Here’s what I wrote about the Oregon Manifest Constructor’s Design Challenge back in July:
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.
Here are some photos of the designs. Here’s a digest of continuing coverage by Bike Portland. Here are two different reports — a positive report from OregonLive.com and a critical report from Austin on Two Wheels. Here’s the winner.
OK, I was wrong. But not by much. It isn’t a hybrid; the winning design is a racer with a front rack stuck on it. Notice the aggressive posture. The lack of a chain guard. Can you imagine the young woman pictured below riding this thing dressed as she is, i.e. like a normal person. The winner is a sport bicycle that’s been forced into domestic duty.
What we have here is an excellent example of sport cycling hegemony.
Take a good look at the picture above. Here’s a real design challenge: Do better than that (without screwing it up).
Comments 11
The winning bicycle was not 100% my cup of tea aesthetically, but what makes you say that it has “aggressive posture”? It is a classic porteur bike, with relaxed geometry and porteur handlebars, which encourage upright-ish posture for riding in the city and lugging things around. As far as geometry goes, it is a classic version of a French city bike and definitely not a sporty bike, let alone a bike for racing. Traditional French porteur bikes never really had dressguards and only sometimes were fitted with chaincases. As much as I like the Dutch/ Danish/ English transport bikes (I own a Pashley), they are not the only types of city bikes or hauling bikes.
Posted 10 Oct 2009 at 5:42 pm ¶Let’s see. My primary transportation bike has no front or rear rack. It’s got no chain guard. No integrated lighting. No lock. No kickstand. No fenders. Drop bars. I picked it out over so-called utility bikes because it was what was needed FOR my commute. None of THEM would have allowed me to make my commute.
Sounds to me like I’m seeing a teensy bit of Andy Cline prejudice about what a transportation bike needs to be. Bicycle transportation covers a LOT of turf. My bike transport has to be able to put in 40 miles a day. It parks in my office.
That being said, those bikes pictured are not only less suited to my commute than my own bike, but my bike is probably easier to adapt to Andy’s transport needs than most of them. It’ll TAKE fenders and racks. It’s GOT lights. I could put wider tires on it than the 28c size I run now. I could put a kickstand on it.
It wouldn’t, however, accommodate the rider in the picture above. Transport truly is a many-splendored thing…
Posted 10 Oct 2009 at 5:51 pm ¶BTW, I’ll bet my bike is a LOT easier “to be carried by its rider over a section of the Constructor’s Race course” than anything in those pictures. It’s a cyclocross bike. Otherwise known as “the Swiss Army Knife” of the bike world.
Posted 10 Oct 2009 at 5:58 pm ¶Not well versed in the different types of bikes out there, this strikes me as a very “vintage” image… associating biking pretty strongly with a youth subculture…
Posted 11 Oct 2009 at 10:27 am ¶Steve… Yes, my prejudice given the design criteria as understand them. Certainly to each his own. But methinks a bicycle “designed” for utility riding ought to have certain features. That assertion assumes that these might one day be offered for sale as such. Not necessarily a good assumption.
One other thing: I admit my purpose here is to fight something that I think needs fighting, namely sport cycling hegemony. I really think that sport cycling culture is making it difficult for transportationists.
This is no one’s fault. I certainly don’t want to point fingers at my roadie friends. They’re just having fun, and more power to ‘em. It’s the industry. It’s the image the industry sells that slops over what could be a rich and diverse bicycling culture.
Lovely… I don’t want “ish.” I want upright
Posted 11 Oct 2009 at 5:00 pm ¶Ummm….Andy, I’ve gotta take exception with you on this one.
There are a lot of gorgeous bikes in that photo stream, and I wouldn’t call many of them aggressive…especially that winning one. The guy riding it in that picture looks to be about as upright as all get out.
It looked like most of the bikes entered in that contest met my main criteria for a commuter. A reasonably fast, efficient machine that would get you from point to point in a comfortable manner. Riding a bike like you’re young lady has would take me considerably longer to get to work and cause me to use considerable more energy to get there.
What it points out to me is that there is no one-size-fits-all in terms of style for a commuter or utility bike. What does a great job of meeting your needs doesn’t even come close for me. I’ll admit that the road bike I’m commuting on now isn’t best suited for what I’m asking for it, but you’ll probably be appalled for what’s at the top of my short list right now for it’s replacement. When I get the pennys saved, I need to go ask a few questions about this bike.
http://www.masibikes.com/gallery/popup.php?src=http://www.masibikes.com/gallery/p.php?a=JyIjMT5Ze3ZnY2pudilTamxuO0V8eW0sbXZuLWN+ZWB/PzMmJjMjNCYzMiMoMSc7Ojo2JT46LjI2&title=2010-Speciale-Rand-Burg.jpg
Maybe it’ll end up being the one I get, maybe not, but something like it is consistent with the features that will make a good commuting bike for me
Take care…and keep generating the good discussion!
Posted 11 Oct 2009 at 7:16 pm ¶Tracy… Every time I write about such issues it should be understood exactly as Steve characterized it: my prejudice.
That said, take another look at that photo. He’s not down on those handle bars with both hands. If he were he’d be in mountain bike posture.
But so what? That’s my issue. You are correct, re: “there is no one-size-fits-all in terms of style for a commuter or utility bike.” And I have said as much elsewhere on Carbon Trace.
This issue isn’t as much about the bicycles as it is about sport cycling hegemony for me. I’m all for people riding EXACTLY what they want. But when a design competition purports to be about a commuter/utility bicycle, well, I hope to see a certain separation between sport bicycles and the resulting designs. Again… my prejudice
Posted 11 Oct 2009 at 7:30 pm ¶> Lovely… I don’t want “ish.” I want upright
Fair enough, but my point is that not everybody does, and that being perfectly upright is not a de-facto criteria for a transport bicycle. Most entries seem to have interpreted the “Constructor” in the French Porteur tradition, rather than in the Dutch/English transport bike tradition, and their designs reflect that. So, while I also do not particularly love the winning entry, I think your “sports hegemony” accusation is misplaced here. If anything, I think that the world of custom bikes is moving increasingly towards transport, city riding and utility…
Posted 12 Oct 2009 at 10:33 am ¶I haven’t looked at all the photos, just the winner (hey, I put that kickstand on my recumbent! Really helps when loading groceries) but in general I agree with the issue of the sport cycling hegemony. To me it oftens seems like the corresponding situation would be if the features of most cars were determined by the needs of NASCAR racers or monster truck drivers. My husband and I took a short bike touring trip on the Katy Trail a few weeks back. One of our days on the (chat-surfaced) trail was rainy and wet, and nearly every cyclist we met had a big grit-stripe up their back. Many times that day we were asked how we were staying so clean, and we would point out our fenders. Fenders– the technology of the future!
Posted 13 Oct 2009 at 8:22 am ¶Joyce… Fenders and a chain guard seem to me to be necessary features. But, then, long-distance commuters that I know ride in sport clothing — a good choice given the distances. Fenders in those cases are not so necessary.
Lovely… I’m willing to accept that sport cycling hegemony is not playing a role here. But I’ll play wait-and-see before I admit error. I think you have made an interesting point/observation re: the French Porteur tradition.
Posted 13 Oct 2009 at 11:31 am ¶I wouldn’t claim that fenders are necessary for everyone; my brother commutes on his bike daily and doesn’t like fenders. Okay, he’s thought it over and decided against them. What struck me as odd was the grit-striped folks we met on the trail didn’t seem to have considered and decided against fenders. It was more like fenders hadn’t really entered their thoughts as a possibility until they talked to us. To me that seems like an effect of sport cycling dominance of US cycling culture.
Posted 15 Oct 2009 at 5:57 am ¶