If you feel the need for speed, railbiking is not for you, trust me. ![]() There is no passing (bumping into the bike in front of you is highly frowned upon), and the pedaling pace is set by the lead guide at a comfortable and leisurely speed. While each company offers different trip options, scenery and adventures, the formula remains the same: Railbikes all leave in a group, with tour leaders at the front and back for safety. They are light enough to roll easily along the railroad tracks and can be operated at a very leisurely pace with no steering needed – making it ideal for taking photos and enjoying the passing scenery. An increasing number of companies are adding an electric motor assist to their railbikes to lessen the pedaling effort required if desired by the riders – especially useful if the railbike tour is in a hillier region. The bikes are single gear and move forward by the riders pedaling – rather like you see in a recumbent bicycle. These railbikes are all a little different but stick to the same concept: Each is a custom-made four-wheel vehicle with rubberized wheels that is built with either two or four seats, seatbelts, pedals, and hand-operated disc brakes. Today’s companies, which tend to design and build their own railbikes, have moved to a design that is friendlier for the masses. Some of the first bikes were designed like regular two-wheelers with angled support rods connecting them to the other rail to keep them upright and on the tracks. ![]() It wasn’t long before companies began offering recreational railbike adventures along abandoned tracks. The media began to take notice of Smart’s adventures, and soon others began to follow in his tracks (pun intended), using updated designs that resembled carts more than bikes. ![]() It wasn’t until the 1980s that a dentist from Idaho, Dick Smart, created his own railbike design purely for recreation and began exploring abandoned or vacant tracks around the Western United States to ride them. Until recently, however, railbikes were designed simply as a way to move up and down railroad tracks for work. Whether called rail bikes, railbikes or railcycles, people have been adapting bicycles to “ride” the rails since the 1800s.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |