Architect honored for building a versatile folding bike to enhance urban mobility

TAIPEI, Taiwan (BRAIN) — The Taipei Cycle d&i Gold Award winners were announced here Wednesday so it was fitting an architect by trade with a passion for cycling and spending time with her dog fetched one of them with a creation that enhances urban mobility.

Vanessa Wang, co-founder and marketing director of Aniwow Bike of China, took home one of two d&i Gold Awards given in the Bicycle category with her version of a folding bike. It can transform from a pet carrier, to a shopping cart, to a camping table. It rolls on 16-inch tires, has quick-release pedals, and a chromoly steel frame manufactured in Shanghai.

Aniwow, which formed last year, claims it offers the world's smallest 16-inch folding bike. When folded it equals the size of a 24-inch suitcase. The bike features more than 10 intellectual patents.

"We weren't in the bicycle industry," Wang told BRAIN after the ceremony about her bicycling background. "(My husband and I) love cycling, especially the Brompton folding bikes, but we wanted to develop something new, something more to fit our lifestyle. I want to take my dog out with my bike."

In recognizing the Aniwow Bike, the d&i jury said:

"Folding bikes have existed for decades but are often cumbersome to fold and lack cohesion once folded. Aniwow introduces a new folding approach that achieves an exceptionally neat and compact result, likely among the most refined on the market. While the folding process involves slightly more steps than average, it remains reasonable, and with practice becomes natural and intuitive. There is still room for refinement, but the product shows strong potential to become a recognizable and distinctive solution. Finally, eliminating the need for a table further reinforces its practicality."

The bike is available in China through regional distributors, and it can be purchased D2C in the U.S. for $869, with optional accessories including a basket, table top, and bike bag available. A Kickstarter program that raised $269,886 started in China before it came to market last fall. Because of some manufacturing issues, Wang said, the bike was out of stock for five months until recently.

The other Bicycle category winner was Giant's Seek youth road bike, which the brand is touting as the world's first high-performance road bike designed exclusively for teenagers.

The other four Gold Award winners were:

Parts and Components

• Limotec's Auto Drop post, which can automatically adjust post height based on speed.
• Limotec's HB09 integrated aluminum handlebar, claimed to be 20-30% lighter than traditional welded versions.
• Hubsmith's HS-F007 hub features a patented, one-piece planar gear structure preventing gear slippage and ensures direct power output.
• Strategic Sports' S-482 e-bike-certified helmet that uses a Removable, Modular, Recyclable system for circular recovery.

The Gold Award Startup was given to OsmaR Buckle. The OsmaR features a globally patented magnetic attachment system for bottles, bags, and e-bike batteries. It's designed for convenience across all demographics, from children and racers to seniors and people with mobility impairments.