Kolelinia / Martin Angelov
Martin Angelov shared his funky concept for a new urban way of transportation dubbed “Kolelinia” with us . Kolelinia proposes that we ride our bicycles on a steel wire as a new type of bicycle lane. The idea was awarded first for the international “Line of Site” competition.
More about Kolelinia after the break.
“The first crazy idea which came to my mind was to make flying bicycle-lanes, using steel wire, something like ski lift but working on the opposite principle in which the wire is static and it doesn’t need electricity,” explained Angelov, who presented a more developed version of Kolelinia on Sofia’s TEDX conference a few days ago.
Working off the idea that transportation has to “not only be a transport, it has to be an experience,” Angelov has turned an initial idea into a developed possibility (especially with the addition of his safety features). Angelov’s ideas make us question whether it is possible to achieve a completely new level of transportation with minimum resources.
All images courtesy of Angelov.
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5:22 AM Jul 22nd
Kolelinia, ideia proposta por Martin Angelov http://is.gd/dBSUA TED Talk em búlgaro: http://is.gd/dBSWt
104 comments »
I’m pretty sure a lot of bikers will feel uneasy biking on a thin area of metal, suspended over moving traffic…
But great idea to not use (more) electricity for transportation purposes.
its nice, to hang yourself.
I want such lines in my city…NOW!
People would be hanging from the safety harnesses constantly causing all kinds of traffic jambs. I just don’t see how this would facilitate balance on a bike.
i don’t think this will work out in any way….
slow cyclists….fastcyclist….people falling down and hanging from the safety wire….
and what exactly is the advantage over riding your bike on the ground which does not need any ressources either?
Of course this line doesn’t duplicate the existing biking areas. This is only for problematic, heavy traffic zones or places where is not possible to exist normal bicycle-lanes. Kolelinia can be only a bridge or a longer line.
Then why not just build a regular bridge instead? I think that you’re wasting your time…
i ride a children’s tricycle.
what about me?!
it needs more containment… people are bound to tumble off that thing
I think it’s fantastic.. but may need a bit more work..maybe two lanes which can switch between..
absolutely visionary design
i got an idea
you know what is also a verry cheap, ecological and funky way of traveling…..
TAARRRAAA
: running.
Usain Bolt can run 48 km/h, with a little practice we could all improve our speed.
now lets get serious, this is a silly project…
I think part of the joy of riding a bicycle is the flexibility of going, stopping and parking anywhere you like. This design strongly restricts that freedom.
This doesn’t replace the normal biking, this only helps in problematic zones :)
This is a great concept. It’s not completely resolved sure, but it’s demonstrates creatively rethinking a problem. If people continue to be so averse to even considering new ideas we’re not going to be solving any of the world’s problems any time soon.
(Personally I’d feel safer on this than in one of London’s current bike lanes)
Absolutely agree with previous comment. I think that the idea is great! It gives new observation points, it is very witty and solves many problems, but it needs a few more thinking to make it safer and easier to use. And I think that using this type of lanes might be very usefull in Moscow, with it’s awfull traffic and crazy drivers.
Hello everyone, thank you for you comments! This is a provocative proposal and I am glad that I made you think about it. For now, I think that the most realistic application of kolelinia is a special designed touristic line somewhere in the centre of a city or a extreme sport in the nature. Now I work on the next level for developing the idea…
I have a feeling you might be wasting your time.
Absurd.
What if I want to wear a dress?
You’ll be more than welcome :)))
a tube like, lightweight steel structure that can allow at least 2 bike lanes would be better. elevated bicyle highways can be built, they can even be enclosed / operable. (much like those highways in minority report) cities that consider monorail systems, motor expressways, etc, should look into options like this.
Maybe as “paper” architecture this has some merit.
But I can’t help but think that in practice this would be one of the dumbest ideas ever proposed by an architect. People are loathe to change their behavior and expecting them to give up their freedom on a bicycle for the novel experience of riding on a tightrope is destined to be a popular failure & a total waste of public resources.
Wil Bruder used to say that a trash bin was the most important tool in an architect’s office. With that in mind, do yourself a favor: crumple this up and toss it.
“this would be one of the dumbest ideas ever proposed by an architect”
Thank you, this really motivates me to invent even dumber idea :)))
Thank you for the selective cropping when quoting me. That really helps.
And no offense, but I doubt that you are smart enough to come up with an even dumber idea.
lol.
Although I do think it has no merit in a city as actual transportation, it could be fun in a park.
dire.
gosh this is dire.
It’s funny that on your montage the cyclist is using a bike whose handlebars wouldn’t fit into your ‘personal safety device’.
Coolness: Kolelinia. http://bit.ly/5NNCH6
how do you take corners? what about us real cyclists who want to race?
At least, he’s giving us solutions.
I think it is a great idea, maybe for the rest of the people it is not, but like i just said, he’s doing something, and we are not.
Keep it up, i know that with a little of work this will be a great solution.
Some concerns mentioned above are definitely relevant, but I think it’s a creative idea for starters. Great ideas began with absurdity! Keep it up… =)
why is archdaily so full of haters? open your eyes: this is not a proposal to replace bike lanes. this is a proposal to provide bicycle connections in areas where other options are not applicable. it clearly has lots of restrictions and provides much less freedom than you get used to on your bike. but it does provide a solution for many conditions where bike riding was unimaginable before. that’s why i think this is an outstanding initiative, no matter how resolved it is.
Well it’s bold, but it seems like you’re informed by fear of riding in the streets. Do you ride a bike? This would take all of the fun and interaction out of riding a bike.
What if I want to stop for a coffee? Oh, and no more smiles from pedestrians and motorists.
It seems that this, while a novel idea, would be strongly based in the science of movies where the way these systems would interact with existing buildings is not explained and would most likely be impossibly complex, particularly the way that riders would enter/exit such a system as well as instances such as differing speeds. Obviously traditional rail systems require a great deal of coordination where the average user(as demonstrated by automobile drivers) are for the most part unable to operate in something that would require so many constants in the equation that it would fail. I do however think the suspension system has a lot of merit due to massive congestion on the ground level of most urban areas. Perhaps an examination of a lighter gauge tubular steel structure to support both bicycle and pedestrian travel would be more approachable?
I think its a stunning idea, and probably up there with bungee jumping and zip lines, only alpha personalities need apply. That said why not make the path wider more of a flat bottom U; have concession stands on the occasional pole, maybe a stopping off point with seating and a bar, lets go Blade Runner/Fifth Element all the way…
why don’t we all just ride blimps like in the main image?
I would try it. I think you could harness each persons energy through the wire connections and distribute it to the whole. No slow riders that way, unless everyone is lazy. I couldn’t tell if that was in your drawings.
All good ideas start off with controversy, it is the context and time that makes it part of the city and accepted by people. Good design is meant to be controversal – Courtesy of Daniel Libeskind.
I Think its a great idea, I can’t wait to fly over cities on my bike. Who wouldn’t do it? You’re challenging the orthodoxy of the bike riding perception and that in itself is worth all the risk of this proposal.
Keep being optimistic, its essential to being an architect. Sure ideas need refining as all of the given points above are valid; but I am almost certain you will get there.
the idea of creating such line is great. unfortunately the proposed way of solving practical issues about is the weak part. Joining and leaving such line should be fast, easy and available to all kinds of bicycles. I cant imagine dressing the safety equipment! It takes time, i would have to carry it, remember about it. It’s trouble! and what if i would go without? My risk? Everybody would go without! Hire someone to control it? Trouble!
If it is supposed to be every day solution to bypass traffic jams and save our time.. it should be easy!
You should think about a wire above with hanging down “belt” for the upper body. You pin up bicycle to the line, take the belt, pin it and go.
Faster.
Still, the idea itself is really nice!
This reminds me of that idiot Leonardo da Vinci and his crazy ideas for flying machines. Imagine! Flying machines! Or that crazy old curmudgeon Frank Lloyd Wright and his mile high skyscraper. I mean what was the point?
Thank god the world is full of sensible sceptics or we’d never get anywhere. I’d rather have OH&S compliant handrails (which is what, I suspect, all the ‘haters’ are working on) than rubbish like this any day.
(Personally I think the project is worth it just for the blimp composite image. As a thought experiment that recontextualises our thinking about transport hierarchies it has great value. Anyone remember Archigram?)
nice.but, lay off everybody. clearly, this is only intended for certain areas , not for entire bicycle commutes through town. As an aid cyclist myself, I would say this would convenient in some areas & at the very least, it w o u l d b e f u n . no worries if people go slow , or get stuck. they’ll get helped. & obviously, if you don’t think it’s a good idea, you could always go around & try to work your way through traffic .
nice work man . iron out the details , but nice.
I bet that the design comes from a person who lives in a country without (m)any cyclists.
What about the time it takes to put on and remove the harness? Ease of use is king.
I like the explanation: “not only be a transport, it has to be an experience”. But does it have to be a near-death experience?
this proposal is pure segregation or pure spectacularism…
i’m not sure which one…
the only reason an architect uses such divisionist aproach at a “problem” is likely because he/she is a student :)
then…fast-forward to reality-style detailing :)
mechanistic BS
ha! This is a WONDERFUL idea. boo to all of you doom and gloom naysayers. sure, perhaps it needs more development/safety features, but it really has a sense of “city-of-tomorrow” feel to it that all the rules and regs and redtape of american cities stifle. I LOVE it.
Great concept. Needs a dash of realism though.
Consider this:
Double…everything.
Two steel wires.
Four wheels for the mode of transport.
This would increase stability at lower speeds and could possibly hold another passenger too..
I know this is designed for bikes, but perhaps expand the limitations of the concept to design your own vehicle too.
absurd or not… this is about thinking outside the box…
great job !! and the Logo is the best !!
CICLO-AEROVIA WTF??? http://tinyurl.com/y9do6rm (via @proelzurdo)
A couple of things:
The system would work better if the wheels were overhead and the cyclist hung underneath, kind of like a ski lift. Then you would have lots of stability since the CG would be below the pivot point. Steel wheels on steel rails have just about the lowest rolling friction of any wheeled system (although it would limit the incline you could handle); if you combined this with a lightweight, aerodynamic cowl you could make the energy required to use this next to zero. I do see that there are interchange and routing problems that would have to be solved in order to for this to be useful in a larger urban context and not just on some closed loop. If the idea is to retain the ability to use a personal bike, maybe you could use the systems I’ve seen in some science mueums (a bike on a steel cable) with a counterweight that hangs beneath a bike to give it stability. This would be especially important because without the ability to steer it will be hard to maintain balance, particularly at low speeds.
I also feel like I have to address the shrill comments by some people that seem to be common on bulletin boards like this. While I agree that it is unlikely that anything like this would ever get implemented, context and circumstances are everything. If you reject it out of hand it is because you cannot imagine the context where it works. All it takes is a person with a problem in search of a solution for this to move forward. Just because I can’t imagine what that situation is doesn’t mean it isn’t out there. I think it’s valid to point out that having to put on safety gear (other than a helmet) is likely to dissuade many bikers, or that route flexibility puts it at a disadvantage against normal bikes but perhaps the comparison should not be made with bikes but within some other kind of transportation paradigm. If you can answer these kinds of real critiques then you make it a more robust proposal. If you can’t, then it fails on its own and you don’t need anyone’s insults to help it along.
I like this idea. It might be too heavy, but could possibly be implemented with a single rail from train tracks and then suspend your cart underneath it. Secure the front wheel of the bike in an adjustable mount which positions the rear tire of the bike over a pair of rollers. The rollers are coupled to the drive mechanism for the rail so the rider pedals to move the whole contraption. Maybe add a small electric assist motor to get it started from a standstill or for any inclines. If you’re a strong rider, you can push someone else or recharge the battery for the electric motor.
It would all sort out with a practical demonstration. Who’s afraid of this, or doesn’t like it for some reason, should stand behind and watch. Can’t wait to see it built.
lol. doubt it will ever be built.
People who are applauding this as “new” and “fresh”: have you considered that it’s based on the idea that bikes don’t belong on the street and that cycling is dangerous? That’s why it’s sad and regressive. It’s bad urban planning that creates situations that ensure that people only see private cars as a transportation option and leads to massive congestion.
Architects and urban planners, your energy is better spent on on good urban planning and streets that are safe to ride bikes on instead of wizbang hack fixes for the crap planning that plagues too many cities.
Has this idea been covered on this site?
http://velo-city.ca/
1. how i will come on the lane; how I will come down (should be possible at each bigger traffic corner)?
2. a slow guy is front of me. How could I can pass him? do u ever ride a bike martinangelov ?????
3. not even a slight of a good idea. i am not in a circus!
as already other users said: waste of time!
………..but a lot of comments u received for the waste of time. also nice!
I like the basic premise… riding over a difficult area with a minimum of materials needed to create it. I think it will need more to get people comfortable using it though. The track wouldn’t prevent a tire from popping out, so a wider surface would give people more confidence that their bike will stay on it. MAybe with angled sides to help them stay on it? Netting underneath would also give them more piece of mind. The wire on either side would likely not be enough either. People with poor dexterity will slide off of it before being able to grab it. Then they’ll sue over that problem. So communities will have to add a more reliable protective mesh to avoid future lawsuits.
Interesting idea. The connection to the top wire suffers from a couple of design issues, (small chance of lobe hitting oncoming post rather than engaging it, handlebars not locked with reference to frame could twist if lobe impacts post, lobes versus wire friction) but the vision is an interesting one. Consider alternative connection points on the bike. A more general connection point might be the bar below the seat post with a forward adjustable arm engaging the forward portion of the front frame triangle and the rearward arm entending back behind the area where the leg would move and then turning outward and upward to engage the wire. Look at the history of the elevated wooden California Cycleway.
The fault is it does not allow the byke to stop. It will jam all traffic.
this is a fun idea. though this can’t be applied to real life (duh everyone, there’s no need to state the obvious!), i applaud the creator’s creativity. keep it up
With that dummy thing we’ll all turn into clowns from circus
My road bike handlebar is 38cm wide.
My mountain bike handlebar is 60cm wide.
That is a 12cm difference on one side and that is just my bikes. Other people have other kind of handlbars. The widest I found with a quick search was 66cm. I know people who ride a 20cm handlebar (although I don’t know why they like it).
The pictures look like that the system only allows some standard handlebar width.
Needs improvement.
I think it will not be a problem the safety device to be adjustable.
A ciclovia aérea: http://migre.me/gsIg Idéia maluca ou genial?
RT @compulsivo: A ciclovia aérea: http://migre.me/gsIg Idéia maluca ou genial?
WOW this is the most commented post in archdaily!congratulations!
This idea has real potential! Clearly it is in alpha stage and has a lot of room for improvement, but the basic concept is workable I think.
As several people have stated, this would be a special use system for difficult, relatively short distance areas that are otherwise difficult/dangerous to traverse by cycle.
For those of you who jump to conclusions and say that this will not work, I think many of you bring up good points about certain design and cultural challenges such a system would have to overcome. However, that you then go on to claim the entire idea is a waste of time because it’s got some bugs… really? You know many said the same thing about trains, “horseless carriages”, planes, multi-story buildings, on and on.
The proof will be in a several test runs of the idea at various cities around the world. As an avid cyclist, I can tell you that I would much prefer to “fly” over a busy set of highway lanes (assuming practical and efficient safety features were in place) than to have to bike around it or on it like I do now. I live in Seattle, and I bet I could think of several ideal locations for this system.
I love the materials efficiency of this idea. You could feasibly set a test site up within a week once a design was ready for test!
yep…it’s catchy, it’s bouncy…its disnyland :)
But it doesn’t solve the problem it purports to be a solution to.
I’m an avid cyclist (road racing, mountain biking), and I commute by bike every day.
I would love to ride something exactly like this just for fun and thrills. But I would not want it to be part of my daily commute.
Still, the basic idea of elevated, suspended bike lanes might be worth something. Here in California there are lots of intersections and stretches of road that are much scarier for cyclists than riding on a gently swaying bridge twenty feet off the ground would be.
I applaud the project, but develop it more. Make it easier to get on and off. Make it possible to pass people. Make it more enclosed and less scary.
hahaaa!
dumb idea.
Thanks for all comments. I enjoyed them all. The feedback surprised me and was very helpful!
This is a proposal for how to deal with the problem of overtaking
http://kolelinia.com/en/?page_id=66
it is something like unexpected tandem bicycle :)
In fact only a short handmade prototype will show the real picture. Stay tuned…
“Here in California there are lots of intersections and stretches of road that are much scarier for cyclists than riding on a gently swaying bridge twenty feet off the ground would be.”
That’s the problem. Bingo. Solve it instead with better planning, better engineering of roads and spaces, and education.
Hey…
Couldn’t bother to read all of the; so I might not add anything new.
But:
I reckon this is an absolutely mint project, in the way that it “puts biking on the map” as it somehow reinvents the experience of biking.
City extreme-sports, would be Spot ON – who wouldn’t want to cross eg. a river on bike.
While the project, at this stage, has many obvious problems (especially I find that the handlebar to wire connection is way dodgy;) I find that key-point connection through out a city would be a way positive future.
Being from Copenhagen and now living in London, I find myself in an enviroment that completely neglects biking as a proper way of transport (Compared to the dedicated bicycle-paths in CPH) – And while I love biking, do not dare to use it as transport in the city.
A setup like this would be a great bike commercial!
Anyways, Heads up Mate – Brave Idea!
Awesome bike lane idea http://www.archdaily.com/46236/kolelinia-martin-angelov/
Wow! I would like to drive over the cars and say: HAHAHA Sukers!
So much people can’t open the mind to the new way of thought.
This is as crazy as stunning and visionary!, that’s out of the box thinking.
Martin, congratulations on such a fantastic proposal.
Yes, I see, the safety feature makes the thing perfectly workable! Ha, Ha! The Hindenburg pictured in the illustration is a nice touch…
I don’t see this being a practical solution except as a way to cross a river, or long highway.
However, traditional suspension bridges already solve that problem, without requiring every user to modify their bike, have flat bars of a certain width, have tires not exceeding the track width, and without requiring everyone to wear a climbing harness while on their bike. Have you ever worn a climbing harness? They don’t exactly promote easy pedaling.
To the guy who suggested putting wheels atop the bike – that totally defeats the purpose, which is to use existing bikes.
To the guy who suggested safety nets: That makes the entire contraption ugly, when it’s clear that an element of ’slickness’ is intended in the design. Also, there’s the cost and difficulty of maintaining all that netting, and the fact that it’ll get far uglier once a few dead pigeons get stuck in it.
To the guy who pointed out that trains and horseless carriages were once scoffed at: you’ve got a point, new tech is often mocked. However, this isn’t new tech: this is replacing roads with a rut. Ruts are extremely hard to bike in; that’s why roads are (generally) flat. Suspending it 20 feet in the air doesn’t change that.
As a simple proof of concept, try riding your bike in the groove of a streetcar track. Likely, you will instantly fall over (and likely bust your wheels), because of the inability to steer into the fall. The balance of a bicycle relies on its steering. If the movement of the front wheel is restricted, the bike will fall over (and it would suck to ride around while leaning on the safety wire).
The idea is nice, but it would work better with a flat, wide surface, say, the width of a bike path. Check out suspension ribbon pedestrian bridges.
YES!!! Riding a bike in a groove is ultra hard. Street car tracks will drop you to the pavement almost instantly! They are one of the most fiendish road hazards known to cyclists! I know first hand from riding in boston, the trolley tracks on huntington ave have gotten me and countless others. I bet you’d get the same reaction from someone that has ridden any decent amount of time in san fransico.
so, do some quick research, go ride in a streetcar track and then let us know what you think.
I’ve been commuting by bike nearly every day and never crash.
The streetcar thing happened to me twice yesterday.
(This is the same dave from above)
Yes! I second this! Proof of concept! I want to see videos of this designer trying to ride in a sidewalk groove or trolley track! Oh man. Riding in a furrow, that needs to get thought over, I’d rather ride on the autobahn.
Has the designer ever tried to bike along a seam in a concrete sidewalk? Try it sometime. You will end up on your face in seconds. While riding, the front wheel is turning all the time to maintain balance. Restrain the tiny adjustments, and say goodbye to your balance.
hey, this guy rides a bike too! totally right!
My, why all the negativity? The project is showing a completely new approach on transportation. Yes, it needs improvement but no one said it is already out on the market. I think it is great when young architects are thinking outside of the box and it is impressive when their voice is heard and has so many views, comments, even awards.
As for the project itself, most of you may have no idea what it feels like to have no alternative to walking or driving a car but believe me you can’t get with a bicycle to most of the places in our city. That project suggests a solution to a very serious problem. At the very least it makes you think about all that.
"Funky concept for a new urban way of transportation": http://bit.ly/4ZtHr4
#innovation #TED #transportation #bicycles
A cycling highwire as a transportation solution?! Probably not the safest solution. http://www.archdaily.com/46236/kolelinia-martin-angelov
Urban bike riding in the sky | ArchDaily http://bit.ly/79rHVL #WowThatsDifferent
Funky way to ride on a steel wire bicycle lane http://bit.ly/8WX4gl – still a few details to sort out I perceive
Hey ignore all the jerks who try to beat you down – they’ve never actually had an idea themselves, I’m guessing, and certainly wouldn’t put it out for public comment.
I think it is a fascinating concept, beautifully presented, and a fine example of thinking outside of the box. I wish you all the best. Follow your instincts, you are doing great so far!
the most ridiculously impractical & yet awesomely futuristic bike lane – http://bit.ly/8WX4gl
Funky new concept for a new urban way of #transportation. Ride our #bicycles on steel wire. http://bit.ly/5woIi7 #bike
I thought it was a joke. Who wants to ride a bike in a straight line? Kind of defeats one of the ideas involved in riding a bike, the idea of riding anywhere. If anything, this displays anti-biking sentiments, it puts limits on the cyclist on where they can go, and it puts the cyclist out of sight. What if you’re afraid of heights? This is a method of riding a bicycle for people who are afraid to engage their immediate urban environment.
waaaaait… it got first in the competition? but it’s not done yet! if you’re riding a bike in one of those furrows, you wouldn’t be able to ride without relying on the safety systems like training wheels, no self respecting cyclist wants to go back to the training wheels feeling. Talk to some cyclists! know your user!
This is way cool. We need more “out of the box” thinking. Spend a little more time thinking about safety issues. Motorists will be watching out for pedestrians, and cyclist will be watching out for birds!
Très interrèssant! Conceito novo de ciclovias.
http://www.archdaily.com/46236/kolelinia-martin-angelov/
This is ridiculous and super cool at the same time (thanks Andlock) http://www.archdaily.com/46236/kolelinia-martin-angelov/
I was about to post the same comment regarding the physics of cycling and the impossibility of riding a bike with a fixed fork (which you effectively have when the front wheel is stuck in a groove) but then I went back and looked at all the little pictures above. It looks like there is a bar-end-type attachment for the handlebars that functions as a runner along the safety wires. This could act like a set of training wheels to keep the bike upright.
The wires would have to be incredibly taut to keep riders from flipping over the sides, but the system does, in theory, provide a means for keeping balance to replace the one it takes away.
Interesting idea!
a ideia é legal, só não pode ter medo de altura http://www.archdaily.com/46236/kolelinia-martin-angelov/
http://bit.ly/8WX4gl sometimes i just can't help but smile at some ideas =)
Marvellous! I’m so glad that a innovative (albeit, at times flawed) proposal is being put forward for once!
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