Squirreling about the Christian Science Center, a small walk from Northeastern’s campus, Michael Killian rides a bike of his own invention. He can be seen riding his bike “more or less every day, when the sun is out,” he said.

Killian, originally from Ireland, lives on Westland Avenue and likes riding around NU. He has lived in Boston for about a decade.

“Of all the colleges, NU has less attitude,” Killian said. “MIT thinks they’re supposed to know everything. BU tends to be full of themselves.”

Killian is known to many students as “sideways bicycle man.” He said he learned how to ride a bicycle at a late age, around 7 or 8 years old.

With his background in engineering, Killian has invented bicycles with two different steering mechanisms. His bicycles either ride sideways or straight ahead, he said. (See picture for straight ahead.) Killian said he’s going to try to get some “straight ahead” bikes built in Taiwan and sell them off of his Web site, www.sidewaysbike.com, for about $200. He said these bikes will appeal more to children, he doesn’t think adults will be as willing to learn the new ways he has come up with to ride a bike.

“Kids don’t carry the baggage of learning to change,” said Killian, with his long handlebar mustache bouncing as he spoke.

The first bike he invented, he said, “nearly killed me.” He was practicing in a Mission Hill parking lot and he kept losing his balance. He knew if he continued on that bicycle, he would die. The second bicycle was more successful, he said. He could bike for 20 yards without falling over.

“You know you’re onto something when that happens. You keep building on what you have worked on,” Killian said.

In August, Killian visited Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris riding his bicycle trying to promote his inventions. He said the people in Amsterdam responded well to his bikes.

“It’s a great bike place,” he said.

For more information, pictures and background, visit Killian’s Web site.