Radical electric bike concept saves on space
By Paul Ridden
16:00 April 6, 2010
The Electric Bike Version 2 also features a compartment for storing and charging mobile phones, notebooks or MP3 players
Yuji Fujimura has taken the bicycle design manual and thrown it to the wind with his concept Electric Bike Version 2. Ditching the popular and familiar diamond frame design, Fujimura has opted for a flat solid box on wheels where the handlebars, seat and pedals fold away flat to help squeeze the bike into tiny parking spaces.
Parking bicycles can be a troublesome affair if you're in an area where an awful lot of people use two wheels to get around. As electric bikes grow in popularity the issue is unlikely to improve. The Electric Bike Version 2 concept from Yuji Fujimuratakes a slightly different approach to bike design which also offers a possible solution to overcrowded parking woes.
The concept bike would have pedals for human propulsion, which could both be set at the lowest position when traveling under electric assist. The upright seating position appears similar to that of more familiar diamond frame bicycles but that's where the similarity ends. As you can see from the gallery examples, Fujimura has gone for a flat, solid body box design with all the electronics and lighting enclosed within the housing and solid wheels.
Being a concept design, details on the electrics are limited to revealing that the designer proposes using a Li-ion battery, an electric rear wheel hub motor and that the bike would include a charging compartment for mobile phones, laptops, MP3 players and so on. The handlebars, seat and footrests/pedals fold away flat so that the flat, wheeled box can slide into the slimmest of parking spaces.
Whilst the Electric Bike Version 2 concept is imaginative and aspects of it make a lot of sense, just how stable the bike would prove in strong winds with nowhere for gusts to go except to slam against the solid body is cause for great concern, especially when cornering. Fold-away handlebars, seat and pedals to help squeeze the two-wheeler into tight parking spaces though - now there's a good idea.
User Comments (12)
I wonder how it will handle cross winds. My guess is that it won't.
Looks more like a home appliance on wheels.
Roger Kummert
- April 7, 2010 @ 11:04 am PDT
very kewl concept for crowed cities ... i'd be wary of crosswinds however ...
hourglass
- April 7, 2010 @ 04:04 pm PDT
oops, meant to type "crowded"
hourglass
- April 7, 2010 @ 04:04 pm PDT
A gust of wind and the rider is scraping the ashphalt.
It's ugly too.
Hired_help
- April 7, 2010 @ 05:04 pm PDT
Wow. Leave it to the Japanese to make things one-size-fits-small. Also, there doesn't seem to be room for escaping nut-crunching short stops...
Ceilidh Madigan
- April 7, 2010 @ 07:04 pm PDT
i thought it was a... credit card on wheels...
Chris144
- April 8, 2010 @ 08:04 am PDT
Hello back pain! People who aren't riding competition speed bikes don't like leaning forward due to the strain it puts on their lower back.
The handlebars should be made to raise up to a level that allows the rider to sit upright.
Facebook User
- April 8, 2010 @ 04:04 pm PDT
Yuji Fujimura has taken "art and beauty" manual and thrown it to the wind with his concept Electric Bike Version 2.
matthew.rings
- April 13, 2010 @ 04:04 pm PDT
I LIKE IT. Modern and reminds me of somthing ....lets call the thing an, ibike.
Put an apple sticker on it and...hello, it's cool dudes. Gotta have one, Steve baby does bikes, who cares about cross winds.
Ronnie
- April 22, 2010 @ 11:04 pm PDT
Yes, I agree that crosswinds will be an issue, particularly on bridges (where there is nowhere to fall except into the bus lane)! So the design will have to be more of a lattice work, still strong and very light weight but also able to let the wind pass through. Love the iBike moniker - every time you pedal, you charge your gizmos.
Muraculous
- April 29, 2010 @ 12:04 pm PDT
he diamond frame in a box they forgot to unpack it from. Owch the sharp turn where hand meets box. Great crankset, bet that set you back big bucks and is unobtanium for repair parts in the open market.
There are street people here who come up with better solutions to get stowage! I could get exhausted citing the commercial models that run circles around this one.
Does the "designer" still dress like an extra for 2110 the movie? ibike indeed. sterile ugly, inhumane layout, uninspired....does that just about cover my thoughts? close to it!!
waltinseattle
- April 29, 2010 @ 02:04 pm PDT
this has to be the ugliest, least user friendly bicycle ever thought up, so for me it is a big thumbs down
robinyatesuk2003
- April 30, 2010 @ 07:04 pm PDT
