Ask SuperForest: SuperForester Frank Needs a Carbon Fiber Tank!

Good Morning SuperForest!

We just got in a question from SuperForester Frank, who writes:

"(Dear SuperForest,)

Where can I obtain carbon fibre bottles as on Jem Stansfield's bike? Please
see attached photo.

-Frank"

(This appears to be Frank himself astride his own homebrew compressed air motorbike.)

Dear Frank!

What a marvelous question!
We had nearly forgotten about good ol' Jem Stansfield and his miraculous air-bike. Thank you for jostling the memory.

Firstly, where can you get the tanks?

Here are some we've found:

New: Remote Medical
Used: A bunch on ebay

We think ebay should have you covered and provide a significant discount, however, it's not everyday that you purchase what is essentially a potential explosive, especially one that is lovingly cradled between your legs.

Maybe you wanna go with the full warranty on this item and scrimp on everything else. Think of the future.

And what of Mr. Stansfield? What of his wonderful vehicle?



As you can see, Jem is up to a great number of compressed-air-related shennanigans, (and how many folks can one say that about?)

Jem is using his powerful intellect for more than just vehicle design, he's also working on ways to feed and cook for large numbers of people using only the sun.



So, as you can see Jem's become a bit of a TV star. Good for him, because he's a massive celebrity to us here at SuperForest.

Here's is Jem's "Planet Mechanics" show site.

Good luck to you, Jem Stansfield, wherever you are and whatever you're up to.

And thank you to Frank, for his thought provoking question.

Got a question you need answerin'?

Ask SuperForest.

Neil Young on Huffpo: Perfect Storm for Innovation Gathers in Washington

Neil Young knows a thing or two about cars. In today's Huffpo, he's got this to say about electricity, X-prizes, and coming opportunities for growth in the automotive industry...

"A perfect storm for innovation is gathering in Washington. With the government's recent financial assistance to GM and Chrysler, the Big 3 now have until the end of March to make the case that shows how they will survive. Survival is not enough though.

America now has a chance to lead the world in power and fuel efficiency. The Big three will still be looking for help at the end of March. As the major shareholder, the US government would have an opportunity to DEMAND the type of cars that will lead the world toward saving the planet for future generations.

If the Big three cannot agree to make only cars that are fuel efficient enough to get at least 50 MPG by 2011, 75 MPG by 2013 and 100 MPG by 2015, then they should go into bankruptcy and fend for themselves like all the other businesses that are having trouble. The truth is this can be done and innovators know the way to do it.

Better Place is a new model for power distribution to replace the old model of gas stations that supported the evolution of the automobile to this point. Better Place is taking hold in countries around the world and in some areas of the US. Better Place's revolutionary concept for distribution of power to vehicles actually lowers the price of the vehicle by making the battery free to the consumer and automaker, while a subscription allows the user to only pay for miles traveled. There is a great opportunity for innovative solutions with Better Place.

The Automotive X Prize is a race of 100MPG vehicles across America in 2010 sponsored by the Progressive Insurance Company. There are many entries. These cars must be safe and have a business plan that allows for at least 10,000 units per year. Automotive X prize contenders need to share their knowledge with the Car Czar. How will they get their cars to the magic 100mpg? There are some good ways to do it. Now is the time to share.

Innovators should swarm like locusts on Washington in January, February and March to show the Car Czar how to make fuel-efficient cars.

A Car Czar who knows how it can be done, and a government in control of the automakers while they stabilize will be key to demanding all autos made in the USA have a minimum mileage rating of 50MPG. This includes cars, SUVs and pick-up trucks. Now it is time for America to take back the reins of innovation and show the true wave of the future. It is a window for a sea change and a new opportunity for America to lead the world.

Lincvolt, an X Prize contestant, is a 2.5 ton, 19.5 foot American classic now attaining 65 MPG utilizing electricity and domestic fuel. The converted 1959 Lincoln Continental MK IV demonstrates that today's big sedans SUVs and pick-up trucks can get at least 50 MPG if they are fuel-efficient and use electric power, making it obvious that smaller cars could do even better than that. Ultimately, the Lincvolt team aims to demonstrate a Lincvolt hydro bio-electric series hybrid that will attain 100MPG with domestic fuels and very low emissions.

In February, Lincvolt will begin an historic drive to Washington to showcase "the people's fuel," and show the President, the Car Czar, Congress and the Senate how innovation happening right now in America can be a beacon of change to the world.

The Lincvolt team invites the other contestants in the Automotive X Prize Race, Better Place, and innovators from around the world to join us in Washington during the first 100 days of the new administration."

Nice!

So, to distill:

50 MPG by 2011, 75 MPG by 2013, and 100 MPG by 2015. X-prizes good. Electric cars also good. A Better Place = amazing. Neil's got an electric Lincoln and is going to drive it to Washington.

Fun! Maybe we can be there when he gets there. That would be fun to see.

Here's the Lincvolt website.
And the Better Place site.

Toyota - "Human Touch"

(click here)

A very touching ad.

Bike Hero

About a year ago, Guitar Hero became somewhat of a guilty pleasure of mine. I played often but the novelty of the whole thing sort of wore out after a while. I’ve noticed that this has become a recent trend with a lot of the latest video games, people become consumed by them and after a while, they just sort of forget about it. Well I just found a healthy solution to this problem. Take a look at this...

I can’t even begin to imagine how long it took to arrange this but I loved every second of it. A high five to Jaron Albertin for directing this. Now, I fully understand that this viral video could’ve been created with the underlying purpose of promoting one of the “hottest gifts” of the holiday season but I chose to view this video differently. Through the SuperForest lens I saw a video that was not only healthy and promotes exercise, but a video whose creativity is beyond words. Instead of promoting Guitar Hero World Tour, let’s imagine this is promoting bikes and spending time with friends and loved ones to create something truly spectacular. Now those are two gifts that should top any holiday wish list.

Love to All,

Carla

Flashback: Parkour in the 1930s

Last month I discovered the facsinating world of parkour. What amazes me the most about parkour is to see how it has evolved throughout the past some 80 years.

1930

2008

Ah, nothing beats waking up to some fresh parkour in the morning.

Have a lovely day!

Every Flight on Planet Earth in 72 Seconds

via wired.com

Hugh Frost's Frosty Cool Neo-London Bus!

From Shane O'Donoghue @carenthusiast.com:

"Hugh Frost, an industrial designer, reckons he has an answer to London's (and other cities) pollution and congestion problems in one: a new vehicle that consolidates passenger and freight transportation.

The Freight*BUS is a massive new vehicle featuring advanced technology and the ability to adapt to varying numbers of passengers and freight.

This flexibility is in part due to ceiling-suspended pairs of seats, which can be completely folded out of the way.

At night, or during off-peak times of day, Frost envisages his Freight*BUS being utilised to carry goods around the city, with a capacity of the equivalent to 35 standard 'europallets'. To aid loading and unloading, Frost has designed a palletless system.

The Freight*BUS is designed for several possible propulsion systems, including batteries that are automatically recharged when the bus stops and the potential for fuel cell operation in the future.

Thanks to in-wheel electric motors, the bus can manoeuvre into tight bus stops in a 'crab' like movement.

Although the Freight*BUS did not win Boris Johnson's competition, Frost is looking for partners to fund development of his concept further. More information can be found at www.onroutebus.co.uk.

The Freight*BUS is a massive new vehicle featuring advanced technology and the ability to adapt to varying numbers of passengers and freight.

This flexibility is in part due to ceiling-suspended pairs of seats, which can be completely folded out of the way.

At night, or during off-peak times of day, Frost envisages his Freight*BUS being utilised to carry goods around the city, with a capacity of the equivalent to 35 standard 'europallets'. To aid loading and unloading, Frost has designed a palletless system.

The Freight*BUS is designed for several possible propulsion systems, including batteries that are automatically recharged when the bus stops and the potential for fuel cell operation in the future.

Thanks to in-wheel electric motors, the bus can manoeuvre into tight bus stops in a 'crab' like movement.

Although the Freight*BUS did not win Boris Johnson's competition, Frost is looking for partners to fund development of his concept further. More information can be found at www.onroutebus.co.uk."

Dig. So it's a passenger bus during the day, a freight delivery truck at night, and an aerodynamically sound and awesome looking vehicle at all times. Got it?

Well done, Mr. Frost!

We hope that more hear of your idea and cotton to it's elegance and effectiveness.

Here is the Freight*BUS site.


Much love,

Jackson

SuperForester Neal's Geo Chalker!

Hello All,

Just got an email from SuperForester Neal, who wonders why we haven't yet covered the art car phenom. Hmmmm. We wondered the same thing!

It seems that the wily and clever SuperForester Neal has converted his Geo Tracker into a rolling chalkboard, redubbed: the Geo Chalker!

Take it away, Neal!

"Hello SuperForest,

I recently became a Superforest fan. I like the commitment to saving the world while still keeping things cool. The art postings are great too. One thing I don't see is any mention of art cars. I'd love to see someone cover this fringe art. As an art car driver myself, let me tell you why I chose to drive an art car.

My beat up, rusty 1996 Geo Tracker was a sore sight on the road. But being an artist and an employee of a nonprofit, I can't yet afford to purchase a better car. While I dream of one day having a zero emissions car, I'm stuck with what I've got. It may be ugly but it gets me there. Plus thanks to it's lightweight and four wheel drive, I'm rarely ever stuck in the MN snowfall. (To all considering 4x4 transportation, check out an old Tracker. Their small size and small engine get great gas milage compared to other SUV type vehicles. I still get 25+ mpg.)

I decided that if I have to drive this vehicle (I do bike whenever I can) it should at least add some kind of beauty to the roadways and parking lots of the world. So I decided to turn it into an art car. More specifically, an interactive art car where the rest of the world creates the art and I drive it around. I spraypainted the entire car in chalkboard paint and attached a bag of chalk to the spare tire. Two small signs encourage passerbys to leave their mark on my car, aptly named the Geo Chalker. When I see a new chalking, I snap a photo and upload to www.GeoChalker.com.

I think you'll find that a lot of Superforesters out there would drive an art car if they had the choice and most art car artists would consider themselves a Superforester. I also encourage anyone out there to transform their car into a piece of art. The roadways of the world need a touch of beauty to them. If you do, send me a photo at blackboard(at)geochalker(dot)com. I'd love to post images of Superforester Art Cars.

Video of me painting the car: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duobxzsZbVQ



The Flickr Set can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geochalker/sets/72157603192665014/

But some of my favorites are:

People chalking it up at an art car gathering:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geochalker/3048701176/in/set-72157603192665014/

Fire and squiggles:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geochalker/1673779457/in/set-72157603192665014/

A random chalking:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geochalker/2790118158/in/set-72157603192665014/

Neal, that rules in so many ways. Thank you so much for the amazing post!

ANy other SuperForesters out there drive or seen any art cars? Send them on in: superforestnyc(at)gmail(dot)com.

Nice!

Love to All,

SuperForester Jackson

Le Parkour

While watching random videos on YouTube today, I discovered parkour; a French recreational activity in which the participants (traceurs) traverse urban structures by running, jumping, etc. in the most fluid way possible.

In the past few years parkour has evolved from a recreational sport to an astonishing art form and a way of life. I mean, watch how these four gentlemen get to the bank!

Have a great weekend!

Qatari Teenage Riot

Hello All!

Jackson here. I'm on my way to Qatar for nine days with none other than SuperForesters Andrew and Nick.

We're going to the Al Wabra Wildlife Preserve to photograph rare and exotic creatures! Fun!

See y'all in nine days. I will try to post from Qatar as frequently as I'm able.

Much love,

Jackson

Amazing Self-Balancing Bicycle: Gyrobike!

The Gyrobike is a gyroscopicaly stabilized biking system.

Just think of all the skinned knees and sad little tear-filled eyes that can be avoided with this ingenious invention. Now, we'll have to find new ways to teach kids about failure and suffering. Jokes!





The Gyrobike is set to hit the Net (and stores...) later this year.

Here's the Gyrobike website.
And the Gyrobike wiki.

Amsterdam Reduces It's Own Carbon Footprint

For the past few years everyone from every single direction has been shouting at us that we should reduce our carbon footprint. But what about the government? municipalities? cities?
The Dutch capital of Amsterdam took a step in the right direction.

flickr image by francescomontalbano

So what happened?

Recently the city council and a few other parties managed to agree upon a new concept. "City Cargo". This is all about using the current tram-tracks (for people unfamiliar with trams: a tram is a sort of a train but then riding on the street) for cargo. Today there is a load of small companies situated in Amsterdam who all get their deliveries done by polluting Diesel vans. In the future this cargo shipment should be done by the trams. Which is great since trams use electricity and thus don't contribute to a bad quality of air in the city center.

Furthermore the schedule of the new cargo-trams has been created in such a way that they don't interfere with the passenger trams. Amsterdam is such a great place.

via:treehugger

-jdh

NYC Subways-Even more sustainable!

Good Afternoon!

We all already know how sustainable it is to ride the subway system and now the MTA is flaunting their efforts (and accomplishments) to be even more sustainable.

Way to go NYC!

For more info on the MTA and their sustainability initiatives, click here. You can also read my previous post about what happens to all the trash on the subway platforms here.

Happy Riding!

Niki

Bicycle + Pulse Jet = Firey Firey Fun!

Bob Maddox, you're our hero!

Jump in my cab

Ten minutes ago, as I was walking back into my office after a quick stroll in the sun, I spotted this:

An eco-cab! The man sitting in it was more than happy to pose for this picture. His name is Stefan. Not sure if these are common around the world but it's certainly the first I've seen in Sydney. Let's hope they catch on.

April

The trend of the electrocar

I live in the Netherlands but when I visited the US last May I noticed everyone talking about the skyrocketing oil prices. Driving from JFK Airport the taxi driver explained that the gasoline prices have never been this high and that he was wondering whether or not his current rates were profitable. But anyway, in the Netherlands the prices are just always high.

Since the US has a big car-market, car manufacturers see an opportunity here. If people think that the gas prices are to high they would rather not use it, but since there aren't any other options they stick with gasoline. Well, there are a few other options. There's the Toyota Prius, Lexus has got a few models and Honda has an alternative. They are all hybrids which means they use gas and electricity. Then there's also BMW who has a model in their 7-series running on hydrogen. A good start.

Very recently two other car brands announced some new things concerning environmentally friendly cars. First there's Mini, the popular English car that is produced under license of BMW now. In the summer of 2009 an all-electric version will be released. One downside here, the production of the new Mini is limited. But the technology is there so if the demand is huge, who knows?
Secondly the German Smart is going to build the Smart ED. Which is, like the Mini, fully electric. The Smart ED is supposed to be hitting the streets somewhere in 2010. For now there aren't a lot of production details available about the new Smart.

Pretty awesome. Because of the high gas prices car manufacturers are finally (collectively) starting to shift their focus from gasoline to alternative sources of energy.

-jdh