Bicycle Tobogganing Is New Winter Sport (Mar, 1922)
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Mar, 1922
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Bicycle Tobogganing Is New Winter Sport
BICYCLE toboggans are adding new thrills to winter sports in Europe, where a strap-iron frame resembling a bicycle in shape, but equipped with broad iron runners instead of wheels, has made its appearance on the hills.
The runners are single, and in tandem, but as the front runner is attached to a set of handle-bars, the coaster can balance himself and steer just as he would upon a bicycle. Because friction between runners and snow has been reduced to the minimum, the new sled is speedier than older models. Even in soft snow, the front runner packs a path for the rear runner and makes considerable speed possible.A skilful bicyclist can use this sled to “hitch behind” a wagon, attaching the tow-rope to the projecting loop in front of the handle-bars.
Wonder how long till he eats that pipe?
Comment by Bob — April 12, 2008 @ 7:40 am
Come now, how many of these actually catch on?
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Seriously, skis and sleds have been around for hundreds of years, someone seems to have invented a new implement for going down a hill fast every 5 years or so since at least the ’20s, and of those only the snowboard has really caught on enough to last a full generation.
Not the best record, but I guess the point is that the experimenting is fun
Comment by nlpnt — April 13, 2008 @ 4:55 pm
A bicycle is easy to balance because of the gyroscopic moment of two big wheels which resist tipping. This contraption has no spinning wheels, plus it looks top-heavy with riders on it. I imagine it would be extremely hard to balance on it.
Comment by Nate — September 15, 2008 @ 2:26 pm