You’ve got to love biking! The lugging around is a real pain though. But engineer a bike with some couplings – a folding bike – and you’ve kinda solved the problem. Think again! The wheels remain as solid as ever even in the folding bikes. So you’re back to square one, portability, or so to speak, remains a problem. One ingenious soul has found a way through. Duncan Fitzsimmons, a UK designer, freelance industrial designer and above all, a mountain biker has invented a folding wheel made up of carbon fiber. The Portsmouth lad has filed a patent and is awaiting approval. His alma mater, the Royal College of Art, has selected his creation for the prestigious title of Selected Work. The carbon fiber wheels have numerous hinges, which make it possible to fold the wheel and thus solve the problem of bulk. The completely foldable bike could then be fitted in a bag and conveniently carried along in a train or bus.
Duncan has confirmed that the design is being looked at by unnamed “major manufacturers.” So we might actually see these in the market in a couple of years. One hitch remains though: price. Carbon fiber wheel would be quite expensive, making the cost of bike go up. Then it becomes a question of price vs. portability. We all know who’ll win in that scenario. Only hope, mass production and resulting economies provide a solution.
