The SkyWalker TallBike Project

Step 26 Photo 27 - SkyWalker is also a vertical tandem

Because of the rigid frame, SkyWalker can carry as many riders that have room on the ladder. At one point, I had four people (including myself) hanging off the frame as I rode around. Once you beat your fear of heights, SkyWalker rides exactly like any bicycle, and it gives you a view of several blocks in all directions. I often took the tallbike out on the street and felt very safe as I could see so far ahead, and I was certainly visible in traffic to say the least. When I had to stop at an intersection, I just climbed down the ladder - a process that took about 5 seconds. Getting back to the top was as easy as giving the frame a push and then climbing back up the ladder.

I think SkyWalker really turned out well considering it was hacked together in a weekend with no real plan using basic tools and scrap bicycle parts. I am now working on a 25 foot tall bike using the same basic design as SkyWalker, and plan to break the Guinness record again sometime soon. The new tallbike will be called "Bad Altitude", and will feature two pairs of cranks so the pilot can get the bike up to speed before ascending the 25 foot ladder.

Well, there you have it! Crazy ideas turned into rolling art using nothing but scrap from the local dump and a few basic tools. You don't always have to have a logical reason for building crazy contraptions - sometimes it's just about excersizing your creativity and having a good time!
Cheers,
Brad from AtomicZombie.com

Comments

[DeLorean4905]

I have to wonder- How do you get off of it? If you stop, it's falling one way or the other. I imagine turning is relatively easy with the chopper-like castor though

[Derin]

find a lamp pole,hold on it,climb slowly down,watch bike fall over and shatter into a million pieces

[eulaliaaaa!]

If you read it, he said that you use the gyroscopics of the bike moving forward to get on and off.

[ClockBot]

The physics of a bike is crazy. It's like trying to balance a pencil upright on your finger (really hard) then balance a broom upright on your finger and it's really easy! It's weird but on a bike the higher your CG the more balanced you are.

[the_burrito_master]

so what happens if you hit a a small rock while your turning.

[KoolKat]

The tallbike is very stable. It can make a U-turn on a narrow street, ride down curbs, and make it up hills. Of course, it's not a commuter vehicle, nor is it designed for the Tour De France, but it is very fun to ride. Many people have tried SkyWalker, and none have had any problem at all riding it. Now I have seen many people crash and burn on a skateboard, which is only 2 inches tall, so as far as recreational vehicles go, a tallbike is quite safe. Hey, who am I kidding? The thing is crazy, but that's why it is so fun to ride! Some of us like a little dangerous fun - some like to watch TV. Brad

[the_burrito_master]

yeah but when you hit a rock on a bike and motor cycle when your turning some times yor bike wheal rolls on the rock and you fall. I think I get it though why its so stable.

[Dr.Paj]

The bigger they are the harder they fall.

[the_burrito_master]

LOL I know and with more force.

[Napalmjerry1391]

That would suck so hard to fall.

[Mr. Squiggles]

This is insane. I'd probably modify it into a tricycle.

[KoolKat]

I tried a tall trike once, but it did not work. The tallbike actually leans a great deal in the turns, so a trike would tend to tip at speeds greater than walking speed. If you wanted a trike, it would probably need to have a track width of at least half the height. At 12 feet tall, your trike would be as wide as a car. The slope in the road would also put you on a serious lean at that height. Maybe a leaning/locking trike would work? Cheers, Brad

[Grmgunner]

maybe a spring system devised to let the trike frame lean but keep the wheels stationary on the ground possibly to counteract the whole frame swinging but with the springs it would just move the part your sitting on and keep your wheels flat on the ground and stable. BTW have you fallen off this thing yet?