Look what I saw this morning when I opened my latest Design Within Reach catalog; Biomega bicycles for sale on the first two pages. Not that I was surprised. I mentioned not long ago that the DWR store in Dallas had a discussion about transportation-oriented bikes. Biomega bikes were the focus of that discussion, so that was a hint of things to come. Also, I have mentioned DWR several times on this blog. Bikes have been appearing as props more often in the catalog’s application shots lately.
When I first started receiving the DWR catalog about 7 years ago, I loved it. I ordered a lot of furniture for the exhibit work I was doing at the time and I felt like the catalog was a great design resource. Back then, I never expected to see a bike for sale along with the modern and mid century classic furniture. Lately though, I came to realize that a catalog like that would be a great channel of distribution for bikes that are targeted toward design savvy, urban consumers. In a 2005 post, I wrote this:
Marketing an expensive bicycle to people who are not bike enthusiasts would most likely require some different thinking. It would also require exploring new venues for advertising and possibly different channels of distribution (In urban markets, I can see people buying bikes in a high end contemporary furniture shop or a design oriented accessories boutique)
Yes, Biomega bikes for sale in DWR seems like a good idea to me. Whether you like their bikes or not, you have to admit that Biomega is doing a great job of catering to a market that many bike companies have ignored until recently. I wish them well with this partnership with DWR. Check out the bikes here.
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