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YikeBike mini-farthing will give people freedom in congested cities

Friedrichshafen, September 2, 2009 – A radical new electric bicycle, launched today at EUROBIKE, is expected to transform the way urban commuters navigate congested cities.

A result of five years of research and development, YikeBike mini-farthing has a radically different riding position, steering mechanism and wheel configuration, giving a safe smooth ride while folding up to a super small size.

YikeBike mini-farthing is the smallest, and at less than 10kg, the lightest electric folding bicycle available in the world, enabling people to take it on buses, trains, cars and store it easily under a desk or in a cupboard.

“What we have done is take a fresh approach to cycle design to give people freedom to commute easily and quickly in crowded urban environments with a minimal carbon footprint,” says Grant Ryan, the successful inventor and entrepreneur behind the product.

“It came out of a vision for a transport revolution – asking the question about what sort of radical new transport device would help address the challenges of people navigating our increasingly crowded, polluted cities.

“After years of discussion and experimenting we have developed a new wheel rider position that is as stable as the current 120 year old bicycle configuration,” he says.

Mr Ryan says the bicycle is the most commonly owned form of transport in the world but most bicycles sold today are designed to go off-road (mountain bikes) or to be stable at 50 km per hour (racing format). “Most people in the world now live in cities and don’t need to travel on mountains or go this fast when commuting in a city, and they can’t easily take their cycle with them on a bus, train, car, up an elevator and store in their apartment.

“The YikeBike mini-farthing solves these problems by being much simpler, smaller and lighter. It does this by replacing chain, gears, pedals, brake pads, cables and levers with a powerful light, 1.2 kW electric motor and smart electronics.

“We have been delighted by initial reactions to the YikeBike mini-farthing, and look forward to taking it to the cities of the world over the next few months.”

Key features of the YikeBike mini-farthing:

• The carbon frame gives a strong light platform for the bike.
• The YikeBike is designed for city journeys of up to 9km and has a high power brushless electric motor with a top speed of 20km/h.
• The mechanics are all totally enclosed so clothes can not get caught or dirty and maintenance is minimal.
• The YikeBike has a different riding feel to normal bicycle but is easier to learn to ride and has numerous additional safety features like anti-skid brakes, brake lights and indicators.

To find out more or order a YikeBike visit www.yikebike.com
About YikeBike Ltd

YikeBike develops and manufacture mini-farthings with exceptional performance, design and safety. Their first design is the lightest smallest electric folding bicycle in the world at less than 10kg. The design vision at YikeBike is that not only should our products be fantastically functional but they should look so good you want to hang it on the wall as a piece of art.

The core concept of the mini-farthing is available to other manufacturers as there are many different types of mini-farthing possibilities including pedal, pedal assist, electric only, carbon frames, injection moulded frames, children’s version, integrated into cars etc.

YikeBike is backed by the two largest venture investment firms in New Zealand, Pioneer Capital Partners and K1W1 as well as the Foundation for Research Science and Technology.

www.yikebike.com
www.minifarthing.com
About the inventor Grant Ryan

Grant is an addicted inventor & entrepreneur. He has founded a number of companies GlobalBrain.net (sold to NBCi), RealContacts, SLI-Systems (profitable fast growing SasS search company) and Eurekster (North America Red Herring 100 in 2006). He is on the board of Canterbury Development Corporation and has also served on the board of the New Zealand Government’s $140 million Venture Investment Fund (VIF) and $430 million Foundation for Research Science and Technology. Grant has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Ecological Economics from the University of Canterbury. The YikeBike perfectly combines his love of mechanics, environment, and innovation.

Press contact – Nicky Guertin   nicky.guertin@cohnwolfe.com