London startup the Hummingbird Bike Firm has developed a folding carbon-fibre bike that weighs just six.5 kilograms.
The company claims the cycle is the “world’s lightest folding bike”, weighing 3 kilograms significantly less than its competitors – the equivalent of 4 pineapples, and much less than the regular watermelon.
The automobile frame comprises a single arched bar created of carbon fibre, selected for its light-weight qualities. According to Hummingbird, the material is stronger than steel and absorbs vibrations, which makes for a “smoother trip”.
The back wheel and handlebars of the bike fold under the frame, and the seat post can be lowered for carrying. The company claims the Hummingbird’s mechanism also removes the possibility of the chain loosening – a recurring issue with related folding bikes.
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“There are fairly a good deal of styles that fold the wheel beneath the frame, but they all are offset both in front of behind the crankset,” designer Peter Craciun advised Dezeen.
“The Hummingbird has the pivot concentric to the crankset, hence the distance amongst the crankset and the wheel is usually the same. This indicates that the chain is in tension during the fold,” he extra.
“With this method not only do we take away unnecesary fat, we also make the bike a lot more consumer pleasant and protected.”
Craciun made the initial Hummingbird soon after turning into frustrated with the lack of cost-effective options for bikes that can be folded down to fit into elevators, or be easily carried upstairs.
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“I have usually been obsessed with lightweight bikes, so I quickly knew I desired to develop the lightest folding bike out there,” said the designer.
“Folding bikes on the market place are also pretty challenging in the style, so when they are folded, they look like a mess,” he additional.
“I wanted to do something straightforward, various and daring.”
The business is at the moment looking for £50,000 on Kickstarter to place the Hummingbird into manufacturing, and at the time of creating had presently achieved half of its aim.
The bike will be available in red, yellow black and raw carbon fibre editions, and in single or five velocity versions.
This video shows how light the folding bike is compared to other products, and how it is utilized
Canadian designer Peter Boutakis also claims to have invented the world’s smallest folding bike, which can be reduced to the size of its wheels.
Meanwhile, an electric bike launched last 12 months by Unattainable Technological innovation can be folded down modest enough to be packed into a rucksack.
