This folding bike is aimed at city dwellers and commuters fed up of getting stuck in traffic. It has a very distinctive design which you’ll either love or hate and it is the brainchild of inventor Grant Ryan. There is a large front wheel, a small back wheel and a seat with handlebars around it. At first glance you may wonder where the pedals are and that’s because there aren’t any. This is fully electric and is powered by a 1.2 kw electric motor with no need for a chain. It also has electric anti-skid brakes.

The YikeBike folds down to an impressively small package which is easily carried onto public transport or into the office. You certainly won’t have to worry about parking it anywhere. It weighs just 9.8 kilograms and the size when folded down is just 67cm x 56cm x 12cm.

The top speed is 20 km per hours. It should go for about 10 km from a single charge and it only takes 30 minutes to fully recharge it. The handlebars conceal the trigger controls, green for acceleration and red for brake. The handlebar frame includes safety lights and brake lights. There is a comfortable leather saddle for sitting on and two metal platforms for resting your feet.

The design is clever and you can see the advantage of this even over a normal bike which is generally too bulky to take indoors. You would have to try it yourself before making a decision because it looks like it would take some getting used to. You can check out a video of the YikeBike in action and find more details at the official website. It is not due to be released until 2010 and it will cost between €3,500 and €3,900 (around $5,000).