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A collapsible bike that’s not just for geeks

December 14, 2005—This may not be prime bike-riding season, but it is ask-for-a-new-bike-for-Christmas season. And if you have a rich friend or relation you can hit up, the newly available Mobiky Genius is worth putting on your list. True, we’re talking about a collapsible bike, a genre of transport traditionally preferred by pocket-protector-wearing engineers and shunned by fashionable gents such as yourself. But this may be the first version you can ride without embarrassment. Designed by a Paris-based team of former aeronautical engineers, the elegant aluminum contraption was two years and $1 million in the making. All that Gallic geeking-out paid off: It’ll go from operational to fully collapsed in a mere three seconds, and unlike most similar two-wheelers, the Mobiky can still be rolled even when crunched up. The bike’s technical prowess won it France's 2005 Observeur du Design award, but don’t let that put you off: It looks cool too.
Available for $999.99 on amazon.com; visit www.mobikyusa.com for more info.