They don’t need petrol, they can weave in and out of traffic, and you don’t even need a licence to ride one. But unless you tack on a set of panniers or a basket, bikes are notoriously lacking in storage space; a problem that Industrial Designer David Hotard might have eliminated with his novel Transport bike, which features trunk space inside the bike’s front wheel.
Working alongside Matthew Campbell and Edwin Collier, the trio advanced the idea of the hubless bike wheel, but instead of removing the spokes and leaving that space empty, they filled it with a storage compartment made out of lightweight vacuum-formed PET-G plastic. So instead of wearing a backpack or shoulder bag while riding, it can be safely stashed inside the bike’s trunk since it’s only the front tire that actually spins.
Weighing in at around 11.3kg, you’re not going to find many cyclists adopting the Transport, but its creators claim that’s about as heavy as your average road bike, so it’s perfect for commuters.
They also point out that since the modified front tire is made from lightweight plastic, it weighs the same as a standard road bike tire too — except that doesn’t take into account the weight of the extra crap you toss in there. Once a backpack filled with a laptop, clothing, and other daily accessories is stuffed inside, that front wheel is bound to feel quite a bit different, particularly when cornering. What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the discussion below, could this creation actually improve a biker’s daily commute? [David Hotard via Damn Geeky]
