2008年2月29日 星期五
The shape of things to come ... The finalists for the 12th IBDC bicycle design competition
The shape of things to come ... The finalists for the 12th IBDC bicycle design competition
The shape of things to come ... The finalists for the 12th IBDC bicycle design competition
By Han Goes, IBDC Juror (Quoted from Bike Europe)
2008 has the potential of becoming a very exciting year for the international bicycle industry. Local and national authorities in Europe are embracing the bicycle as the number one means of transport against pollution, traffic jams, parking problems and obesity: clean, cheap and compact. Almost simultaneously for the same reasons there is a renewed and massive interest of consumers for bicycle products. This interest has a different origin: the average Mr. and Mrs. Consumer are looking for new and/or added cycling functionality. On 4th January 2008, an international jury of design and bicycle experts, evaluated the 19 designs which qualified for the finals of the 12th International Bicycle Design Competition, the world famous IBDC. These 19 finalists show the shape of things to come: compact, contemporary, unisex, foldable and multifunctional bicycles with power support, and … designed with the real consumer in mind. Han Goes, IBDC juror, reports.
For the last 20 years performance products (mainly mountain bikes and to a lesser extent road racing bikes) have heavily influenced and determined the direction of the process of product development and conception in the bicycle industry. Sometimes these developments were to the advantage of regular "all day round" bicycles; easier shifting and lighter weight. Nonetheless, often these developments did not bring any useful improvements in the field of functionality for the majority of the rest of the bicycles; more gears (from 21 to 30?), more suspension (160 mm. travel instead of 80 mm.?) have not brought any benefits to all those other bikes but mountain bikes. Instead drive trains, lighting systems and anti-theft systems are still not maintenance free, not everlasting and not idiot proof. Telescopic suspension forks have added a lot of weight and the development of tubeless tyres, THE solution against flats, is still focused on performance bikes, not on city and touring bikes. Even though new cycling consumers show a clear interest for new bicycle concepts with new, real new functionality, the industry itself has still difficulty to translate these requirements into valuable, attractive designs.
The European market is screaming for: rental bikes, electric bikes, compact folding bikes and bikes to carry more things and more people comfortably and easily...
Design competitions very often are a perfect window on the future and show the shape of things to come. No need to look into a crystal bowl, just look at the last five years of entries of a design competition and you'll have a pretty good clue on what we may expect within the next 10 years. The IBDC is the first and most important design competition in the bicycle industry. With it's history and international prestige it attracts young, talented and creative designers from all over the world. Therefore the IBDC is the most obvious and clear source to tell the future of the bicycle. Looking at the last 10 years of the IBDC contest we can see 2 clear trends:
1.Performance bicycles (mountain bikes and road racing bicycles) have nearly vanished from the design competition. This year's finals had only 1 entry of a suspension MTB and no road racing bike. This was not due to a somehow selective focus of the jury, but simply due to the fact that there were only very few entries of performance bicycles.
2.Conceptual design is prevailing over "design just for design". In the first year's of the contest (mid to late nineties) the entries were an expression of baroque design within the boundaries of existing cycling concepts (road & mountain). In the 21st century the designers have tried to free themselves from these limits and they have taken new cycling concepts as the starting point for their designs. Design in which form follows function, much less baroque, more experimental and more exploring ... with new concepts and new functions in mind. Therefore within the last five year's the IBDC has reached an unprecedented level of quality and innovation.
That is why the IBDC contest is becoming increasingly important and valuable as the hottest and most up to date source of trend watching and inspiration for the bicycle industry. Don’t miss the chance to go and see the exhibition of the 19 finalists for the 12th IBDC competition during the opening day March 13th of the next Taipei Cycle Show. And experience for yourself the shape of new bicycle things to come!
The 9 jurors are individually assessing the designs of the 19 finalist of the 12th IBDC
Internal discussions leading to agreement on final assessment
Discovery is a modern city bike with integration of functions and hidden inside the technology of drive train, braking and lighting systems.
Everglide has been designed as a device for the future of personal mobility: to be wheeled like an airport luggage trolley, to be used like a backpack (with or without bicycle) and to be used like a folding bike (with or without backpack).
The Grasshopper is an electric folding bike and in folded, compact state it can be pulled like a trolley. Indoor the Grasshopper can be used as a fitness bike and while exercising the battery pack can be recharged!
25 Years after the introduction of the Itera plastic bicycle from Sweden, Izzy makes a new attempt with an automotive like styling. The Izzy has a better integration of functions and the frame structure (two box shape halves with internal reinforcements) will not suffer from the Itera problems.
Another electric folding bike, but this time with hybrid technology to recharge the battery pack while cycling (the cyclist's pedal power and the intake of the riding wind). At ease, the Lohas Bike can be put on it's side and the main wheel facing the wind, functions as a windmill recharging device.
The third electric folding bike in the finals. Not earth shattering, but an excellent combination of things and everything makes perfect sense. Great automotive styling, compact and light weight. Typical commuter bike with relative small range for rides up to 30 min. and an aerodynamic front spoiler equipped with solar cells for recharging (while the cyclist is at work).
Unique design and intelligent combination of plywood with aluminium. Next to that Svepa has a creative combination of functions: it can be ridden like a bicycle, it can be used like a kickboard, it can be used for transporting a 2nd person on the rear footboard and in addition it can be used as a "tandem" kickboard.
Rental bike systems have the future for personal mobility in metropolitan areas. On very short notice the Paris Velib' system will be copied in cities all over Europe. The Two-U-Bike concept offers a solution for 2 problems related to public rental systems: the robustness of the locking system and the compactness of the bicycles when being parked.
(Welcome to 2008 IBDC Event - The Future of Micro Mobility)
The shape of things to come ... The finalists for the 12th IBDC bicycle design competition
By Han Goes, IBDC Juror (Quoted from Bike Europe)
2008 has the potential of becoming a very exciting year for the international bicycle industry. Local and national authorities in Europe are embracing the bicycle as the number one means of transport against pollution, traffic jams, parking problems and obesity: clean, cheap and compact. Almost simultaneously for the same reasons there is a renewed and massive interest of consumers for bicycle products. This interest has a different origin: the average Mr. and Mrs. Consumer are looking for new and/or added cycling functionality. On 4th January 2008, an international jury of design and bicycle experts, evaluated the 19 designs which qualified for the finals of the 12th International Bicycle Design Competition, the world famous IBDC. These 19 finalists show the shape of things to come: compact, contemporary, unisex, foldable and multifunctional bicycles with power support, and … designed with the real consumer in mind. Han Goes, IBDC juror, reports.
For the last 20 years performance products (mainly mountain bikes and to a lesser extent road racing bikes) have heavily influenced and determined the direction of the process of product development and conception in the bicycle industry. Sometimes these developments were to the advantage of regular "all day round" bicycles; easier shifting and lighter weight. Nonetheless, often these developments did not bring any useful improvements in the field of functionality for the majority of the rest of the bicycles; more gears (from 21 to 30?), more suspension (160 mm. travel instead of 80 mm.?) have not brought any benefits to all those other bikes but mountain bikes. Instead drive trains, lighting systems and anti-theft systems are still not maintenance free, not everlasting and not idiot proof. Telescopic suspension forks have added a lot of weight and the development of tubeless tyres, THE solution against flats, is still focused on performance bikes, not on city and touring bikes. Even though new cycling consumers show a clear interest for new bicycle concepts with new, real new functionality, the industry itself has still difficulty to translate these requirements into valuable, attractive designs.
The European market is screaming for: rental bikes, electric bikes, compact folding bikes and bikes to carry more things and more people comfortably and easily...
Design competitions very often are a perfect window on the future and show the shape of things to come. No need to look into a crystal bowl, just look at the last five years of entries of a design competition and you'll have a pretty good clue on what we may expect within the next 10 years. The IBDC is the first and most important design competition in the bicycle industry. With it's history and international prestige it attracts young, talented and creative designers from all over the world. Therefore the IBDC is the most obvious and clear source to tell the future of the bicycle. Looking at the last 10 years of the IBDC contest we can see 2 clear trends:
1.Performance bicycles (mountain bikes and road racing bicycles) have nearly vanished from the design competition. This year's finals had only 1 entry of a suspension MTB and no road racing bike. This was not due to a somehow selective focus of the jury, but simply due to the fact that there were only very few entries of performance bicycles.
2.Conceptual design is prevailing over "design just for design". In the first year's of the contest (mid to late nineties) the entries were an expression of baroque design within the boundaries of existing cycling concepts (road & mountain). In the 21st century the designers have tried to free themselves from these limits and they have taken new cycling concepts as the starting point for their designs. Design in which form follows function, much less baroque, more experimental and more exploring ... with new concepts and new functions in mind. Therefore within the last five year's the IBDC has reached an unprecedented level of quality and innovation.
That is why the IBDC contest is becoming increasingly important and valuable as the hottest and most up to date source of trend watching and inspiration for the bicycle industry. Don’t miss the chance to go and see the exhibition of the 19 finalists for the 12th IBDC competition during the opening day March 13th of the next Taipei Cycle Show. And experience for yourself the shape of new bicycle things to come!
The 9 jurors are individually assessing the designs of the 19 finalist of the 12th IBDC
Internal discussions leading to agreement on final assessment
Discovery is a modern city bike with integration of functions and hidden inside the technology of drive train, braking and lighting systems.
Everglide has been designed as a device for the future of personal mobility: to be wheeled like an airport luggage trolley, to be used like a backpack (with or without bicycle) and to be used like a folding bike (with or without backpack).
The Grasshopper is an electric folding bike and in folded, compact state it can be pulled like a trolley. Indoor the Grasshopper can be used as a fitness bike and while exercising the battery pack can be recharged!
25 Years after the introduction of the Itera plastic bicycle from Sweden, Izzy makes a new attempt with an automotive like styling. The Izzy has a better integration of functions and the frame structure (two box shape halves with internal reinforcements) will not suffer from the Itera problems.
Another electric folding bike, but this time with hybrid technology to recharge the battery pack while cycling (the cyclist's pedal power and the intake of the riding wind). At ease, the Lohas Bike can be put on it's side and the main wheel facing the wind, functions as a windmill recharging device.
The third electric folding bike in the finals. Not earth shattering, but an excellent combination of things and everything makes perfect sense. Great automotive styling, compact and light weight. Typical commuter bike with relative small range for rides up to 30 min. and an aerodynamic front spoiler equipped with solar cells for recharging (while the cyclist is at work).
Unique design and intelligent combination of plywood with aluminium. Next to that Svepa has a creative combination of functions: it can be ridden like a bicycle, it can be used like a kickboard, it can be used for transporting a 2nd person on the rear footboard and in addition it can be used as a "tandem" kickboard.
Rental bike systems have the future for personal mobility in metropolitan areas. On very short notice the Paris Velib' system will be copied in cities all over Europe. The Two-U-Bike concept offers a solution for 2 problems related to public rental systems: the robustness of the locking system and the compactness of the bicycles when being parked.
(Welcome to 2008 IBDC Event - The Future of Micro Mobility)
# 張貼者：uptoday168 : 凌晨3:31:00
訂閱 文章 [Atom]