back to article Yikes! It's the Yike Bike

A bunch of “entrepreneurs, engineers and dreamers” have turned their backs on headline-grabbing e-cars to come up with an electrically powered shrunken penny-farthing. Yike Bike has supposedly been designed to “dramatically change” urban transport by providing city dwellers with a fast, safe and easy way to get around town …

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  2. GeorgeTuk

    That looks inherently unsteady.

    You expect to at least lean forward to steady yourself.

    I like the idea of wasting money trying to re-invent something that doesn't need it. Bike design hasn't changed in nearly 90 years (different materials but basically same layout). Look at all the space in the frame for stuff...but oh no they want to be REALLY clever.

  3. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

    £3,500! Yikes Bike more like!

    How much! No wonder they called it that...

    For £500 - £1,000 you can have an electric motor scooter, which will do about 30mph and a range of about 20 miles. Admittedly it won't fold up, but then for that amount of cash you could afford to buy 6, and keep one in all the different places where you might need it.

    I'm all for fun inventions, but I've driven a Sinclair C5, with the handlebars behind you, and for something which only did about 5 mph it was unstable and felt incredibly unsafe.

    If we're going to go to extremes for portability, why not an electric unicycle with a gyroscope?

  4. MaoSaysRTFM
    FAIL

    WTF?

    Couldn't agree more with previous posts. What a waste of effort. We already have a greener, more energy efficient and healthier alternative called a bike. When we all weigh 30 stone through lack of exercise and sedentary lifestyles, how are we going to fit our fat arses on that small saddle and provide the appropriate balance required. I am sue some nice clever people invested a lot of time and money in this, but I don't care. I hope no one buys it and that it fails, sorry.

  5. A 31
    Happy

    steep hill anyone ?

    I would be brickin' it going down a steep hill, forward facing like ...

    plus in town, if I am on a bike, I enjoy having that bit of protection in front, albeit small.

    You have to acknowledge though, that it looks very cool

    probably not very relaxing for your arms .

    I don't want to put this thing down, because it is a beautiful thing, sometimes we have to go through all these to come up with something perfect, that is design !

  6. YikeBike

    Try a little imagination......

    "Undignified riding position," "overly complicated," "intolerably inefficient," "expensive," "nothing more than a passing fancy," "no chance of success," "distasteful".......interestingly these criticisms are about the what we now call a normal bicycle on its introduction in 1885 ("Bicycle - The History", by David Herlihy). Main reason people think the YikeBike looks weird is that they are not used to seeing something different.

    You miss the main point though – this is not a replacement for a bicycle but it is one 6th the volume and half the weight of any other folding electric bike meaning it can go places normal bikes can’t (trains, busses, cars, cupboards etc).

    If you want to know why the YikeBike won’t make you fat check this out. http://yikebike.com/site/blog/surely-yikebike-will-make-you-fat

    For those who think it can’t handle hills or pot holes check out these tests http://yikebike.com/site/blog/yikebike-testing-video

    1. MaoSaysRTFM
      Coat

      and go for a walk

      My main issue with this, and all other electric urban mobility solutions such as Segway, is that they use up environmentally unfriendly resources for batteries etc to perform a function that is catered for by walking/running and cycling, which are environmentally friendly and good for you. Your claim that this wont make you fat is valid of course, but misses the point as the user will then have to find an alternative form of exercise in the time saved by using this device. Other examples of modern labour saving devices on your link point to consumer devices such as washing machines, but this is removing a task of drudgery. Walking running and cycling are not boring tasks though, and provide healthy ways of exercise that everyone can and should do.If you find walking running and cycling drudge work, then you need to start inventing the electric football player, or the electric parenting robot to take the drudge out of those activities to.

      1. YikeBike

        E-bikes

        On the environmental front electric bikes are surprising better for the environment than normal bikes www.yikebike.com/site/blog/save-planet-–-dump-your-bike-and-use-yikebike

        While it may be true that you don’t find running and biking boring lots do. I personally hate running, quite like biking but generally prefer other sports to say fit. I find it odd that people want to impose an arbitrary list of technologies that society should and shouldn’t use based on what they personally prefer. While it may be tempting to assume people are too stupid to work out how to stay fit and healthy most people can actually manage (where I live anyway....)

        To my surprise I have found that I use my YikeBike more as a replacement for car trips than biking or walking. It is perfect for business meetings where you don’t want to get hot and sweaty on a bike or have the hassle of finding a park with a car. I do genuinely struggle to understand why anyone would have a problem with that.

      2. VOR
        Thumb Up

        Yike

        If you can do the electric parenting tool I want one!

        As for using resources I hope you don't have a TV, stereo etc. as that would be pot calling the kettle stuff. At least the Yikebike serves a function that will get some people out of their cars.

        Also not everyone wants to get sweaty on their way to work etc.

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