In response to my recent post about Scandinavian bikes, Erik Nohlin, an industrial designer in Sweden, sent me this design. This is not the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Scandinavian design, but it is interesting. The “Dentistcruiser” isn’t exactly the kind of bike that I would want to take on my Saturday morning group ride, but I would love to see my dentist riding this thing around town. It just goes to show that the uses for bicycles are limitless. Now I’ll let Eric explain the project in his own words:

“This is another example of Scandinavian design. Usually known as simple and pure, this bike proves the opposite. It’s a vehicle I made for a dentist practice who had problems in reaching out to younger costumers. The solution I gave them was the “Dentistcruiser” that takes the dentist out on the streets of Gothenburg, Sweden to meet the youth. The dentist gets its exercise and is able to give information – stored in the tooth – to the missing youth. The brush sweeps the tooth while turning.

The Dentistcriuser is seen around soccer games, public holidays and lunchtime in the central parts of town. A sustainable solution to a marketing problem. Function and fashion – All in one.”

If the Dentistcruiser isn’t different enough for you, check out the Switchbike. This thing converts from an upright to a recumbent on the fly. Why? I’m not really sure, but I would love to test it out. I guess it would be useful when a low hanging branch is approaching.

Finally, check out these valvecaps that display tire pressure. It’s an interesting idea, but these would only work with Schrader valves, which limits their usefulness for most mid to high-end bikes. As novel as the digital readout is, I’ll just stick with the old “feel the tire” method for determining whether or not to pull out my floor pump. For me, valve caps on Pesta valves are purely optional and are really just an extra step when pumping up tires. Until somebody makes these to fit Presta valves, I’ll just leave the caps off and save the 2 grams per wheel.

Thanks to Olivier for the tip on those last two items. I’m glad that somebody is looking out for this stuff.