Super-Compact Bicycle Folds Up Smaller Than a Wheel

How small can compact folding bicycles get? The new Contortionist bike might just be the smallest yet, rolling up to a size that’s smaller than its 26” wheels. Designed by Dominic Hargreaves, a student at the Royal College of Art in London, the Contortionist contains pivots within its frame that allow it to fit its entire frame between the two full-size wheels for ultimate portability without sacrificing function.

From Inhabitat:

The Contortionist features an aluminum frame, chunky mountain bike tires, and a unique design where the front and rear wheels are slightly misaligned to make folding easier. Once the bike is folded up, the wheels rotate so that it can be easily wheeled along. In designing the bike Dominic Hargreaves decided to eschew messy chains altogether and opt for an internal hydraulic system that uses oil pumped through tubes in the frame to spin the back wheel.

The Guardian reports that the Contortionist bicycle has already been shortlisted for a prize sponsored by world-famous entrepreneur and inventor James Dyson. Hargreaves is currently discussing a possible production model with three different companies.

It’s beautiful, sleek, and perfect for commuters that drive or ride public transit part of the way to work, or those with small apartments.

Link [Inhabitat] + [The Guardian]

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