Bike flywheel makes hills and stoplights a little easier

Starting and stopping frequently is often one of the most challenging aspects of urban cycling. A 22-year old inventor has made it a little easier with a bicycle flywheel.

Maxwell von Stein is a graduate of the Cooper Union, where he designed a flywheel to use regenerative braking for a bike. The flywheel, which was originally in a Porsche, sits on the frame between the rider’s legs.

When the cyclist wants to slow down, say at a red light, he or she can shift gears so that the motion of the cycle is transferred into the flywheel. When the light turns green, shifting will give a “kick” of speed to the bike.

Von Stein says it’s cool to get your own energy back, that you’ve already put in, instead of just wasting it. He actually hopes to use these principles and apply it to cars.

I hope he (or somebody) though will market this. I wouldn’t mind an extra 15 pounds on my bike if it meant a power boost when getting started.