You’ve probably seen a folding mountain bike before but this one is different – it’s meant to be carried in a backpack! The “Mountain Monk” is from German designer Thomas Kaiser and the idea is that you hike up a mountain with the bike on your back then ride the thing back down – sorta like a self-shuttled downhill run. Although at least one prototype exists Kaiser is still looking for production partners.
The Mountain Monk sports both front and rear suspension and disc brakes but skips the pedals since it’s meant for downhill riding only. The bike isn’t light – the current model is about 21 pounds – but it still beats pushing your 40 lb. rig uphill. The 3 gallon backpack also includes a pouch for your helmet and gloves. Could this be the start of yet another mountain biking offshoot – bike hiking? We’ll be keeping an eye on the Mountain Monk…
Via Wired Blog.
