Innovation of the week
Sweat is the bane of every bike commuter, so wouldn’t it be nice if your ride required less pedal power?
Sweat is the bane of every bike commuter, so wouldn’t it be nice if your ride required less pedal power? Enter the Kickstarter-backed Smart Wheel, an attachable electric motor that transforms any bicycle into an easy-riding machine. The lightweight device “fits snugly around the spokes of the wheel,” said Dara Kerr in CNET.com, and helps users reach speeds up to 20 mph. The batteries automatically recharge when going downhill. By aiding uphill climbs, said inventor Niko Klansek of New York City–based FlyKly bikes, the Smart Wheel makes it possible to commute by bike—without breaking a sweat. “We want to make our cities more livable,’’ he says.
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