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producer: bruno

the appropriately named “beast” is the latest model to come from M55, the bike design and manufact – uring powerhouse.

M55 employs a team of electronic and mechanical engineers, industrial designers and finite element analysts to dream up, construct and tirelessly test the most cutting-edge hybrid bikes on the market. At $35,000 the “Beast” is a luxury item to be sure, but that doesn’t mean it’s not capable of performing under intense off-road conditions. A specialized motor works with the rider instead of simply being operated by him/her. “The motor is not a substitute for your human power, but an addition. If the sensor feels that you need some extra torque, the motor switches on to multiply your effort.”

It also boasts some serious components, like motor power and battery capacity above and beyond the industry standard and brakes by Brembo, heretofore found only on Formula1 race cars. After checking out the specs it’s easy to agree with M55′s boast that “if Batman was a nonfictional person, he’d have a Beast in his garage.”

producer: m55

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i saw this concept bike over a year ago and forgot about it.

it’s simple, innovative, inspiring. glad to see it may happen.


The story…
“The world doesn’t need another bike redesign—the world needs thoughts on simplification, part reduction and greater product life span. Our lives need attention and care, not the objects that serve us.”
The inner city bike was designed by JRUITER + studio as a project asking questions about ultra short inner city travel. What is needed, who is riding, and how far are they going. At first glance it was a fun aesthetic opportunity in new trends, color, and materials. Our target lived / worked in an inner city environment with minimal space. Bicycling at this level can be more about fashion and culture than speed and performance.
The initial inner city bike was inspired by the “hobby horse” from it’s simplicity and the motorcycle cafe racing culture. Each is an exercise in stripping something down to its core. As it evolved, the design triggered a shift in time, spurring the questions, “Is there an opportunity to change a timeless product?” “Can we go back and try something new?”

The inner city bike rethinks what a “frame” is, getting rid of basic key components, and creating a new type of urban bicycling. The inner city bike’s “essentials only” geometry gives new meaning to “less is more.” Sporting a free-wheel rear hub, 36” x 2.25” wheels, 150mm cranks and an 8” front disc brake hub. The riders position is adjustable, offering riders an adaptable, fun ride for those short commutes.

Before all of the bike fanatics get all fired up, we know this bike doesn’t solve everyone’s personal transportation dreams. Consider it a cafe racer with the performance of a beach cruiser. The positives are easy quick turns, huge power to the rear wheel to go over curbs and up hills, and great start / stopping / sitting situations. We rethought everything 2 wheeled with simplicity in mind. This is as stripped as you
can get.”

[inner city bikes]
[joey ruiter]

it’s no secret: i get excited about bikes.
From techie to old fashioned, my head turns at almost everything on two wheels that rolls by. But I’m really excited about this bike, the UrbanMover Electric Bike. For those who use their bikes for more than just errands or trips to the beach, there’s nothing like a little electrical boost to speed you along your commute to work, sweat free, because really, is there anything grosser than starting off the day with a body dripping wet and bound to reek?

What’s great about the UrbanMover is that it gives you the option to use to pedal power or switch to electric when you need an extra push on a hill or against heavy winds. The battery fully charges in just five hours and the bike folds up. If I’m using a lot of italics here it’s just so the awesomeness of this bike isn’t lost on anyone. Folding bikes have been looked down in the past, but that’s because they used to be lame excuses for bikes whose primary function was their ability to become small. In the city, having an obviously expensive bike that you don’t have to leave locked up outside and can take with you indoors, on an elevator, into any office building, is priceless. The UrbanMover, however, does have a price, but it’s lower now, $1,099 (normally $1,699), plus a $400 battery pack. Available at Real Goods.

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Which is exactly where its aesthetics hail from. Designer Luca Schieppati took his Ciclò — a concept bike that the Milan Design Museum liked enough to include in its permanent collection—and transformed it into an exercise machine. Push the pedals and the epicycloid crank system spins the magnetized main wheel. This in turn generates a magnetic field and plenty of thigh-burning resistance.

designer: luca schieppati
producer: ciclotte group
material: carbon fiber
period: 2010s

Back in the days of records, the pre-Jeep Willys CJ3B was king of the trails. Unfortunately, its function didn’t hold up as nicely as its image. Icon Motors produced a more pleasant update.

Icon laser-scanned the surfaces of a few of their old CJ’s, generating a 3-D model of the nearly ancient vehicle. Next, they pressed new panels out of newer steel and coated it with a Teflon-polyurethane powdercoat that we couldn’t scratch even with our greatest efforts.

While it looks like it’s predecessor, a mechanic from the 40s would not recognize the undercarriage. The new, mandrel-bent frame is designed to accommodate independent suspension, instead of the outdated leaf springs. The Chevy,4 cylinder engine hits 205 horsepower and does 23 mpg.

This jeeps 4WD system was adapted from a 2010 model: It’s more advanced and the finding replacement parts is easy.

While the 1950s 3B got up to 50 mph on the highway, this one does 80. It also has 24 inches of wheel travel, to scurry over boulders with 4WD.

Every light in the CJ3B is LED—the dashboard to the headlamps. At 64 inches wide, it is narrow and capable enough to tackle trails that Jeeps aren’t allowed to venture down. Price: $83,000 USD.

producer: icon
material: steel
period: 2010s

[via wired]

While it can’t boast the speed of a car, for getting around the city you couldn’t ask for a better ride. The Picycle reaches up to 30 mph (although the legal speed for electric bikes is 20 mph in most states) and runs for about 20 miles on a single charge. It uses a Lithion-ion battery, which is housed in the arcing aluminum frame, and takes only 2.5 hours to charge. You can ride it like a plain old bike, with electric-assist or completely under electric propulsion. Not having to pedal up a hill or in the heat means that if you’re someone who uses their bike to commute to and from work, no more arriving to work in a sweat-soaked dress shirt. And for the weekend joy-ride or trip to the beach, there’s no more sitting in traffic or stopping to tank up.

Pi electric bikes price: $2,999 to $4,999.
designer: marcus hays
producer: pimobility

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above: the blenheim 3S.

but given the company’s 64-year commitment to craftsmanship and engineering, not to mention its reputation as the world’s only handmade luxury automotive company, it probably ought to be.

Bristol is also the only remaining luxury car company under British control, a fact they’re extremely proud of and don’t hesitate to mention at every possible opportunity. But with cars hand crafted by engineers with backgrounds in aviation, I suppose they’ve earned their fare share of bargain rights.

The fleet of Bristol cars is intentionally small. Their entire lineup consists of six models, each made to order for its particular buyer. This process can take up to four times as long as a factory-made car, but these are “handbuilt cars for individuals,” a very special group indeed who favors the company’s low profile, their aversion to advertising and their single, teeny-tiny show room in London.

They cater to the kind of person who would pay $260,000 for the Blenheim 3S, a pretty ordinary looking car from the outside that can make 0-60 in 5 seconds and if properly maintained, will outlive its driver. Not only will Bristol devotees gladly pay for the privilege of driving one of the 100-125 cars they produce each year, but they’ll wait in an 18-month-long queue to do so.

“By deliberately restricting production to a handful of cars per week we ensure exclusivity and excellence of manufacture. The labor hours to build the Blenheim 3 are three to four times more than those of any other specialist luxury cars. This we happily accept as the cost of perfection.”

above: for those wanting something a bit flashier than the blenheim series there’s always the “fighter”.





above: reaching speeds of up to 200 mph, the fighter takes design cues from airplanes, which is what bristol used to produce before they turned to cars. cost $521,000 usd.





above: of course, if $521,000 just isn’t in your budget there’s the “blenheim speedster”, a retro two-seater that can still do 60 in 5 seconds and figured prominently in last year’s flick, an education.

With standards this exacting, it comes as no surprise that Bristol doesn’t sell their cars to just anybody. Even if you have the money and the patience to sweat it out on the wait list, you must still be approved, a screening process as vague as it is secret. But for all their English exclusivity the car itself is an awe-inspiring piece of machinery, and once you drive it they swear you’ll never want to drive anything else.

Producer: bristol



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From choosing the geometry of the frame to filing the lugs, Sachs Cycles is a one-man show. As you might guess, his turn-of-the-century methods don’t give into currents trends in materials or construction, and he doesn’t hesitate at sneering at the competition. “For some companies, only tubing recently declassified by the Department of Defense will do.” Sachs, on the other hands, doesn’t change his materials, tube shape or the position of the riding angle. He doesn’t build concept bikes or “unrideable prototypes,” and he doesn’t take shortcuts. All this attention to detail takes time, and apparently makes little money. “The bike industry makes money. I make bikes.”

Even if the words “control freak” come to mind, you have to admire his dedication to the craft, not to mention his obvious skill. Working solo, he says, is the only way he can guarantee such high standards. In his words, “the weak link is always the work force. At Richard Sachs Cycles, I am the work force.” It’s a business model from which he’s never diverted, from cutting and brazing the tubes to answering the phone, Sachs is a one-man operation. “If you have a question about frame design or construction, proper fit, acceptable alignment, anything at all, call me,” he says. “I will be the one answering your call and I would be very pleased to tell you more.”

If you’re in New York you can see some of Richard’s work at the Museum of Art and Design as part of their latest exhibition, “Bespoke: The Handbuilt Bike,” up until August.

Designer: richard sachs — visit gallery on his site. images from his new flickr page



about perrin drumm