High comfort, low energy cycling
We all know that swapping cars for bikes when making short journeys is kind to the environment – but not kind to your behind! Cycling can be uncomfortable, sweaty work, as well as impractical with luggage – if you’ve ever tried cycling with a laptop,
you’ll understand.
Cycling fan and eco-friendly entrepreneur Andrew Walters had long thought that a comfortable electrically-assisted bicycle with a generous luggage capacity might be the answer, and in 2005 he created the MonVal bicycle along these lines. As well as being comfortable to ride, MonVal is also economical: think of a 100 watt electric light bulb burning for an evening: that's enough energy to propel the MonVal for twenty to forty miles. To run, it costs just five to eight pence per mile, compared to fifty to eighty pence per mile for a car.
Walters hopes that the MonVal will not only encourage more people to swap their cars for bikes as they’ll be able to cycle for longer, but will also be used as a green transport alternative for businesses – a concept Walters Innovations is currently trialling with a courier company in Cambridge. Ultimately, Walters’ dream is to win a contract for the 2012 Olympics to provide green transport alternatives to cars and motorbikes used by suppliers, police and support staff.