Bike enthusiast develops electric penny-farthing

Fifteen seconds was all it took to snap everything into place.

One moment it lay folded neatly, the next - like a magic trick - it was ready for the road. A little lever here . . . a tug on the saddle there . . . a press on the button to start it.

That was the easy bit. Now, try to imagine you are sitting on a bar stool that suddenly takes off at 10mph.

The wind blows your hair and forces your face into a grin that resembles something between joy and terror. And then, gradually, the grin turns into a smug smile.

I have just become the first British journalist to road test the YikeBike, billed as a mini penny-farthing for the 21st century. Read more