OMG We Want This: Ebay WTF

One of our eagle eyed (or possibly just spare on time) forum users has been browsing ebay and spotted this:

No, you’ve not stumbled onto the wrong web site, but yes this is a car. A Vauxhall Corsa in fact. But this is no ordinary car.

Deck chairs! Chains! Sprockets! Yes, this is a pedal powered car. Here at Singletrack Towers we think we need this. Imagine the team building fun we could have.

It has electric windows, so is pretty snazzy really. The listing details the following features:

• The floor of the car is removed and replaced with 9mm reinforced ply for safety reasons
• Seats are low foldable steel camping chairs bolted to the floor
• Pedal mounts are custom steel welded tube with cartridge bottom bracket bearings and idlers mounted below on runners for chain tension
• The gears between the two rear seats have 21 ratios and are controlled by the center control bar between front two seats
• Wheels are new heavyduty steel pit-bike wheels with Michelin tyres
• The suspension is entirely custom trailing arm design using Honda CBR 125 shocks with adjustable toe and camber front and rear
• Steering is pretty normal rack and pinion with a tight turning circle, the wheel is mounted high for leg clearance
• Brake are hydraulic pit-bike parts on each wheel, two large bore brake levers provide front and rear braking on the centre control bar
• Electric control panel dash for: all lights which are now LEDs, electric windows(!!!), and horn
• Cycle computer included

We’re slightly curious about the safety reasons that led to the plywood floor – if this is safer, why don’t all our cars have a plywood floor? And we really want to know if the cycle computer is compatible with Strava. We’re tempted to ask the seller these questions, but then we might actually end up buying it if we did that.

It comes equipped with flat pedals, but we think we might need to swap to clipless to give us the power needed to get us up our local Calder Valley hills.

The seller says:

‘This is a recently finished bike project made by myself.  I have a history of making unusual bikes and cars, this is this years project, and now I offer it for sale to anyone who is into interesting, unusual stuff like this.’

We honestly can’t wait to see what they build next. And what did they build last year?!

We have no idea if this is road legal. We’re also not sure how alcohol laws might apply to it – if the driver is sober, can all the other pedallers be drunk?

We are a little bit concerned about the brakes…we’ve spotted some strategically placed bricks, and this shoe. But worrying about brakes is surely just being a party pooper. Look at the fun we could be having (although we obviously wouldn’t be riding on the pavement, because that almost certainly is naughty):

Can’t see the video? Click here.

And it’s only £1600! Hide the company credit card…

Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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