Design Works stabilises invention

Design Works has created a bike stabiliser designed to help children learning to cycle adapt more quickly to riding on two wheels.

The product, called the Active Bike Balancing System, should be available in shops, such as Halfords and Toys R Us, as well as at independent retailers, in August says Design Works business development manager Gary Little.

The flexible stabilisers enable children to adjust the amount of balance they experience when they turn corners. Design Works founding partner Peter Rickett came up with the initial idea while walking with his daughter.

The further a child leans into the stabiliser, the more it will ‘give’, says Little.

‘Traditionally, children’s stabilisers are immovable, turning a bicycle into a tricycle that does not corner properly,’ Little explains.

With the ABBS, a child experiences true two-wheel riding while still being supported to whatever degree they choose, Little adds. The flexible arms return to an upright position once a corner has been turned and snaps back into position.

The project has taken nearly three years from concepts to final product, says Little. The system will be manufactured in the Far East by Tradewinds.