While there are now a great many collapsible bikes on the market, almost all of them get smaller by folding down. The Pop-cycle takes a different and reportedly better approach, by utilizing a slide-in/slide-out frame.
Manufactured by South Korean company Bokyong, the Pop-cycle is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. It features a die cast aluminum frame, the different parts of which are bolted together – not welded. And yes, that frame slides.
The back end of the bike incorporates the seat post, crankset, chain drive and 16-inch rear wheel, along with a rather interesting 2-speed internal gearing system. That whole rear assembly can be slid fore and aft along a horizontal rail which extends back from the front end of the bike.
This means that when it's time to stow the Pop-cycle for transit or storage, the back end is slid all the way forward, making the bike as short as possible. Its handlebars and pedals are also folded in, making it narrower. According to the designers, the whole process takes just four seconds.
When it's time to ride, the bars and pedals are folded back out, and the rear end is slid back out to a length that fits the rider's body size. A lever is used to lock and release the sliding mechanism.
It should be noted that the seat and handlebar height can also be adjusted, resulting in a single model of the Pop-cycle that fits riders ranging from 150 to 190 cm (4 ft 9 in to 6 ft 3 in) in height. The bike reportedly tips the scales at 29 lb (13 kg), and can accommodate riders weighing up to 242 lb (110 kg).
Assuming the Pop-cycle reaches production, a pledge of US$468 will get you one – the planned retail price is $780. The bike can be seen in frame-sliding action, in the video below.
And this isn't the first Korean-made sliding-frame bike we've seen. Bygen's Hank Direct Bike is another example, and it utilizes a unique lever-drive drivetrain.
Source: Kickstarter