Watch: Could this rear-wheel steering singlespeed bike be the next big thing? (video)
French cyclists develop a singlespeed bike that pivots in the middle, allowing the rider to steer by moving their hips
Between races, FDJ professional rider Johan Le Bon has been busy helping to create a very usual bike: a singlespeed that pivots in the middle of the frame.
Le Bon and two fellow cyclists from Brittany, France - Alban Haloche and Alexis Honoré - developed the machine to have a bit of fun.
The three riders have named the machine the 'Trocadero' and have produced a video showing off the bike's ability to speed around town. A pivot is positioned on the downtube, around a third of the way back from the headtube.
The articulation allows the rider to steer with their hips, providing a very small turning circle and apparently it is able to slalom through street obstacles easily.
According to its inventors, the Trocadero takes around 10 minutes to master - and it can also be locked out using a simple pin to make it into a conventional bike, if desired.
There will be a limited run of 30 bikes produced, and the trio are hoping that their new bike will catch on.You can find out more via the Trocadero Twitter page.
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We're not entirely sure that it will take the world by storm - but it does look like fun to ride one.
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Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
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