Where can a trike with Evolve Folding Technology take you?

We think things should be easy for trike owners, so we set about to make that happen.

The world’s most convenient trikes go anywhere so easily!

 

Ride it, shrink it fast, then:

 

Roll it!    Smart stow it!  Train it!  Ergonomically carry it!  Ship it!  Hang it (anywhere!)

 

Size does matter – too big when folded and we just can't take it some places.

Folding time does matter – too long and most of us won't do it.

 

The challenge has been to make a trike that is comfortable to ride and folds lean and small both easily & quickly, is easily rolled folded through narrow openings, and has an erect frame that is as solid as, and with the good handling of a quality non-folding trike. For added security all joints need to automatically close under rider weight and pedal force. This makes a secure trike that can easily overcome all traditional trike barriers (mass-transit, multiple trikes in a car, small elevators, escalators, apartments, narrow gates, turnstiles, stairs, close to body ergonomic lifting, convenient storage, smallest storage footprint by far, easy apartment access etc.). Our trike design is currently the only design that does all of this. Additionally all folding is from the top with the trike on its own wheels, so unlike some other trikes, you don’t need to be a weight lifter to fold our trikes in under ten seconds. And the chain is always contained, allowing safe folding on dirt.

 

There is no point folding small if the erect frame is not solid. When riding in traffic or at speed we think a rider needs a trike that is nimble and stable. A frame needs to be stiff and solid for good handling and for efficient power transmission. Hinge points need to lock firmly. All the good folding hinges have an adjustable QR to take up any eventual slack (to keep the frame firm) and a safety backup mechanism for added security.

 

Previous folding cross-member trikes have been plagued by flexy frames that limit handling and power transmission and it has taken careful design and innovation to overcome that. Our unique multi-patented mutually reinforcing compound hinge folds the cross-members, boom and also locks the seat.  Mutual hinge reinforcement maximises strength, minimises size and weight.

 

At present the competition is far from doing what we have repeatedly demonstrated our design does. See our real-time videos of true fold/re-erect steps and time compared to other’s time-compressed selective videos.

 

Dealers consistently tell us that the vast majority of purchasers of the older mid-frame fold-tail-over-front folders report that they are only ever folded once (too much effort). Our design clearly takes least time and effort  to fold and importantly to re-erect to same settings, and does not require re-adjustment each time. It is the only trike truly suitable for everyday folding and suitable for true convenient multi-mode transit and stairs. It is still the only trike to fold into a truly airline-legal suitcase.

 

The competition all fold slower, some far slower, particularly those trikes folding the front wheels.

None can be easily rolled on their main wheels through narrow openings (gates, turnstiles, etc.), so all require lifting through these. Some require the removal of a part every time to fold. Some require folding on a non-damaging surface to avoid scratches and/or to protect the chain from the ground. Some won’t accept standard size accessories like standard gear hubs or hub motors.

 

We are convinced our folding technology builds trikes that our trikes are the most versatile and transit friendly trikes as demonstrated by the capabilities shown in our videos. All potentially vulnerable, greasy or sharp components are totally protected and contained within the fold, away from other transit commuters. And they can be easily rolled when folded narrow. Our trikes free our customers from the usual barriers to lesser folding trikes and give them many more choices and flexible riding options. There are NO LIMITS on where you can go with our trikes folded, and trikes no longer need to be a chore to fold. Ours are the only trikes that are fun to fold & take through the narrow-friendly mass transit world. They virtually transport themselves on their regular wheels.

 

We are still discovering the versatility of our trikes e.g. we’ve just found that two of our trikes do easily physically fit on a standard 2-bike bus rack. Bike racks have just been fitted to our local buses and the images here were taken on a stationary bus in a depot. Loading/unloading is as quick as a regular bike and they are totally supported on their tires, each front tire supported in its own tire channel and the rear tire firmly on the main rack structural bar. The trikes can be firmly retained by a quick fit stretch hook from the handlebars to the main rack structural bar, or by the rack’s regular hold-down bar with the quick fit adaptor shown. Even manually violently shaking the trikes could not dislodge them. We feel this is good first step in the process of gaining authorization from local transit authorities for their use on similar racks. One issue will be that loading a trike only permits loading of a second trike and not a regular bike.

 

Just disengaging one cross-arm catch allows our trikes to fit racks for parallel standard bikes spaced from 20 to 50cm (8 to 20in) and the rear tire is firmly constrained laterally by the trike’s geometry holding it parallel. This could be helpful for those using similar racks on cars.

 

Capabilities

 

-Unrestricted hassle-free transport and storage virtually anywhere.

-Trikes that can fold to about half the size of current folding trike benchmarks, easier and in less time

-Trikes that are as easy or easier than an upright bike to stow, move, handle and get to a trail.

-Stores in more places and less space than an upright.

-Fold it into a car before most upright riders have fitted their bike rack.

-No awkward carrying when folded.

 

Our designs deliver trikes that eliminate all the usual barriers to trike travel. Some examples  (using prototypes) of how Evolve Folding Technology can help you are:

 

CARRY

CARS

TRAVEL

STORE

TRANSIT

How many of the above things can you easily do with those other trikes?

 

Especially Suits

- Narrow gates, doorways, turnstiles, stairs, hallway corners.

- Mass transit especially trains.

- Apartments

- Cars – down to very Small cars

 

 

May especially appeal to:

- trail riders who need to transport their trike to trail

- couples who want to take their trikes in the one car

- those who think the may downsize their car at sometime

- those without storage space for a trike

- commuters without adequate secure office storage space for a trike

- those who value the convenience of easy, fast more compact folding

- apartment dwellers

- commuters, especially mixed-mode train/car

- travellers

- those who need to fold each trip

- those who need to ship their trike.

We currently have designs that include 16in and 20in wheels, drum or disk brakes, triple chainrings, hardshell/mesh seats, seat heights 6-12in, hard tail /suspension tail, etc.

 

All our recent concept trikes are modular to allow testing of a wide range of combinations. Some of this modularity can be dropped to minimise weight and cost. Our full featured 16in trike, 10in seat height in full steel is currently 40 lb/18.2kg but that will be reduced.

 

We have designs suited to riders from serious sports/commuters to recreational riders.

 

SO WHY CHOOSE A TRIKE WITH EVOLVE FOLDING TECHNOLOGY?

 

You will never know how a trike should fold until you try a trike with Evolve Folding Technology. Why let your choice of trike limit where it can take you and where you can take it?

 

Dealers have told us that most people buying a conventional folding trike only fold it once. Any hassles can quickly dissuade people from using their trike. We often see people riding their regular bike and leaving their conventional folding trikes at home because “it’s such a hassle to fold the trike and carry it into the car”. We observe that the shorter and more frequent the trip the less time and effort people are willing to expend, so if the trike is not convenient to take, it gets left behind.

 

An initially less expensive, lesser folding trike may not end up delivering any actual cost saving once the resultant costs, daily inconvenience and frustrations from its travel limitations are considered over the trike’s life. Some riders have told us that their (non-evolve) trikes have cost them much more than the original price of the trike, two recent examples citing $37k and $45k once they bought the car they needed to transport the trike.

 

 

 

Evolve IP Pty.Ltd. ABN 93 529 316 785

US Patent 8342555, US and Intl. Patents Pending