UK motorsport firm to produce “world’s lightest” folding bicycle

Weighing just 6.7 kg, and featuring a carbon frame, carbon forks and seat post the Hummingbird as it’s known is being manufactured by Prodrive Composites in Milton Keynes with further parts production and final assembly carried out at Prodrive’s headquarters in Banbury.

The bicycle’s folding mechanism uses a trailing arm which pivots around the crank. This ensures that the chain always remains in tension, even when fully folded and allows the bike to be wheeled along the ground when folded.

The bike was conceived by London-based designer Petre Craciun who felt that existing folding bikes on the market are too heavy. The Brompton folding bicycle – the biggest selling bike of its kind - can weigh anything between 9 and 12.5 kg.

“Most folding bikes are at least 12kg.” said Craciun, “which is a lot to carry up and down stairs or on and off trains. I wanted to design something really different, not only half the weight of existing folding bikes, but a product with distinctive styling that would be eye-catching, instantly recognisable and something people would be proud to be seen riding.”

Prodrive will produce the first test bikes in October with production bikes going on sale early next year.

David Richards, Chairman of Prodrive, said: “We are always looking for interesting and innovative projects where Prodrive can inject its technical and engineering expertise.  Since I first met Petre last year and saw his concept it’s taken us about 12 months to bring it to fruition. The Hummingbird combines all the key attributes of style, innovation and technical excellence that Prodrive stands for and we’re very proud of the end result.”