Think small with the YikeBike

YikeBike electric mini-farthing merges e-bike and Segway traits in a folding, 22 lb design. Priced around $3,600, this portable penny-farthing rides 6.2 miles per charge for compact, last-mile urban commuting.

A bike with no pedals? The size of the kiddie trike?

That's New Zealand's own YikeBike. It now looks to be available in the U.S. for around $3,600, which may be a low enough price to draw at least a few curious buyers looking for a cleaner commute to purchase one.

The YikeBike Electric 'mini-farthing' a self-described new class of bikes, also known as a mini electric penny farthing exists somewhere between an e-bike and a Segway, not unlike an electric unicycle for some riders. Upon encountering traffic, the owner of said device simply unfolds the lightweight, 22 pound frame, climbs up on the wheel-mounts, leans back, and away she goes for 6.2 miles on a charge, courtesy of the electric motor, as more EVs quietly hit the road in cities.

While we applaud the innovative design thinking, we're with Wired's Gadget Lab in wondering whether the high center of gravity, larger front wheel and handlebars-behind-you design doesn't add up to an urban faceplant waiting to happen. One reason this device might be more appropriate on the sidewalk, like a Segway, say, rather than braving the street like street-legal e-bikes do today.

With some interesting features we expect at least a few folks to be interested in the YikeBike, as GM and Segway's two-wheel urban vehicle showed with early buzz, if only for the sheer novelty of riding on their own handlebars.

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