NEWPORT, R.I. — What does a resident of Aquidneck Island do when he can’t cross the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge on his bike? To solve the problem, Tyson Bottenus built an aquatic alternative using a kit that would allow him to cross Narragansett Bay on his 1980s Peugeot bicycle.

A movable drive train converts power from the rear wheel into a propeller just beneath the front wheel. The two pontoons are fully collapsible and fit snugly into a backpack. While Bottenus didn’t require a helmet on this maiden voyage, he did decide to bring an orange life jacket.