If you live on an island or peninsula, sometimes the quickest way from Point A to Point B is by water. That goes for bike commuting, too.
The Seattle Times has a front page story Tuesday about two Puget Sound area residents who ride waterbikes as part of their commute to work. They're saving money and keeping fit by their daily excursions on the water.
Regular bike
The Times shows Bob Barrett on his HydroBike. The contraption might appear unstable, but Barrett told the Times that he's only been turned back by the wind six times in the past six years.
There are many models of pedal-boats available, but the HydroBike looks the most like a bike on floats.
The HydroBike uses a regular bike frame sitting on a platform between two widely spaced floats, instead of tires. The handlebars steer a rudder that's in front, and the pedals drive a chain that goes back to a sprocket that's attached to an underwater propellor.
Those floats are 10 feet long and spaced 4 1/2 feet apart. There's a narrow deck on each side for standing and getting on and off the bike. There's even a way to join two single HydroBikes together to make a two seater.
Water commuters also can pedal the Seacycle and the Water Bike.
The commuters
The Times reports that Nat Hong cut his commute from 80 miles to 12 miles by using a waterbike to pedal the one-mile crossing from Bainbridge Island to Bremerton. Bob Barrett saves a $3 per day by not taking a ferry.
Barrett vowed to commute on his HydroBike for his two-mile crossing until he paid it off. The water commute has been so enjoyable the past six years that he hasn't stopped.
To read more about Hong and Barrett, read “Commuting in the liquid lane.” Also, a Times video shows Barrett pedaling around on the water.
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