'This is the bike for Chicago'

The worst winter in decades inspired a design firm and frame builder to fashion a bike tough enough for this town.

http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/minimal-method-bicycle-concept...

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Permalink Reply by JMinHP on July 28, 2014 at 3:25am

Voting is live: http://oregonmanifest.com/vote/  You're required to watch each team's 15 second video before you can vote. Not sure why, since they offer so little about the bikes. The CHI video is about 12 seconds of the El and maybe 3 of the bike - Why?  At least there are 2 minute videos about each bike on the page as well offering a little more information.

Of all the bikes, I'm digging the NYC and SF bikes the best.  The integrated or interchangeable racks, fenders, etc. are all pretty cool. I like the low-maintenance inspiration for the CHI bike, such as the sealed SRAM hub and the dropouts, but that's about all. The PDX video tries its hardest to reinforce every stereotype about Portland, including the use of a British accent for the voice over because WEIRD. The SEA integrated handlebar/lock is an interesting idea.

Permalink Reply by Duppie on July 28, 2014 at 3:51am

Not Chicago, but at least 3 other cities copied a VanMoof verbatim.

Kevin C said:

Vanmoof?

h' 1.0 said:

[snip]

I wonder how they arrived at their presumptions.

Permalink Reply by Andrew on July 28, 2014 at 7:21am

Can somebody please point out to me why I shouldn't outright dismiss/ignore the bike with the integrated cable lock?  Am I missing something? 

Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on July 28, 2014 at 7:50am

Being more interested in classic and KOF style bikes, this year's Oregon Manifest is a huge disappointment to me. Only 4 entries, and they all seem very similar in the way that they look like more of a design exercise instead of focused on true practicality. 

Permalink Reply by Tominator on July 28, 2014 at 7:51am

Looks cool. What other criteria is there? Love the one tube frame look.

Permalink Reply by Jonathan Quist on July 28, 2014 at 9:51am

"I get e-mails from women who want to, say, ride to work in a pencil skirt, but can't on designer bikes. We wanted to create a bike that lends itself to all types of user experiences or needs."

Okay, I get that not everybody wants to wear windproof cycling tights on every trip, but how does inspiration from "the worst winter in decades" connect to riding in a short skirt? Or how does the arguable small subset of potential customers who'd want to bike to work in winter wearing summer attire determine the design criteria for the whole year-round riding population?

(Yes, I had to look up what a pencil skirt is. Most of the pictures I found were shorter than calf-length.)

Permalink Reply by T.C. O'Rourke on July 28, 2014 at 5:08pm

Pretty much how I though it might play out.

A visually striking design at the expense of structural integrity, with some "integrated" but useless accessories, all for an astoundingly high price.

Innovation doesn't come from a bunch of smart dudes sitting around a conference table trying to improve upon a simple utility design, especially for the sake of "accomplishment".  This whole thing comes off as really arrogant to me.   Unless the end product is hype, in which case it's just disingenuous.

Permalink Reply by Alan Lloyd on July 29, 2014 at 4:18am

Note that the footage of old Schwinns was takes at Working Bikes ...

Thunder Snow said:

CHI: MNML x METHOD BICYCLE'S BLACKLINE from oregon manifest on Vimeo.

VOTE FOR THE ULTIMATE URBAN UTILITY BIKE JULY 28!
Inspired by the City of Broad Shoulders, the BLACKLINE bicycle has a strong spirit and is ready for just about anything. It takes its name from Chicago’s iconic elevated train lines that run throughout the city, non-stop. While the ‘L’ will get you from station to station, the BLACKLINE is the ride that gives you the freedom to get everywhere in between.

Tough yet refined, this bike has just the right amount of street savvy. A custom smart handlebar with integrated LED headlight and side blinkers utilize GPS enabled turn-by-turn navigation to help you safely navigate the urban grid. Once you reach your destination, the bike’s location can be securely tracked using a connected smartphone app.

The virtually maintenance-free drive train utilizes a sealed 3-speed hub, originally designed to endure the extreme conditions of rural Africa. It’s driven by a nearly indestructible belt drive able to withstand everything from the daily commute to the harshest winters.

Balloon tires smooth out your ride, won’t slow you down, and lessen the worry of roadside repairs during pothole season. The BLACKLINE’s bold yet simplified frame has a singular, angled 2” tube, which makes dismounting your ride a little easier in stop-and-go traffic. And thanks to the lessons from Ferris Bueller, it features a ready-for-anything cargo system that can be configured to help get you to lunch, a museum, the ballpark, a street festival, or anywhere the wind blows in the Windy City.

Crafted for the individual who prefers life on two wheels, the BLACKLINE is the ultimate urban utility bike.

SEE MORE AT oregonmanifest.com

Permalink Reply by skyrefuge on July 29, 2014 at 4:26am

Yep, the bike and its creators got featured on Chicago Tonight last night, and I definitely got the feeling that this is more a masturbatory art project than a practical engineering pursuit. The answers to many of Phil Ponce's questions on why they decided to do something in a particular way often seemed to be "um, I dunno, because it looks cool I guess".

http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2014/07/28/building-better-bike

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on July 29, 2014 at 5:15am

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.

Duppie said:

Not Chicago, but at least 3 other cities copied a VanMoof verbatim.

Kevin C said:

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on July 29, 2014 at 5:17am

Roller brakes might be lower maintenance, but I haven't been all that impressed with their stopping power, especially compared to good disc brakes.

I also thought the fenders were pretty but not so practical - way too short.

Jeff Schneider said:

This interview gives the best info yet on the design of this bike.

The SRAM 3-speed hub and belt drive both seem intelligent and practical for Chicago.

...

The wooden fenders are pretty, but way too short.  Both the front and rear fenders will dump water/slush/snow right on the bottom bracket (and the rider's feet).  Perhaps proper fenders wouldn't be MNML enough.

...

Rather than disc brakes, I would prefer roller brakes.  Less expensive, essentially no maintenance, less prone to making noise, and they stop well enough for city transportation riding.  But they wouldn't have been compatible with the SRAM hub, I suppose.

Permalink Reply by Jonathan Quist on July 29, 2014 at 5:20am

Thanks, Jeff. I'll take the time to watch the interview. The other video was more or less as expected...

I'm kind of surprised they made the claim Schwinn is headquartered in Chicago. Or is there still an office in town? I was under the impression there was nothing left of the original company, at least under the Schwinn name.

I'm a relative newbie at bicycle commuting, but those panniers didn't look like they'd hold a 15" laptop and change of clothes. I'm highly skeptical of their practicality claims.

GPS? Well, if their nav system was linked to public works to indicate which streets had closed bike lanes... :-) But in Chicago, with streets for the most part falling into the grid, I'd rather focus my attention on hazards than a nav display, and my experience with smartphone-based GPS in the loop suggests that a low-end nav system simply won't be accurate. Too much interference and too many reflected signals.

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