the dijker

move yourself

the dijker

The dijker looks like it has been on the road for decades. Yet nothing like it existed before.

Under that classic shape sits new engineering. The dijker runs on the spiral belt drive multispeed®, a drive no other vehicle has.

Highlights at a glance

Five things that set the dijker apart.

The dijker has four wheels and a small steering wheel. To brake, you push that steering wheel in. The pedals move back and forth in a straight line, left and right independently. The body comes in two parts: an open luggage compartment, the boot, and a nose cover. Both come off in seconds.

There are no brake levers. There are no gear levers either, because you shift by moving your toes backwards. It rides like nothing you have tried before, and it is a lot of fun.

comfort

Made for commuters who now take the car, a motorbike or public transport. You sit leaning back and stay dry, so you arrive rested. With the nose cover on there is still plenty of airflow, and you can hang your jacket over the open-fabric backrest.

protection

Four sturdy wheels and a strong chassis keep you safe on the road. A small poncho between the boot and the nose cover keeps out cold and rain. A brightly coloured flag makes sure other traffic sees you.

fast

You push with both legs at once and the dijker weighs very little. That gives you a quick start from standstill, and at speed the streamlined shape helps.

free

The dijker is open, so getting in and out is easy. You are never shut in.

boot

At the back is one large luggage compartment with no dividers, the boot. It comes off as easily as the nose cover.

The technique

Animation of the spiral belt drive multispeed®. The belt winds around the wheel axle in a spiral.

Schematic 3D drawing of the dijker

3D design drawing of the dijker, showing the chassis, seat, steering and nose cover.

The spiral belt drive multispeed® in real life. Watch the belts wind around the wheel axle.

The chassis

Everything is mounted on the chassis, a flat plate. It holds the suspension, steering rack, pedal guides and brake distribution. The brake cables, wiring and drive belts run through it, out of harm's way. The chassis is strong and light.

spiral belt drive multispeed®

Drive and gearing are one system. Each belt winds around the wheel axle in a spiral. While you push, belt length is added or taken away, which makes the diameter bigger or smaller. You can even shift down while standing still. A bicycle derailleur can't do that.

Brakes

All four wheels have light-alloy drum brakes. You brake by pushing the steering wheel in, and the steering column passes that movement on. It sounds odd, but in practice it comes naturally.

Steering and brakes of the dijker
The dijker at the Erfinderlabor, Spezialradmesse 2019

Inventor's award

Third place in the inventor competition at the Spezialradmesse in Germersheim, 2019.

See the competition
Peter-Paul van der Ven

The inventor

Peter-Paul van der Ven

Inventor of the dijker

Peter-Paul knows physics, materials and tribology. He designs and tests sandwich structures and linear pedal mechanisms.

The dijker is a childhood dream come true. As a boy he saw the air around us getting dirtier. He wanted to build small vehicles with little or no exhaust, vehicles he would want to ride himself. The goal is that car owners will pick one too.

Investing

The dijker works. The next step is further development and bringing it to market. Want to invest, or take on a major role in the project? Get in touch.

Get in touch

Get in touch

Have a question or an idea, or want to invest? Send a message.

* Required field