Urban cycling in Tel Aviv is on the rise with 14 percent of residents polled opting for two wheels to get to work. It’s not hard to get from one side of the city to the next within about 20 minutes, and the new shared program, whilst not without its quirks, makes it even easier.

One issue that blocks widespread cycling as a greener alternative to cars, however, is the lack of trunk space.

How will I get all those bags home, one might ask. It’s not safe to dangle potatoes, Arak and lemons off the handlebars. My friend tried this and landed herself in hospital.

While completing his training at the Holon Institute of Technology in Israel, the young industrial designer conceived an urban trailer that could be easily attached to virtually any shared bicycle system in the world, thereby universalizing the design.

It has a deep basket, wheels for mobility, and hooks for shopping bags; it is easily mounted on to the rear of the bicycle with a latch. So when residents or tourists hire a Tel-O-Fun bike for a day or an hour, they simply need to order the trailer as an add-on.

And since there’s a history of slippery fingers in Tel Aviv, the trailer comes with a nifty lock that can wrap around a pole or bench if it has to be unattended for a short while.

We won’t be at all surprised to see Tel-O-Porters incorporated into other shared urban biking systems around the world in time.

:: Udi Rimon

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