Portable bicycle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Portable Bicycles is a sub-category of folding bicycles. A portable bicycle tries to be as small and as light as possible allowing being carried by the rider. A portable bicycle is designed by making a compromise between portability and riding capabilities. The technology of portable bicycles is in constant evolution. New concept and new materials are proposed every few years. The list of portable bicycles that are commercially available or that have been commercially available is long. We try here to mention most of them.
Contents |
[edit] Riding Performance
The riding performance of portable bicycles is challenged by the need to make the bike as small and as light as possible. The rider body weight, rider body size and the road conditions have a strong impact on the design of the portable bicycle and therefore the performance. Typically, portable bicycles intended for the East Asia market (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, ...) can be designed for riders lighter then 80kg with a rider size below 174cm. Northern Europe and America require to design up to 120kg and a body size up to 200cm. City road conditions are smooth in the Asian cities, but the bicycle has to be capable to ride in the crowded city sidewalks. Several historical districts in Europe are paved with cobblestone, therefore portable bicycles might need to cope with such a pavement if marketed in Europe. The smaller is the diameter of a wheel the higher the rolling friction is. Wheels for portable bicycles are challenged by this. New technological solutions are being studied to offer the same rolling friction at small wheel diameters.
[edit] Carrying Size and Folding Procedure
It is difficult to say exactly when a folding bicycle can be considered a portable bicycle. This depends also on the final user. Actually all folding bicycles have been designed to be ideally portable. Normally a portable bicycle tends to weigh below 6kg and to fold in less then 20 seconds. Above these figures the risk is to have a bike "too big, too heavy, too long to fold". Folding and unfolding has to be easier then for typical folding bicycles, because of the fact that portable bicycles are used for shorter trips then full size folding bikes.
[edit] Scope and Use
The most frequent uses for a portable bicycle are:
- last mile scooting from a far away parking lot
- city district riding
- subway or bus station shuttle
- family fun
- pit bike
If well designed a portable bicycle can contribute to reduce fossil fuel emissions by shortening car trips, extending the reach of public transportation and or replacing CO2 emitting toys. Portable bicycles frequently can be used also by kids. They are therefore a product that can be kept for a lifetime.
[edit] A List of Portable Bicycles, Commercially Available (present and past)
 Mini125 |
 Mini125 folded |
Carry-Me
Handybike
Handybike 8
Zero Bike
 Zerobike |
 Zerobike folded |
Bridgestone Transit Compact
Bridgestone Transit Super Lite
Frog
Kahenseki Koma
Kahenseki Kallima
Cocolofoo CB-2E
17bicycle EX Walker
Panasonic Triancle 6500, 7500
Strida
Skoot
Portable Bicycle (Oregon)
Alessandro Belli Bike
Piccolino, UGO
Vikkino P
Cherubim Ultramini
JD Bike RB300, R100
Giatex
Mobiky
Brompton C3 (a Brompton is a full size folding bicycle that folds well. Therefore it can be used as a benchmark. If the bicycle can be carried easier then the Brompton, then it is portable. Otherwise it is not portable.)
Many other....(to be continued)
[edit] Design concepts of portable bikes
tbc
[edit] External links
[edit] References
Oritatami Jitensha to Shoukei no Hon Vol. 3, 2004/Aug/10, EIMUKK898, ISBN 4-7779-0134-3, C9475 Y933E
Oritatami Jitensha to Shoukei no Hon Vol. 3
