Recently, a young designer, Judah Schiller, generated considerable attention by riding his bike first across San Francisco Bay and then across the Hudson River in New York City. He didn’t sink during either trip because his bike was clamped to a frame and two inflatable pontoon hulls. His design is called BayCycle and the project is currently seeking funding on Indiegogo.

BayCycle

BayCycle may be the first amphibious cycle to pedal across San Francisco Bay and the Hudson River, but it is not the first bike to the boat show. The Italian Shuttle-Bike has been around for over two decades and looks remarkably similar in both concept and execution to the BayCycle. I found myself wondering if one was not a licensee of the other. Akwakat is a company in New Zealand with a similar but different design. Unlike the BayCycle and the Shuttle-Bike, the wheels are removed and left ashore which presents some limitations on river transits, at least if one wishes to ride on reaching the far shore.

Shuttlebike

These are not the only options. There are also hydrofoil bikes, a Bike-yak, and a very creative if not necessarily safe design from China involving tying empty water jugs to a bicycle.

My favorite form of on-the-water peddling are the Hobie Mirage series of kayaks. These pedal powered kayaks with the Hobie Mirage Drive pedal wonderfully on the water, but obviously not so well on land. One could tie a folding bicycle on the stern and save on set-up time as compared to inflating and deflating pontoon hulls. You would still have to find a place to tie up the kayak.