The A-bike is a

folding bicycle A folding bicycle is a bicycle designed to fold into a compact form, facilitating transport and storage. When folded, the bikes can be more easily carried into buildings, on public transportation (facilitating mixed-mode commuting and bicycl ...

released by Sir

Clive Sinclair Sir Clive Marles Sinclair (30 July 1940 – 16 September 2021) was an English entrepreneur and inventor, best known for being a pioneer in the computing industry, and also as the founder of several companies that developed consumer electronics ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

on 12 July 2006. It was designed by Hong Kong design agency Daka, in collaboration with

Sinclair Research Sinclair Research Ltd is a British consumer electronics company founded by Clive Sinclair in Cambridge. It was originally incorporated in 1973 as Westminster Mail Order Ltd, renamed Sinclair Instrument Ltd, then Science of Cambridge Ltd, the ...

, over a 5-year period. It was announced to the public in 2004. Clive Sinclair envisioned the A-bike, and Alex Kalogroulis was the main designer. It weighs and folds to , small enough to fit in a

rucksack A backpack—also called knapsack, schoolbag, rucksack, rucksac, pack, sackpack, booksack, bookbag or backsack—is, in its simplest frameless form, a fabric sack carried on one's back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders ...

. The first version had wheels, which was increased to in later models. In 2015, an electric version, the A-Bike Electric, was introduced to the public as part of a

Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...

campaign.

A-Bike

History

The A-bike was designed by

, in collaboration with

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

design agency Daka, over a 5-year period. It was announced to the public in 2004.

envisioned the A-bike, and Alex Kalogroulis was the main design engineer. It was released on 12 July 2006, and was priced at £199. The official Europe distributor, Mayhem UK, hoped to sell 25,000 units in the first 12 months. By 2007 it was being noted that a "large number of counterfeit" A-bikes were appearing in China and elsewhere. Early reviews praised the A-bike for being lightweight and easy to fold, but noted the flexing frame and uncomfortable saddle, and criticised the tiny wheels for being unsafe on uneven roads. In 2008 the Mark-II version was released: officially known as the A-Bike Plus. This version had strengthened aluminium tubing, a new air-sprung cushioned saddle, and an upgraded drive mechanism. The Mark-III version was released in 2010, and was officially known as the A-Bike City. The main changes were larger wheels and it was priced at £299.99.

Characteristics

The A-bike is a

small wheel bicycle Small may refer to: Science and technology * SMALL, an ALGOL-like programming language * Small (anatomy), the lumbar region of the back * ''Small'' (journal), a nano-science publication * <small>, an HTML element that defines smaller text ...

with wheels, increasing to in later models. The original model weighs , and folds to reducing its volume to about 25% of its original size. A twin-chain system enables the bike to travel about per crank rotation despite the bicycle's small-diameter wheels (). The crankcase housing almost completely encloses the drive mechanism, protecting it and preventing oil stains on clothing or floor surfaces.

Media appearances

In November 2006, A-bike was featured on UK television programme ''

The Gadget Show ''The Gadget Show'' (currently known as ''The Gadget Show: Better Tech, Better Life'') is a British television series which focuses on consumer technology. The show, which is broadcast on Channel 5, is currently presented by Ortis Deley, Geor ...

'', alongside the

Strida Strida is a portable belt-driven folding bicycle with a distinctive 'A'-shaped collapsible frame, designed by British engineer and designer Mark Sanders. The first model, Strida 1, was released in 1987 and the latest, Strida 5.2, in 2009. ...

. The distribution company behind the A-bike was featured on the UK Television programme

Badger or Bust ''Badger or Bust'' was a British reality television series in which Ruth Badger helped to turn failing businesses into successful companies. The series was produced by Diverse Production for Sky One, and premiered on 8 May 2007. Ruth Badger is ...

broadcast on 5 June 2007. In the '' Top Gear epic race'' Car vs. Train 2. Richard Hammond and

James May James Daniel May (born 16 January 1963) is an English television presenter and journalist. He is best known as a co-presenter of the motoring programme ''Top Gear (2002 TV series), Top Gear'' alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond from ...

carried A-bikes in their suitcases and unfolded them to bike from a ferry dock to a cable car.

A-Bike Electric

In 2015, an electric version, the A-Bike Electric, was introduced to the public as part of a

campaign. The design featured 8-inch wheels, as well as a larger seat and sturdier frame. The funding campaign was successful and production began before the end of the year.Kickstarter
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References

External links

* * * {{British bicycle manufacturers Folding bicycles Cycle manufacturers of the United Kingdom Sinclair Research