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Bird of Prey Swoops in for a different look at the Bicycle – Who’s going to be the Victim in this?

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Bird of Prey-9

I’m just going to sit this right here. Bird of Prey Bicycles has what I’m just going to call an upside down reversed recumbent. Literally, the seating laying position and the drivetrain are flipped backwards and upside down! Is this another disaster waiting to happen, or an alternative to what we know as a bicycle that might actually take off?

Fly past the break and fall prey to what might or might not be your next bicycle….

Bird of Prey-10

All jokes aside, the bike has had A LOT of design effort put into it for what seems to be a lot of one-off parts. The handlebars, stem, “seat” and of course, frame, look to be all unique items. The laying position is hard to wrap my head around as the front of your hips don’t have the same “padding” as one’s gluteal region. Add a rough road to that and my bladder already aches.

I do wonder how much fun this could be to ride…. and how fast I can get it to go. Reminiscing of an old school BMX Gravity Bike and considering the long wheelbase and low aero position, this thing could be a screamer. Also, I am curious if I could drag my knees through turns like Valentino Rossi in Mugello *shudder*.

Bird of Prey-11

To add to the bike’s uniqueness, the drivetrain is upside down. Mechanically, it should work just as good since gravity doesn’t really play a factor in its function. Check out their Facebook page for this beast in action.

And if you want one, they’re available now for $8,500.

BirdOfPreyBicycles.com

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69 Comments
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haromania
haromania
9 years ago

Just checked and it isn’t April 1st, soooooo…..

They did one thing right though. Using a hot chick in spandex will get you clicks you otherwise wouldn’t have, it worked on me anyway.

Jesse Edwards
Jesse Edwards
9 years ago

How do you stand up when you have to go over an uneven surface? Maybe this thing gives you a killer ab workout. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQvCUkiHBMM

Billbrasky
Billbrasky
9 years ago

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a dork on a bike that should have never been created!

No No No No No No No No. Hard to imagine how something could be worse than the road eliptical machine.

Rixter
Rixter
9 years ago

Ridiculous!!!

+1 @Haromania’s comments

Matt
Matt
9 years ago

I second haromania’s comment. 🙂

DRC
DRC
9 years ago

(deleted)

Although the riding position puts my nether region preeeeeetty close to that rear tire. Not a fan.

PROEDGEBIKER.COM
9 years ago

#AERO

King County
King County
9 years ago

(deleted)

rodegeek
rodegeek
9 years ago

Looks like very limited adjustability for different leg lengths. Not to mention many other issues with the design.

JMG DC
JMG DC
9 years ago

Looks like something they could use at a secret government blacksite now that waterboarding is out. Seriously, I wouldn’t ride that if they paid me $8,500!

Yagil
Yagil
9 years ago

Actually, I like the idea of updide down rear derailleur. Could prevent some nasty hits. The rest… well i’m sure it’ll be useful for someone, somewhere.

kt
kt
9 years ago

When winning ideas on Shark Tank go to far…

Dave
Dave
9 years ago

Can they make it a tandem? I might be interested.

WG
WG
9 years ago

I really, I mean REALLY wouldn’t want to slip off the saddle on this one.

tom
tom
9 years ago

one huge design benefit – when you are about to torpedo the car that just pulled in front of you (which you can’t avoid because of bar position/ergonomics/lack of steering), your hands are already in front of you ready for impact.

AbelF
AbelF
9 years ago

(deleted)

Allan
Allan
9 years ago

Dat position.

landers
landers
9 years ago

I would actually really like to try it out on a closed course. My biggest concern, other than everything, is the weight distribution. That and kneeing your drivetrain. An IGH would’ve been a better option, especially since those wheels look smaller than 700c, so the top end speed will be effected with a regular cassette. I would assume something this aero would be all about going fast.

TheFunkyMonkey
TheFunkyMonkey
9 years ago

I’ll wait for the ebike version…

dockboy
dockboy
9 years ago

The model is too short for the bike! How do you even adjust for leg length?
Also, what problem does this solve?

Elliot
Elliot
9 years ago

Yesterday I saw a post of a new bike, and the comments were all “blah blah blah carbon layup blah blah. Do something really innovative!”

And I reminded them that when something actually new and innovative came out, everyone ridicules it.

And here we are. Something attempting to be new and different, and pretty much no one saying “finally, something innovative”.

So what’s the answer? Use known methods and get made fun of, or try something new and get made fun of?

Huffytoss
Huffytoss
9 years ago

It’s sort of like Graham Obree’s latest contraption.

Yard Dog
9 years ago

i worked in HPVs before and prone (laying down on your stomach) bikes suck. you can’t get any power. even the best athlete will be tired on this in 3 miles or less.

chasejj
chasejj
9 years ago

Dave wins!

Question
Question
9 years ago

That should come with a rear fender. Not going to get a “skunk stripe”…

The steering would be a lot cleaner if they’d used a Tri or TT setup, rather than clipon bars.

No disc brake mounts?

Oliver
Oliver
9 years ago

Was the recumbent or elliptigo not bad enough?

fattylocks
fattylocks
9 years ago

I think King County should volunteer as a model. I’m sure he is very pretty.

Geekster
Geekster
9 years ago

Nice to see the crass comments about the model. How about leaving her out of it.

The rear derailleur position looks to put it right in the way of moving knees. Also, the “athletic position” applies to bikes as well and keeping your body weight spread out in the prone position would probably make it tough to maneuver that contraption. Good luck being nimble out on open roads.

John Aldridge
8 years ago
Reply to  Geekster

It is nimble. I’ve ridden it and you haven’t. Please contact me and I will give you your free test ride. Mickey likes it.

NotAMachinist
NotAMachinist
9 years ago

@Elliot

There are good ideas and there are clever ideas. All good ideas are clever, or at least they were when new. Not all clever ideas are good. While this bike is clever…

Stravarious
Stravarious
9 years ago

Lets get real, it is a “hey, look at me on my extra special weird bike”. Its only virtue include being good for descending at speed with the 60T chainring, low center of gravity and less frontal area than a conventional bike.

Mountain Dew Drinking Flatbiller
Mountain Dew Drinking Flatbiller
9 years ago

Awaiting the video of Peter Sagan doing wheelies on this thing…

Robert
Robert
9 years ago

No thanks! They can’t be serious with this one, can they?

John Aldridge
8 years ago
Reply to  Robert

Yes, ……… John Aldridge, Bird of Prey Bicycle, Inc. Carlsbad, Calitornia, 949295977

richard
richard
9 years ago

Looking at the gearing they’ve selected, combined with any basic knowledge of biomechanics, confirms that this thing sucks going up hills – as well as for all the other reasons.

Lay off the model, guys. Let’s focus on the real problem.

Slow Joe Crow
Slow Joe Crow
9 years ago

Don’t hold your breath, I doubt Peter Sagan would want to be in the same time zone as this ridiculous contraption. On the other hand Bike Snob may produce an epic takedown, and Graham Obree could have some very interesting things to say about how badly they have screwed up the prone bicycle design.

MaraudingWalrus
9 years ago

The videos on their facebook page make it look unstable and/or awkward. I’m mildly curious, and significantly afraid. Innovation is cool, though.

Pit
Pit
9 years ago

I wasn to see video of the Ceo climb Mt Ventoux on this bike.

Todd
Todd
9 years ago

This would be cool if someone would enter the Redbull Rampage on this rocket. #gobigorgohome.

Bikeleptic
9 years ago

Why hasn’t anyone stated the obvious? Prone bikes have been around and have been setting land speed records for decades. This is just a really bizarre design for one and doesn’t look very accessible.

Sully
Sully
9 years ago

Could you honestly hold your head up like that for very long?

And I think anyone would be self conscious riding around with their spandex A$$ up in the air like that. I mean, you have to wear spandex, otherwise your shorts will get sucked by the chain.

$9G’s huh?

Sean
9 years ago

(deleted)

ditto
ditto
9 years ago

I think there’s a difference between being different and being innovative. Innovative tends to be associated with something that really contributes something positive and adds a factor that people haven’t yet thought about. From the comments I’m reading, it seems that a prone design has been around, and as for being stuck with old-school paradigms regarding bike design, I think there has to be a good reason and benefit for doing such a bike position as this.

Ultimately, a different design isn’t a good or innovative design simply cause it’s different.

bazookasean
bazookasean
9 years ago

This bike will really help you loose weight!

When you hit a large bump it simply forces all of your stomach contents all over the handlebar! Then you loose control and wash out because you don’t have any weight over the front wheel, you loose more weight when you shed some of that useless skin!

bazookasean
bazookasean
9 years ago

Also, I think I found my new “Naked Bike Ride” bike!

OkieFo
OkieFo
9 years ago

Two things:
1) Naked ride bike=no. Dickscrambler comes to mind.

2)How’s it wheelie?

Ol' Shel'
Ol' Shel'
9 years ago

THIS gets funding.

I couldn’t get investment on a design that most of the major companies have now adopted, but THIS effing POS gets funding.

Phil Jones
Phil Jones
9 years ago

I upvote Dave wins.

Brad
Brad
9 years ago

Has UCI approved this for The Hour yet? How about World Triathlon Corp. green lighting these for Ironman?

Jack
Jack
9 years ago

This is perfect for my escape pod in my secret lair – the f’ing contractor built the mile long tunnel with the ceiling too low, and with the cost overruns I couldn’t put in a monorail. I have just $20,000 remaining, so my villain-babe and I can get a pair to dash away when 007 shows up!

Too bad I won’t have enough left over for the Lupine lights I wanted to light our way…

General Boy
General Boy
9 years ago

De-evolution is real!

Fgh
Fgh
9 years ago

Surly just bought the patent

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