Green Daily

One of the major inconveniences about riding your bike is the constant threat of theft. They've yet to make a bike lock that dedicated thieves can't quickly crack, and more modern, anti-theft bike racks (while reassuring) are so complicated that you'll need 15 minutes and an engineering degree to figure out how they work. That's to mention that, if you're traveling long distances, your bulky bicycle can be a pain to get on and off buses and trains.

So what's a cyclist to do?

How about carrying your bike with you...on your back? That's the idea behind the Backpack Bicycle. This clever, fold-able contraption weighs only 5.5kg (about 12lbs) folds into either an easy-to-pull handcart or a backpack that's about 60cm (a little less than 2ft) long, and even comes with cool features like brake lights and turn signals.

While some are worried that such a light-weight bike might not be safe (especially for larger riders), it seems like this would be perfect for cycling on relatively smooth surfaces (like those you'd find in most urban or suburban environments). At any rate, it'll be cheaper than driving.

[via the Design Blog]