I wrote a post last year about a design from 1946 simply known as 'Moon lander'. I ran across the design (pictured right) during my never ending search for something in bicycle design that emotionally moves me. To imagine a designer coming up with the 'Moon lander' 62 years ago simply fascinates me, which brings me to the point of this post. I found these designs on an architecture website (pictured below). Although they look an awful lot like the design from 1946, when I first laid eyes upon them, all I could say was DANG!


These designs were on the web simply titled 'Rush', yet the name Rush didn't yield any further information concerning manufacturer, designers, whether they are simply concept bicycles with renderings, or ANYTHING! Nevertheless, I have to say what I will always say when I see something like these designs "I saw the funk and it was good." As is customary with me, sure I would have been alot more aggressive with the colors (brighter,louder, more eye-catchy) and certainly I would have done something different with the rims, but these bicycles are HOOTTT!

I believe they are hooottt not for the reasons many of you may believe which is because they look 'Futuristic' as such, because as I have stated before after seeing many so-called 'Futuristic' designs at design competitions, and after looking at not less than 100, I was not emotionally moved AT ALL by the other 'Futuristic' designs I have seen (save the one pictured above). One of the reasons I like the below pictured designs is that I can tell that much thought went into creating every aspect of this design from the rims, up to the frame, to the handle bars (which are freak shows) to what appears to be disc brakes. I am keepin' it real with yall when I say that my heart aches when I see kids and young adults riding on bicycles that are sub-par at best and manufactured in a process that closely resemble how cookies for sale in your local grocery store are produced 'I mold, 1 seat, one tire design fits all'.

As I close I will answer a question that has stayed with me since it was asked by one of my readers. That question was "Brian why isn't your blog on any of the other major bicycle blogs as one of their favorite links?" The short answer to that is many of the blogs I have seen are stuffed full of content, which is OK I guess. But there is really no central focus or any stated 'Vision' or directions from some other blogs and when there is, the content that surrounds the 'Vision' really has little, if anything to do with the stated vision! The longer answer to the question is that my 'Vision' is very focused on 'Urban Funk' which means bicycle design from an inner-city perspective and because there isn't alot of this kind of content on the web, I rarely find content that fits with my vision and since I am not interested in placing content on my blog for the sake of having content on my site, what I am doing is of no interest to the others.

I have received content from companies asking me to post their latest designs and emails from others asking about bicycle events etc. But that isn't what this blog is about. It is about bringing to light the fact there is an audience in this country of not less than 40 million Urban Consumers that are being ignored by bicycle designers and it is my mission in life to educate you all on what these consumers may be looking for in design.

This concept is from Nulla. It is a Chainless and HUBLESS Design. WOW! Interesting.....very interesting. :)

Sorry I have been away for a minute but I have spent my spare time over the last month re sketching some of my designs and I can tell you all that my latest 4 creations: 'Smoove', 'Air Force 1', 'Funk Ball', and 'Mannish' are...well... in all modesty FREAK SHOWS! I am up to 102 designs and it seems every time I try and relax my mind for a minute, something off of 'Planet Funk' pops into my head and I have to preserve the concept by sketching it- yall know how I do it. Here is a free concept for you designers that read my blog. What would a girl's or ladies bicycle look like that is a hybrid chopper-cruiser style design that features a 'Louis Vouitton' paint job, goldish brown slick fur style seat, jewel encrusted rims (imitation of course) stripped gold and brown tires, with hoop earring L.V. logo on the top tubing (centered)? Take it a little further and put a gold chain guard with Louis Vouitton written on it with small diamonds (imitation of course). Push the envelope a little further and.....I will leave yall alone for now on that.


I'll bet yall don't know what I am talking about do you? Nor can you even comprehend the Million $$$ idea I just gave you. As I have always said "There isn't room for everybody to live on planet FUNK." Anyhow, I ran across the above design by a company called 'Mirachi'. After, again, looking at more cruisers than I can count, this one jumped out at me as having potential. The title of this post 'Bike UP! Handle Bars down' encapsulates my feelings about this design. I must say that I love the frame and the rims (although I think 1\3 more spokes would really POP), I am of the opinion that the designers lost the funk when it came down to the Handle bars. This style handle of handle bars have been repeated by 100's of other bicycle companies over the last 40 years. I really like the different sizes front and reaer tire also but I would've made the rear tire bigger and adjusted the size of the front tires a bit larger also.

The color on this frame POPS also and would make anyone notice it, however, tons more thought should have went in to the handle bar design. Many of you might not realize this but it the very small things (not that handles bars are a small thing) that can get a consumer excited or turn them off and make them say 'I really don't need that'. What would've been hot on this is handle bars that only went up 3 inches above the neck and sloped down, back and up towards the rider. Kind of hard to visualize what I am saying, but I just hate to see such a hot frame go to waste due to lack of creative follow through throughout the whole design. Above is another picture of a Bicycle offered by 3G Bikes and my friend Gary Silva. The design is hot, all the way down to the rims, but again, those straight up style-chopper handle bars just don't look good with the design as a whole.

I can tell you all without hesitation that had it not been for the handle bars on this 3G creation, this definitely would have made my Top 5 Designs of all-time! The design is perfect in almost every other way- and I LOVE THOSE BLADES! I have developed a style of handle bars for these types of bikes called 'Doggy Ears' (Puppy Ears for the ladies) that I know will change the whole look of such designs and ad that urban flair I have so often spoke about. I actually set them down on my design called Mannish and they really POP!

I have long known that Cadillac was producing a bicycle. However, until now I just wasn’t motivated nor was I intentional in seeking them out so I could have a look at their designs. I finally ran across them, and well, let me just say I would LOVE to design a line a bicycles for Cadillac that are worthy of the brand name. We all remember back in the day when Caddys were the thing to own! Well, at least where I come from they were the hit. The brand has definitely lost ground to Lexus, Benz, BMW and others since the late 1980’s, nevertheless Cadillacs are still around, albeit with less nostalgia than in years gone by.


I will be the 1st to admit that I was the biggest Cadillac fan in the world. I even bought a book about Caddys when I was in the Marine Corps. This book featured Cadillac designs from 1900 until 1990. I poured over this book hundreds of times reading and reading the same information because, well, I love Caddy's. For those of you who don't know, my DREAM CAR is a 1975 2-Door, cherry red, Cadillac Coupe De Ville with not more than 30,000 original miles on it with a monster 500 Cubic inch engine. 0-60 Miles per hour in 2 minutes or more! I might even be inclined to demonstrate what is known where I come from as a 'Cadillac Turn'.

This post is going to deal with a simple question posed by one of my readers. At the top of my blog is the logo I will use on many of my bicycle designs except for my line of Urban Choppers called 'Bindian'. Some of you have said 'That head badge can't go on your neck tubing, it won't fit because it is a flat logo and the tubing is round.' Readers- who said that neck tubing even has to be round? What if someone totally bypassed the whole neck tubing design thought process and was more 'Stem Functional'?To get all of your creative juices flowing, and I hate to do this, but I will answer that question with a question and doing so is never more appropriate than now! Who said that my logo is even going to go on the neck tube? When did I ever state that my logo is going to serve the function of a head badge? I will start off with a very short answer to the 1st question. Just because that is what everyone else does with their logos and head badges, it doesn't make it right or wrong, it is just what they do because they don't know any better, or in the case of designers working for companies such as Pacific Cycle or Huffy, their hands have been shackled and their creativity stifled.

When thinking about the branding on my bicycles, what is important is that they present as much as 'RYDZ' as they do a bicycle. That will require mixing in the best of car design while staying true to the tenants of great bicycle design. I am unable to accurately paint the picture to you of what this will look like but as 'Old Folks' used to say when I was growing up 'I'm gonna show you better than I can tell you.' Imagine this very logo sprawled across the top tubing, centered, and 'Iced Out'! Close your eyes and marvel at this 'Iced Out' logo mounted on a thin strip of aluminum connecting the right and left side of handle bars appearing as hood ornaments do on cars......Can't give you anymore than that right now because I feel you freaking out already.
As a great orator once said when presenting his case for freedom 'Not only that!' I am going to give you, my consumer, a web purchasing experience never before conceived of since the World Wide Web was conceived! What if when you went to my website, I could actually show you what you would look like on Marshall Taylor RYDZ?......Chew on that for awhile......and imagine!

As all of you know, I am constantly searching for ‘Excitement’ in bicycle design. I am still freaked out from the last blog post I wrote about ‘The Nuvinci’. I want to present something to you all that I have briefly commented on last year sometime. The subject that I am speaking of is ‘Spinner Rims’ on bicycles. Many of you may not know this, but I am conservative by nature and Spinners and Dubs are a little over the top for my taste! Nevertheless, for anyone to grow personally they must sometimes put aside there personal hang ups to experience new things. I am not saying that any of you need to put aside your personal belief in GOD to experience things that are wrong for ‘Experience’ sake or put aside your personal belief that drugs are wrong just for ‘Experience’ of it. These things are destructive.

What I am saying is that you have to expand into new territories to experience growth in many areas of your life. I am at this very crossroads right now. It is my belief that the very essence of what ‘DUBS’ and ‘Spinner’ rims (pictured here) are goes against my very basic belief of ‘Elegance’ in bicycle design. DUBS and Spinners serve one function and one function only- TO SHOW OFF! There in lies my struggle. The Urban Mindset I have often spoken of is about ‘Flash’ and ‘The Show’. I have even commented on this blog that one function of my designs is for youth and kids to be on Marshall Taylor RYDZ and for my designs to be SOOO HOTTTT other kids say ‘Dang that tight!’ I am also aware of the very real fact that sometimes ‘More is just that, more.’ To put these types of rims on bicycles, in my final analysis crosses the line between ‘Showing off’ and ‘Frontin’. Frontin is the act of pretending to be and have more than you do and in the process, look STUPID! You know people like that I am sure. People who were Frolex Watches (Fake Rolexs) or the ever present wearers of Cubic Zirconium.

There are people who would rather have a 2 Carat ‘Cubic’ than 1\4 Carat real diamond. It is all about appearances! This is one time readers where your fearless blogger, me, doesn’t have a firm opinion. Therefore, I am reaching out to all of you. At the bottom of this column, there is an envelope. Click on it and leave me your opinions. I need all of you to set me straight. Hurry!

Visit Bike Dubz at http://www.bikedubz.com/ and check out thier version of Spinners and Dubs.

Over the last year or so, I have waxed philosophical to all of you about the hottest design I had seen in 23 years, which was the Pee-Wee Herman. I love it for many reasons, not the least of which is it speaks to me. Knowing that and according to an earlier post on this blog titled “My Design Funk Hall of Fame”, the Pee-Wee Herman is my favorite design of all time, at least until today. As you remember, I came up with my hall of fame after looking at over 1,300 designs from the last 15 years. It is a very difficult thing for any design to break into my Top 5, let alone take the #1 spot from Pee-Wee. Today readers, that feat has been accomplished! I like to think of myself as the Billboard Hot 100 (Music) when it comes to bicycle design.
The pictured Design is called “The Nuvinci ”. Not only is this design HOOOTT but the name just flows of your tongue, does it not? Sounds like a classic painting or something. I found out about this design from an email sent to me by one of the designers. Excluding the Pee-Wee Herman, something I have always valued in bicycle design is simplicity. This design is very clean, simple yet decorative in a way that defies my tiny vocabulary.