Smartwool Presents: Riding the Rails 

We did that once here near us in Sweden. My father can weld and helped with it. Later, when the tracks became more and more overgrown, it was no longer possible, but until then it was fun.

A rail bike! So awesome. And that’s just it, isn’t it? You never know what the future really holds, so I think taking the time for projects like these is a beautiful way to spend ones time. Big thanks to the whole team for producing this. 🤟

Love it, couldn’t do it in the UK unfortunately since any unused rails are either ripped up or used by heritage steam and railway enthusiasts. Mind you when they do rip them up the tracks are often used as walking/cycling paths so it’s not all bad. Engineers are born as well as trained-as a young child I was bought a clockwork train-which I immediately took apart-much to my parents disappointment. I then reassembled it and it worked-I have no recollection of doing this but it’s the story I was told-long line of engineers-and teachers-on both sides of my family.

Awesome outcome, dog looks like he's loving the ride, too.

That looks like a great time...how fun! I would love to do something like that. And great production quality on the video as well. Props to the whole crew!

I LOVE THIS!!! I see that others have asked, but I saw no reply, whether you'd share the plans for this rig. I'd be willing to buy a copy from you. Thanks for the adventure!

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Suggestion: start building the "kits" and selling them.... the combo bike idea is PERFECT! I think you can make a million.... look at Dr. Stone Beck's comment below... he would probably send you a 1,000 clients just by himself. Tip: Just make sure you take the rail bike system off the tracks when you're biking because there are a lot of people doing this now! HAVE FUN!!! Mr & Mrs Bowen Veteran & Retired San Diego CA

Wow. I love old railroads. What a cool concept.

0:30 When I was three I found the "J" section from a kitchen sink "P trap," and that became my favorite bathtime toy. Named it my "drain-o."

What tha heck! This is awesome!! Thanks for sharing and I thought shredding was the most 🤪😁

Well executed, just watched a vid of some grampas (like me) on tracks in south America which led me to your video ....my wheels are turning upstairs, may have to brush up on my welding €;-)} Blessings and Shalom

Nice little doc.!

Wow, what an incredible way for a couple to spend together.

Freaking amazing and so very cool! I love your life! I want to find a way to do this! 🥰🙌❣️

This is the coolest! Alex and Ella- you two are so awesome and I want to come adventure with you!

This is amazing guys!!! love your adventures

Did you see the 4 Senior gentleman who rode the rails in Patagonia? They camped almost all of it too.

Love it! I need to build a copy of this thing!

This is awesome. Inspiration!

This was amazing! The only ad on RU-vid that I ever followed. That is an amazing adventure. I can identify as I was a kid that loved everything mechanical and played with legos and became a mechanical engineer.

I'll bet the corners and hills are thrilling.

Absolutely awesome!

What an awesome project!

hi, bike engineer here too. would like to see your designs & closeup pics of what worked and what didnot ? I am building for the SouthAfrican rails

Love the design.

So good!

Way cool !! Got to do it !

I’m no engineer. Plans and designs won’t help me. However, please tell me how I can buy one of these!?!

Great video my friend. Finding your video is exactly they same reason I was looking for it. We have some back country fishing to do and this unit would get us and out gear in there perfectly. I was hoping you would be able to send me some detailed pictures of the both sets of wheels. That would be amazing. Ty in advance.

LOVE it!

That is so rad.

This is so cool and as a bicyclist and a railroad enthusiast, I am wondering what railroad company once traveled on those tracks. Perhaps the New York Central or Vermont Railway!? Anyway thank you for sharing and be safe riding the rails.

What is that song in the credit roll? Hey hey hey/That's what all the people said *2/When it blows their mind Hey hey hey/Show us one more time *2/And now press rewind [guitar solo] [groovy guitar+synth+backing chorus]

So how do the guide wheels work when you come to a switch or a road crossing? Looks like you'd have to lift it over. But very cool.

We have a no longer being used rail line on Vancouver Island, B.C. It would be great to set up rail bikes for use by blind people.

sick flick!

Very cool!

I wanna try this so bad I just found out about it but I want one to ride around on and fish of bridges and get to spots others can’t

Those rails are awfully shiny for being unused.

I love the idea and the project! But by using rollers instead of a traditional flange, how can you pass over level crossings and track switches? Or are the rollers in fact narrow enough to pass through?

eccelente hermano ¡¡¡

This is such an insanely COOL idea! Would you please share the plans with us?

Que bien ... !

Any drawings or more detailed photos of the build?

Where did you find these old “not in use” railroads?

No fishing report? Dang....

Did I miss where it says who this guy (and his wife) is?

Rad!

Hi that is amazing I live next to a rail I wanna bild one of those platforms you guys made i wonder if can you mail me the building process please and thanks happy holidays from AlderpointCalifornia 😎happy rides!!

I am curious as to what the laws are in the USA for public accessing the rail road systems like that. In Australia the lines are usually perceived to be privately owned, but I am yet to confirm that.

Wait. If you built another one of these and then replacaited the cupeling that the train cars use, then you would have four humans pedaling instead of two.

I'm not an engineer but what do they do about passing trains?

What breed or breeds of dog is that ?

What's the legal side of this? if I build one of these and take off will I get in trouble?

Consider us inspired...

Wow

👍

Absolutely really great. One note though - using a cutting wheel or grinder - the safety glasses are for your eyes, the face shield's for your face. You need both. One of those wheels comes apart, and the glasses are not going to be enough. Good luck!

Note to all the people who claim they are trespassing: See the "Special Thanks To ... Revolution Rail"? Revolution Rail operates on several railroads with permission. I'm sure that these folks ran their railbike on one of those railroads with permission. So mellow right out with these accusations of trespassing.

Dangerous as all hell and illegal as all hell but cool as all hell lol 😂

Totally skipped over the build process.

But you can ride on a bike on the side of the rail, why bother to build that...

We need laws to stop this, or just make away for the government to make money.

what an odd documentary to come from a wool sock company

It's a common misconception that by road you get things faster than by rail. That's untrue. It's just that US track is ... just about as bottom as it gets. Really, there's only a few places in the civilized world that are as base as it gets for US when it comes to rail engineering and transportation. Had it not been mined by the US' car industry (most recently a certain "entrepreneur" fooling everyone with tunnels just so he could make a publicity stunt and destroy potential for a genuine attempt at tracked transportation renewal (by his own pathetic admission)) US could've had a seriously good cross-continental track setup and localized systems as well that would've been an asset globally, not just for the country itself. For shame.

railroads are private property. You are encouraging people to trespass.

The overbearing indie movie aesthetic makes this unwatchable.

I certainly hope that these people using railroad property for their personal transportation got permission before they set out on this adventure. The rails are private property. It is illegal to build a device that operates on them and then travel all over using that which doesn't belong to you. This is shameful, not laudatory!

Literally hundreds of ads in the last week or so alone. Smartwool can go to heII