A design competition and other links

NeilPryde Bikes is running a design competition that many of you might want to enter. Between now and May 1^st, design your own graphics for their Diablo model on the theme of Freedom, and you could win a frameset painted with your customized graphics and a $1,000 prize. If you win, they may even produce a limited edition run of Diablo framesets with your design. Read more about the competition, and download the templates you will need to enter here. If you are not familiar with the NeilPryde brand, read my post from late last year about the release of their first two frames

This fits into the category of design for bicycles rather than bicycle design, but I think the recently completed London 2012 Velodrome by Hopkins Architects is a beautiful structure. Check out a few interior and exterior shots at Dezeen.

The recently launched Think Work Play website showcases “the best ideas and creative talent in London.” One of the features on the site now is a video interview with Jo Harrington from Union Cycle Works that you might find interesting.

Sticking with the British theme, I’ll mention the Evoque concept bike by the designers at Range Rover. I heard about this and was expected something different, but it looks like other carbon road bikes on the market. More at Autoevolution (via Cyclelicious).

As the website points about, Geoff Apps’ Cleland AventuraTT is “an off-road bicycle, not a mountain bike”. Read more about the design philosophy behind the bike here.

Finally, I want to mention a comment that was left today on a post that is a few years old. In addition the glow in the dark bike that Gary Fisher is riding in that post, Lock points out that Gary owns “at least one reflective suit made using Lumatwill(TM) from the folks at Dashing Tweeds.” That seems like a great idea for regular clothing that can be used for cycling at night. Check out the ladies cycling cape that they make as well. Nice!

Posted

March 4, 2011

Commuter, Concept, Road Bike

James

Tags:

design competition, links, NeilPryde

Comments

7 responses to “A design competition and other links”

Will

March 4, 2011

About the Cleland AventuraTT,
My dad’s hybrid with fat cyclocross tires, his preferred do-it-all bike, looks like this. He even has a short-travel fork and suspension seatpost with spring saddle and “handlebars above the saddle.” This may have been a unique bike bake in the late 70s or early 80s, but I see these bikes frequently on gravel paths and rail-trails. I’m talking about tire tread, tire size, rider position, fenders, even saddle.

I completely understand not finding what you want in XC race bikes, or downhill bikes, but the trail bikes popular is the Southeast feature chain retention devices (great for sliding over those logs he mentions), reliable components, an upright riding position, and tires more suited to the observed motorcycle trials style riding than even his preferred machine. Also look at bikes popular in British Columbia that have similar conditions, but steeper terrain than what you’ll find in the English countryside.

While he mentions the trails in California looking very different from his home trails, muddy trail riding is strongly discouraged in the U.S. That leaves mud performance mainly the domain of, you guessed it, race-type events on race-type machines. Otherwise, riding when it’s wet enough to rut the trails around here and you’ll come back to your car/truck and find someone has let all the air out of your tires.

Reply
1. Geoff Apps
  
  March 14, 2011
  
  That’s excellent news ~ people designing bicycles for themselves. The AventuraTT is certainly unusual, but I’m glad to hear it’s by no means unique. Quite a few people like it, but the vast majority think it’s a stupid design. Possibly because they don’t or can’t think for themselves; thus unable to design a bike for themselves.
  
  Reply
Murray

March 4, 2011

The above mentioned bike competion download ‘eps file’ is incorrect. the file ends in ps instead of eps (does not open)

Reply
gildas

March 9, 2011

About the Cleland AventuraTT,
Good luck turning, the pedal hits the fender, and if you have feet, so do they… With a bike made for offroad “travelling”, you need clearance, for avoiding rocks and stuff. You might also need a good doctor with that near vertical position crushing the disks in your back.
The rest of the design is pretty good, lots of great ideas.

Reply
1. Geoff Apps
  
  March 14, 2011
  
  AventuraTT: Well, the pedal doesn’t quite hit the fender, but my toes do. But, in practice, they don’t. I can’t explain why they never seem to come into contact. In any event, so what if they do? It’s only a mudguard (fender) extension which is very flexible and thus contact doesn’t affect anything, but the extension performs a very important function very effectively, principally keeping gunge from spraying onto the chain.
  
  As with most of the compromises within the design, all of which have been agonised over repeatedly: the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.
  
  Question: How does ‘clearance’ help you avoid rocks? There is clearance between the fenders and tyres, there is clearance underneath; hanger height is nearly 15″, How much more clearance do you want, and where would you put it?
  
  You really need to bone up on spinal health; you’ll learn that the spine is at its strongest and most flexible with the correct lordosis; which is impossible to achieve on a ‘conventional’ mountain bike, and most other bikes as well; do you crush your discs when walking, jogging or running?
  
  Having made these comments, I thank you for the last one.
  
  Reply
  1. James Thomas
    
    March 14, 2011
    
    Toe overlap with the front wheel is fairly common with road bikes, especially with older criterium racing frames. As Geoff points out, that clearance issue is not usually a problem since the rider does not turn the wheel far enough to make contact during the course of a normal ride.
    
    Reply
gildas

March 9, 2011

(remplace the PS by EPS, and it should open…)

Reply