Very little is known about the fate of the folding bike pictured above, other than unverified reports that its name will be "Joice" and it will retail for $400. Based on a video making the rounds on YouTube, it appears to be made by a Chinese company called Sun, but even that isn't totally clear, and I'm betting initial availability will be limited to China. (As if the term "limited" applies to a market of 1.4 billion people.)

What's clear is that this bike-in-a-suitcase contraption represents a new spin on the folding bike concept. Rather than simply folding into an easier-to-carry size, this bike stores like something out of a Jetsons episode. The handlebars fold over the front wheel, and the whole assembly rotates into the protective case, which doubles as the bike frame. The rear wheel stores similarly, while the seat and cranks and pedals are easily removed and stashed in the case as well. The seat mount doubles as the handle for carrying the whole contraption.

No word on the weight of this thing, but I'm guessing it'll be a bit of a chore to lug around. It also doesn't look it like it would be the most enjoyable pedaling experience, but let's be honest, is anyone really buying a folding bike for the ride?

Check out the YouTube video after the jump. — Tony Kontzer

RideTHISbike.com, via TechEBlog