Saturday, May 07, 2005

On your bike!

They say some things are like riding a bike - you don't forget - but what if you did? Would you, in your non-childhood years, approach a bicycle with a masterful gaze and be prepared to give it a go? Or would the thought of precariously balancing on two wheels as you ride along on rough bitumen, and being unsure of how to stop safely, put you off (so to speak). Purdue University USA might have something to help - bearing in mind it was developed to help with the initial bike riding learning process.
They have invented a combination tricycle and bicycle called “Shift”. The faster you go, the more bicycle it becomes, but if you lose confidence and slow down you won’t fall off, because it becomes a tricycle. The design features a single front wheel and two slim rear wheels that are initially splayed outward to stabilize and prevent the rider from toppling over. As the rider accelerates and leans forward, the rear wheels shift inward, narrowing into a single wheel surface that essentially makes it a two-wheel venture. Go on - on your bike!

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