Missing the point: “City Bikes”

inner-city-bike-1

Appropriately found on the Geekologie site: “Inner City Sports no Chain, Comfort“.

It’s entirely unclear what is supposed to make this bike better as a city bike (and better than what anyway?). The design seems to be focused on the elimination of that most impractical and divisive of all bicycle developments: the drivetrain. So instead of employing a chaincase, belt, shaft, gear, hydraulic, lever or treadle drive (all have been done) the designer has destroyed the ergonomics of the bike. 150 years of development? Hah, they all had it wrong!

Imagine what a wanker you’d look like as you waddled through town on this thing, busting your bottom and getting splashed from each puddle, trousers dragging on the sides of the fat rear tire. One more demonstration of how “designer bikes” usually suck. I’ll just walk thanks.

Nice color scheme though.

12 Responses to “Missing the point: “City Bikes””

  1. Jan Says:

    This one is easy to explain. The designer obviously looked at other “well designed” bikes and noticed that having chains is ‘bad’ as it greases up the designer pants. Upon this Ah Ha moment, said designer thought I’ll remove the chains and change the bike world, promptly thinking that he/she’ll “unchain” the bike world!! Muahahaha and $$ signs follows.

    I’m no designer. Just give me my well engineered bicycle with fenders, chain guard and a leather saddle. Happiness is a well engineered design which works. Oh and a saddle which won’t mash my innards ^^; lol

    Love your bikes! \m/^_^\m/

  2. BlackDawn Says:

    Henry,
    I wonder how a person like me (just 1.86m) rides such a ridicules thing,
    not to mention 1.90+ riders like the giants you have there in Amsterdam.

  3. henry Says:

    Instead of such a pathetic bike, or even a bad folding bike a decent kick scooter is simpler, cheaper, lighter, folds better and nicer to ride.

  4. John . Dublin Ireland Says:

    Just looking at it now you would have to sit like a Praying Mantis Insect as you try to Cycle on this thing. The Pedals are set to the Rear end of the Bike,you would probably have to constantly stand on the Pedals as you Cycle in Order not to Strain yourself. Then again constantly standing on the Pedals as you Cycle is very Tiring anyway.

    It might work for Trick Cycling when you have the front Wheel in the Air but certainly not for normal Cycling where it means you need to be comfortable on Long Distances without tiring yourself out and getting to your destination with Speed and Efficiency.

    This Bike thing is a waste of space

  5. Frits Says:

    Devised by a Dutchman, no less (name is J. Ruiter). This same design was featured on dvice.com around November 5 and it had some nice comments there:
    “This is nothing new. I once saw one on display in Madrid at a museum of the Spanish Inquisition. The only difference was the seat– it was spiked– and the “bike” was locked down.”
    “Not just the Spanish inquisition, there was a military disciplinary instrument called the horse until well into the 19th century. Same idea as this “bike” but no wheels and the saddle was a triangular bar with the sharp side up.”

  6. henry Says:

    Frits, Even though almost everybody rides a bike here the Dutch are still not immune to designing stupid bikes and other stuff… maybe just a little less of it.

  7. Nels Nelson Says:

    i LOVE it. I admit that it needs some adjustments, but the concept is pure gold. A lot of bike riders agree that tight frame geometry is good for riding in the city, well, this bike has really tight geometry.

  8. henry Says:

    Nels,
    What specifically do you see as “pure gold” about this concept? How can you envision making this concept into a workable city bike?

  9. Mark Says:

    It looks like a unicycle for people who can’t ride unicycles. I don’t understand why they put a disc brake and a suspension fork on it. Those items make it more of a target for theives.

    The short cranks would make most adult riders look like a circus clown on a tiny bike.

  10. henry Says:

    Mark, wouldn’t an old-fashioned “penny farthing” be cooler as a unicycle for people who can’t ride unicycles? I actually don’t understand any of it except for the nice color scheme.

    But maybe I can explain the disk brakes: Despite the fact that this “bike” would probably never be ridden at more than a jogging pace it has been long since been demonstrated that “cool” bikes must be EXTREME. Thus when it comes to brakes there are really only two “cool” choices:

    A. No brakes, as in an urban hipster fixie
    B. Disk brakes for the ultimate in pavement rippling stopping power.

    Anything else is just for the sheep of the mainstream.

  11. Steven Vance Says:

    Apparently this bike has already been designed:
    http://westtownbikes.org/files/westtownbikes/images/STC.preview.JPG

  12. henry Says:

    Steve,
    That bike you found is way cooler than the designer masturbation special above. Most importantly it can be steered both at the head tube and seat tube so you can do cool stuff such as riding sideways or turning around in tiny circles. It takes “short wheelbase” to new levels.

    Back in the 70’s there was a bike called the “Swing Bike”. It looked like a typical banana seat bike of the period but it also had double axis steering. I remember orange ones and green ones. Not really useful but really fun for a few minutes. We sold them (or at least tried to) at the first shop I ever worked at. I was 12 then.

    Here’s a great video of a couple guys on self-made swing bikes:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5P70XtI4zQ

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