New bike for toddlers

A new bicycle design created at Purdue University could eliminate the need for parents to hold on to the back of a two-wheel bicycle as their child learns how to ride.

The bike, called SHIFT, was created by an industrial design professor and two students. Their designed topped 853 entrants from 56 countries to win the $15,000 first prize in the 9th International Bicycle Design Competition in Taiwan.

"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."

The 16-inch-wheel bicycle looks like a tricycle, but as the child gains momentum and learns to balance, the two rear wheels shift inward to merge into one wheel. This causes the balance to gradually shift from the bicycle to the child.