bhpc.org.uk) on 2 August 2006
    • Interesting to see that the power is supplied through the heel so no input from the lower leg then....


  • From: Arch (@KM) on 2 August 2006
    • I don't know about the bike, but I love the English... Especially:

    "With the ripeness and utility of the circle movement, nowadays, restricts the breakthrough of the recumbent bicycle, also it block its prevalence."

    and:

    "Low barycenter design makes riding on and off more facile and safely by which even the urgent brake won't result in forward falling."

    I see the bike is also described as 'terse', a term normally only applied to me halfway up a hill on one of Jason Patient's 'flat' rides.

    Interesting to have a go, but I can't help thinking that pedalling in a circle would be more comfortable than, in effect, marching up and down on the spot...


  • From: WASYL (BILL) BRYTAN (WASYLBRYTAN@SHAW.CA) on 24 July 2007
    • THE CHINESE ARE PRODUCING WONDERFUL PRODUCTS THESE DAYS AND THEY ARE DOING IT CHEAPER THAN ANYONE ELSE. I AM THRILLED TO SEE A POTENTIAL INNOVATION IN MORE EFFICIENT BICYCLING AND I CANT WAIT FOR THIS PRODUCT TO BE PRODUCED AT A REASONABLE PRICE SO THAT I MAY TRY IT OUT. I HAVE WAITED FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS TO SEE THE DEMISE OF THE "TIN COFFIN" AND MORE EFFICIENT HUMAN POWERED TRANSPORTATION IS JUST WHAT WE NEED.


  • From: Bubba Nicholson (TogetherinParis@yahoo.com) on 12 October 2007
    • It looks to me to be a brilliant design.

     


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