(Photos: Trampe/CycloCable)
Bike riding is very popular in Norway, especially in the city of Trondheim. But there's a steep hill in that city called the Brubakken that most bicyclists won't try to climb. It's just too steep.
So in 1993, the city built a bicycle escalator. It recently upgraded the escalator into the one you see pictured here. It's a lift that moves at about 3.4 miles per hour up a 427-foot hill with a gradient of about 10-18º.
Push a button on the control panel at the bottom, and a small metal plate moves up the hill. Bicyclists can brace a foot against this plate and ride it up to the top of the hill.
The lift is called the Trampe or CycloCable. The inventor, Jarle Wanvik, hopes to market his design across the world.
-via Twisted Sifter
We more casual cyclists would like a lift though.