Bizarre £1,200 DIY kit turns a regular bicycle into a manual jet ski that floats on WATER and can travel at up to 7mph
- Italian company SBK Engineering manufacturers the kit which is detachable
- Can be fitted to a standard road-going bike in less than 15 minutes, firm claims
- Manual propeller is driven by the front wheel and works with the bike’s gears
- Creation has a top speed of 7mph and an average velocity of a leisurely 4mph
An Italian company has created a DIY kit that allows cyclists to turn their own bicycles into man-powered jet skis.
The Shuttle Bike Kit costs €1,399 (£1,200) + VAT and includes two bright yellow pontoons to ensure the rider floats, while a propeller attached to the front wheel provides thrust.
The bizarre creation is slower than using a bicycle on land, with a maximum speed of 7mph, and an average velocity of a leisurely 4mph.
As the propeller is linked directly to the front wheel, the gears of the bike still function and the steering is controlled through the handlebars.
Administration and Sales Manager at SBK Engineering, Gabriele Perotti, 44, (pictured) claims the components fit in a backpack and can be easily transported
Shuttle Bike was born in the 90s and is now sold in more than 60 countries around the world, including the US and Canada
The bizarre creation is slower than using a bicycle on land, with a maximum speed of 7mph, and an average velocity of a leisurely 4pm
The DIY kit costs €1,399 + VAT and all the main pieces can be easily transported in a backpack and fitted to the bicycle in less than 15 minutes, the company claims
Shuttle Bike was born in the 90s and is now sold in more than 60 countries around the world, including the US and Canada.
Administration and Sales Manager at SBK Engineering, Gabriele Perotti, 44, claims the components fit in a backpack and can be easily transported.
Mr Perotti said: ‘Shuttle Bike is easy to maneuver thanks to the fact that both propeller and handlebar are placed at the front of the vehicle.
Flotation is a key physical phenomenon which humans have exploited.
It focuses on the concept that the weight of the water displaced must be more than the weight of the object displacing it.
This causes what is called positive buoyancy.
Buoyancy can be positive (float) or negative (sink) and if it is stronger than the force of gravity an object will float.
Boats are positively buoyant and submarines are neutrally buoyant – with buoyancy and gravity balanced equally and therefore neither sinking or floating.
‘Another very interesting thing is that it will allow you to use all of your bicycle’s gears.
‘The kit allows anyone to transform their bicycle into a safe and functional watercraft and access all kinds of locations which are harder to enter with bigger boats.
‘You can use Shuttle Bike for sport, fitness, competition, fishing, guided tours and events.
‘People are astonished when they see Shuttle Bike for the first time, but after trying it out they are conquered by the feeling of freedom that it gives.’
According to Mr Perotti, after fitting specialist components to a bike that do not affect its everyday use, the propeller and pontoons can be attached in less than 15 minutes.
The average speed of the bike on water is 4mph, while the maximum speed registered is 7mph
According to Mr Perotti, after fitting specialist components to a bike that do not affect its everyday use, the propeller and pontoons can be attached in less than 15 minutes
The Italian firm that makes the Shuttle Bike DIY kit claims it can be used for ‘sport, fitness, competition, fishing, guided tours and events’
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