comfortable pedal powered bicycle with weather protection. Emphasis is made on automotive qualities in the design, to attract non-previous cyclists used to cars and motorcycles. Another selling point to attract more people riding a bike (particularly here in Europe) is weather protection – ThisWay has a roof. Built in composite materials (carbon or flax fibre) and some hydro-formed aluminium, this vehicle is very lightweight (approximately 11-12kg). It has built-in LED lights front and rear, powered by a rechargeable battery obtaining its power from roof mounted solar cells. For minimum maintenance ThisWay’s built-in belt drive is well protected and all cables are hidden within the frame. The car-like ergonomics offers a riding position lower than a traditional bike to keep a low centre of gravity and optimal aerodynamics. The design has simple controls for ease of use; single hand brake lever and hub gears type Torpedo Duomatic providing Low and Hi gear. The rear of the frame has a “luggage connector”, where the user plugs-in his/her luggage (e g briefcase, helmet box or rack for shopping bags). The design also benefits from flexibility and comfort for riders of different sizes, as the crankset and seat is adjustable in length/height. A “hybrid” version (pedal power/electric motor) will assist in hills and additional battery packs can be plugged-in into the luggage connector to extend the range further. Although this design is more expensive to manufacture compared to its traditional rivals, it is still just a fraction of the price of a car and virtually zero in running costs.
