Green Transportation: Human Powered Vehicles

  by Chuck Hall

In 1817, Baron Karl von Drais invented a prototype bicycle called the velocipede. This was a bicycle without the pedals. He used it to get around his extensive gardens more quickly. It was propelled much like a skateboard, by pushing off of the ground with both feet. Incidentally, the reason von Drais focused on inventing a horseless form of transportation is that the price of grain (used for horse ‘fuel’) had suddenly risen in his native Germany. Could history be repeating itself, considering our current ongoing price increases for crude oil?

The bicycle may just be the most efficient form of transportation ever invented. Even a person who is only moderately fit can make a trip of ten or fifteen miles in less than an hour on a good bicycle. With only an afternoon’s education, even technically inept people (like myself) can learn to do basic repairs on a bicycle. They are very affordable, even for people of modest means. And they are so easy to operate that a child can do it.

One drawback to the bicycle is that while it is excellent for getting an individual from one place to another over relatively short distances, it’s not much help at carrying cargo. If you have to take anything bigger than the average briefcase with you, it’s going to be difficult to do so on a bicycle. Fortunately, tricycles aren’t just for children. In fact, the tricycle was invented for well-to-do adults in the middle 1800s so that bicycle enthusiasts could take passengers along with them. Today’s tricycles are highly efficient, mult-geared and lightweight. Most come with a cargo basket attached to the back, and they can be purchased for as little at $300-$400. There are even four-wheeled ‘bicycles,’ called ‘quadricycles,’ with even more cargo capacity than tricycles. Such vehicles are perfect for those trips to the corner market or just for cruising around the neighborhood. There are collapsible models that can fit on an automobile bike rack too. This makes such vehicles perfect for family vacations. You can use the family car to get to your vacation destination, then use the tricycle or quadricycle to see the sights.

Bicycles haven’t traditionally been as popular in the United States as in Europe, simply because here in the U.S. things are spread out a great deal more, but even in the U.S., if you live in the right location you can replace your car with a bicycle for most close-to-home travel. There are even tricycles and quadricycles that come with roofs so that bad weather isn’t as much of an issue. Ideally a small-town resident could rely on a bicycle to get to work, a tricyle or quadricycle for grocery and shopping trips, and an automobile for those long-distance trips to visit relatives or for vacations. And of course, the greatest advantage of a bicycle is that there are no emissions whatsoever…unless you count a little sweat on those uphill climbs!

If you’re interested in getting back in shape for summer while doing something positive for the environment, think about buying a bicycle, tricycle or quadricycle. Good luck, and happy cycling!