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"The Big Idea", new SKY ONE show will feature Dublin inventor of the Sideways Bike

  • 14-11-2006 9:36am
    #1
    sidewaysbike
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭


    A DUBLIN INVENTOR will be plugging his invention on TV next weekend in a bid to win £100,000.
    Michael Killian, inventor of the Sideways Bike, will pitch his invention to the audience on Sky One's The Big Idea showing on Saturday November 18 at 9pm on Sky One.
    The Big Idea is an exciting new prime-time series on Sky One which, in partnership with Vodafone, is aiming to discover the next great British/Irish invention or business idea. The audience will decide if the Sideways Bike, the first new bicycle invention in over 200 years, is the next Big Idea.
    The 47-year-old, who beat hundreds of competitors to make it to the final 36, is up against five other inventors.
    continued...
    In order to get to the semi-final he had to pitch his idea to three entrepreneurs in two minutes.
    All three experts, Ruth Badger, a finalist on BBC 2's The Apprentice, Lord Karan Bilimoria of Cobra Beer fame and Craig Johnston, who invented the Predator football boot, put him on the shortlisted 36.

    SKY ONE www.thebigidea.tv


Comments

  • #2
    youcancallmeal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,066 ✭✭✭youcancallmeal


    I was checking out the videos on the site http://www.sidewaysbike.com/
    Looks pretty wobbly but interesting


  • #3
    Genghis
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,102 ✭✭✭Genghis


    Couldn't imagine cycling that thing along your average Dublin cycle lane! If you are not facing the direction you are going, and one side of you is always blind, can it really be a safe road worthy vehicle?

    I have looked at one of his videos, and it is 6 minutes of him making anti-clockwise circles (i.e. he is facing the centre of the circle) - and I am left wondering - is it possible to turn the other way at all?

    Besides the above flaw, I cannot see any compensating advantage. Sure, it is novel, and it could be fun, it might even become a niche extreme sport, but I would say it is a risky invention with very limited market appeal.


  • #4
    blorg
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,995 ✭✭✭✭blorg


    Saw Michael cycling down O'Connell St on it Saturday lunchtime. Seems a fair amount of control _is_ possible ;-)


  • #5
    Fnord
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34 ✭Fnord


    Has a certain novelty value but it doesn't seem safe. Visibility is considerably hindered by the cyclist facing perpendicular to the direction of movement. It's all very well doing circles in a park in the sun; imagine moving at speed in traffic and trying to see what's approaching from the right...


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