'This is the bike for Chicago'
The worst winter in decades inspired a design firm and frame builder to fashion a bike tough enough for this town.
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/minimal-method-bicycle-concept...
Views: 3247
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on
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James, I think the point of a design competition isn't to just gussy up what we're already doing, it's to give designers free reign to imagine something different without commercial constraint. The auto industry has been doing this for decades, producing pie-in-the-sky concept autos, shown at auto shows as concept vehicles that are unlikely to ever go into production, which nonetheless have advanced features that eventually trickle down into ordinary models. A concept bike competition is precisely the venue to introduce bikes made of new materials, with unimagined shapes, drivetrains, wheels, brakes, and so on. If we never pushed the limit to what a bike could be, we'd all still be riding penny farthings.
Edit: Ditto to rwein5, who was typing while I was typing. ;)
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Permalink Reply by Jonathan Quist on
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Coincidentally this morning I heard from friends of mine who happen to be in Amsterdam for a couple of days. They were impressed by a municipal parking garage they saw. 3 levels, nearly full, nothing but bicycles.
James BlackHeron said:Because the "perfect city bike" wouldn't' look at all like the bikes that are ridden by the majority of people who live and ride in bike-friendly cities like Amsterdam.
Because those silly people don't have a clue what they are doing. Why should they? What do they know about riding everywhere and everyday on bikes in a city? They have obviously been doing it wrong all these years....
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Permalink Reply by Davo on
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Thunder Snow said:James, I think the point of a design competition isn't to just gussy up what we're already doing, it's to give designers free reign to imagine something different without commercial constraint. The auto industry has been doing this for decades, producing pie-in-the-sky concept autos, shown at auto shows as concept vehicles that are unlikely to ever go into production, which nonetheless have advanced features that eventually trickle down into ordinary models. A concept bike competition is precisely the venue to introduce bikes made of new materials, with unimagined shapes, drivetrains, wheels, brakes, and so on. If we never pushed the limit to what a bike could be, we'd all still be riding penny farthings.
Edit: Ditto to rwein5, who was typing while I was typing. ;)
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Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on
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Sometimes Bike Snob is the last, best word.
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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on
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I had a Fiero and the headlights were the least of the issues with that car. I found it was not very hard to keep the headlights working correctly. Then again, I'm an electrician, and a mechanic. No big deal. The parts to fix the issues are easy to acquire and install.
I finally gave up with the retractable antenna mast on my '94 Camry. It's really a simple job to replace it and the part is only $21 on Amazon. But in the city here, it seems to only last a year or so before some jackass messes with it when it is parked on the street. I'm sick of replacing it every year and it works OK to pick up WBEZ in town anyhow even when it is messed up and stuck halfway up and down with a bend in the middle of it. So I just haven't replaced it in the last 5-6 years. I should do something soon though, because the last year the poor thing grinds and grinds on for 30 seconds after I shut off the car as it confused as to why it is not coming down and stopping. I don't drive it much anyhow. I'm lucky to put 4-5k on it in a typical year and most of that is longer trips to wisconsin to visit my parents or camping trips.
Jeff Schneider said:Bikesnob also dislikes integrated retractable anything, for the same reasons I do. He mentioned this:
"Even the automotive industry has realized retractability is stupid, which is why you no longer see power antennas and pop-up headlights--though presumably everyone involved in the production of this bike is too young to have seen all those Fieros with only one open headlight pathetically winking at everybody back in the '80s."
I had one of those...
James BlackHeron said:Bikesnob doesn't disappoint.
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I've found that GM doesn't have an answer to anything worthwhile. I've owned my share of them, as well as Fords and Chryslers over the years.
Never Again.
These days, if I'm going to buy any car, it's going to be a Toyota or a Honda, and the first letter of the VIN is going to start with the letter J.
Duane Waller said:GM's answer in the 70s to the retractable antenna was that useless windshield-embedded antenna. Sorta looped around the outer edge of the windshield, picked up few, if any, FM stations. And only the strongest of the AM stations.
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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on
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*snerk* ALmost sprayed tea out of my nose while reading. Priceless. Should know better than to drink anything while reading Bikesnob.
James BlackHeron said:
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I'm leveraging this post to effectuate even more exposure to BikeSnob's continued lambasting of the Vanmoofy designer douche chariots.
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Permalink Reply by Tricolor on
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Riding home around eight last night I did wonder if anyone's worked at adapting a small (maybe LED) motorcycle headlight for bikes. Most bike lights are neigh-useless for anything but irritating people and/or so faint no one's going to see them, particularly with a dimmed rear view mirror.
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Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on
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It could easily be done with battery power, but why? There are a number of nice dyno lights on the market that give plenty of light for speeds from 5-30mph.
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My AXA Luxx 70 (70lux) is pretty darn bright for a bike light powered by the hub dynamo.
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