# Labor-Saving Cycling Engineering Student Maxwell von Stein Shows Off the Flywheel Bike By Omar Yusuf | Published 2011-08-18 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/flywheel-bicycle References: [treehugger](http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/08/engineering-student-builds-flywheel-into-bike.php) & [blog.archpaper](http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/archives/17736) With a little ingenuity, Maxwell von Stein was able to apply the principles of the now-common hybrid car onto an ordinary road bike, calling the result the Flywheel Bicycle. Regenerative braking is an integral principle in the design of a hybrid car. The petrol engine builds up kinetic energy and propels the vehicle, while the battery stores any unused power. With engineering student Maxwell von Stein's Flywheel Bicycle, human bodies replace the traditional engine and the excess energy is stored by the flywheel, which is suspended onto the frame. This way, the cyclist doesn't waste the energy when braking. Instead, it's stored in the spinning wheel, making acceleration much easier and the entire process more [energy-effecient](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/muon-elon). Although a bicycle is as carbon neutral as a modern vehicle can be, it's still important to economize the process of cycling. After all, if people are to adopt more [eco-friendly transportation solutions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ethunder), they better be offered quick and manageable methods of doing so. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.9/10 - Popularity: 43% | Activity: 65% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Regenerative Cycling:** The flywheel bicycle showcases an innovative approach to create a self-powered cycling experience that is both energy-efficient and eco-friendly. - **Human-powered Energy Storage:** The flywheel technology embedded in the bike frame creates a unique cycling experience by harnessing excess energy while keeping the cyclist as the primary power source. - **Hybrid Bike Design:** The Flywheel Bicycle demonstrates a highly adaptable technology that utilizes principles of energy storage and hybrid design to create a sustainable cycling experience. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Bicycle Manufacturing:** The manufacturing industry can apply flywheel technology to conventional bike designs to create energy-efficient hybrid bicycles. - **Transportation Industry:** The transportation industry can leverage the flywheel technology in bicycles to create sustainable micro-mobility services for urban transportation. - **Automotive Industry:** The automotive industry can potentially integrate flywheel technology into hybrid and electric cars to further improve their energy efficiency. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Regenerative Cycling Equipment](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/energy-keeper.md) - [Regenerative Drive Mechanisms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mag-drive.md) - [Four-Wheeled Hybrid Bike Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/karver-cyle-concept-k1.md) - [Oddball Penny-Farthing Bikes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pennyfarthing-bike.md) - [No-Plug E-Bikes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/third-generation-pi-pop.md) - [Low-Maintenance Electric Bikes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mocci-magic-ride.md) - [Diminutive E-Bike Drive Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ebike-drive-system.md) - [Convertible Electric Bike Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gravity-electric-bicycle.md) - [Featherweight Bicycle Drivetrains](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bicycle-drivetrain.md)