Seven of the World's Weirdest Bicycles世界上最古怪的七款自行車

自行車是人們最常見的一種交通工具，其歷史可以追溯到19世紀初。不過自從它問世以來，這一有著悠久歷史的交通工具就在不斷地演變。人們窮盡所能，設計出了各種獨具創意、千奇百怪的自行車，讓人禁不住想問：這居然是自行車？！它們究竟有多獨特？下面就來一睹為快吧。Floating Bicycle

Perhaps frustrated by one too many1) delays at New York City's Penn Station， design executive Judah Schiller came up with an ideal way to get from New Jersey to Manhattan: a water bike. It is a mountain bike attached to a frame that rests on two inflatable2) pontoons3). A drive mechanism attached to the bike's rear4) frame transfers power from the rear wheel to a propeller attached to the front wheel. When the rider pedals， the propeller turns， keeping the bike moving at speeds up to 10 mph and also allowing full use of handlebar5) steering. The entire contraption6) can be set up in 15 minutes and broken down in 5， leaving riders with a road-ready bike and a backpack of full of accessories weighing less than 20 pounds. Schiller has pedaled his water bike across both the Hudson River and San Francisco Bay.

Tallest Bicycle

Feeling his 15-foot Stoopidtall bike just wasn't stupidly tall enough， L.A. cinematographer7) Richie Trimble created the Stoopidtaller. At a little more than 20 feet in height， it's considered the world's tallest bicycle. The bike is a 275-pound contraption made from a Monster beach cruiser， eight bicycle chains linked together， and two 36-inch wheels. Trimble built it in just four days.

Fastest Bicycle

In September 2013， former pro cyclist and \"Flying Scotsman\" Graeme Obree and his bicycle Beastie set the world speed record for fastest cyclist in a prone8) position， clocking in at9) 56.62 mph. Obree's speed cycle requires him to ride in a recumbent10)， head-forward， belly-down position and features rear levers that allow Obree to pedal horizontally after a push start. There's also a shoulder brace for rider stability. And because the bike can go nearly 60 mph， Obree put the entire thing in a Kevlar11) and fiberglass shell to protect him from injury. It features a small window up front， and a air tube for breathing.

Foldable Bicycle

Want a bike you can slip into your suitcase? Created by Karsten Bettin， the Kwiggle has a hinge that allows it to fold down into a compact package， comes with 8-inch wheels， and weighs about 14 pounds. It's designed to be ridden standing up (though it includes a seat for stability) and can reach up to 15 mph. While it's currently a prototype， Bettin is hoping to make a multiple-gear model with either 8- or 14-inch wheels available to the public soon.

Ferrari Bicycle

It may look like a sports car， but the Fahrradi Farfalla FFX is actually a recumbent-style quad bicycle12) with an upscale13) exterior. Built in 2012， the aluminum-frame bike is made for one or two \"drivers\" (though it doesn't have steering wheels for handlebars) and runs on human power. It boasts an 11-speed14) hub15) gearbox， 200 ultra-bright LEDs for evening cycling， and the coolest feature: a built-in butterfly mechanism that causes the wing doors to lightly flap while pedaling.

Chainless Bicycle

Josh Bechtel's Bicymple eschews16) this normally critical component and relies instead on a direct-drive， freewheeling17) hub—one that joins the crank18)-arm axis with the rear-wheel axis. This creates a shorter wheelbase19) and a somewhat bizarre appearance， with the pedals on the rear wheel and the bike seat directly above it. Despite its unusual look， the Bicymple rides much like a single-speed bike， save for an optional rear-steer mode that allows you to navigate sideways.

Longest Bicycle

Members of Mijl van Mares Werkploeg (gangs of workers) in the Netherlands built what's considered the world's longest bicycle in 2011. It's 117 feet 5 inches long， has two wheels and no stabilizers， and requires two people—one steering up front and another pedaling in back.可漂浮的自行車

也許是紐約賓夕法尼亞火車站太多次的列車延誤令設計專員朱達·席勒沮喪不已，于是他想出了一種從新澤西到曼哈頓的理想交通工具：水上自行車。這是一輛與放置在兩個充氣浮囊上的支架相連接的山地自行車。其驅動裝置和自行車后車架相連接，把后輪產生的動力傳送給連接在前輪上的螺旋槳。當騎行者蹬動踏板時，螺旋槳就會轉動，使自行車以接近10英里的時速前進，而且還能充分利用車把來掌控方向。這整個新奇裝置可以在15分鐘內組裝好，又可在5分鐘內拆分成一輛可以上路的自行車和一個裝滿配件、重量不到20磅(編注：約9.1公斤)的背包。席勒已經騎著他的水上自行車穿越過哈德遜河和舊金山灣了。

最高的自行車

洛杉磯的電影攝影師里奇·特林布爾覺得他那15英尺(編注：約4.6米)高的“巨人車”還不夠“傻大個”，于是打造了“巨人車二代”。這輛自行車高20英尺(編注：約6.1米)多一點，被認為是世界上最高的自行車。這個新奇的裝置重275磅(編注：約124.7公斤)，由一輛怪獸牌沙灘越野自行車、八根連接在一起的自行車鏈條以及兩個36英寸(編注：約0.9米)的車輪組裝而成。特林布爾只用了4天時間就把它組裝好了。

最快的自行車

2013年9月，前自行車職業選手、被稱為“蘇格蘭飛人”的格拉爾米·歐伯利和他的自行車“小野獸”一起，創造了臥姿騎自行車速度最快的世界紀錄，時速達到56.62英里(編注：約91.1公里)。歐伯利的高速自行車需要他以頭朝前、肚子朝下的姿勢趴著騎車，其獨特設計的后控制桿使歐伯利在獲得一個初始推動力之后能夠水平蹬車。車上還設計有一個肩部支架讓騎行者保持平穩。由于該自行車時速可達將近60英里(編注：約96.6公里)，歐伯利把整套裝置放進了一個用凱夫拉爾纖維和玻璃纖維制成的外殼里，以此來保護自己不受傷。外殼的最前面還特別設計了一個小窗口和一根用來呼吸的氣管。

可折疊的自行車

想擁有一輛可以塞進你手提箱的自行車嗎？卡斯滕·貝廷打造的Kwiggle自行車裝有一個鉸鏈，可以使自行車折疊起來放進一個壓縮包里，其車輪直徑為8英寸(編注：約20厘米)，整輛車重約14磅(編注：約6.4公斤)。這款自行車的設計需要騎行者站著騎(雖然有一個車座來保持平穩)，時速可達15英里(編注：約24公里)。目前它只是一個樣品，但貝廷希望制造出一輛車輪直徑為8英寸或14英寸(編注：約35.6厘米)的多級齒輪樣板車，可以很快供大眾使用。

法拉利自行車

法拉利腳踏跑車Fahrradi Farfalla FFX可能看起來像一輛跑車，但其實是一輛外觀高檔的臥式四輪自行車。這輛2012年制造的鋁制框架自行車是為單個或兩個“司機”駕駛而設計的(雖然沒有用方向盤來代替車把)，靠人力來驅動。這輛車很拉風，裝有一個11速的輪轂變速器，有200盞超級亮的LED燈來為夜間騎行照明，還有個最酷的設計——內置的蝴蝶形機械裝置可以使雙翼門在人騎行時輕輕拍動。

無鏈條自行車

喬希·貝克特爾的Bicymple自行車沒有使用鏈條這種通常很關鍵的部件，反而依靠一個直接驅動的自由輪轂把曲臂軸和后輪軸連接起來。這樣的設計使得軸距變得更短，也使車子外觀變得有些怪異——腳踏板裝在后輪上，而后輪正上方就是自行車車座。盡管這輛Bicymple自行車看起來非同尋常，但除了有一個可選擇的后輪轉向模式可以讓你把車騎向一側外，它騎起來很像是一輛單速自行車。

最長的自行車

荷蘭Mijl van Mares工會的成員們在2011年制造了一輛被認為是世界上最長的自行車。它長117英尺5英寸(編注：約35.7米)，有兩個車輪，沒有平衡裝置，需要兩個人一起騎——一個在前面掌控方向，另一個在后面蹬車。1.one too many: 許多

2.inflatable [#618;n#712;fle#618;t#601;bl] adj. 可充氣的

3.pontoon [p#594;n#712;tu#720;n] n. 浮囊

4.rear [r#618;#601;(r)] adj. 后部的

5.handlebar [#712;h#230;ndlbɑ#720;(r)] n. [常作~s] (自行車等的)把手

6.contraption [k#601;n#712;tr#230;p#643;n] n. 奇妙的機械裝置

7.cinematographer [#716;s#618;n#601;m#601;#712;t#594;ɡr#601;f#601;(r)] n. 電影攝影師

8.prone [pr#601;#650;n] adj. 俯臥的

9.clock in at: 記下被衡量的重量(或數量、時間等)

10.recumbent [r#618;#712;k#652;mb#601;nt] adj. 躺著的

11.Kevlar [#712;kevlɑ#720;(r)] n. 凱夫拉爾，纖維B(一種質地牢固重量輕的合成纖維，用以替代汽車輪胎、鋼絲繩等產品中的鋼絲) [商標名]

12.quad bicycle:(賽車用的)四輪摩托車

13.upscale [#716;#652;p#712;ske#618;l] adj. 高檔的，高級的；適合高消費階層的

14.speed [spi#720;d] n. (自行車、汽車等的)排擋，變速器

15.hub [h#652;b] n. (輪)轂

16.eschew [#618;s#712;t#643;u#720;] vt. 避開，回避

17.freewheeling [#716;fri#720;#712;wi#720;l#618;#331;] adj. 靠慣性滑行的

18.crank [kr#230;#331;k] n. 【機】曲柄，曲軸

19.wheelbase [#712;wi#720;lbe#618;s] n. (汽車等前輪與后輪間的)軸距

Floating Bicycle

Perhaps frustrated by one too many1) delays at New York City's Penn Station， design executive Judah Schiller came up with an ideal way to get from New Jersey to Manhattan: a water bike. It is a mountain bike attached to a frame that rests on two inflatable2) pontoons3). A drive mechanism attached to the bike's rear4) frame transfers power from the rear wheel to a propeller attached to the front wheel. When the rider pedals， the propeller turns， keeping the bike moving at speeds up to 10 mph and also allowing full use of handlebar5) steering. The entire contraption6) can be set up in 15 minutes and broken down in 5， leaving riders with a road-ready bike and a backpack of full of accessories weighing less than 20 pounds. Schiller has pedaled his water bike across both the Hudson River and San Francisco Bay.

Tallest Bicycle

Feeling his 15-foot Stoopidtall bike just wasn't stupidly tall enough， L.A. cinematographer7) Richie Trimble created the Stoopidtaller. At a little more than 20 feet in height， it's considered the world's tallest bicycle. The bike is a 275-pound contraption made from a Monster beach cruiser， eight bicycle chains linked together， and two 36-inch wheels. Trimble built it in just four days.

Fastest Bicycle

In September 2013， former pro cyclist and \"Flying Scotsman\" Graeme Obree and his bicycle Beastie set the world speed record for fastest cyclist in a prone8) position， clocking in at9) 56.62 mph. Obree's speed cycle requires him to ride in a recumbent10)， head-forward， belly-down position and features rear levers that allow Obree to pedal horizontally after a push start. There's also a shoulder brace for rider stability. And because the bike can go nearly 60 mph， Obree put the entire thing in a Kevlar11) and fiberglass shell to protect him from injury. It features a small window up front， and a air tube for breathing.

Foldable Bicycle

Want a bike you can slip into your suitcase? Created by Karsten Bettin， the Kwiggle has a hinge that allows it to fold down into a compact package， comes with 8-inch wheels， and weighs about 14 pounds. It's designed to be ridden standing up (though it includes a seat for stability) and can reach up to 15 mph. While it's currently a prototype， Bettin is hoping to make a multiple-gear model with either 8- or 14-inch wheels available to the public soon.

Ferrari Bicycle

It may look like a sports car， but the Fahrradi Farfalla FFX is actually a recumbent-style quad bicycle12) with an upscale13) exterior. Built in 2012， the aluminum-frame bike is made for one or two \"drivers\" (though it doesn't have steering wheels for handlebars) and runs on human power. It boasts an 11-speed14) hub15) gearbox， 200 ultra-bright LEDs for evening cycling， and the coolest feature: a built-in butterfly mechanism that causes the wing doors to lightly flap while pedaling.

Chainless Bicycle

Josh Bechtel's Bicymple eschews16) this normally critical component and relies instead on a direct-drive， freewheeling17) hub—one that joins the crank18)-arm axis with the rear-wheel axis. This creates a shorter wheelbase19) and a somewhat bizarre appearance， with the pedals on the rear wheel and the bike seat directly above it. Despite its unusual look， the Bicymple rides much like a single-speed bike， save for an optional rear-steer mode that allows you to navigate sideways.

Longest Bicycle

Members of Mijl van Mares Werkploeg (gangs of workers) in the Netherlands built what's considered the world's longest bicycle in 2011. It's 117 feet 5 inches long， has two wheels and no stabilizers， and requires two people—one steering up front and another pedaling in back.可漂浮的自行車

也許是紐約賓夕法尼亞火車站太多次的列車延誤令設計專員朱達·席勒沮喪不已，于是他想出了一種從新澤西到曼哈頓的理想交通工具：水上自行車。這是一輛與放置在兩個充氣浮囊上的支架相連接的山地自行車。其驅動裝置和自行車后車架相連接，把后輪產生的動力傳送給連接在前輪上的螺旋槳。當騎行者蹬動踏板時，螺旋槳就會轉動，使自行車以接近10英里的時速前進，而且還能充分利用車把來掌控方向。這整個新奇裝置可以在15分鐘內組裝好，又可在5分鐘內拆分成一輛可以上路的自行車和一個裝滿配件、重量不到20磅(編注：約9.1公斤)的背包。席勒已經騎著他的水上自行車穿越過哈德遜河和舊金山灣了。

最高的自行車

洛杉磯的電影攝影師里奇·特林布爾覺得他那15英尺(編注：約4.6米)高的“巨人車”還不夠“傻大個”，于是打造了“巨人車二代”。這輛自行車高20英尺(編注：約6.1米)多一點，被認為是世界上最高的自行車。這個新奇的裝置重275磅(編注：約124.7公斤)，由一輛怪獸牌沙灘越野自行車、八根連接在一起的自行車鏈條以及兩個36英寸(編注：約0.9米)的車輪組裝而成。特林布爾只用了4天時間就把它組裝好了。

最快的自行車

2013年9月，前自行車職業選手、被稱為“蘇格蘭飛人”的格拉爾米·歐伯利和他的自行車“小野獸”一起，創造了臥姿騎自行車速度最快的世界紀錄，時速達到56.62英里(編注：約91.1公里)。歐伯利的高速自行車需要他以頭朝前、肚子朝下的姿勢趴著騎車，其獨特設計的后控制桿使歐伯利在獲得一個初始推動力之后能夠水平蹬車。車上還設計有一個肩部支架讓騎行者保持平穩。由于該自行車時速可達將近60英里(編注：約96.6公里)，歐伯利把整套裝置放進了一個用凱夫拉爾纖維和玻璃纖維制成的外殼里，以此來保護自己不受傷。外殼的最前面還特別設計了一個小窗口和一根用來呼吸的氣管。

可折疊的自行車

想擁有一輛可以塞進你手提箱的自行車嗎？卡斯滕·貝廷打造的Kwiggle自行車裝有一個鉸鏈，可以使自行車折疊起來放進一個壓縮包里，其車輪直徑為8英寸(編注：約20厘米)，整輛車重約14磅(編注：約6.4公斤)。這款自行車的設計需要騎行者站著騎(雖然有一個車座來保持平穩)，時速可達15英里(編注：約24公里)。目前它只是一個樣品，但貝廷希望制造出一輛車輪直徑為8英寸或14英寸(編注：約35.6厘米)的多級齒輪樣板車，可以很快供大眾使用。

法拉利自行車

法拉利腳踏跑車Fahrradi Farfalla FFX可能看起來像一輛跑車，但其實是一輛外觀高檔的臥式四輪自行車。這輛2012年制造的鋁制框架自行車是為單個或兩個“司機”駕駛而設計的(雖然沒有用方向盤來代替車把)，靠人力來驅動。這輛車很拉風，裝有一個11速的輪轂變速器，有200盞超級亮的LED燈來為夜間騎行照明，還有個最酷的設計——內置的蝴蝶形機械裝置可以使雙翼門在人騎行時輕輕拍動。

無鏈條自行車

喬希·貝克特爾的Bicymple自行車沒有使用鏈條這種通常很關鍵的部件，反而依靠一個直接驅動的自由輪轂把曲臂軸和后輪軸連接起來。這樣的設計使得軸距變得更短，也使車子外觀變得有些怪異——腳踏板裝在后輪上，而后輪正上方就是自行車車座。盡管這輛Bicymple自行車看起來非同尋常，但除了有一個可選擇的后輪轉向模式可以讓你把車騎向一側外，它騎起來很像是一輛單速自行車。

最長的自行車

荷蘭Mijl van Mares工會的成員們在2011年制造了一輛被認為是世界上最長的自行車。它長117英尺5英寸(編注：約35.7米)，有兩個車輪，沒有平衡裝置，需要兩個人一起騎——一個在前面掌控方向，另一個在后面蹬車。1.one too many: 許多

2.inflatable [#618;n#712;fle#618;t#601;bl] adj. 可充氣的

3.pontoon [p#594;n#712;tu#720;n] n. 浮囊

4.rear [r#618;#601;(r)] adj. 后部的

5.handlebar [#712;h#230;ndlbɑ#720;(r)] n. [常作~s] (自行車等的)把手

6.contraption [k#601;n#712;tr#230;p#643;n] n. 奇妙的機械裝置

7.cinematographer [#716;s#618;n#601;m#601;#712;t#594;ɡr#601;f#601;(r)] n. 電影攝影師

8.prone [pr#601;#650;n] adj. 俯臥的

9.clock in at: 記下被衡量的重量(或數量、時間等)

10.recumbent [r#618;#712;k#652;mb#601;nt] adj. 躺著的

11.Kevlar [#712;kevlɑ#720;(r)] n. 凱夫拉爾，纖維B(一種質地牢固重量輕的合成纖維，用以替代汽車輪胎、鋼絲繩等產品中的鋼絲) [商標名]

12.quad bicycle:(賽車用的)四輪摩托車

13.upscale [#716;#652;p#712;ske#618;l] adj. 高檔的，高級的；適合高消費階層的

14.speed [spi#720;d] n. (自行車、汽車等的)排擋，變速器

15.hub [h#652;b] n. (輪)轂

16.eschew [#618;s#712;t#643;u#720;] vt. 避開，回避

17.freewheeling [#716;fri#720;#712;wi#720;l#618;#331;] adj. 靠慣性滑行的

18.crank [kr#230;#331;k] n. 【機】曲柄，曲軸

19.wheelbase [#712;wi#720;lbe#618;s] n. (汽車等前輪與后輪間的)軸距