An industrial design graduate from De Montfort University has designed a unique concept; the bendable bike. Don’t worry, Boris Johnson won’t be called in to put a stop to it because the bike doesn’t bend when it’s being ridden you’ll be pleased to hear. However, when you pull a level the bike becomes bendable so that you can wrap it around a tree or a post and put a bike lock right through both wheels and the frame. Thieves can’t even have away with one of your new wheels but it also offers space saving benefits too.
The bike frame uses a ratchet design so that all of the components of the bendable frame are stored fully within the bike. Nothing needs to be removed, nor does it need to be added for the bike to become entirely flexible. You don’t need to worry about wrapping it around posts while riding either as the bike operates just like a normal push bike (slowly and laboriously when I’m riding them) until you want to lock it up or store it.
Kevin Scott is the 21 year old designer of the bendable bike and he has been awarded £500 to help him take the development of the bendable bike forward. As with any good invention, the bendable bike has been created in order to solve a very specific problem – bike theft, especially in London, is a massive problem.
Experts say that the average cyclist should spend 10% of their bike’s value on buying a lock and two locks are most definitely better than one. Nearly 25,000 bikes were stolen in London in 2009-2010 alone at a rate of 52 or more every single day. Kevin’s invention is not only convenient, allowing you to lock your bike to the nearest post or tree, but it’ll also help ensure that you have a bike to come back to.
Is this the future of cycling around London?
