Top 50 Innovative Bicycles (SUPER GALLERY)

You’ve finally decided to reduce your carbon footprint and think switching to a bicycle is a fabulous way to switch gears. You want to do your part to help the environment, but you’re not quite sure how to adjust to bicycle culture—after all, it’s been decades since you hopped on your bike. If this sounds like your scenario, you’re in luck. This is comprehensive guide will show you what’s on the market including super compact bikes, gadget-heavy superbicycles and urban bicycle rental programs. Also be sure to check out the Top 14 Fashion Bicycles and Top 10 Motorized Bicycles and the Top 10 Motorized Bicycles.

With the increasing emphasis on global warming and the abruptly rising gas prices, more than ever are ditching their cars for alternate transportation. Get ready to seek inspiration to ditch your gas guzzler and lead a greener, more active lifestyle.

Top 14 Fashion Bicycles & Accessories (SUPER GALLERY)

This super gallery shows that a green commute can be absolutely chic, showcasing everything from designer bikes and fun accessories to photos of bicycle fashions from the streets of Europe. With our… [More]

Top 10 Motorized Bicycles (SUPER GALLERY)

While bicycles are gaining popularity, a fascination with technology still persists among our culture, and unfortunately, many people are still overwhelmingly resistant to exercise. As a result, we’re… [More]

Bike Rentals

Bicycle Vending Machine - BikeDispenser.com (GALLERY)

This urban bicycle-rental stand was one of the winners of the 2007 Spark Design & Architecture Awards. It’s supposed to work like a U-Haul with one way trips to other stands. The bikes would be equipped with RFID chips to help keep track of them. So now, a pocket of change can score you a Snickers, … [More]

$40 Yearly Eco-Transit - SmartBike DC Rental

While it’s not a new concept to Europe, bicycle sharing has yet to become mainstream practice in North America. Thankfully Washington has taken a clue from programs like the Velib public bicycle rental service in Paris and Bicing in Barcelona as they’re opening SmartBike DC next month. It’s the fi… [More]

Eco Chic Parisian Travel - Velib Public Bikes (GALLERY)

Paris, the city of love and lights, known best for high end fashion, scrumptious croissants, strong cheeses and… bicycles? Oui, oui! Paris introduced a public biking system in July called Velib. Having tried it, I can personally attest that it is vraiment brilliant! “To access the bikes, riders… [More]

Eco-Luxury Transit - Paris Dorchester Hotel Bicycles (GALLERY)

In keeping with the popularity of the eco-luxury trend, a chic Parisian hotel is offering its guests complimentary, hotel-branded bicycles as an environmental mode of transit. The Dorchester is offering the prestigious Comete “So-chic, So-Plaza Bicycles” at the Plaza Athenee and Le Meurice. Bein… [More]

Mobile Phone Bike Rentals

The OYBike System is spanking new bike rental system which allows users to hire and return a bicycle via their mobile phone. The bikes can be found at transport hubs such as Tube Stations. Now here is the clever bit; Each bike stand is equipped with a lock and LCD display. A would be OYBike custom… [More]

The Rise of the Rent-A-Cycle

More and more people are taking to two wheels to get around cities and resort areas. Cycling is an enjoyable, efficient, and inexpensive means of transportation, and bicycles have the added bonus that, unlike cars, they don’t pollute the air. As bicycles gain favor, popular tourist spots and city go… [More]

Compact

Folding Bike - Cannondale ON Rideable Prototype (GALLERY)

Cannondale took on the challenge of taking a cutting edge folding bike design and trying to make it a reality. The result has been dubbed the ON is in the ride able prototype stage and is a technological leap in bicycle technology. [More]

Chic Folding Bicycles - The ‘One’ Actually Looks Fantastic

Look at the numerous folding cycles which we have seen in the past and one look at the ‘ONE’ will make you drool. Folding cycles have finally become a style statement and we definitely won’t be embarrassed to carry one around. The ‘One’ looks ravishingly fresh, but leave looks aside this folding cyc… [More]

Compact Bicycle of the Future - Everglide Recharges Your Gadgets (GALLERY)

Anybody that finds inner-city goings a hassle will be with me in hoping Frag Woodall’s entry for the 2007 Australian Design Awards becomes a commercial reality. The Everglide is a bike that has the ability to be packed into a backpack, wheeled like a suitcase, or ridden like a regular bicycle. … [More]

Strida3 Bicycle - Save the World

All, Jump Out Of Your Cars! After all this environmental supportive campaign, started by Al Gore and supported by all the media of the planet (it was time!), bicycles as Strida3 are going to be even much more appreciated. If we want to contribute to the non-hottening-of-the-world (would not be cool,… [More]

Ultra-Light Folding Bike - The A-Bike Breaks Records (VIDEO)

Named after the shape of its telescopic black-and-silver frame. The A-Bike designed by Sir Clive Sinclair is the lightest and smallest folding bicycle in the world. Weighing 12.6 lbs (5.6kg) and claiming to fold down in under 10 seconds, the A-Bike bike could be a great bike for certain people. “T… [More]

Reinventing The Wheel - Folding Bicycle Wheel (VIDEO)

The folding bicycle wheel is a very innovative space saver for the courier or commuter who, for security measure, removes their front tire. Now instead of having to take the awkward wheel with you to your office, you can simply fold it up and put in into you brief. Designed by Duncan Fitzsimmons, … [More]

Folding Bike Weighs Under 20lbs - Dahon MU SL (VIDEO)

Most folding bikes look pretty lame once you get them unfolded, but not the Dahon MU SL Folding Bicycle. At only 8.7 kilos (19.4 lbs), the bike stakes claim to the title of the world’s lightest production folding bike and actually looks like a bicycle that you don’t have to be dressed as a circu… [More]

From Track To Trunk In 90 Seconds - HP Velotechnik’s Scorpion fx (GALLERY)

HP Velotechnik builds an impressive line of recumbent bicycles including the Scorpion fx. This bike quickly folds up for easy transportation. In merely 60 seconds, the bike folds up without the use of tools. In an additional 30 seconds and the use of an allen wrench, the bike folds a even more. The … [More]

The Suitcase Bike

What if your suitcase could transform into a bicycle?  Well, an inventor from China makes a suitcase do just that.  The Suitcase Bike prototype was on display at the Canton Fair in China last week.  There was serious doubt the Suitcase Bike would ever make it production, however, according to treehu… [More]

iXi Bike - Collapsable Grease-Free Belt Drive Bicycle

The title might make more sense if you add “From Space” to the end of it.  At least that’s the first impression I had.  The iXi bike is very cool in its design, and quite functional as well.  You can fold it up and fit it in the back of your car.  With no greasy chain, you don’t have to worry about … [More]

More than One Rider

Face-to-Face & Back-to-Back Bikes - Tandem Bike (VIDEO)

Taiwanese inventor Chen Yugang has designed the perfect bike for a date. The two seater bicycle can be used face-to-face, to get to know your date; but also it can be used back-to-back for when you eventually fight and don’t want to look at each other. His unique bicycle design can be ridden face-t… [More]

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Two-Man Wooden Bikes - German Tandem Tree Wheeler (GALLERY)

This one of a kind, hand made wood tandem bike is sure to turn heads. Two German engineers teamed up to found WWG in 2006. Stemming from a rural town in the Ore Mountains, Jens Eichler (AKA Lot) and Matthias Kranz (aka Ast) combined their educational backgrounds in wood and metal works for their bic… [More]

Conference Bike – Bicycle Made for 7 (VIDEO)

This bike can seat up to 7 people and can travel at 15 mph.  Imagine how wonderful it is when you and your friends are sitting in a circle and biking together. The Conference Bike or CoBi is invented by Eric Staller, from Amsterdam. He called it is the world’s most sociable transport. The bike use… [More]

Human Car - a Bicycle Built For Four

If you don’t have enough coin for the Tesla Roadster, but you want a cool eco car, why not get a Human Car?  The Human Car is a quadcycle that’s equipped for high speed. From Human Car
The FM-4 v1.0 HumanCar® ‘geometry prototype’ on the right has been so successful that no changes have been requir… [More]

Modified & Bizarre

Protest 2.0 - Online Dot Matrix Graffiti Bike (VIDEO)

Do you remember the GraffitiWriter Remote Controlled Truck?  Now the same concept has been applied to a bike with a purpose. Meet the latest techy, wise and environmentally conscious protest ever. Design and computer geek Joshua paints the streets of New York just before the Republican Convention w… [More]

Bike Hacking - Inspired Creative Cycling (GALLERY)

If you liked the post on lawn mower chopper bikes, you’ll love these DIY bicycle hacks. You gotta love the Railbike for riding abandoned train tracks. You’ll have to make sure that they’re abandoned, though, or start riding like Lance Armstrong. For practicality, the Shopping Cart bike is a w… [More]

Bum-Cooling Bicycle - The Oryx (GALLERY)

This carbon composite, Y-framed bike (designed by Harald Cramer) features a donut seat. The saddle isn’t round, but it does have a hole in it to purportedly cool your bum. Oryx will custom-make each bike which begs the question of how much these two-wheeled speedracers will cost. These bicycles seem… [More]

Quadruple Bicycle - Creative Octacycle Bike Design Tests Your Balance

Unfortunately there isn’t much information available on this creative bicycle (or should that be “octacycle”?).  I was sent the link by a friend, and it was only the photo.  In a way, it reminds me of some performers I saw a number of years ago that were riding twelve foot tall unicycles.  Although … [More]

5 Wheel Bicycle – StreetSurfer

An Australian manufacturer invented a five-wheel bicycle. The model baptized as the “StreetSurfer”, has one wheel in the back and four front wheels. The designers state that the four contact points in the front allow for more controlled and completely different movements. The StreetSurfer got i… [More]

The TRIX – Human-Powered Carving Trike

The first prize at the 10th International Bicycle Design Competition in Tapei is a rip-snorter. A brief look through our powered three-wheeler portfolio shows we love trikes and the carving concept of steering in particular. The TRIX uses rack and pinion steering to offer a carving-like experience t… [More]

DIY Bridge-Inspired Bike Frame - Brano Meres’s 2.7 Pound Creation (GALLERY)

This bridge-inspired bicycle frame was handmade from cable and carbon fiber rods connected with epoxy resin. It took engineer, Brano Meres, 300 hours to complete his “C-Thru Road Frame”. All in all, it took about an hour per joint - wrapping carbon fibers around each one to ensure their strength. Th… [More]

Stepcylce - Don’t Pedal.  Step, With the 3 G Stepper Bike (VIDEO)

This is a whole new way to get around. Instead of pedalling, you simply step up and down, and with each step the bike moves forward. “Like most bicycles it operates by sprockets and a chain, but instead of pedals and a crank mechanism you’ll find a frame mounted lever style crank that has a skateboa… [More]

Innovative Design Could Spur New Sport - The Surfbike

Soon to be introduced on the market by Québec,eau,soleil.inc, the Surfbike is purported to be the “first surfing bicycle in the world”. The source doesn’t provide much information, but the picture suggests this may be a slight misnomer. Although the rider certainly appears to be pedaling in bicyc… [More]

Plywood Bicycle - Andrew Maynard OLC Bike

Andrew Maynard, an Australian Architect, is well known for his stylish, environmentally sustainable designs. The OLC bike is one of his most remarkable works, all of the building material was low cost since it’s all recycled. Using CNC Technology it can be assembled quickly and easily. It’s made f… [More]

4-In-1 Bicycle - The Child Toting Zigo Leader (GALLERY)

The Zigo Leader is an innovative carrier bike that can change to one of four transportation objects. The first form it can take, a carrier bike, is a children’s jogger attached to the front of an adult bicycle. The second, third, and fourth is child pod (stroller mode), child pod (jogger mode), and … [More]

Gearless Bicycle - ‘The Ride’ Uses NuVinci CVP Drive (GALLERY)

That’s right, it’s a bicycle called “The Ride” by Ellsworth with the self proclaimed “revolutionary” gearless NuVinci™ Continuously Variable Planetary (CVP) drive. If their claims are accurate, this transmission system does sound revolutionary and not just a gimmick to justify the almo… [More]

Treadmill Bike – Bizarre Invention From Bicycle Forest (VIDEO)

Addicted to the treadmill at the gym, but missing the fresh air and scenic outdoors? Now you can tour your treadmill through the part and still get “the same fat burning benefits of a conventional treadmill without the membership fees!” It’s like those rolling walkways at the airport, only yo… [More]

Sideways Bike - New Bicycle from Ireland (VIDEO)

This bicycle is ridden forward and is balanced by using human Left to Right balance. This bicycle uses independant (non linked) Front and Rear steering. The ride is very wavy sort of like skiing with a capacity to drift to the right or left. The front and rear steering makes the bike much more maneu… [More]

Accessories & Design

Bicycle Light Locks - Loc+ (GALLERY)

This innovative bicycle light can convert to a lock to keep your cycle safe. This multi-purpose bicycle lock / bicycle light by designer Adrian Weidmann, called the Loc+, comes as a two piece set. It has both a rear as well as a front headlight. When you want to lock the bike, just detach the fron… [More]

Bicycle Handcuffs - Masterlock Street Cuffs

Locking up your bicycle with style just got better and a lot smarter. The Street Cuffs from Master lock ensure nobody runs away with your trendy two wheeler as the lock doesn’t provide a point of leverage for the thief. It provides virtually no space for jacks and the heavy gauge steel provides ma… [More]

Bicycle Plate – Bikefast by Philipp Drexler

Have a tendency to skip out on breakfast? You know that’s no good, but up until now, we’ve forgiven you. Now that we’ve discovered this bicycle-embedded plate, however, you’ll have to get a whole lot craftier coming up with excuses. Pop that bread in the toaster, slather on some jam, and to… [More]

Music For Your Bicycle - iPod Speaker (GALLERY)

iHome offers this combo iPod case and speaker system for bicycles. The case, which can be attached where a typical water bottle goes, is weather-proof and can be controlled via an included remote that fastens to your handlebars. Get it for $99. ‘All my friends ... know the low-rider...’ [More]

Other Bicycles

Aquaduct - Bike Your Way to Clean Water (VIDEO)

This innovative bike was the winning submission in the Innovate or Die competition. This unique invention is a tricycle with a built in water filtration system. At the back it has a large water container for unpure water. When you start riding the bike you pump the water from that container through … [More]

Retro Commuter Community - RetroVelo (VIDEO)

”Captivating" is probably the best word to describe the RetroVelo bicycles from Germany. RetroVelo has launched an entire lifestyle for bicyclists. One club motto is, “We promise nothing and deliver.” One fan said he had never had an urge to party with the makers of any product until he met the R… [More]

Stepcycles - Move Along While You Step (VIDEO)

Stairmasters or elliptical trainers have one drawback: all that work doesn’t take you anywhere. With the BodyBuddy, those steps move you along just like a bicycle. It’s geared to make starting off easy and since you are standing up, you have a great view of the path in front of you. Plus you can loo… [More]

da Vinci Bike Finally in Production

As many of you thinkers and inventors know, the route from idea to production can be long. Very long. But this must be a record. daVinci’s transmission was 500 years on the way from the drawing board to production, but it has finally made it. Ellworth, which is better known for it’s mountain bikes, … [More]

Shift Tricycle - Styling Bicycle From Perdue University

Industrial designers at Purdue University have fulfilled every kid’s dream--they’ve created a tricycle that can shift into a bicycle, making them an instant ‘big kid’. “The Shift bicycle features a swinging rear hub, which allows the rear wheels to pitch in and out. The hub allows for the rear wheel… [More]

Random

Environmental Nudity - ‘World Naked Bike Ride’ in Support of the Environment (GALLERY)

That’s right the World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR), is a series international events bringing together environmentally conscious nudists from the world over to protest oil dependency, in major cities, by biking in the buff as a mortified public gapes on. Bike riding would have to be pretty high up the… [More]

Cycle Karaoke - Finally, Exercise Gets Embarrassing

This new wheely good US based fitness trend is based on the principle that your singing is a good gauge of your heart rate is at the optimal level. So If you’re too out of breath to handle Spice Up My Life you need to take it a little easier. On the other hand being able to give a confident redition… [More]

Like a Ski Lift for Cyclists - Trampe Bicycle Lift (VIDEO)

90% of Trondheim’s 30,000 students use their bikes as their main form of transportation. The third largest city in Norway has an extremely steep hill running right through downtown which was extremely hard for cyclists to climb in the past. To help cyclists climb to the top of the hill, the Trampe… [More]

Bicycles as Art - Josh Hadar’s Moving Art (GALLERY)

Sculptor Josh Hadar’s Manhattan studio is located on Broome street in the trendy Soho neighborhood of New York City. Josh creates dynamic, moving works of art such as motorized bicycles in metal and glass. Each piece can be customized to an owner’s physical size and whim. He uses materials such as… [More]

Stationary Bike/Learning Program - Smart Cycle Physical Learning Arcade (VIDEO)

When I was a kid, we had primitive technologies called bicycles and books. In the 21st Century, Fisher-Price has developed the Smart Cycle Physical Learning Arcade, a stationary plastic bicycle that plugs into the TV. The kid rides the virtual landscape while learning various preschool concepts li… [More]

Cardboard Realism - Chris Gilmour Sculptures (GALLERY)

Chris Gilmour creates painstakingly detailed objects out of ordinary cardboard with extraordinary results. “Packaging cardboard is, by its very nature, intended to contain but it is then discarded,” BoingBoing said. “Gilmour, however, uses it to contain the work’s own identity and to highlight… [More]

Memorial Bikes - NYC Ghost Bike Project Pays Tribute to Deceased Cyclists

Ghost bikes are a phenomenon from New York - a memorial to those cyclists killed on the roads of the city. At traffic blackspots all over New York, white bicycles decorated with photographs of the victims, are found. Most often appearing overnight. The two lobby groups behind them try to find a bik… [More]

Murata Boy - The Bicycle Riding Robot (VIDEO)

Finally.  A robot that can ride a bicycle.  I was waiting for this, “Japanese company Murata Manufacturing created a bicycling robot to show off some of their various sensors. The robot tentatively named Murata Boy (although some articles are calling it Murata Seisaku-kun) is equipped with four type… [More]