Norway is about to revolutionize their green transport system. The world’s first ever bike escalator called CycloCable, comes to the rescue and helps thousands of cyclists go up that 150m long hill, without having to struggle.
Cycling is great for the environment, there is no doubt about that. It is super green as bicycles not only do not emit gasses, but they also replace polluting vehicles on the road. They do not take space, they reduce traffic congestion, and at the same time thy keep their owner healthy. Unfortunately, the decision whether to hop on the bike is not only determined by the greenness of it.
One very important factor, tilting the scales when making that very important bike vs. car morning decision, is the steepness of the hill that a person has to climb (on the way to work or back). In fact, I am pretty certain that one of the main reasons for the Dutch to have this super developed cycling system, is exactly the fact that the whole country is flat, meaning people are willing to make the effort.
Of course, not many others have that luxury, and this is why creative designers and engineers from other countries have to come up with a solution that can push people towards the green two-wheelers. One such invention in the city of Trondheim, Norway, has not only caught the attention of the locals, but it also managed to circulate the net in a matter of hours after its official launch.
Meet the CycloCable, the new and improved bike escalator by Trampe, which takes enthusiastic cyclists up a 150m-long slope. To use it, you only need to place one foot on the platform, and it takes maximum of five people at once to the top, at the impressive 5mph speed. What is more, it is not necessarily limited to bikes, it can work just as well with any other small wheeled transport from a baby stroller to a small scooter. You can see a demo video here and a great gallery of pictures, with more info about the technology, on the Trampe website.
I am not too sure if it makes sense financially as a meter of the elevator costs between $2000 and 3000, but surely city officials pay a lot more to reduce emissions. The technology in Norway has already been used by 200,000 cyclists, and the numbers keep going up, as it is not only a convenient extra but also a huge tourist attraction.
Image (c) Trampe
I think this is awesome. No one wants to ride their bike up that hill. Better way to encourage people to ride bicycles rather than drive. I have also read an article and watch a video about this here check it out guys. http://www.exploretalent.com/articles/ride-norways-first-bike-escalator/
Clever idea.