Do you ever reminisce on your childhood cycling days? Well, we know most of us do. Those were the days in our lives that we fondly recollect even today. Many of us used to conduct drag races and even modified our bicycles to take on the reigning champs. But we also used these fun two-wheelers to just get away from our daily grinds of school, tuitions and other mundane activities. For most of us, a bicycle was our very first freedom-machine.
Do you remember your first ride along the beach? Nostalgia overdose.
Keeping all the nostalgia and reminiscence aside, let us focus on the crux of the matter that brought us here. This unique bicycle is called the Helix. The Helix is a portable bicycle and is the brainchild of cycling enthusiast and Canadian, Peter Boutakis. Boutakis is a trained software developer and machinist by profession, amongst other things and is hugely passionate about cycling. If you ever wanted a bicycle that you wished you could carry around when you travelled, these guys might just have the solution for your problem.
Though fun to ride, normal bicycles aren’t easy to lug around when travelling.
The Helix folding bicycle isn’t made out of recycled soda cans, but out of lightweight and strong titanium. And thanks to its lightweight construction, this bicycle only weighs 21 lbs (9.5 kg). To that into perspective, an average bicycle weighs somewhere in the ballpark of 30 lbs (14 kg) and other folding bicycles have much smaller diameter wheels than the ones on the Helix. However, those aren’t as light to carry around due to their less advanced construction and materials. Once folded, the Helix’s measurements are so compact that you could fit it inside a suitcase or your car’s boot. In the folded state, this cycle can also be rolled around like a travel bag and ‘parked’ on its stand when you stop somewhere. Unlike your older generation bicycles that would rust away when exposed to the elements (remember the anti-rust coating you applied on your cycle during monsoons?), the titanium-built Helix faces no such nuisances.
The Helix has 24-inch wheels, which is the same size the bicycle occupies once folded.
Although this bicycle appears flimsy due to its foldable design, the titanium construction means that it is a lot more sturdy than other bicycles of this type. Also, apart from possessing anti-rust properties, the titanium Hilux has no paint, to speak of. So in case you drop it, there will be no paint amiss from your cycle. And if you’re suspicious of the cycle folding on its own while riding it, don’t be. The Helix has multiple built-in locking mechanisms to prevent something just like that.
Peter Boutakis with his proud creation.
This cycle features a 9-speed gear selection system to suit your riding preferences and comes equipped with disc brakes. Now, if something is handmade by a bunch of folks with hi-tech materials like titanium and uses innovative design philosophies in its construction, that product will not be cheap and affordable. That is absolutely true and completely applies to the Helix folding bicycle. If you want one, be ready to sign a cheque for approximately $1500, plus some extra charges for shipping. That said, we would love to own one of these quaint looking cycles. Would you like to own one of these, too? Let us know in the comments section and keep following Motoroids for more such stories. Meanwhile, have a look at this video and watch the Helix in action.