Folding bikes are favorites for city dwellers because they can be packed up after riding and carried into an apartment building or office – but until now most folding bikes have only made it down to briefcase size for storage. The Union concept bike by Weiche Wu and Minhan Lin aims to dramatically improve on that with a body that folds into a package only eight inches wide.
The Union bike was designed to unfold in five steps. With those tiny wheels, we’re thinking the Union would be best suited for cities in the Southwest that don’t suffer the seasonal car-sized potholes Chicago and New York enjoy after particularly wild winters. The size of the Union will allow it go places other bikes can’t, at least as long as it stays on the pavement.
Via Dvice
Part of the stability of a bike is the size of its wheels. Those tiny wheels look like they would send a rider flipping in the air if it hit a pothole in the sidewalk.
In NYC you are not allowed to ride your bike on the sidewalk and I think that is the case for most places. The concept is very cool so I hope it can be used in other places where temp, climate and road conditions are more favorable. Just having come up with design could spawn others in different fields to think about how to make some things that are bulky, easier to fold and carry.