In the pursuit of reducing materials and simplifying designed objects, how much can you take away before it’s a completely new object?
When we think of a bicycle, we assume that it is composed of two wheels, a frame, a chain, handle bars, pedals, and sometimes a breaking mechanism.
The Inner City Bike makes us reconsider that notion. A concept design by Jruiter, it eliminates the need for a bike chain and reduces the structure of the bike frame. It’s designed for inner city biking, where bicycling can be more about “fashion and culture than speed and performance.”
[ via bookofjoe]
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its basically lika a unicycle, no?
November 5th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
“..it eliminates the need for a bike chain..” – How?
November 5th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
is kb blind?
November 6th, 2009 at 1:56 am
As someone who commutes daily by bike in Amsterdam, the traditional design of a Dutch bike is hands-down the most comfortable geometry for city riding (assuming it’s relatively flat). The saddle, pedal position, and hunched-over posture make this totally unsuitable. A nice break away from convention, but I’ll stick with my beat-up Batavus anyday…
November 6th, 2009 at 4:28 am
Actually, kb is right. Same mechanism as a unicycle, with front fork and wheel slapped on.
Probably near impossible to ride in real life given the overly short cranks and poor frame geometry though.
November 6th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
this is a joke. you can hardly straighten your legs. you can’t straighten your back, and there’s nothing to cushion your butt against shocks. it would be torture to ride this bike.
November 6th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Inner city biking is about getting from point A to point B as quickly, safely, and effortlessly as possible. Ok concept bike, but save it for the park on a weekend if your goal is fashion and culture.
November 6th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
They might as well bring back the penny-farthing; now that was a stylish bike!
November 6th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
“…more about ‘fashion and culture than speed and performance.’??? How about more about crashing than speed and performance? That’s an endo machine–over crank the brakes (front disc!) and you’re ass-over-kettle in a nano-second, and the shock forks will makes it worse.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:03 am
*braking
November 11th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Comments are right on the money: Why don’t designers ask people who actually use existing products before rolling out this sort of silliness? And since when are considerations like ergonomics, rider safety, steering geometry and usability no longer part of ID?
November 18th, 2009 at 1:52 pm