Bicycle designers had a chance to show the world their ideas earlier this year by taking part in the Seoul Cycle Design Competition 2010. The online contest was organized by e-zine Designboom and the Seoul Design Foundation, and received entries from 3,078 designers in 88 countries. The ideas included everything from bikes that doubled as shopping carts, to frames shaped like horses, to handlebar-mounted wind turbines. The grand prize winner, while not as entertainingly-outlandish as some of those concepts, was nonetheless pretty far removed from your garden-variety Schwinn. It’s called, simply enough, Bike 2.0.
Milan-based Danish designer Nils Sveje describes Bike 2.0 as the next generation bicycle... hence the name. At first glance, it looks pretty ordinary. Its very Spartan appearance doesn’t exactly turn heads, and in fact it's the lack of external features that gives away the fact that this is no ordinary bike.
Instead of a chain, the bike has a pedal-powered internal generator that’s wired directly to the rear hub motor. Instead of derailleurs, it has a stepless gearbox. Instead of brake levers and discs, it has a regenerative coaster brake. And, instead of shifters, it has two wireless rings on the handlebar.
Regular propulsion is achieved via the bottom bracket-mounted generator, that creates power which is sent back to the 500 W brushless motor. Using the “superconductor” (which one would assume is a capacitor), however, the rider can get power boosts when needed. An Intelligent Cadence Leveling feature keeps the rider pedaling at the same speed, via a continuously-variable transmission. The rider initially sets their desired cadence using one of the handlebar control rings.
Riders wanting more oomph – or less work – could install the seatpost battery, which directly powers the motor. The second control ring determines how much the rider uses or charges the battery.
The hydro-shaped aluminum frame has built-in lighting, and can be adjusted to fit different sizes of riders.
There’s no word on whether or not you will ever be able to buy your own Bike 2.0, but given how competitions like this are all about brainstorming and inspiring, you may at least see some of its features finding their way onto other bikes. In the meantime, check out some of the other Seoul Cycle Design Competition 2010 finalists at Designboom.
Hiding the chain - is a good idea! Using stepless gearbox - is a good idea! Even using electric motor - is a good idea, sometimes.
But breaking direct connection from pedals to wheel - is VERY BAD idea!
Sincerely Yours, Pavel B. Chernov.
Years ago there was this bike too, google image Estetique Hiroshi Tsuzaki, \"the wheels for this bicycle are made from superconductive material that produces a magnetic field when electrified by a pedal- powered generator ............ n stuff\"...
All in, if you can\'t sell this for under $2000 (retail) it won\'t make it except as a curiosity for rich people to hang in their trophy rooms.
How much does it weigh now and what is weight of the seat post battery pack?
Some thoughtful commentary indeed.
My number one gripe with this fandangled bullshit, is to get these idiot designers off their autocad airy fairy designs and actually make the damned things.
The competition - although I am clueless about the entry requirements, I would insist that ALL the designs be real world objects, and that the bike to be entered MUST have been ridden - without replacements (except for tyres and chains) along a diverse range of real world roads, that are part of a pre-defined route.
What is left of everyone of the designs, gets stuck on the podium.
While the 35KG shit box Chinese peasant bike - with pull rod brakes and one gear... that can carry dad, mum, 3 kids, the family pig, 10 crates of chickens, and 100Kg of vegetables..... well it might not be that flash - but it goes.
But the bike 2.0 - what a load of \"Oh thats a good idea\" untested, unproven, all the bugs ironed out, bullshit.