Bicycle that folds inside its own wheels

This bicycle is designed in such a way that it can be folded.

It can then be effectively "taken for a walk" with the owner dragging it by one handlebar in a way that makes it easy to use on buses and the Tube.

The Contortionist has been shortlisted for the James Dyson Award for international designs.

Mr Hargreaves, 24, said: "Current folding bikes on the market seemed to be just too much of a compromise or just didn't fold that small for day-to-day use.

"The brief I set myself was to create a folding bike where all the parts fit in between the circumference of its 26-inch wheels when it is folded up. Once folded the bike cannot fold back on itself while riding. The wheels rotate when folded up so the folded package can be wheeled along rather having to be carried."

Mr Hargreaves told the London Evening Standard he hoped the bike could go on sale next year for around £400.

He went on: "I was trying to find a fold-up bike and I just couldn't find anything I liked, or that was practical.

"I wanted something that could take a bit of punishment and that you could have fun with, like jumping off kerbs and even going away at weekends.

"In am in discussion with several potential partners now. I'm really at the stage where the design is finished, but I need some financial backing to get things rolling."

Later, Mr Hargreaves explained that the bike worked on hydraulics at present but that a future model would feature a conventional pedal-to-wheel chain.