Think the Pinoy Jeepney’s Unique? Ever Heard of a Treadmill Bike??
Have you ever had a friend from abroad or a balikbayan relative share their fascination with our jeepneys? While we’re probably all used to it, I guess there are still a lot of people out there who are fascinated with the multi-colored mascot of our mass transportation system here in the Philippines.
This in mind, I decided to do a little research on the interwebz for other strange/cool means of transportation that can be found around the world! Some of them are just funky concepts but others are (believe it or not) road-worthy (air-worthy even!) and are probably cruisin’ down the streets of who-knows-where.
The Conference Bike
Tell me this isn’t going to turn a few heads if you took it for a spin down EDSA
With about 300 of these bad boys in 18 countries, I recently came across the Conference Bike (from the same dudes that brought you the Buscycle) while watching an episode of Hell’s Kitchen. Seating 7 people, it’s obviously not the most practical thing to have as a daily means of transportation unless you’re, I don’t know, Kate Goesselin. Conference bikes are mostly used for touring cities or campuses. In most countries, they’re legally classified as bikes, but considering they cost as much as a Toyota Vios (they were $10-15k back in 2006, according to this source), I don’t think we’ll be seeing these along the streets of Manila anytime soon.
The Treadmill Bike
Now at first I didn’t want to include another bike in this list, but after watching this thing catch some SICK AIR in this video, I couldn’t resist:
Apparently, its target market are people who love running on a treadmill, but would hate to stay cooped up in a stuffy gym on a bright sunny day. While I’m skeptical, apparently, it’s got a design that’s supposedly rugged enough to take on evergreen forests and country roads as well. I love this line from the website that sells them: “Thinking of taking the Treadmill Bike to the grocery store? Be sure to stock up on ice cream while you’re there. You will have earned it.”
Oddly enough, for a product that “offers the same fat burning benefits of a conventional treadmill without the membership fees!” as a benefit, it’s not exactly very affordable itself as it’ll set you back a cool CAD$2,000. That’s around Php85,000!
Jet Pack
Power… Extreme! *Dork mode on*
I don’t know if any of you still remember the Centurions cartoon from back in the day, but it’s always been a childhood fantasy of mine to be Ace McCloud. I know, this probably doesn’t have anything to do with street traffic, but think about it! If you had a jet pack, you wouldn’t need to think about road conditions!
The Martin Jetpack is described on its website as the “world’s first practical jetpack.” With a maximum speed of 60mph and flying time of around 30 minutes, imagine the time you’d save getting to work each day! Assuming you can afford the estimated $100,000 price tag, like most commuters in Metro Manila, I guess the only question you’d have to ask yourself would be “san ko naman ipa-park ‘to?”
Levitating Monorail in Wuppertal, Germany
Extending over a track of around 13 kilometers consisting of 20 stops, the monorail was constructed the way it is because of the area’s geography, with hilly terrain and a flood-prone river. (Sound familiar?) Another cool thing about it is the awesome-looking view you get each time you ride. Personally, I think it sure beats the “view” of the never-ending stretch of billboards along our MRT line.
Ziplines!
This is a far cry from the ziplines we’ve probably seen or tried in most tourist destinations around the country. While the Kolelina City Zipline is only a concept for now, could you imagine something like that in Metro Manila? Putting on a backpack-like device equipped with a mini motor, and well, zipping along C5 to the office. All the while, sporting a satisfied grin, knowing you’re above the frustrated drivers below stuck in traffic? Epic!
Although now that I’m thinking about it, people’s fear of heights is probably going to be an issue should this idea ever come into fruition.
So which one of these would you guys like to try the most? What kind of transportation system do you think Metro Manila needs?
-EJ, Product Marketing Padawan
Although now that I’m thinking about it, people’s fear of heights is probably going to be an issue should this idea ever come into fruition.
So which one of these would you guys like to try the most? What kind of transportation system do you think Metro Manila needs?
-EJ, Product Marketing Padawan
