Get Your Halfbike Runnin’ Head Out On The Highway

Why settle for a whole bike when a half will do? This decidedly odd Kickstarted bicycle, called the Halfbike, promises a lightweight, speedy ride across town while bringing you the best of running and biking in one weird package. Created by architects Martin Angelov and Mihail Klenov, the bike is at $50,000 of an $80,000 goal and has ten days left.

“Halfbike is a new addition to bicycle culture and in no way tries to impose or substitute the bike,” said Klenov. “A personal vehicle that brings joy back to urban mobility and transforms commuting from a monotonous task into a pleasant part of everyday life.”

While hanging onto a wooden stick and caroming down a hill doesn’t sound like my idea of a good time, Klenov is convinced. The team came up with the idea while rethinking how the bicycle was designed. By reducing parts and improving efficiency they came up with something that looks like a tricycle with a broom attached. It’s also good for you, apparently.

“The upright riding position is natural for the body. It keeps the back straight and as a result the chest is unconstrained allowing for optimum breathing. Riding it mimics low impact style running. This greatly reduces stress impact incurred on both the rider’s knees and back resulting in a smooth and seamless movement,” said Klenov.

Crowdfunded bikes and scooters are definitely not new. Lit Motors’ Kubo launched last year and we saw Urb-E, a clever scooter hack, at CES last year. However, this is one of the few truly innovative bikes I’ve seen in the crowdfunding mix. There is no proof, however, that it will make you look less goofy than if you were on one of those recumbent bikes.

The pair see this as a good solution for biking 1 to 3 miles at a time and hope to hand-assemble these in their Tuscon, Ariz. workshop. It’s a little bit of artisanal hardware, a soupçon of high design, and just a dash of meekness, just like we like them.