Tricycle that SHIFTs into a bicycle

Three Purdue University industrial designers developed this children's tricycle that essentially turns into a bicycle as it is propelled forward. It's such a cool idea that it won the first prize out of 853 entries at the 9th International Bicycle Design Competition in Taiwan. That's worth $15,000. 

I'd have to see this work to believe it, but the Purdue press release says that when a rider climbs on and starts forward, all three wheels are on the ground. As the tricycle speeds up, the rear wheels shift inward until they effectively act as one wheel — a bicycle. Slowing down, the rear wheels splay out again into a tricycle. A spring and a belt move the rear wheels inward and outward.

Of course, this is ideal for children learning to ride, and that's who the three had in mind. In the Purdue University press release:

“Most children learn how to ride a bike on training wheels, but these simply keep the bike from tipping,” said Scott S. Shim, an assistant professor in the College of Liberal Arts. “Our bike allows children to learn how to balance themselves as they ride instead of looking back to see if their parent is still holding the bike.”

Shim's other collaborators include recent Purdue industrial design graduate, Ryan Lightbody, who now works at Strategix Vision in Seattle, and current student, Matt Grossman, a senior from Carmel, Ind. All three are members of the Industrial Designers Society of America.

Don't run out to find the bike at the local Wal-Mart yet. It's not in production. The three are now waiting to hear from bike manufacturers who are interested in producing the design.