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The bizarre contraption: A bicycle made for seven that costs £5,500

All aboard the bicycle made for seven

Last updated at 21:12pm on 5th April 2007

Its inventor calls it the world's most sociable mode of transport - a bicycle that can seat seven.

The ConferenceBike, or CoBi, features seven seats in a circle and can travel at a maximum speed of 15mph.

But if you fancy parking one outside your home, be prepared to save up - it costs £5,500 plus shipping.

All seven riders can pedal, although the bike, which uses three motorbike wheels, can still move if one or more fancy a breather. One of the riders also mans a steering wheel.

The German-made bike has Porsche-engineered steering, foot pedal-controlled hydraulic brakes, a separate parking brake and lights.

Inventor Eric Staller, from Amsterdam, said: "People need this bike. I think people are ready to get out of their cars and off their sofas and get silly.

"It lowers inhibitions and after a few minutes even complete strangers begin talking to each other. People have even fallen in love on these bikes. And you move along on your own energy - renewable energy."

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There's strange! But there are some issues...

- Does having 6 people bobbing about in front of you enable a safe view of the road? Or perhaps having 7 pairs of eyes is pretty helpful?

- I presume that 7 people could propel the thing along at a fair clip, but there's no sign nor mention of variable gearing, which would seem to be quite important.

- That's an interesting mechanical problem trying to get the power transmission efficient. I can't see how it works in the photos, but the power from the pedals seems to be in the wrong plane for the central 'integration point'. I'd be looking at toothed belts with a half-twist, I think. There's a lot of power loss in bevel gears and lots of bevel gears would be needed.

- Real world applications would seem to be very limited by it's very sevenness. It'd be ok for families of perhaps 4 to 7 travelling together, I guess. But if you are eight, then, Houston, we have a problem. I guess it's just a bit of fun.

- Sharing direction information would be 'interesting' with seven different perspectives on 'right' and 'left'.

- All in all I did a bit of severe date-checking, and sure enough it wasn't published on April 1st.

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Paul Smith
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seems legit http://www.partybike.com/ I can understand your doubt though, what a crazy contraption. apart from the drivers visibility (or lack of) surely being a legal issue, would you want to be the chump sat with your back to the direction of travel while a blind man steers you? no thanks.

also, a vehicle that wide travelling 10-15mph would be a motorists nightmare, although i expect the idea of that'd delight a certain caste.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egue1mJjo6g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twlrsSWBMes

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Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

It would perhaps be ideal for our family .. There are a lot of us..

But then we would have arguments as to who in charge of steering wheel if left to the kittens.. und then you cannot see where you are riding as two people appear to be obscuring the view :rolleyes:


I think it has severest limitations for practical use. I think I would be more inclined to have one of these at a "summer fayre" as a fun ride on a straight run for folk. Ist a for the roads.

So many people would impede vision und all would have their own opinion of speed of approach. Out of synch pedalling would impact on speed und handling too perhaps

I cannot see it catching on,., them cyclists are a solitary set who like the thrill of their own endeavour, skill und energy und stamina

But the videos are und at same time

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In the 1940s/50s and perhaps even later, a cycle dealer and builders' merchant in Littlehampton (Sussex) had several novelty bikes.

One had 24" wheels built with the hubs about 2" off centre, another was a good attempt at an original Harry Grant/Wally Summers pacing motor-bike (long handlebars, rider standing on pegs by the rear hub), and another was a bed whose head and foot ends had been converted into bikes.

I have a couple of pictures of this last one in the town's 1956 town carnival - can anyone advise how I can attach these to a posting on this forum?

?? John ??

I've sent you a pm John!

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I am responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the blue Conference bike in the first picture in my capacity as Operations Manager at Company of Cyclists. It is one of our 'Mega Bikes' and will be appearing on Blue Peter on Wednesday. Our Sofacycle featured on BP a few weeks ago. We also have an earlier version, the Octobike which handles like crap. The Conference bike is a hoot, quite terrifying if you are sitting at the front facing backwards but is quite incapable of going very much faster than about eight mph on the flat. Fast cornering even at low speed results in people flying off quite spectacularly if theyre not holding on tight. It weighs a lot, requiring at least three chaps to lift the front end onto a trailer although our new trailer with ramps has just been delivered and will make life a bit easier.