Front-wheel bicycle boot

Design students have devised a bicycle with a storage compartment incorporated into its front wheel.

There is no requirement for a car to have headlamps to pass an MOT, or be driven legally during daylight hours, but that doesn't stop manufacturers including them on every model they sell. They simply assume most motorists want to drive at night. So why on earth are things so different when it comes to bicycles?

Lights, mudguards anti-theft devices and boot storage have been incorporated into car design from the very earliest days of motoring, but cyclists are still waiting for these staple features.

Design students David Hotard, Matthew Campbell and Edwin Collier were tired of waiting and developed a hub-less front wheel that boasts a large storage compartment at its centre.

It seems counter-intuitive to place weight in or around the front wheel, but cycle tourers routinely carry luggage attached via the front forks and on the continent child seats are often mounted on the handlebars.

The cost of producing hub-less wheels means this design is likely to remain a prototype, but it is refreshing to see a new interpretation of what bicycle storage can be.

{{cta-cycling}}