By Vicki Owen
>> Click here for more stories about inventions
Formula 1 engineer Richard Thorpe spent his days designing 200mph cars for McLaren, but another technological challenge was always on his mind – how to make an affordable 15mph folding electric bicycle.
In 2002, Thorpe left his job as a design engineer for McLaren F1 to launch Karbon Kinetics in Waterloo, South London, with the aim of designing a bicycle for commuting.
Thorpe, 41, says: ‘I had been designing bicycles on the side for ten years before I decided to use my experience with lightweight structures to design one with the power of an electric motor that could be carried in a case.’
After eight years of refining his Gocycle, it is now on sale online and through dealers, John Lewis and Best Buy for about £1,500. The bike can travel about 20 miles without the rider pedalling and takes three hours to charge.
Thorpe’s design – covered by more than 12 international patents granted and pending – includes an enclosed chain to avoid the risk of oil-stained clothing, and a light motor mounted on the front forks rather than the wheel, for easy wheel removal.
He says: ‘You cannot protect a design like this with one patent. We have exclusive agreements with supply chain partners, trademarking and domain names.’
The company has taken out eight design registrations. New models are in development and Thorpe is negotiating partnerships with an electric motor company and a battery firm.
He advises budding inventors to weigh up the time and cost involved in launching an original product.
‘You need a well-researched business plan to raise money,’ he says. ‘I spent a year and a half pitching ideas to companies and I was rejected by banks and angel investors. But you learn and adjust your pitch.’
After producing his original prototype, Thorpe secured a £75,000 DTI grant. He has since raised investment from private angel investors.
>> GoCycle will feature at the British Library’s 21st Century British Inventions exhibition from September 6. Read more about the exhibition here.
>> Click here to see a drawings page from a Gocycle patent application published in 2004.
Tags: Enterprise Zone, inventions, small business, SMEs, Starting a Business, Vicki Owen
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September 8th, 2010 at 5:05 pmGary says:
I think it is great to see more and more designs that not only offer convenience and are practical but also have the environment in mind. Great invention, it looks fairly light as well with him holding – great.