Elegant in style, incredibly functional, cost-effective and relatively easy to repair, the bicycle is one of those simple yet great inventions, having been around since the 19th century. Pedal-powered and human-driven, much of the bicycles potential lies in the rider, which is what makes the Cycloclean bike so ingenious. Cycloclean uses the simple act of pedalling to purify water, making it suitable for drinking.
Poor water quality still poses a threat to human health, and according to the World Health Organization, 884 million people still do not use improved sources of drinking water, almost all of them in developing regions. Japanese company Nippon Basic created a durable bicycle equipped with a water purifier. The bicycle allows users to filter water
through pedaling, enabling access to clean water for those in remote villages and disaster zones.
Equipped with non-puncture tires, a pump and hoses, riders can commute to water sources, lower the hose into the source (the hose can siphon water as deep as five meters), raise the bicycle up on its stand thus lifting the rear wheel off the ground, and start pedaling. As the user rides, water is pumped into the system and passes through a series of micro-filtration membranes before its stored in a container. Cycloclean is capable of producing 1.3 gallons of clean water in only a minute, so with a team of riders, a large amount of clean water can be produced in a relatively short period of time.
Because Cycloclean purifies water using only pedal power, the bicycle is ideal for remote areas. But Cycloclean comes with a hefty price tag. On Nippon Basics website, Cycloclean costs about 555,000 yen, approximately US$6,700. Despite the cost, the company has produced about 200 bikes in the last five years and is gearing up for large-scale production in Bangladesh.
The saying may go, You can lead a horse to water. But why not consider using a bicycle, especially if its innovative design gives you clean water?
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