For those of you that shuck conventional travel and prefer to get around town on a no-emissions bicycle, there’s a new vehicle coming to the market which promises a smoother, more comfortable ride. It’s called the Stringbike, and its Hungarian designers say it will provide more maneuverability around winding streets.

The design replaces the traditional chain with a symmetrical rope and pulley system on each side of the bike, but it’s more complex than having a simple bicycle chain and gears. The rotation of the pedals forces arms at each side to swing forward and backward on its shaft. When moving forward, the arm pulls the driving wire that is wound around a drum on the rear wheel, forcing the wheel to rotate.

The arms at each side alternate so that when one is moving forward the other is moving backward. It still has gears, though. 19 of them, in fact, which can be turned at any time by turning a shifting knob on the right handle grip. This moves the pulley shafts up and down along a traction path on a disc, and while gears can be changed while the Stringbike is stationary, they work faster as the speed of the bicycle increases.

Perhaps the best thing about the new Stringbike, is that the drive system will be able to be replaced with different parts for specific purposes such as racing or or touring, so you might not need to have separate bicycles for the different activities you participate in. That’s a huge money saver right there. Not only that, but the driving rope is a special high density polyethylene product with high stability over extended periods, and which is resistant to mud, water, dirt, sand, and humidity. Resistant? That’s genius.

With traditional bike chains and gears often soiling the riders clothing, this new rope and pulley system may be just what you are looking for in a new bike to get you around. With chains being susceptible to weather conditions, this new system is sure to last longer, too.

As more and more people become conscious of the environment, and want to do their part but can’t afford a newfangled electric car, this new Stringbike just may be the answer for those summertime rides. It was just unveiled in Padova, Italy, but look for it to be on the market near the middle of 2011. No word yet on cost, but if saves you money on new pants, it’s got to be worth it.