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When you think of human powered vehicles what comes to mind? Most will think of different forms of bikes. There is the bicycle, unicycle, and tricycle. Did you also consider these vehicles? Consider these the canoe, ice skates, roller skates, kick scooter, skis, trikke and skateboard. All of which are fun to use and our powered by muscular movement on our part.

For most of us the very first vehicle we drove ourselves was not an automobile. It was most likely some from of transportation powered by yourself and not a motor. It was nothing fancy just another way to get from here to there. In most cases it probably wasn't even faster than we could have done crawling or walking, but it sure was fun. This vehicle was called a tricycle: a simple 3-wheeled contraption that used handle bars atop a rotating front wheel to steer and was powered by your very own legs.

Once you mastered the use of your tricycle you were ready for the big time, a bicycle. Now this was much faster and more challenging than a tricycle. The transition went smoothly as it came with the subtraction of one back wheel, but was accompanied by the addition of two training wheels. Then when you were ready you could remove the training wheels and after a few falls you were off and loving it.

Then you got a car and transportation would never be the same again. That care free joyous feeling is gone. With a car came much more responsibility and more expenses. Now you had to worry about car insurance bills, tune ups, maybe tickets, cleanings, and the most lethal of expenses now gas prices. Gas prices are hovering around $3.00 per gallon.

It has never been cheaper and more beneficial to go back to those self human powered vehicles that we all loved so much growing up. Growing up self powered vehicles were used strictly for recreational proposes. Now as adults why not use self powered vehicles for those short journeys? Not only is it beneficial financially, but also is a good source of exercise.

A recent HPV that was recently invented is the IT Segaway scooter.by Dean Kamen of New Hampshire? This is a human powered transporter which moves by the motion of the person on it. It is self balancing. It only has two wheels it looks like an ordinary hand truck dolly. To move forward or backwards the person leans slightly forward or backwards to go in that direction.

Inventors are very inspired by human powered vehicles. They have been inventing ways to travel using the human muscular motion for years. There is an International Human Powered Vehicle Association which promotes improvement, creativity and innovation in the use of human power vehicles, especially in the design and development of the HPV's. There are also many contests and races involving the HPV. HPV's can ride on land, water and even in the air.

About the Author

TK Healey chief editor for SurfTilYouDrop® a consumer based website focusing on As Seen On TV Products. Visit www.surftilyoudrop.com today and check out theTrikke a self propelled scooter.;