A man from Victoria, British Columbia, has come up with a unique solution for getting around during winter weather: a bicycle equipped with a snowplow. Philip Marciniak added a plow blade to an electric cargo bike last year, and was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked. He later modified the design with a split plow, or V-plow, and took it for a spin during a recent snowstorm. Marciniak had so much fun with the bike snowplow that he even used it to ride downtown and pick up dinner.
The sight of a bike clearing sidewalks and bike lanes caught the attention of pedestrians and motorists, who were amused by the sight of a wave of snow being thrown by the plow. However, the effectiveness of Marciniak's invention quickly became apparent. With more and more people looking for sustainable and healthy transportation options, electric bikes are becoming increasingly popular. While there are many options available, including models from Walmart and even motorcycle company Ducati, there are few options for winter riding.
A few years ago, Marciniak started a company called Sustain-A-Waive to produce electric cargo bikes. He also makes a living repairing appliances and uses an electric bike as his primary mode of transportation. During the winter, he often wished someone would clear the bike lanes, which inspired him to come up with the snowplow idea. Given the attention his invention has received and its effectiveness, Marciniak is considering producing it for others to use.
Source: CBC Vancouver
