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.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
China and India's dam war in the HimalayasUnder The Radar Delhi's response to Beijing's plans for a huge dam in Tibet? Build a huge dam of its own right nearby
-
Born this wayOpinion 'Born here, citizen here' is the essence of Americanism
-
What does Trump's immigration crackdown mean for churches?Today's Big Question Mass deportations come to 'sacred spaces'
