# Upright Walking Cycles WBC's Electric Bicycles Are Operated with a Forward Walking Motion By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2014-05-03 | Autos Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/electric-bicycles References: [japantrends](http://www.japantrends.com/walking-bicycle-club-shuwa-tei-kenya-hara-design-new-3-wheel-electric-walking-bicycle/) & [wbc-network](http://wbc-network.com/) The Walking Bicycle Club is a new range of [electric bicycles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/electric-bicycle-model) that calls themselves "pedestrian," purely because of the way they are operated and not at all because they are ordinary. These unusual bicycles have a form that's like a scooter and motorized pedals that are operated with a [natural walking motion](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/toyota-walk-me). However, the cycles are made to reach speeds of up to 15mph, which is a nice boost. The WBC came about as part of a collaboration between auto part maker Katayama Kogyo and well-respected designers like Shuwa Tei and Kenya Hara, which is probably what makes these unconventional cycles so pleasing to look at. The $3,000 Walking Bicycle Club units will go up for sale in October and since Japan has classified them as [ordinary bicycles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/electric-bicycle-designs) and not electric ones, having a license to operate one is not required. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.3/10 - Popularity: 91% | Activity: 89% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 30% men, 70% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Autos](https://www.trendhunter.com/autos) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Pedestrian Electric Bicycles:** WBC's forward walking motion electric bicycles provide a new way of transport that could disrupt the bicycle industry. - **Scooter-like Form:** The innovative design of the Walking Bicycle Club provides opportunities for disruption within the scooter industry. - **Natural Walking Motion:** The ability to operate the pedals with a natural walking motion could disrupt the design of traditional bicycles. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Bicycle Industry:** The Walking Bicycle Club presents an opportunity to disrupt the traditional bicycle industry. - **Scooter Industry:** The design of the WBC could disrupt the scooter industry with its unique form and innovative design. - **Electric Vehicle Industry:** The pedestrian classification of the WBC could spark innovation in the classification and regulations of electric vehicles. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Lightweight Four-Wheeled Bikes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/activcycle.md) - [Quadruped Robot Electric Bikes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/suzuki-moqba.md) - [Expanded E-Bike-Sharing Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bcycle.md) - [Agile Four-Wheeled eBikes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bike-car-hybrid.md) - [Recumbent Pedal-Assist Electric Bikes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vemoo-recumbent-tricycle.md) - [Golfer-Targeted eBikes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-fairway-bike.md) - [Ultra-Compact Foldable Bikes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/onebot-s2.md) - [Hyper-Compact Commuter eBikes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/epopcycle.md) - [Electric Three-Wheeled Bicycles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kettwiesel-one-plus.md)