Citi Bike has been very good to us. It's affordable, convenient, and you can even use the system for bar-crawl transportation. But, after seeing The Cyclo Cable in Norway, we're starting to feel like Citi Bike is not living up to its full potential. The Cyclo Cable will actually push you up a steep hill when you just don't have another climb in you.
It looks fairly easy to use. Weary cyclists stay seated in the bike's saddle. You stick out a foot, resting it on a steel plate, and the Cable will start moving you up the slope. If this sounds kind of scary, take solace in the fact that it moves at a snail's pace — just five feet per second. We like to think of it as a magic carpet.
Critics of the system might say it defeats the purpose of biking in the first place. What kind of health benefits does one get from assisted climbs? But, we think it's a great way to make exercise more accessible to those who haven't done much of it in the past. It's also great for those who are cycling with an injury. In other words, if we see these installed in the steeper uptown streets and parts of Brooklyn, we won't complain. Also, could they invent something like this for pedestrians? (Fast Company)