You know I just realized I need to get a quick deployment and dedeployment windsurfing parachute to propel my bicycle when the wind is, well, normal here.
You could attach the parachute lines to electric motors that could quickly reel the parachute back in.
And make the parachute semi-rigid like an umbrella so that it folds in a predictable and reversible way.
And make the anchor point where the lines attach to the motorcycle moveable. When it’s deployed, the anchor point sits at the front of the bike so the chute and lines can pull the bike forward from the front. As the chute is getting close to being fully reeled in, the anchor point swings out on an arm a couple feet to the side of the bike and it gets several feet higher so that the lines and the chute are coming in from directly overhead rather than blocking the riders view.
These are just my preliminary ideas. Of course the engineering team at GM or Toyota or whoever buys this idea off me will likely want to tighten it up a bit to take into account various locale specific regulations and practical manufacturing considerations.
shit it looks like i’ve got all the hardware except the sail (my trike has a vertical(ish) post about the same angle we could totally pop a sail mount in or on. and i’m kind of turning my bike into a papier mache pirate frigate for halloween 2026, so this would just, uh, yeah it’d be great.
my wife blames you. i haven’t told her yet, but she blames you.
You know I just realized I need to get a quick deployment and dedeployment windsurfing parachute to propel my bicycle when the wind is, well, normal here.
Trivial
Physically impossible
So it averages out to being about average in difficulty then.
Mid diff
You could attach the parachute lines to electric motors that could quickly reel the parachute back in.
And make the parachute semi-rigid like an umbrella so that it folds in a predictable and reversible way.
And make the anchor point where the lines attach to the motorcycle moveable. When it’s deployed, the anchor point sits at the front of the bike so the chute and lines can pull the bike forward from the front. As the chute is getting close to being fully reeled in, the anchor point swings out on an arm a couple feet to the side of the bike and it gets several feet higher so that the lines and the chute are coming in from directly overhead rather than blocking the riders view.
These are just my preliminary ideas. Of course the engineering team at GM or Toyota or whoever buys this idea off me will likely want to tighten it up a bit to take into account various locale specific regulations and practical manufacturing considerations.
i got knives what you talking about
I can imagine power lines being a problem.
not my biggest one tho
Install one of those funky wind-redirecting towers that they’ve started adding to cargo ships
Sail bike
shit it looks like i’ve got all the hardware except the sail (my trike has a vertical(ish) post about the same angle we could totally pop a sail mount in or on. and i’m kind of turning my bike into a papier mache pirate frigate for halloween 2026, so this would just, uh, yeah it’d be great.
my wife blames you. i haven’t told her yet, but she blames you.
I can take it. Good luck!