News and Events

Keep up to date with the latest news and events of Modular Bikes.

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Wilson Recumbents

Hi

I've posted about Wilson bikes before here .  A few recent events reminded me that I had a Wilson bike brochure buried away somewhere in the large collection of paper known as Steve's HPV Archives.  * George and Chris Durbridge came for dinner and we somehow got to discuss Peter Wilson and his bikes.  * I saw another on at uni and that was a kick in the pants to finally put the brochure up.

Red bike at Monash Caufield Pt 1
and Pt 2
Anyway, without further adue, here is the link to the brochure files, 2pdfs for a 2 sided sheet, have fun. Peter, if you're out there, your bikes still seem to be very much loved.


Regards

Steve nurse

Monday, May 11, 2015

Underwater Velomobile





Hi

Its not very often my habit of buying trashy videos and dvds from op shops (or rescuing them from dumpsters) coincides with my interest in Human powered vehicles although this older post seems to be all about videos.

Anyway, my most recent trashy dvd purchase was a triple movie dvd ($1.00 from a Malvern op shop) including the movie "Monster from the Ocean Floor" from 1954.

You know, its the old story, girl hangs around Mexican fishing Village, girl meets hunky scientist who rocks up in pedal powered submarine, girl is filmed swimming underwater to the accompanyment of nice music, girl is threatened by unfriendly locals, girl is threatened by shark and amoeba grown to gigantic octopus-shaped proportions under influence of underwater nuclear explosion, hunky scientist rescues girl and they live happily ever after, or at least until the end credits roll....



Anyway, for all its apparent trashiness, the film is possibly worth watching.  Underwater filming was probably quite new and filming the submarine and a few people swimming underwater takes up quite a bit of the short running time.  The submarine is the spitting image of a modern fast velomobile and was made by Aerojet General. Here is a quote from the "all you needed to know and probably a whole lot more" 100 misspent hours website:     "And in what might be the biggest production value-adding coup of all, (producer Roger) Corman finagled the use of an experimental, pedal-powered, single-seat submarine with what we would today describe as a product-placement deal. The fledgling Aerojet General company let Corman use the sub for free in return for one plug in the opening credits and another in the dialogue itself."

Due to the wonders of modern technology, you don't need to scour Op Shops of Malvern to find "Monster from the Ocean Floor".  It is right here on the Interweb. Thingy.

 Here is the link:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xm8619_monster-from-the-ocean-floor_shortfilms

Regards

Steve Nurse