H-Bike goes up a gear

Cycling is becoming an increasingly popular way to commute to work, rather than just a mere pastime, a study revealed earlier this week.

Research from Colliers International and Bicycle Victoria found that the number of bicycles entering Melbourne’s CBD during peak commuter periods is increasing by 20% each year.

The habit of using the car or train to get to the office may be receding, but a lot of people are still put off by the sheer effort of cycling several kilometres before starting work.

Could a canny start-up find a way around this by coming up with new cycling innovations?

For example, the Hydrogen Bicycle, created by Japanese gas distributor Iwatani, is powered by a fuel cell battery with two hydrogen tanks attached on the back.

Known as the H-Bike, and recently unveiled at an energy efficiency exhibition in Tokyo, it could change the way we transport ourselves from A to B.

Certainly for people living or working in the city, such a bike would be a welcome alternative to buses and trains.

In a bid to reduce our carbon footprint, energy efficiency has developed into a highly lucrative industry yet to be fully realised. Transport in particular lends itself to be reinvented, so why not tap into the market with a green idea of your own?