Taipei Cycle: 4 surprising bikes

We've been scouring the halls of Taipei Cycle for unusual bikes and here are four that are well outside the mainstream...

Yes Bike

What do you first notice about the Yes Bike? No chain, right? So it's a shaft drive? Well sort of, It’s actually an electric bike featuring Protanium’s shaft motor – the driveside chainstay (if you can call it a chainstay when there’s no chain). The motor housing is made of carbon, the batteries are hidden in the saddle, and hardly any cables are visible.

The frame is carbon-fibre with a layer of Kevlar to add extra strength.

www.protanium.com

Illume

This bike is called the Illume and it’s a design from India. It uses a lithium-ion battery and an actuator that transforms kinetic energy into electrical energy. You get a front light (with full beam and dip) and a brake light...

...and those lights on the chainstays and the ends of the handlebar are indicators.

The strange metal parts on the grips take an ECG reading that can be displayed on a computer.

Ameco SPF 1500 single pivot folding bike

The SPF1500 is a single-pivot folding bike with a one-touch operation.

A locking device and declined hinge are integrated into the frame.

As you can see, it comes with a monoblade fork and an enclosed drivetrain.

ORi Surpaz CR1.1

The Surpaz CR 1.1 is another folding bike, this time from ORi and designed by Jon Whyte (the designer behind Whyte Bikes, not surprisingly).

It’s built around a carbon frame and fork and is built up with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 electronic groupset. Those are 20in wheels on there.

www.oribikes.com