Hydrofoil biking is perhaps cycling’s final frontier. At the very cutting edge of hydro foiling toys the Manta5 electrically assisted (or propelled) foiling bike is perhaps the most unique personal foiling craft currently available. We caught up with our man in the foiling know, Tez, to find out more.
Hydrofoil biking?
Yep! Hydrofoil biking, cycling on the water, and using momentum to create lift (as is standard with all foiling disciplines) is a thing. A few weeks back a small crew of us got the chance to demo Manta5’s electric hydrofoil bike. With a full range of skills between the group – from total beginner to experienced – it was a great and interesting experience.
I’ve had a LOT of eFoil experience. But the Manta5 SL3 hydrofoil bike is completely unique. It’s nothing like an electric foil board.
How long does it take to learn?
It took me about half an hour to suss the technique of getting up. The SL3 is a great piece of design with everything thrown at it to make hydrofoil biking as easy as possible. We also had some great coaching from Tu Meke Leisure’s Lance.
The SL3 requires the rider to dominate the pitch as you ride. There’s also a bit of focus on overcompensating to one side or the other. Yet most able bodied people should get it after a time. And once up, it’s just like cycling.
Where does the electrical assist fit in?
If you dial the assist right down it’s certainly possible to foil under pedal power alone. But unless you’re a tip top bike athlete (or similar) you’ll ruin yourself. Therefore some electrical assist from the onboard battery and propulsion is necessary for comfort.
You still get a workout as the pedal cadence continues. But if you want you can just use the boost and cruise round under power.
What’s the potential for the Manta5 hydrofoil bike?
Some riders are never going to master things like wing foiling of surf foiling. Yet they want a slice of the pie – and why not? Having mastered the start using a hydrofoil bike is actually pretty mellow. You can do all the things you would on you normal bicycle, just on water. So you get the best of both worlds.
We’re right at the inception stage with hydrofoil cycling. In time, there could be all the sorts of races you’re used to seeing with conventional biking. The Tour de France on water anyone? Plus, there are those who’ll no doubt push the extreme end of the spectrum (think freestyle and using waves for jumping). But we’ll see. For now, it’s just a super fun and more accessible than you’d think end of the foiling sphere.
Big thanks to Paul, Lance and Kate from Tu Meke Leisure for sorting the demo. Also massive cheers to Mike and Adrian for shooting and helping out.