Reader Doug C. from Beaverton just sent a few photos of an invention he calls the “Drycycle.” Words can’t really do it justice, so thankfully he also sent along some photos. Check it out:
“I get a lot of thumbs up when I’m riding. People aren’t used to seeing it.”
Doug says the Drycycle is made “entirely of plumbing parts from Home Depot and a garage sale tent.” The windshield? A shower curtain from Target.
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Staying dry is definitely
a reason to smile.
a reason to smile.
But, does it actually work?
“I’ve been using it for two years now and it works great… I can ride to work in my normal work clothes in a steady rain and stay totally dry.”
Turns out that getting wet wasn’t what inspired Doug’s ingenuity. It was sweat. “I never liked wearing rain clothes over my work clothes and arrive to work all sweaty so this is my solution to that problem.”
Nice work Doug!
Thanks for reading.
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how does the thing work with no fenders? it seems like road-moisture would be problematic
Nice! But I wonder how it responds to a good gust of wind?
That’s simultaneously the most awkward, and awesome, thing I’ve seen all week.
Look closer. There’s at least some sort of clip-on rear fender on there. It appears as though it may be attached to the bottom of the length of pipe above it.
My concern would be riding through a cross-wind – not just for getting wet, but having this big sail throw me sideways. Wind and slippery roads are tricky enough to begin with, but…
I double dare him to ride it across the i-5 bridge!
Okay, I like the IDEA, and I agree about not liking sweat and not liking rain gear, especially when the temp is moderate ~40F or above.
But seriously, he must be using that for only pretty short commutes – he doesn’t even have a front fender – although maybe these photo’s are from before he finished the project.
Beaverton does not get the gorge wind like Portland does, but wind gusts still would be a concern for me. But, very cool!
Just to clear up the fender issue for the vision impaired, he has black plastic fenders on both wheels.
Nice little invention there.
Does this create forward visibility issues for cyclists behind?
I smell a new sport in the making – sail biking or bike boarding? – how does it function in wind? I’m drawn to test one of these out – reports from the field?
The back side of this thing provides a really big surface to make the rider visible. Put a bunch of the reflective stuff on there to really take advantage of this surface. I see advertising potential too. More annoying stuff on the road!…Whoo-boy!
The thing does stick up kind of high, but I wouldn’t think much, or any more than a minivan.
Beaverton gets some wind. Nothing like out on the Columbia at times.
Joe @10
Without going to google, I’ll bet that some version “extreme bike boarding” has been around long enough to have more than one magazine, flames on internet forums and at least one big “ethics” debate about equipment.
eh, maybe in a tailwind, but on a bike you rarely have a tailwind…I’ll stick with my rain cape.
Hey Doug,
In future? Two blunt limit before brainstorming
“….i like to ride my kitecycle, i like to ride my kite.”
I wonder if something like this would have less windage?
http://bikehacks.com/acg-surf-racks/
This is an awesome idea. I HATE wearing raingear. It’s ugly, it’s sweaty, it’s a pain in the ass to get on and off every twenty minutes when running errands.
The idea of a big, portable umbrella sheltering you while riding – it sounds just fine by me, for reals.
Michael D – Two blunt limit… that made my day.
Nice. Certainly might help persuade my daughter to ride in the rain.
Well, boo to all of you putting down Doug’s work. 😛
He didn’t make this for everyone, he made it for himself.
I think it’s ingenious; I like how the front “windshield” portion stays stationary when steering. Doug, does the “windshield” stay pretty clear as far as not having any windshield wipers or what-have-you? Fogging certainly wouldn’t be an issue…
Doug here. Bike has fenders front and back but my shoes still catch some water when roads are very wet. It’s an imperfect world and I need galoshes. Amazingly, a cross wind isn’t a big deal but a headwind will push back the windshield an inch or two. I do have a short 2 mile commute. The “wings” fold up so it will fit through a doorway and can be stored inside.
To each his own I suppose.
Love it, Doug.
It reminds me of this bike that won the bicycledesign.blogspot.com design competition last year.
Gotta say, Doug, I really like it.
In the nineties, I built a very similar rig (same exact tent & plumbing materials – even roll-up sides – different colors, no front windscreen) BUT it wasn’t for rain! My intent was to reduce the brunt of the blazing sun when touring long days in high summer weather by providing that sometimes elusive commodity, shade.
First test ride, I was tooling along Marine Dr. and a blast of wind literally picked up the bike, lifting the front wheel with an instant loss of steering. When I recovered, I pulled over then-and-there and disassembled the thing before riding home.
Never occurred to my so-called mind to use it in the rain. Kudos to you, man. (I’d stay away from wide open spaces though, if I were you …just sayin’)
Jene-Paul
…although, I also have to confess that the Metal Cowboy’s idea might be interesting, from an intentional perspective. Haven’t Googled it, but it’s hard to believe there aren’t people already racing some version of this concept somewhere. Maybe Doug could start a whole new wave; I suggest proving grounds on the American Great Plains, where the wind is constant. Ain’t enough car-free highway in the Gorge to run safely, but those blustery farm roads from Iowa to Wyoming are often wide open!
J
The photos I posted were an early version and I’ve modified it since. Had to switch to a copper pipe in the front because the PVC wasn’t strong enough. Affixing the whole thing to the bike is the real trick. Visibility is OK during the day especially with Rain-X. I avoid riding at night with a wet windshield. I don’t ride fast as a rule but it’s proving more durable than I thought it would be when I made it. I cruise downhill at 15 mph with no issues at all.
One day I rode with a strong tail wind and was pushed along so much I didn’t have to pedal. A nice surprise The windshield does a nice job of keeping me sheltered from the wind which keeps me both dry and warm.
Doug – I want you to know that while I was having a bit of fun – I really would love to test this… and perhaps start up a sailbike/bikeboard league,competition, day, fest something – it might end in blood and broken bones but the same could be said for any endeavor… who’s with me? Yes, this is might be the egg nog talking, but I’ll say it again, who’s with me?
Here is a similar product from back in 1997, the Raingo
http://bikehugger.com/2008/01/stay-dry-with-raingo.html