The A-bike is a type of folding bicycle invented by Sir Clive Sinclair in the United Kingdom and released on 12 July 2006. It weighs 5.5 kilograms (12 lb) and folds to 67×30×16 cm, small enough to fit in a rucksack.
The A-bike was designed by a team at Daka, Hong Kong and Sinclair Research Ltd over 5 years, and was originally announced in 2004. Clive Sinclair envisioned the A-bike, and Alex Kalogroulis was the main design engineer.
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Characteristics
The A-bike's telescoping structure reduces its apparent volume to about 25% in its collapsed state. A twin-chain system enables the bike to travel about 3.2 metres (10 ft) per crank rotation despite the bicycle's small-diameter wheels (6 inches (15 cm)). The crankcase housing completely encloses the drive mechanism, protecting it and preventing oil stains on clothing or floor surfaces.
Media appearances
In November 2006, A-bike was featured on UK television programme The Gadget Show, alongside the Strida. The distribution company behind the A-bike was featured on the UK Television programme Badger or Bust broadcast on the 5 June 2007. In the Top Gear epic race Car vs. Train 2. Richard Hammond and James May carried A-bikes in their suitcases and unfolded them to bike from a ferry dock to a cable car. The magazine A to B described the A-bike as a "fabulous folder, but almost unrideable".[1]
References
- ^ "Folding Bikes. A Buyers' Guide.". August 2006. http://www.atob.org.uk/Buyers'_Guide.html#A-bike. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: A-bike |
- Official A-bike website
- Sinclair Research - A-bike
- Chief Design Engineer Alexander Kalogroulis explains the folding unfolding procedure (YouTube video)
- BBC Review of the A-bike
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