WhiskyGuyD is in a tech mood lately and is finding it hard not to talk about Bike 2.0, so hard indeed that he's writing this very blog about it, right now. So you might think that bikes have achieved a sort of pinnacle of existence. It's a hard design to improve upon. The rigidity of the triangular frame, the countouring of the human body, the endless amount of orientations and alterations that have made bicycles throughout the ages better serve their purpose, their terrain... so what could possibly be left to discover? Only over 3000 designs a year from 88 countries that participate in the annual Seoul Cycle Design Competition!
The competition is organized by e-zine Designboom and the Seoul Design Foundation and showcases bikes that are artistic, practical, outlandish, and sometimes just ridiculous... but this years winner cannot be described in this manor. Not by a long shot! Milan-based designer Nils Sveje, from Denmark, calls his bike simply Bike 2.0 and he believes it might be the next generation in bicycular-transportation.
In place of a traditional chain the rider powers the bike by pedaling a generator which transmits its energy to the rear-wheel through a 500 W brushless motor. The power is then boosted by a capacitor to give riders an extra bit of push when they need it. A stepless transmission is controlled by the handlebar mounted grip shifter and the whole frame of the bike is infinitely adjustable to suit riders of different sizes. The design also incorporates lights built right in to the hydroformed body and an optional seatpost mounted battery for extra kick.
No word yet on whether or not you'll be able to buy your own Bike 2.0 any time soon, but as we've seen with the competitions in the past, you'll likely see some of it's innovative components making their way onto the world stage soon enough.
See more of the competition finalist by clicking here!
Cheer to thinking way outside the box,
-D-
-D-
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