Franke Bearings has collaborated with Dorset-based inventors to support the release of a new penny farthing-style E-Cyclopic folding bike.

The innovative penny farthing ‘Cyclopic’ prototype was unveiled at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders in London, and has been hailed as the next generation of foldable bike.

Featuring a large front and smaller rear wheel without spokes, the new design allows the wheels to snap inside one another in five seconds and weighing approximately 15kg. Working with ‘Cyclopic’ for over 12-months, Franke has helped to develop a solution tailored precisely to support the six-speed bike which is powered by an electric drive system.

Phil Worden, managing director of Franke Bearing, commented: ‘It’s fantastic to work on such an innovative project, and wire race bearings are ideal for use in the ‘Cyclopic’ prototype as they can handle high speeds and high torque loadings. Not only are they extraordinarily compact and fit snug in even the tiniest mounting spaces, their compact form and free material section of mating structures permit the construction of lightweight designs which is exactly what Cyclopic are trying to achieve.’

Following the current unveiling of the first prototype, the ‘Cyclopic’ bike is now in prototype production with proposed release in Summer 2019.

Alan Rallings director of Cyclopic commented: “The enthusiasm and generous technological support given by the Franke team has kept us driven and inspired our R&D team at Cyclopic. This support has led us to receive very positive feedback from showcasing our folding E-bike concept. Potential customers have been reassured that at the core of the design are the highest quality and most technically advanced bearings on the market.”

Franke Bearings has made possible design features that ensure reliability, value and customer satisfaction.