DesignApplause » Cycles

Richard sachs. Bike designer.

Perrin Drumm — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:27:48 +0000

The “About” section on Richard Sachs’ website may read like a self-assured campaign manifesto, if not, at times, like a straight up ego trip, but it’s not as if Sachs hasn’t earned his fair share of bragging rights in his 38-year-long bike building career.

Since he opened shop in 1972, Sachs has become one of the world’s foremost bike builders, with a fleet of handmade wonders that have graced the track at velodrome. There’s a lot about his process that sets him apart, like the fact that he does everything by hand, by himself. No apprentices, no employees, no outsourcing.

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

Kawasaki 2010 zx-14.

Kevin Kovach — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:48:43 +0000

the most powerful and fastest production motorcycle in world.

The 178 bhp Kawasaki ZX12 has had the most horsepower of any production motorcycle, though it has played second fiddle to the 175 bhp Suzuki GSX1300 Hayabusa (named after the Japanese Peregrine falcon, one of the few animals on the planet which can travel at 186 mph which it does during a dive) because the Hayabusa has a higher top speed due to Suzuki’s aerodynamics. The Hayabusa’s top speed as measured by the Guiness Book of Records is 197 mph. But Kawasaki has announced the ZX14 (1400cc) with slipperier wind tunnel designed aerodynamics and the most horsepower and highest top speed of any production motorcycle ever.

Vitals:
configuration: 1352cc fuel-injected inline-four
horsepower: 200bhp
top speed: 200+ mph

Resources:
2010 vitals
2009 vitals
pnw riders

Eco 7 folding bicycle.

PRand — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:37:16 +0000

the eco 7 folding bicycle’s concept is to be as compact as possible, including collapsible wheels.

the design is intended for urban use and folds up to save space when not in use. while folding bikes are nothing new, aleman takes his design to a new level with folding bike wheels.

above: each wheels is composed of six pieces connected through double-pivot joints. the spokes of the wheel fold into the rim and fold out when opened up to provide structure to the wheel. the tire isn’t inflatable, allowing it to break into segments. the bike frame itself also shrinks down in size when taken apart, folding into itself and the core components.

the design may take awhile to fold and unfold and not for everyone but the folding wheel concept is interesting. the pedals should go back to the drawing board or stay with the conventional, especially clips or cleats. maybe traditional tubes tires too.

Designer: victor aleman

The greenwheel.

PRand — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:03:18 +0000

Scientists at MIT are testing a new power generation, storage and propulsion system known as the GreenWheel that will turn any pedal bicycle into an electric hog.
The GreenWheel is a self-contained electric wheel that can turn any pedal-powered bike into
a fully-electric bicycle!

From the outside, the GreenWheel has the radius of a small dinner plate and is about 2 inches thick. Inside the aluminum frame sits the three major GreenWheel components: an electric generator, batteries and an electric motor.

For now, installing GreenWheel on your own does require a moderate level of technical knowledge or a trip to a bike shop. The GreenWheel can be installed on any bike frame or wheel size, but the original spokes have to be replaced with shorter spokes.

Developed by Ryan Chin and Michael Chia-Lian Lin as part of MIT’s Smart Cities programs. The objective is to create a working prototype that can be installed and retroffited to any bike. The team is also thinking for the long term – they estimate that the batteries for the GreenWheel will last around 40,000 miles, or about 8 years worth of travelling.

mit smart cities

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Electric harley.

PRand — Sun, 03 May 2009 16:05:31 +0000

Concept motorcycle designed to run on electricity.

Nicolas Petit has designed the Harley Davidson Trunk concept – a bike designed to run on clean, zero emission electricity.

Designer: Nicolas Petit

[ecofriend]

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Wooden bike from Waldmeister.

PRand — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:31:22 +0000

Wooden frame. Carbon fork and wheels. Truvativ crank, stem, and handlebars.

These bicycles are from Freiburg in the Black Forest, Germany’s so-called “green city.” The prototype, the wild-Bike 2007, won the Brand New Award at ISPO, greatest sporting show in the world.

Designer, Marcus Wallenberg Meyer, 32, built his award winning prototype in 2006. Now in production, the striking limited edition bikes aren’t cheap. 11,000 – 15,000 euros ( $14,000 – $19,000 USD ), depending on the equipment. There are not many wooden bikes in production. Jano is a concept that we hope gets produced.

Designer: fudder.de
Producer: waldmeister

Moof. Bicycle.

PRand — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:49:02 +0000

New York design brand Areaware have launched Moof, an aluminium bicycle by Dutch designer Sjoerd Smit that features built-in solar-powered lights.

Designed in Amsterdam, MOOF’s unique aluminum construction houses two solar powered lamps – one to light the way and the other to make you visible from behind.

This single speed sleek and smooth urban cruiser is both smart and conscientious.

Bike Weight: 28.5 lbs (13 kg)
Frame: 6061 Series Powder-Coated Rustproof Aluminum
Drive Train: Chain Drive
Wheels: Alloy 28″ (71 cm)
Tires: Kenda Cosmos
Lights: Solar powered LED
Brakes: Rear Coaster
Saddle: Adjustable springless leather saddle
Grip: Semi-leather
Weight Limit: 264 lbs (120 kg)
Height Limit: 5’10″ – 6’6″ (179cm – 200cm)

Available for pre-order. Approximate ship date: April 2009

Designer: Sjoerd Smit
Producer: areaware
Retailer: areaware
via dezeen

Mission one. Electric motorcycle.

PRand — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:26:25 +0000

Mission Motors builds the world’s fastest electric production motorcycle, Mission One.

Top speed is 150 MPH and an estimated range of 150 miles.

Designed for Mission Motors, the bike was unveiled at the TED 2009 conference at Long Beach, California, today.

The announcement formally debuts Mission Motors, a San Francisco-based company geared to redefine the world of performance motorcycles. The company was founded in 2007 by entrepreneurs Forrest North (CEO), Edward West (President), and Mason Cabot (VP of Engineering).

Building on their backgrounds in engineering, a desire to develop clean vehicles, and a passion for motorcycles, the Mission Motors founders developed a proprietary high energy lithium ion battery pack that could provide both the range and acceleration needed for a high performance sportbike. The company (named Hum Cycles at the time) placed second in the transportation category of the 2007 California Cleantech Open, the largest cleantech business plan competition on the West Coast.

Designer: Yves Behar of fuseproject
Producer: Mission Motors

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Plus bike.

PRand — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:12:10 +0000

From Italian designers Fabio Bortoolani and Ermanno Richi of Doveusai.
An incredibly mod fixie known as the Plus Bike that incorporates internal light projectors into the oversized top tube.

Designer: fabio bortoolani and ermanno richi
Producer: dovetusai
Retailer: dovetusai

ThisWay bicycle.

PRand — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:15:18 +0000

ThisWay bike concept.

Description:
A comfortable pedal powered bicycle with weather protection.

Emphasis is made on automotive qualities in the design, to attract non-previous cyclists used to cars and motorcycles.

Another selling point to attract more people riding a bike (particularly here in Europe) is weather protection – ThisWay has a roof.

Built in composite materials (carbon or flax fiber) and some hydro-formed aluminum, this vehicle is very lightweight (approximately 11-12kg). It has built-in LED lights front and rear, powered by a rechargeable battery obtaining its power from roof mounted solar cells. For minimum maintenance ThisWay’s built-in belt drive is well protected and all cables are hidden within the frame.

The car-like ergonomics offers a riding position lower than a traditional bike to keep a low center of gravity and optimal aerodynamics.

The design has simple controls for ease of use; single hand brake lever and hub gears type Torpedo Duomatic providing Low and Hi gear.

The rear of the frame has a “luggage connector”, where the user plugs-in his/her luggage (e g briefcase, helmet box or rack for shopping bags). The design also benefits from flexibility and comfort for riders of different sizes, as the crankset and seat is adjustable in length/height.

A “hybrid” version (pedal power/electric motor) is possible and additional battery pack plugged-in into the luggage connector will extend the range further.

Although this design is more expensive to manufacture compared to its traditional rivals, it is still just a fraction of the price of a car and virtually zero in running costs…

Motivation:
There are roofed bikes out there on the market already such as rickshaws, recumbents, HPVs (Human Powered Vehicles)/velomobiles etc., so covered bikes do exist since a long time but the challenge is to design a functional and desirable bicycle that even appeals to non-previous cyclists.

It makes sense for a commuter bike here in Central and Northern Europe to offer some degree of weather protection for improved comfort. Instead of creating a totally enclosed design similar to other HPVs/velomobiles risking the user to feel isolated, a more open design will allow a higher degree of interaction with the surroundings.

Winner Bicycle Design “commuter bike for masses” design competition. See the Bicycle Design list of finalists .

Designer: Torkel Dohmers

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS CONCEPT? — comment below.