Sick and tired of having his bike stolen while studying in Stockholm, Ulf Laxström decided to design a foldable bike that was easy to store inside, but retained the functionality and styling of standard full-sized bicycles. His solution was the Fubi (an abbreviation for “Future bike”) that Laxström says has all the characteristics of a “regular” bike, with its ability to fold up just an added bonus.
Currently the Fubi is still a prototype with Laxström aiming to test and perfect the cycle so it meets all the function, design, durability and safety requirements consumers expect. To this end he says a significant part of the development work will be conducted by contractors who specialize in different areas.
When folded up and without the wheels the Fubi fits inside a small golf bag and can be easily stored under a bed or in the trunk of a car. At this stage a wrench is used to tighten bolts as the bike is assembled, but Laxström says these will be replaced with quick release locks when the bike goes into production. Although, Laxström envisions the Fubi will be sold as a kit and will need tools for initial assembly.
The Fubi is made up of foldable and collapsible steel tubing and Laxström hopes to release the bike in three sizes – 25-, 26- and 28-inches. The current prototype is a 26-inch model with seven gears, a wheelbase of 1,080mm, overall length of 1,230mm, width from handlebar tip to handlebar tip of 600mm and weight of around 12kg when assembled. When folded up the bike measures 825mm long x 250mm high x 165mm wide (not including the wheels).
The first video below shows how the Fubi is assembled, while the second shows a speed test carried out by a racing cyclist. Laxström can be contacted for more information on his Fubi via his website.
