Conference noted::bicycle

791.0. "the future is here" by CSCMA::BUSH () Mon Jul 25 1988 09:42

    In the current issue of Sports Illustrated (for those of you outside
    the U.S. it's a weekly sports/jock magazine) there is an article
    on a new bicycle accessory that may catch a lot of peoples attention.
    This device may bring a few bicycles out of the attics and basements
    of those people for whom shifting a ten speed is an exercise in
    futility.
    
    The article tells of a mechanical engineer whose wife asked/challenged
    him to make riding a bicycle more enjoyable for her (apparently
    she doesn't know about time trials). Like many other people, she was
    tired of grinding through her gears and wanted that aspect of her
    riding simplified. After 3 years of work he came up with Bike-O-Matic!
    The automatic transmission for bicycles with only 3 moving parts
    and a suggested retail price of $40.00 was born and will soon be
    available to the public. Bike-O-Matic (I hope he didn't spend much
    time working on a clever name for his product) attaches to the right
    seat stay and chain stay. Instead of the rear derailleur cable feeding
    up to a shift lever on the down tube, it travels about 8" and attaches
    to Bike-O-Matic. The device is triggered by chain tension and will
    shift up or down depending on whether the tension is light or heavy.
    The front derailleur is still manually operated but Bike-O-Matic takes
    care of the rear. 

    The article states that this certainly won't be aimed at the
    performance type rider but will be attractive for those whose dusty
    bikes have been forgotten and whose owners still see bicycling as an
    appealing recreation (read: a lot of people!).

    We already have air conditioning, so what's next? 
    
    Jonathan