On a traditional tandem bike, the person in front steers and watches the road, while the rear rider concentrates on supplying pedaling power. That's fine if they're both adults, but what if the riders are a parent and their young child? That's where the Hugbike comes in. It lets the parent sit in the back, while reaching forward around their little 'un to steer.
Although no doubt designed mostly with the parent/kid combo in mind, the Hugbike can also accommodate two adults, simply by raising the front seatpost. Both sets of handlebars are attached to the steerer tube, so both riders are able to steer – you'd definitely want to work out which person was the "designated driver" before setting out.
As a nice side note, the Italian-built bikes are being assembled by autistic children as part of a program that teaches them new skills.
The Hugbike is available for an introductory price of €1,500 (about US$2,050) until February 14th, after which the price will go up to €1,990 ($2,700).
