Rhoades Car?????

In My Humble Opinion
1

Anybody have one of these? http://www.rhoadescar.com

If so, what do you think of them? Worth the money? I’m looking into getting one (philosophical differences with internal combustion engines), and am wondering if they’re truly the greatest thing since the greatest thing since sliced bread. Would appreciate any info, raves, horror stories, etc.

Thanks

2
      • I think it’s likely way way way too heavy to seriously use. That company designs and makes a bunch of different pedal-powered vehicles, and all of them are heavy as bricks.
  • If you don’t like the discomfort of a regular bicycle, get a recumbent. If I may make a recommendation,
    BikeE is one of the lightest (~30 lbs), lowest-cost (~$1150 US dollars) rear-suspended (very important, get the suspended one ONLY, trust me) that is pretty easy to learn to ride, adjusts from large to small riders and is very comfortable for all. Not too many other recumbent bikes can do all that.
    (I don’t own one, but I will when I can afford to)
    http://www.bikee.com
  • MC
3

MC–

Thanks for your response (hey, someone listened!). Yeah, they are pretty weighty; I got a sheet of their specs, and the single seater (which I’ve been considering) hits about 75lbs, IIRC. Still, the major “discomfort” of a bicycle for me is wrecking the damned thing (slipping on wet asphalt, etc.). A Rhoades car would be a lot harder to tip over, plus there’s no minimal forward velocity to maintain balance.

The weight thing I am trying to see as good aerobic exercise; and since they gear them down so low, it might a fairly comfortable (if low velocity) haul. That’s why I was hoping to find someone with direct experience, to see if they really are that much of a chore to ride. The website is full of glowing reviews, of course; but then, they would be.

It’s looking more and more like a workable alternative to a regular car (of which I’m not fond), though: lower cost, no insurance, no $2.00/gal gas, no pollution, no license fees, cheap repairs, good exercise, quiet, and so on. It’s slower, and the enviromental control leaves a lot to be desired; but it’s possible they could sell me on one. Seems like it might be a nifty way to see the countryside…

4
      • It is very heavy and yet still looks very fragile. Recumbent bikes try to put the wheels directly next to you or underneath you; they don’t stick them way out there on long beams. No “real” recumbent that I can recall looked similar to the Rhoades car [with 4 wheels arranged like an auto’s]. Even at that, 2-wheeled recumbents are less strenuous to balance on than a regular bike because you’re sitting in a chair as opposed to on top of a saddle.
  • If you really want something that you will be able to use, researching “real” recumbents is far more advisable; there is an existing base of owners who are demanding and critical of the products and there are bulletin boards where you can direct questions at them -you aren’t just taking the manufacturer’s word for it.
    HPVA is the Human Powered Vehicle Ass’n and they have a page of manufacturer’s links; most every European and Western hemisphere manufacturer has info about their products on the web. BikeE doesn’t have any, but many other companies also make 3-wheelers if you don’t wanna have to balance. Some, like the Cheetah, ride very low to the ground. Be warned though, $1150 is pretty cheap, especially for a 3-wheeler. - MC
5

Cool…I’ll check into it. Trying to kick that “slave to the automobile” mindset, doncha know.

Thanks a lot.