Urban Transport

The Yikebike is a sensational product - I called it the first "transportation appliance" when I rode the miniature electric penny farthing last year. Funnily enough, when I wrote about the ingenious range-extender earlier this year, I wrote that the Yikebike ticked all the boxes but one - its range. Now that the company is to offer a slightly heavier version at roughly half the price, you can probably bury the last objection that could be aimed at the Yikebike. Read More

OK, so you’ve got the single-speed, skinny-tired messenger-style bike for bombing around town while also looking hip ... that’s a good start, but what piece of functional bling can you add to further identify it as the urban assault vehicle that it is? Well, the folks at SR Suntour would probably tell you to swap your old school rigid fork for their Swing Shock suspension fork for commuter bikes. Depending on whether you’re more of a gadget-lover or a purist, you’ll either think it’s clever, or an abomination. Read More

Getting about on a bicycle is environmentally friendly, great for your health and cost effective. One drawback – particularly for those learning to ride or for whom balance is an issue – is the instability that comes with being on two wheels at low speeds. Tricycles offer a way to overcome this problem, but three-wheelers have their own set of stability issues when it comes to cornering at higher speeds. Like the Deliver-E Trike we looked at earlier this year, the Swingtrike aims to provide a best of both world solution by employing a tilting design that keeps all wheels on the ground across bumpy terrain and through corners, making it safer – and more fun – than traditional fixed frame trikes. Read More

You have to admire the people who commute by bike – regardless of the weather – although riding in the rain seems to involve a choice between getting soaked, or wearing a lot of rain gear and still getting a wet face. Perhaps what such dedicated cyclists really need is a roof, side windows, and a windshield for their bikes. While that may sound like a joke, such a product does actually exist, in the form of the Veltop. Read More

The Alpha Bike is an interesting prototype out of the University of Pennsylvania featuring a fully internal chainless drive that can be switched between fixed gear drive and freewheel electronically. Fabricated entirely in-house, the bike's drivetrain, brake systems and onboard electronics are all concealed inside the custom-machined frame and an LCD display on the handlebars updates the rider on important journey information. Oh, and it looks pretty good too... Read More

Bicycle locks are an absolute necessity for anyone who parks their bike in public places, but they can sometimes be a bit bothersome to carry when riding. One alternative is to install a lock mount on the bike’s frame, although some bicycle aficionados would liken that to putting a trailer hitch on a Ferrari. Riders can also use a wearable lock, such as the Hiplok. Another interesting locking innovation could be on the way, however, in the form of the TiGr. Read More

Queuing at the gas pump is no fun, but imagine if everyone in the line was taking hours, not minutes, to top up the tank. Catering for long charging times is one of the challenges of building a workable infrastructure for electric vehicles, and Coulomb Technologies is taking this factor into consideration in the development of its open-platform ChargePoint Network. Last year the company introduced an app that locates the nearest charging station and tells you whether its in use. In its latest innovation, drivers can ease their range anxiety by reserving charging stations ahead of time. Read More

For the last ten years, Michelin North America has challenged designers from around the world to create innovative vehicle concepts. The company put those concepts before some judges, and then displayed a chosen few at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). The 2011 "Plus 10: The Best is Yet to Come" challenge was to come up with a vehicle that could be enjoyed by people local to the designers in 2021. From the record number of entries received, Michelin's judges chose 34 works to go on display. Let's take a quick look at some of them ... Read More

One of the most imaginative concept cars we’ve ever seen turned up at Auto Shanghai this week and it didn’t come from Japan, Germany, France or America – it was the result of two years work in China by Geely engineers and is the synthesis of over 60 IP-protected ideas. In essence, it’s an ultra compact, two-door, four-seater with a built-in, folding three wheeled electric scooter in the rear. When the scooter is docked, the car shares both its battery and electric motor to extend the all-electric range or ensure the scooter is fully charged. The vehicle is proposed as having choice of gas-electric hybrid or fully electric powerplants. Sheer genius … and a catchy name which must surely attract a legal challenge. Read More