BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
The tech innovation will be brought to market next year, said Sanders, but he would not reveal the exact nature of the "revolutionary" development.
All he would say was that it "allows bicycles with full sized wheels to be folded very quickly, without tools or dismantling, into very compact and portable sizes."
Ming Cycle, produces 2+million bicycles a year, including 200 000 folding bikes last year, the triangular Stida3 among them.
Ming produces bicycles for Mongoose, Carrefour, Decathlon, Jeep and Pacific Cycle.
Sanders, director of MAS Design, said:
"Since designing the Strida 20 years ago I have watched the folding bicycle sector grow from a small, specialist ‘enthusiast’ sector, into one that in some countries has become a major movement.
"[My] new technology, which has been in development for over five years, aims to help the sector grow and reach main-stream. The mechanism is stiff, light and easy to use, uniquely its stiffness increases with load.
"Although not limited to full sized wheels, starting with full sized bikes has many benefits; most people prefer full sized bikes; full sized wheels and matching components have had 100 years of weight and strength developments. By linking up with Ming cycle, bicycles with this technology will be available sooner, and at affordable prices, by having all the backing of a major producer."
Tai Shan Cheng, CEO and chairman of Ming Cycle said:
"With this technology we will be able to offer our customers full sized folding bicycles, with performance identical to regular bicycles. These will have the added benefit of compact folding, like small wheeled bicycles. Apart from the folding mechanism, these bicycles use standard components. We can leverage our bicycle building expertise and buying power to produce a range of products that will appeal to all sectors of the market, as well as the growing specialist folding market."
Source: http://www.velovision.co.uk
