Riding a bike is a great way to cut journey times in city traffic, fuel bills and your carbon footprint. But most of us would quickly retreat to the comfort of ours cars at the first hint of bad weather.

Which is exactly why one cycling enthusiast created the DryCycle. And if you don’t mind being openly laughed at every time you get behind the, er, handles, it could be the perfect solution.

Looking like some kind of hi-tech take on the bath chairs used by elderly and disabled folks in Victorian times, the DryCycle is a four-wheeled, fully enclosed e-bike. It features a polycarbonate body and welded aluminium frame, and has even undergone crash testing to ensure it’s as safe as possible.

Riders enter the DryCycle by lifting a canopy, which is hygrophobic, so repels water, but you an also option a windscreen wiper. Inside, there’s a car seat made by OMP, who sell seats for racing cars, specially modified to suit the recumbent riding position. Two 150 W air heaters will keep you warm in cold weather and you can even specify a heated seat.

Related: BMW Shows Off Electric Tricycle And FWD Scooter As Urban Transportation Solutions

In line with UK and EU laws governing e-bikes, the motor is limited to 250 W and it will only assist your peddling efforts up to 15.5 mph. It can’t operate solely on electric power so you can’t just crank a throttle open and tear off. The brakes are hydraulic, and the steering is handled by two joysticks, one either side of the seat.

We’re car guys through and through, but there’s a germ of a good idea here, and lots of other good ideas employed to make it all work. There’s a neutral gear facility, for instance, so you can change to a lower gear if you didn’t have time to do it before you came to a stop. And despite looking like it would fall over at the slightest nudge, slalom videos on DryCycle’s website show it’s actually very stable.

It’s just a shame it looks so damned ugly. And apart from the embarrassment factor, there’s the price to consider. The DryCycle costs £14,995 in the UK, which equates to just under $21,0000. And for that money you could buy a great used car and hundreds of gallons of gas, or lease a new electric car and still be able to afford to plant a few trees to assuage your guilt.

Would you drive a DryCycle around your city? Let us know in the comments.

The $21k Drycycle Is A Four-Wheel Bike That Thinks It’s A Car
The $21k Drycycle Is A Four-Wheel Bike That Thinks It’s A Car
The $21k Drycycle Is A Four-Wheel Bike That Thinks It’s A Car
The $21k Drycycle Is A Four-Wheel Bike That Thinks It’s A Car
The $21k Drycycle Is A Four-Wheel Bike That Thinks It’s A Car
The $21k Drycycle Is A Four-Wheel Bike That Thinks It’s A Car
The $21k Drycycle Is A Four-Wheel Bike That Thinks It’s A Car
The $21k Drycycle Is A Four-Wheel Bike That Thinks It’s A Car
The $21k Drycycle Is A Four-Wheel Bike That Thinks It’s A Car
The $21k Drycycle Is A Four-Wheel Bike That Thinks It’s A Car
The $21k Drycycle Is A Four-Wheel Bike That Thinks It’s A Car
The $21k Drycycle Is A Four-Wheel Bike That Thinks It’s A Car