I don’t enjoy cycling, but my UK colleagues do. Dean van Leeuwen, James Dunne and Wendy Mauchline all regularly hit the roads and cycle tracks of the world in a serious way. So, when I saw this neat little video about a new invention, the Copenhagen wheel, I immediately thought of them and whether this could indeed change the world. I think it can.
It’s a snap on component for the back wheel that stores energy when you’re cycling normally, and then allows you to use this energy to help propel the bike when you need it (like when you’re going uphill). It will make cycling easier. This is not necessarily what fitness fanatics or pro cyclists need, but it could make cycling accessible to a lot more of us.
What I love about this invention is that it is simple and elegant, makes a real difference and cuts to the heart of a big issue: energy usage. We have plenty of energy in the world, but we don’t use it nearly well enough and waste a lot of it. This innovation does exactly the right thing with energy. What excites me most is the mindset behind this: how to utilise a resource we’re currently wasting, and making our lives easier and better at the same time.
I hope it succeeds.
And here’s a link to the website where I found this information.