I really like this bike built for the ladies! The tires (in my opinion) are WAY to masculine unless you live in the country and certainly this isn't built for extreme mountain biking, but this design is nice...really nice!
As you all know, I don't get into these types of bicycle, but for some odd reason, this one caught my eye!
Showing posts with label bicycle design. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bicycle design. Show all posts
WOW! Your fearless blogger has been humbled once again. As many of my regular readers know, I have a DISDAIN for bicycles that have 'Alot of Stuff' and clutter on them. It, in my opinion, just takes away from the simplicity that is bike design. My eyes start to roll around in my head as I count the number of EXTRA WIRES, gears, and what I view as totally unecessary additions to bikes that make them look more complicated (in the name of adding value) than they really are.
That is until I saw this design people and Urban Funk Enthusiasts! This design certainly won't make it into my design 'Funk Hall of Fame' anytime soon, but this design from a company called Work Cycles catches my eye on a few levels. The first is although I think black tires and black frames are totally MINDLESS and unimaginative, it works on this bike, the sprocket and chain are covered with a slick cover and the top and bottom tubing are a thing of BEAUTY. Not the FUNK, but well done...Work Cycles, I don't like ANY of your other designs, but I like this one...you get the APPLAUSE!
The celerifere - one of the earliest bike prototypes - had no pedals or steering.
The first contraption that can realistically be said resembles a bicycle was constructed around 1790 by Comte Mede de Sivrac of France. Called a celerifere, it was a wooden scooter-like device with no pedals or steering. A similar model, improved with a steering mechanism attached to the front wheel, was created in 1816 by German Baron Karl von Drais de Sauerbrun. He called it a Draisienne, after himself, though popular parlance also dubbed it the hobby horse.
When using either of these devices, the rider perched on a seat between two wheels similarly sized wheels, and using the feet, propelled the bicycle a bit like a scooter. Drais exhibited his bicycle in Paris in 1818, and while popularly received, its design limited its use to really just flat, well-groomed paths through gardens and parks, which were off-limits to a good portion of the population in those days.
When Pedals Were Added - A Big Improvement
A FEW historians credit the invention of the pedal bicycle to Kirkpatrick MacMillan, a Scottish blacksmith who lived from 1812-1878. One day back in 1839, MacMillan was out watching people riding bikes, which at that time were driven by kicking the ground with your feet. Thrilling, eh? Seemed to him that there must be a better way.
According to later research done by family members, after musing on the matter a bit MacMillan came up with an idea for the first pedal set-up that could more effectively drive the bike. Using his blacksmith tools, he put his idea into place, and voila! bicycling suddenly took a giant leap forward.
Macmillan's contraption had a wood frame and iron-rimmed wooden wheels. The front wheel, which provided limited steering measured 30 inches (760 mm) in diameter, while the back had a 40 inch (1016 mm) wheel and was attached to pedals via connecting rods. In total, Macmillan's bike weighed 57 lb (26 kg). His creation gathered a lot of attention, and Macmillan helped generate additional publicity when he rode the bike 68 miles to visit his brothers in Glasgow. Copies of his invention produced by other firms soon appeared on the market, and Macmillan saw little profit from his innovation.
Holden Hidden Motor Bicycles of the late 19th Century are sure a site for sore eyes! When I look at these bicycles, I just say "Now that's what I am talking about!" I say so because when you look at this particular bicycle, you can easily close your eyes and imagine what such a bike would look like today with a little of what I call Urban Flair.' If you built this today, even with the motor, I tell you what would put a little FUNK on it...Some wild lime or orange tires...Leave the front and back sizes the same...Rebuild the fenders to drop 6 inches down on each side of the tire and add a 6 inch fender length drop on the back and front fenders...The handle bars, FORGET ABOUT IT! They are spectacular just like they are...Frame color...I could only imagine..But it would have to sparkle and pop..While I am at the redesign here...I would certainly go to my Tailor (if I had one) and have him remake the clothes this dude has on!
SLOW DOWN BRU! Where you in a hurry to get to?!!!!!!!
George Barr and an Old High Wheel Bicycle
I came across this bicycle while conducting some VERY LIGHT bicycle viewing. I am posting this not because I like the design or dislike the design, but to tell yall that this bike retails for...umm...$4,000! Oh my, Oh my...Hermes Bicycles were introduced into the market place in the 1980s and is a Dutch Bicycle Company that SAYS they like to push the envelope of stylish bicycle design.
WOW! I am getting a little wound up because if the pictured design is PUSHING the envelope, my brand soon to launch, Iron RIDERZ is going to Rip, chew, burn, smash and OBLITERATE that same envelope. Happy days are here again folks.
Below Article courteyt of www.tuvie.com
Hermes bicycle, with its stylish shape and features, will allow the users to show off their flair and elegance even during the early morning stroll. Hermes bicycles were introduced in the market during 1980s and recently boomed the market with their new idea of wrapping a stainless steel bicycle developed by the Dutch brand Batavus with leather. Hermes decorated the frame, seats and handles of this bicycle by enfolding with Taurillon Clémence, which is an extremely supple grained leather in a pumpkin and zesty Havana shade while keeping its original black finish intact. Spare accessories are not available of this bicycle yet, but can be developed by special workshop upon request. The Hermes bicycle retails at $4,000.
WOW! This bicycle would be SOOOO HOOOTTT if it wasn't for those tacky 'Ape Hanger' Handlebars. I love the color, the fan style spokes, sprocket is nice and small, seat could use some work...but WHAT IF they did something alot funkier with the handle bars and got rid of those played out black tires? I give this design, as low riders go anyway a solid C+ FELLA!
Save the emails dear readers complaining and whining about the fact that I am not a low rider fan, how I don't appreciate the art in it, saying I am insulting the Latino culture..blah-blah-blah...The great thing about blogging is it is usually opinion based and used to drive some one's agenda...My blog is no different...My agenda is going to War against crappy bike designs and my opinion matters because...well, this is 'My party and I'll cry if I want to!'
If you think I'm playing, listen to the song...
People...I have dreamed a dream...in this dream there is a Bicycle...The bicycle has the most beautiful aero-dynamic design known to the world..the handle bars are such that you can lay your forearms in them(padded)...the seat is orange velvet..seat post(bar) is diamond shaped..sprocket assembly is the size of a lid on a Pringle's Potato Chip Lid, yet it has the cranking force to generate speeds up to 40 miles an hour..the pedals are trimmed in orange velvet..
Frame is a very light powdered blue...bottom tubing shoots up to attached to the top tubing at an angle that seems impossible according to the laws of physics...the tires are orange with white tiger stripes..rims are clear see through with a hub that measures 8 inches from center to top...
Spokes are unusually short, see through yet speckled powdered blue so lightly that you can barely see it...fork is see through...I need this bike so right now, as the old group 'Honey Cone' is going to sing for you...your fearless blogger is putting this dream in "The Want Ads" because...(as the song says "I need a Bike that's new" (the group says man)
DANG! Somebody send me a better picture of this BIKE...OH MY....OH MY...My Funk Hall of Fame just got another INDUCTEE....As my older brother used to say (I think he got this saying from Grady from Sanford and Son..."GoodGogaleewogalee!")
I really have to get a side and aerial view of this design because IF the rest of the design is as HOTTT as what I see in the picture, we may have another FUNK HALL of FAME Inductee in the Electric Bike category. Those handle bars make a brotha like me lay back in my chair and say "Those look like I could have designed the." Me being the Minister of Funk as it concerns Bike Design, this is a HUGE compliment dear readers.
Somebody please send me a FULL Picture of this bicycle if you have it...HURRY...I'm freaking out!!! Breathing Problems...:)
As promised, I will periodically update a VERY popular series of posts called my 'Bicycle Design Funk Hall of Fame.' These are the designs in the last 20 or so years that have risen (aesthetically) above their peers. The criteria for entrance into this hall are;
1. They have to emotionally move me to a point that I would just grab them off the bike rack where they are being sold, take them to the check out counter and never ask the price. (I may not have enough $$$ to buy them, but they are funky so I would worry about that when it became an issue
2. The designer can not have sent these designs to me as I would view this as them promoting themselves instead of them relying on the 'General of Funk' (me) coming across them.
3. They have to be affordable to the average Joe. (If I can't find a price on them or they are prototypes they are eligible)
4. When I first lay eyes on them, the FIRST THOUGHT I must have is DAAAANNNNGGG! (I assure you, these are the only designs in the last 20 years or so to do that)
5. I WILL NOT give the name of the company or manufacturer, only the name of the design. (Sorry yall...I ain't promoting your stuff for free)
In no special order...Here we go!
Nuvinci
Come on yall...The Legendary...'Pee Wee Herman'
Velorbis
Wild Buffalo! (Great Design...Crappy name)
TAXI! (Can a brotha get a cab in this city?)
I recently went to a blog I read about bicycle design and ran across this photo. Now, before I go any further, I want it to be understood that I am in no way slamming the designer of this bike, the judges who took their time to be a part of the process (some of whom are from notable bicycle brands), nor the blogger for posting it. As I was reading the post and viewing the comments, I marveled at how much thought went into this whole process. Even the people who took their time to comment were challenging the process to produce a better design.
I had to stop reading because it became obvious to me WHY the recreational bicycle offerings today are, well BS! It is so because this same process DOES NOT happen when it comes to the bicycles that the less affluent or non serious riders are willing to pay or can afford. I live in the poorer part of town here in Denver (by choice) and I notice that the service at the bank, Post Office, Gas Stations and the schools is terrible as compared to the same businesses in other, more affluent parts of the city.
This happens because business owners, school administrators and others DO NOT take poorer or less affluent people as seriously as they do people who are more affluent. Why? To answer than would be an exercise in pure speculation, however the only reason I can be absolutely sure of is poor or less affluent people are alot less likely to complain to the people who can make a difference and thus, business owners aren't held accountable for the crappy service they give. Many of you will say "Well they need to change their thought process." You can be a wise guy or gal if you want and pretend that everyone should think the same, talk the same, be educated the same but this is to ignore the very reality of how our beloved country continues it's prosperity.
I said ALL OF THAT to say this, the same mind-set is at work in the bicycle industry also. I posed this question to an industry insider a few years back (Richard Schwinn) and he said "Brian, factories have to have the tooling to totally change the design process and that takes huge investment." If that is so, who is designing the bikes, the company paying for the manufacturing or the the manufacturer? These 2 may be one and the same with the bigger companies but any of us who pay for services of any kind would never continue to use a service provider who didn't give us what we wanted for our money! If you went into a Burger King and said "I want a Whooper minus cheese plus pickle" to which they replied "We can't do that here." You and I both know what the outcome of that conversation would be don't we?
Around 2002 or 2003 Schwinn came out with the new era version of the Sting Ray.(See Above). I do not have sales figures on this design, but I know everywhere I looked, some kid had this design and the kicker is, I heard grown men saying "If that was bigger I would get one." There was an excitement in the air about the above design and, no offense, this design is, at best MARGINAL! What that excitement showed was people are hungry for something new (not that this concept was new at that time) and something that was affordable! Look in Big Box Retailers, where 78% of these folks buy there bicycles, and you see brands like 'Next' and other brands that are just.....TERRIBLE.
I think at a time in the history of our economy, where all it takes is a Youtube Video, flood of visitors to a website and a company can be started online for, literally less than $5.00 per month, Pacific, TREK, Doral and others be warned...You are no longer hungry, you have overlooked the pennies of the many in favor of the dollars of the few. Anytime a company in the history of our economy has done this, they have lost huge market share and some have went out of business...The choice is yours.
STAR TREK 2009! As a kid in the 1980s, I watched reruns of the original STAR TREK. As a young adult, I watched the Star Trek 'The Next Generation', the movies and what not. I tell you what deal readers, this post ain't got JACK BONE (nothing) to do with Bicycle Design, but the new STAR TREK...Oh my! Enjoy the movie.
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I am forced to post some more bicycle designs that are.......well.....dumb. Please play this video when you are inspecting the heights of stupidity these folks have gone to.
Lisa...My Design Style when I made my Pee-Wee Herman was..like the above song:
GHETTO SUPERSTAR!!!!!
I got a very interesting question from a reader concerning a post from a few years back. Her question was "You said you made a ghetto version of the Pee-Wee Herman back in 1985...what was your design style then compared to now?" The answer to that is multu-layered I guess, however, back then I lived in the ghetto so my designs reflected the things that I held dear. Our values, good or bad, are almost always learned. Back then, I had a hero who happened to be one of my sister's boyfriends. His name was Jerry Sallis who we simply called 'Jay Sal'. At that time (most certainly not now) represented EVERYTHING I wanted to be:
1) He was one of the few men I knew who had a job (granted he was stealing $$$ from both of them)
2) He was always dressed nice and had $$$ in his pocket.
3) His car was always clean and he LEANED so hard in it!
4) Jay Sal could cook too!
5) His command of ghetto slang was unmatched. I can still hear him saying "What up cuz?" In the drawl that was uniquely Jerry.
Jay Sal was GHETTO FABOLOS nad I wanted to be also. He was my role model and growing up in such an environment, positive role models were rare. Our sense of what is and what isn't important, our values are sensory driven in our formative years. When many of you hear this, you will think "Oh my goodness, how could he believe that?" Next time you see one of those programs on TV where they are asking you to give $23.00 per month to help feed a hungry child, notice that some of those children are drinking polluted and discolored water while others are eating spoiled food from garbage dumps. They do this, like I, because if that is all you see and are looking for a way to survive or fit in, you work with, eat, and imitate those around you!
Cadillacs, chrome, and FLASH was the order in my neighborhood, and my bike design reflected this. I tell you what, I will remake that bike EXACTLY as it was then and post it this spring. Until then, for those of you out there who feel like an outsider because of the way you dress, act, or other, be who you are because the worst thing any one of you can do is to not be......UNIQUELY YOU!
"SQUADRA is built to exceed the expectations and demands of our customers. Simply put, our mission is to make the best gear and offer the best service. It is time to further our company's personal growth and nurture the development of our own brand," quotes Dan Weatherford, Founder and President.
This company was licensing someone else's brand. Short tutorial on licensing. One company, the licensee, (usually a manufacturer) pays a royalty of say, between 4%-6% to what is called a licensor for the priviledge of selling that particular brandname. For instance, TREK is licensing the name Greg Lemond.(although Lemond can't keep his mouth shut) TREK uses the cycling greats name to sell bikes, Lemond gets a fat check. I tell you what, I saw the deal and alot of it is based on actual bike sales, but Lemond set it up with what is called a 'Minimum Royalty' which says "Even if yu don't sell one bike, you need to give me $180,000 for 10 years!"
Anyway, this company SQUADRA, doesn't want to sell someone else's products anymore, so they threw the lincensor off the boat and decided to go it alone. My only issue is this; why doesn't SQUADRA cut the BS and say what they are really thinking instead of putting out the above quote?! Dan, Mr. President of SQUADRA, your products and customer service aren't gonna be any better than anyone of your competitors and if you think it is, you are only going to frustrate yourself! I am a partner in a company and I know for a fact that it is a good thing to push for great customer service with your employees, but don't think you are fooling the Public with that WEAK press release statement! You could've come up with something a little more original, don't you think?
Let me tell you something else I KNOW you haven't thought of. In the very near future, customer service is going to shift from the 'Front Desk' to the 'Back Office'. All I am encouraging you and your team at Squadra to do is BE YOURSELVES! Take this opportunity as you roll out your own brand, to 'Rollout your own company culture.' There is NOTHING WORSE than something as unoriginal as your press release, I mean, it is right down pathetic. As crazy as this may sound, instead of of saying all of that...well..nothingness...you should have just said "SQUADRA...COMING SOON!" At least this little bit of information as compared to your press release sounds a bit less regurgetated! Or tell the truth;
"SQUADRA has decided that we can not only make better products than Castelli, who was our licensor, but we have taken the last several years, really not given 100% to our Licensor because we have been developing our own brand, picked up and improved on their practices, and will now do what is best for our own company! Why should we keep giving them 4-6% when we can keep it for ourselves and not drag our feet, and give you, OUR FUTURE CUSTOMERS, BETTER PRODUCT."
Hell, at least be real with it. You tell the public what they can expect from you AND you let Castelli know out front "We are going to CRUSH YOU!" You think Castelli doesn't know? Also, how are you going to make 'The Best Gear.' What does that mean? I hope it is manufactured somewhere here in the U.S. baby boy! I have this little old blog, many,many,many readers, no college education to speak of, but one thing I will not be is unoriginal...SQUADRA...these people read my blog, not because it's is a GREAT OR NICE LOOKING website, not because I gave them some 'Line' like you did in your press release, but because I am real! Read some of my posts, check out my language and my flow...All I am asking is, "Now that you are dumping Castelli, who IS SQUADRA?" Communicate this to us, we, your customer want to know.
I also want to save you the effort of saying "Well, you don't know what it is like to launch a company or brand." Sure I do! It is because I do know that I can sit here and write these things. It is because I know the importance of seperating yourself from the pack that I can say these things. It is because I know when you are launching, every word that comes from your mouth Dan can make or break your profitability that I can exhort you to stop the BS!
Mr. President, I understand, even better than your Executive Team,why this time between the break from Castelli and yur launch is SO CRITICAL..You are stepping away from a known quantity and gambling on an unknown brand name, even if it is your own. This isn't merely the next 'Step' for SQUADRA, but it is a 'LEAP' into uncharted territory. A message has to be genuine, not that crap you released to the press. Take a breather and figure out what GENUINE looks like to SQUADRA! Good Luck!
Views: 2,483,069
Yall know I love me some Scraper Bikes! I just checked their site and it seems they had...A CONVENTION OF SORTS! I tell you what, these cats, the Trunk BOIZ love what they re doing and they found a way, despite their circumstances to do something BIG! I admire their grit and their hustle. What is more I am hoping the CEO Da Champ is entering into some big time promotion relationships with other companies! Champ, you and your team GET IT! Their are companies out their spending MILLIONS per year advertising and can't (although they desire to)reach that niche you have in your back pocket MAN!
To my readers, I am going to share something with you that that Da Champ, Trunk BOIZ, and I understand that you may not;
1) Pushing your product in Urban Areas requires you to SPEND LESS big time advertising dollars and 'Get Hood' with it like Scraper does it! Aka- a more 'Viral' approach!
2) To my readers in the industry, IF you really wanna penetrate the Urban Bicycle Market, STOP BUILDING BIKES THAT ARE UGLY! Why do you think Scraper is such a popular movement? It is because they took THE JUNK you built, and turned it in to something kids all over the country are doing. They are in Cali and I am in Denver and their is a youngster up the street 'Cruisin on his Scraper Bike!'
3) Partner with Street Promoters, like Da Champ, Trunk Boiz, and Scraper for your 'Viral Marketing'. Not just to go promote, but to consult on your designs. They know what Urban Youth will like and what they won't.
4) This will sound contrary to everything you think you know, however, celebrities aren't the most effective way to promote your products. The most effective way is to design hot products, consistently, that will sell regardless of endorsements. Take some of that endorsement $$$ and stick it into infastructure.
These are just a few ideas, but ideas are the things that GREAT COMPANIES nd GREAT PRODUCTS are made of, no?
The word Provolution is a word that was sometimes used in black churches. It simply means 'Taking the best of the past and bringing it forward into the present and carrying that ideal into the future.' Many other industries do this when designing product. Yet, the bicycle industry seems not to be in step with this. The are many challenges when designing bicyles, but going forward into the future, they are going to have to step up to the plate. There are bicycle design competitions all over the world. I recently saw the 2nd place winner in the Tiawanese design competition held every year. The bike was called 'Wild Buffalo'. This design was HOOTTT! That being said, in the market right now, it was totally impractical for mass production.
If you are wondering where I am going with this, the term Provolution applies. Bringing the best of the past forward into the present requires not that some designer comes up with a new hand brake system, or for design, those things are basic and there are only so many variations of them you can use. The good news is that when one focuses on the young adult, kid and junior bicycle market, kids don't care about innovative design, they care about whether they like their bikes and can they have fun on them! I challenge any of you with children to relay a story to me when you took your child to get a bike and they said "Well mom and\or dad, I really don't like the braking system on this bike and the rear wheel base is 2 inches to short for my taste." I raised two kids and I never heard any of that from them. It is about asthetics to them!
When they look at the bike, will they get excited, or will they say "I wish you would have bought me a video game instead." My next post will deal with the biggest enemy of the bicycle industry today (Video Games and gaming systems). Let those of us who love bicycles and like to design them keep the thought of 'Provolution' on our minds and I promise, the industry will sit up and take notice!
You have got to be kidding me! Check out this trick rider named Aaron Frost. His name is Aaron Frost and he and the man you only know as 'The Fabricator of Funk' used to ride together back in the day. I posted about the 3 trick practices so far;
1) Ghostin- Gained popularity in the Bay Area and basically consists of a person running along side their Adult Trike while it peddles itself...BORING!
2) Drifting- This practice is hot and consists of a number of tricks like prolonged skidding when coming down a hill, and peddling faster than the tire can get it's grip which produces a cool looking-controlled skid! HOOOOTTTTT!
3) Aaron Frost- I don't know what he is doing but for the first time in a LOONNNGGG time people I will give Aaron my "I saw the FUNK, and it was good" Award which is the top honor given to anyone on this site.
These are the types of niche and bicycle sub-cultures which we at Major Taylor will latch onto and bring into the main stream. To all of you bicycle tricj riders and enthusiasts, keep on doin your thang, I am coming to get ya and make you STARS!
WOW! I ran across these bicycles in my search for great bicycle design. The company is called The Little Bike Company and they are based in the U.K. I must say that these bikes for small kids are HOOOTTTTT! 
I like these designs for a number of reasons, but the main reason is their SIMPLICITY! I have been telling yall since the beginning that simplicity is where it is at. Gadgets and all that other stuff really takes away from the greatness of the base design.
There is an emerging market that I spoke about some time back in 'Track Bicycles'. These things hearken back to the days of old when the Safety Bicycle was a new thing and the biggest sports stars, like Major Taylor, were men on bicycles! Track Bicycles are some of the most elegant machinery you will ever see folks.
More about that in another post! In other Marshall Taylor News, I am almost done with the design of my new website which will be found, when launched, at www.lemajor.com. Le Major, is French for The Major! This website will be a monster yall! Talk at ya soon.
I agree Sameer....I agree!
Article courtesy of: Sameer Kumar
There have been ample instances when I have been really hard on those who have created concept bikes and designed amazingly improbable concept cars. The reason for that is simple and it is the fact that I really do not see how many of these actually ever making it on to the road and in 99% of the cases they indeed are relegated to the drawing board. But this cool new concept bike design from Eric Zhang is an absolute novelty and something I strongly feel has a great future if taken up and fine-tuned by one of the big boys of biking world.
The ‘Modulated Bike’ is practically the best design one can get in terms of a modern city bicycle that acts both as a green, pollution free bike and a transporter which has a wonderful module to stay connected when you are on the move. The bike has basically three modules which can be easily inter-changed for our convenience. We have the communication mode in which you cans stay connected with all your wireless gadgets, you have the transportation mode which allows you to carry stuff in a custom made box which even comes with a freezer and then you have the engine-propelled mode which allows you to attach a fuel-cell powered engine for faster transport.
The modulated is one concept bike which has its wheels in reality and hence I fully expect it to hit the roads some time in the future. Eric Zhang has done an incredibly good job with a fundamentally sound design by adding great improvisation to it.
Designer:Eric Zhang
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