[amaurosis fugax]

Another day, another pub, different learned friends...

... have bicycles ever featured in science fiction stories?

There is no more efficient means of human powered movement than a bicycle, and I assume this will hold in the future. So will we ride bikes on the moon? Will the first settlers on Mars get around on a Pugsly?
Has anyone ever read a sci-fi story that had bicycles and not hover-cycles?
If not then what year can we expect the death of the cycle?

 

[fred3]

Pretty bored eh? Bikes figure in sci-fi, but it's usually 1) a time related story and they've gone back in time 2) they've landed on a planet that's not as advanced as the one they come from and the inhabitants are still riding bikes 3) they're running from hostile aliens and all other forms of transportation have failed and they have to depend on the bike to save their race.

There are other scenarios, but I'm just not that bored.

 

[Maida7]

You know that editorial feature in every copy of MTB Action? The one that Richard Cunningham now writes.

A while back, there was one where he projected the bikes of the future that we would ride in zero gravity on the moon or mars or some rock planet. Interesting read. Sci fi bikes just like you asked. In zero gravity, just think about how much air you can get.

 

[JohnnyTooBad]

...just think about how much air you can get.

Air?

 

[Maida7]

yeah air! Like under your bike when you jump. Well I guess it's not really air but you get what I mean

 

[notrelatedtoted]

Oh great. Now we need a forum for All-Planet Spacebikes.

I'm more of a cross-continent atmosphere biker, myself.

 

[nepbug]

Imagine the size of tires you would need to get traction with low gravity.
I think downhillers would hate the lack of speed, but like that it would be hard to hurt yourself when you fall.

 

[Hecubus]

Bicycles in the moon? Thats the ultimate weight weenie fantasy. Instant weight reduction of up to like 1/6 the original weight.

 

[jeffscott]

to bad its the same mass

 

[Larryzona]

Et

How 'bout E.T. ?

 

[amaurosis fugax]

Yes ET had bicycles, but that was set in the now.
It looks like futuristic sci-fi might be devoid of our favourite mode of transport!

Did Blade-Runner have anyone pedalling around in the background?
How about Minority Report?

 

[Ultra Magnus]

Do you remember the silly easton ad campaign the went something like "Even lighter on Mars", and then they listed the "wieghts" of each component in grams, on Earth and Mars (Mars being listed with less grams)? I think they realized how stupid they looked and pulled it pretty quick.

BM

 

[norton05]

"Imperial Earth" by Arthur Clark, set in 2276, had lots of bikes which I thought was totally cool. Like, people rode a near zero-g circle track on long space voyages to stay fit- track was steeply inclined thru vertical so a very low speed could hold you to the wall I've read a ton of sci fi, and this is the only place I've seen bikes mentioned other than in passing, weird.

It's interesting that the book was written in 1976, and the author's vision of the bike of the future still had pedals and gears and was made out of carbon fiber.

 

[Berge]

Mer-Cycle

Written by Piers Anthony in 1971.

http://www.piers-anthony.com/mercycle.html