An organization called Oregon Manifest, of Portland, has announced a Constructor’s Design Challenge. Frame builders and designers are challenged to create “an innovative, modern transportation bike—a technical challenge combining engineering dexterity with fabrication mettle.”
Here are the requirements:
- Amazing Solution: Devise a sensational, unique and innovative bike for transportation use.
- Handling: Bikes must handle equally well with and without load. Both options will be tested against turning and straight pedaling.
- Integration: Solutions should be integrated into a complete and harmonious whole, rather than a checklist of details.
- Presentation + Execution: Fabrication refinement and final presentation are important indicators of skill and thoughtfulness. Extraordinary craftsmanship can be displayed in the simplest brazing or the fanciest lug. Individual design solutions should build to a single
visual and functional whole. - Load Carrying: Bikes must accommodate and securely carry the rider’s award ceremony party attire, a provided 6-pack of beverage (in glass bottles), and a provided small container of party snacks.
- Security: Since the bikes must be protected from theft while unattended, a smart, easy solution for securing the bike under different conditions is expected.
- Utility : Bikes should handle changing weather, lighting conditions, and visibility.
- Quality + Rattles: If bike components or parts are loose, rattling, or otherwise inoperable at the race finish, points will be deducted for each failure.
- Portage: Bikes must be able to be carried by its rider over a section of the Constructor’s Race course.
- Response to the Constructor’s Race Course: Entry bikes must take into consider all elements of the race course, the 10 design considerations and the overall challenges they present.
OK, sounds like fun. And I hope they come up with something really interesting and useful.
Their biggest challenge, IMO, will be topping the transportation bicycles that already exist.
For example:
Now the Velorbis might not be “sporty” enough for Americans. But I’ll bet the designers will have a hard time topping the Velorbis with something designed to appeal to American tastes — those tastes heavily influenced by the fact that sport cycling culture rules. You can see the sport cycling influence in the design criteria. The challenge race may not be a race in the strict sense, but the sport-cycling attitude is there nonetheless.
Prediction (and I hope I’m wrong): The winning design will be a mountain bike hybrid of some sort with an aggressive seating posture. No fenders. No chain case. And difficult to ride dressed like the young woman pictured above.
Comments 9
I love the idea of a great utility bike, and the whole Amsterdam/Copenhagen style has really grown on me. But the pricing has been off for me. If the idea is combining utility and quality, then the result ought to be value. That means we need a cycle that makes good design and equipment compromises but still comes in with a price that compares favorably with, say, a bottom-end Trek hardtail.
Euro-utility bikes haven’t taken root here for many reasons, but one of them seems to be that people who buy them are more interested in buying sophisticated furniture on wheels. Style matters to me, too, but if I’m going to spend more than $1k on a bike, I want great performance.
Posted 10 Jul 2009 at 8:07 am ¶Dan… I ride a Redline R530. Meets your criteria. And thanks for visiting this blog, too
BTW, I do intend to write about your writing ideas as we discussed. I’m planning to do it the first week of school so that students get the maximum out of it.
Posted 10 Jul 2009 at 8:18 am ¶I hear you on the cost/value thing. We’re looking for a bike for my wife and we’d love something like that, but I expect a rebuilt mountainbike is more likely.
Posted 10 Jul 2009 at 8:40 am ¶A.– Granted. The Velorbis is expensive. But there are alternatives.
Posted 10 Jul 2009 at 8:48 am ¶I swear by my Xtracycle. It fits on any hard tail bike. I ride 1 mile to the grocery store, 2 miles to work or 14 miles to Downtown on it. I find it hard for most utility bikes to beat the Xtracycle.
Otherwise, a decent front rack/basket and panniers on the rear make any simple bike transportation worthy.
Posted 10 Jul 2009 at 9:21 am ¶It will be interesting if they manage to top what’s already available:
Posted 10 Jul 2009 at 11:32 am ¶http://www.reallyusefulbikes.co.uk/
My local-ish urban bike shop.
Wanderer… Those are some beauties!
Posted 10 Jul 2009 at 3:48 pm ¶Hi Andy, this is a great competition. Thanks for informing us through this post. It is a nice challenge to designers to come up with a good solution that would meet their specific requirements. There are so many good designers who do great stuff. This competition may bring them to the forefront and help them get their work recognized. Wonderful idea.
Great post!
Posted 14 Jul 2009 at 1:38 am ¶Joost Hoogstrate
Joost… Hmmmmmm… I’m not optimistic (for rhetorical purposes). I’m reserving my judgment about how great our designers are until I see what they come up with given the criteria. My reservations spring from my belief that sport cycling so rules American bicycle culture that it will be difficult for these designers to think outside that box. I’m quite serious when I say “and I hope I’m wrong.”
Posted 14 Jul 2009 at 9:13 am ¶