Robert Q. Riley Enterprises: Product Design & Development
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Human Powered Vehicles

Human Powered Vehicle
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The Ground Hugger XR2 recumbent bicycle was recently developed as an in-house project.   It takes the idea of lifestyle impacts on energy demand a bit farther. We’ve seen how a sort of "purist" attitude can become a mindset and get people turned on to certain activities.  I n the name of fitness, people run until they drop from exhaustion with no actual destination in mind. And smart, educated folks like us do manual labor, like weightlifting and rowing stationary machines, without actually accomplishing anything, other than feeling and looking better.

Today, cycling enthusiasts pay $2,000 or more for high-tech bicycles that provide little real additional benefit in actual performance - once you break the $1000-dollar price barrier.  Most of the appeal has to do with the pleasure of enjoying fine craftsmanship and beautiful design, and getting turned on to a sort of mental image of what it means to be part of an elite group - to sort of wear the image.

So with the right practical support and innovative product design, it’s easy to envision that the idea of combining fresh-air fitness with the need to go somewhere could become the "in" thing to do.   It just wouldn’t be cool anymore to use a ton of hardware to travel three miles to work. These are mindset challenges that can be influenced by product design and marketing messages. 

 

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Robert Q. Riley Enterprises: Product Design & Development
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