Back in 1985, Sir Clive Sinclair introduced a three-wheeled seated electric vehicle called the Sinclair C5. (His firm was also responsible for an early home computer that was popular in the UK in the '80s, called the ZX-Spectrum.)
It was very low cost, and powered by peddles or a rechargeable battery (see the video clip below). But at the time it was released, it was dismissed as a toy.
As usual, the risk of cars crashing into it was seen as a problem with the C5, rather than a problem with the cars. The UK lacked barrier-separated bike lanes.
But in 2022, it looks like a product 40 years ahead of its time. In fact, if it were released today, it looks like the kind of thing you’d almost expect @notjustbikes might make a video about.
So is it time to reconsider the Sinclair C5?
If it were released today, and you lived somewhere with good cycling infrastructure, would you consider buying one?
#sinclair #sinclairC5 #cycling #bikes #RetroComputers #ZXSpectrum #urbanism #UrbanPlanning #RetroComputing #ClimateChange #sustainability @fuck_cars @technology
@ajsadauskas
The lack of panniers or storage for groceries or books (etc) is a major detractor. Otherwise it’s just a recumbent e-bike with a wind-shell.
I’ll stick with my acoustic upright stepthru (aka my omafiets) bike for urban errands.
@notjustbikes @fuck_cars @technology