From gears to seats to handlebars, bicycles have made huge advancements since they were first introduced in the early 19th century. Yet, their overall design—a frame supported by two wheels that are powered via chains connected to pedals—has remained relatively untouched. That is, until now. After three years of research and development, engineers have built the Cyclotron, a vehicle they’re touting as the world’s most advanced and versatile smart bicycle.
What’s most striking about the Cyclotron, other than its name, are the two spokeless wheels—a first for a commercially available bike. In place of traditional wheels are solid polymer airless tires. The creators of the Cyclotron did not allow the newly available space inside the tires to go to waste. Instead, they are utilizing it for accessories such as shopping baskets and a snap-in child seat. “All areas of our life are progressing and evolving very fast; new inventions appear literally every day, outdating the ones from yesterday. But looking at bicycles, they haven’t evolved with nearly comparable speed within the last decades,” the company said in a statement. “We wanted to create the perfect ‘Two-Wheel Vehicle’ that overcomes these weaknesses and combines the world’s most advanced technology with uncompromised quality and art.”
The Cyclotron at night with its lights lit up.
The new bike features innovative safety features as well: When riders cycle at night, a sensor automatically activates an LED light within the wheels as well as two laser-lane displays (approximately three feet on either side of the bike). To power these lights, Cyclotron is equipped with a lithium-ion battery that lasts up to eight hours between charges. The lights can be activated by the bike’s smartphone app as well, which also tracks the user’s riding habits to provide gear suggestions, measures everything from distance biked to speed and calories burned, and can help users locate their bike in the event it is stolen.
The team behind Cyclotron is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, where the project has already raised more than $82,000, surpassing its $55,250 goal with 11 days to go. Backers will need to pay $993 for the 12-speed bike and anywhere between $1,450 and $2,875 for an 18-speed model, with bikes expected to be delivered by June 2017. cyclotronbikeom
