Apparently, during the closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a bunch of performers were riding glowing monowheels around the stadium. If you missed it, that’s OK, because no one cares about the closing ceremonies — and anyways, now you can now own what sounded like the most interesting part of the event.
At $US7000, the cost of owning one of these pedal-powered monocycles is steep, especially for a bicycle alternative that will make drivers despise you even more. But, braided tubes of colourful light-up LEDs powered by a small 1800mAh battery will surely make up for the steep learning curve required to master one of these. (Wondering where the brakes are? You’re wearing them on your feet.)
Glowing accents and suspicious braking methods aside, this monowheel does look like a unique way to get to and from work every day. And it’s not like anyone is going to steal your tyres, because the entire bike is just one large wheel. There’s just one problem: this monowheel isn’t street legal. So as soon as you leave your driveway you’ll want to keep an eye out for the cops — and don’t forget, while riding this contraption you’ll be dead easy to spot. [Hammacher Schlemmer]