Every time you shift into granny gear, don’t you wish you had a motor on your bike to kick in and help you up that hill? The Copenhagen wheel claims to do just that. Developed by a team of students at the SENSEable City Lab at MIT, the motor encases the rear hub of the wheel on your existing bike to give it power. The MIT team recently won the U.S. national round of the James Dyson award for the Copenhagen wheel.
The Copenhagen is a motor enclosed in a solid case that accommodates the hub and spokes on any bike. It stores energy each time you brake, and then kicks in when you need an assist, say getting up a steep hill or pedaling up a steady incline. The design implemented on the bike looks like a school bell melded into your wheel.
The size of the device is considerable. A contributor at Guardian U.K.’s Bike Blog says it appears to add weight yet doesn’t look strong enough to give much power to the pedal. If that’s the case, it would be difficult to maintain that pro cyclist Fabian Cancellara on the Saxo Bank team had a motor in his bike for the Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders single-day races earlier this season.
In addition to adding energy to pedaling, the Copenhagen wheel promises some additional features. It connects to your iPhone to power on and off, and lock. Through the iPhone or Bluetooth-enabled handset the Copenhagen wheel will alert you to heavy traffic congestion and pollution levels. You will also earn green miles for pedaling, though it’s not clear what those will get you beyond some satisfaction you rode your bike to work instead of driving a car. Guardian U.K.’s Adam Vaughan brought up several arguments in his post to whether this wheel accessory is effective, and questions the benefits of the connected abilities of the wheel. He also mentions the add-on is expected to be pricey when it comes out with the likely price of $600 — more than some bikes you’ll find in stores.
Copenhagen wheel entry at James Dyson Awards’ website
[via Guardian U.K. Bike Blog article]