This is the YIKEBIKE, designed by New Zealander Grant Ryan with engineer Peter Higgins, both based in London.
It does fold but it’s not strictly a bicycle since you can’t pedal it with you legs; it is powered via a hi-tech motor and rechargeable batteries but its not a Segway since it won’t balance itself. In fact, the balancing act on a Yikebike means teaching most cyclists new tricks, since to ride it you have your hands by your sides and your legs in front of you (sounds scary in London traffic, but we’re open to being shown otherwise!).
Th YikeBike brand has emerged with the first production model, from a concept the creators have coined as the Mini-Farthing. It plays on the idea of a small re-invention of the age-old bicycle, offering lightweight two-wheeled transport in a compact and foldable format, with the option of an electric motor and ABS brakes, to boot!
This intial version, being made of carbon fibre weighs about 22lbs/ 10kg, comparable to the likes of a Brompton and many other folding bicycles, so is feasible to carry on to buses, trains etc. It is less clear how easy it is to carry other things with you while you ride, since there appear to be no luggage supports and a weighted backpack may be a shift to far for your newly found balance.
The website promotes that thieves can get ‘yiked’, on the premise that you take it wherever you go, but if urban transport is about getting you around the city, how safe is your Yike when you want to stop in a bar or a cafe when to meet friends or colleages? Or would you feel safe even about nipping out of the office while it is charging under your desk? Funky and light as the YikeBike may be, it currently carries no obvious security against theft and while sporting a price tag of around £3,000, that jewell-like finish may be just too tempting for some.
Tags: design, innovation, theft-prone
