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Cycle above the 2012 Olympics in the 'Boris bubble'
04 February 2011 2:56 PM
Could this be the most fun way to see the London Olympics?
Boris Johnson this week revealed in a local paper interview his plans for an airborne cycling monorail in the Olympic Park in Stratford. He told The Docklands that he calls it "The Fly".
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City Hall told me that plans were at an early stage but the idea would supplement the Hubble Bubble tower and could be an "irresistable visitor attraction".
A mayoral spokesman said: “This is one of a range of ideas the Mayor and his team are keen to explore to ensure we make the most of the Olympic Park following the Games.
"With outstanding sporting facilities and the Arcelor Mittal Orbit already confirmed the park is already set to be a huge magnet for communities and businesses. But an airborne cycling monorail could also prove to be an irresistible visitor attraction.”
One cycling monorail already in existence is the Shweeb, made in New Zealand. It has attracted $1 million investment from Google and involves cyclists pedalling inside a plastic tube that hangs from a monorail, reaching speeds of 25mph. As the video above shows, it looks hilarious.
But as Boris's plans for a cable car across the Thames come unstuck, could a similar fate await his latest flight of fancy? What's more, Londoners struggling with the fiasco that is the Jubilee line will be delighted to learn of the Mayor's latest fripperies.
04 February 2011 2:56 PM
Could this be the most fun way to see the London Olympics?
Boris Johnson this week revealed in a local paper interview his plans for an airborne cycling monorail in the Olympic Park in Stratford. He told The Docklands that he calls it "The Fly".
City Hall told me that plans were at an early stage but the idea would supplement the Hubble Bubble tower and could be an "irresistable visitor attraction".
A mayoral spokesman said: “This is one of a range of ideas the Mayor and his team are keen to explore to ensure we make the most of the Olympic Park following the Games.
"With outstanding sporting facilities and the Arcelor Mittal Orbit already confirmed the park is already set to be a huge magnet for communities and businesses. But an airborne cycling monorail could also prove to be an irresistible visitor attraction.”
One cycling monorail already in existence is the Shweeb, made in New Zealand. It has attracted $1 million investment from Google and involves cyclists pedalling inside a plastic tube that hangs from a monorail, reaching speeds of 25mph. As the video above shows, it looks hilarious.
But as Boris's plans for a cable car across the Thames come unstuck, could a similar fate await his latest flight of fancy? What's more, Londoners struggling with the fiasco that is the Jubilee line will be delighted to learn of the Mayor's latest fripperies.
