"If it snows, ski! If it doesn't, ride the ET!"
June, 2010
Hello! Welcome to the website www.EvolutionaryTransport.com. The purpose of this website is to inform people in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area who may have recently seen a new type of human-powered vehicle on the street, or who may have read the St. Paul Pioneer Press article by Richard Chin. To view a quick video clip of a prototype being ridden, you may click on the link below, or go to YouTube and type in "Evolutionary Transport."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okQnXk8GbIo
Thanks go to the staff of Calhoun Cycle for the awesome test riding and the great cinematography!
The Evolutionary TransportTM is a patent-pending, human-powered, wheeled vehicle on which the rider stands and uses his or her arms and legs to propel the vehicle. While riding, the rider moves in ways that resemble both cross country skiing and riding a stationary elliptical trainer. Some people call the vehicle "The ET", although Steven Spielberg didn't give them permission to call it that!
Steering is accomplished through the use of rotatable hand controls mounted near the top of the arm levers. Braking is accomplished by simply pedaling (or skiing) backwards via the use of a coaster brake, or by grasping a traditional bicycle brake lever mounted on the steering controllers or center handlebar.
You may wonder if it is difficult to utilize your arms in a fore-and-aft motion while simultaneously steering by moving your hands and wrists rotationally. The answer is that it turns about to be a very intuitive form of multi-tasking! We have had riders from age six to age 80 step onto the vehicle with just a few seconds of instruction and ride away.
The current prototypes have two steerable wheels in front with a single driven wheel in the rear. To assist in hill climbing, as well as for comfortable cruising on flat ground, the current prototypes utilize a Shimano Nexus eight-speed internally-geared hub. We have prototypes with different size rear wheels (16", 20", and 29") and we have geared them so that, in eighth gear, you would be going about 17 mph if skiing at a cadence of 60 rpm.
The inventor of the Evolutionary Transport,
Bill Eggert, is a resident of St. Paul, Minnesota and is a former long distance runner who developed some minor injuries that encouraged him to seek other ways to exercise. He wanted a weight-bearing, low impact form of outdoor exercise with the ability to coast, and preferably one which would utilize both arm and leg power. To make a long story short, the Evolutionary Transport was born.
The patent-pending status currently covers several versions of the vehicle. For example, one version has circular motion at the rear of the skis, with pendulum motion at the front of the skis. Riding this model feels somewhat similar to traditional cross-country skiing where your feet are "swooshing" somewhat linearly fore and aft, although in this case with a more rounded or elliptically-shaped path.
Another version has circular motion at the front of the skis, with roller or linear motion at the rear of the skis. Riding this model feels like a smooth, rotational version of stair climbing.
Both of the above versions include the option of a center handlebar so that, if you want to give your arms a rest, you can steer with the center handlebar and continue to propel the vehicle with only your legs. Also, an optional seat is attachable so that you can take a break while coasting on the downhills, or so that you simply have a seat to rest on for water breaks or at that scenic overlook.
We are continuing to build and refine prototypes, and are seeking investors/financial partners to help with the next phase of this adventure. If several things fall favorably into place, you could see professionally-built ET's for sale before the snow flies in 2010!
If you have any questions or comments about the Evolutionary Transport, or if you or someone you know might be interested in investing, please feel free to send an e-mail to:
Bill@EvolutionaryTransport.com.
You may need to paste the above e-mail address into the "To" window of the e-mail service you use.
Thank you for your interest in the Evolutionary Transport, and, until we meet again, happy riding, whatever you ride!