Lever-driven folding bike called the Zoomla

Bicycle Design: Zoomla folding bike

Many of you will recognize the name Eric Stoddard. He is the guy who recently wrote three excellent guest posts here at Bicycle Design about his impressions of the Taipei Bicycle Show. Eric has an interesting new design that he just added to his website. It is a small-wheeled, lever-driven folding bike called the Zoomla. He points out the Zoomla folds in 2 seconds and fits in a school locker. I particularly like the optional integrated backpack, which attaches to the frame below the seat. You can read more about the design and see additional renderings on Eric’s website. While you are there, check out some of the other bike and trike concepts on his site, Speed Studio Design. The Trik.E concept is my personal favorite.

WINNER! (SeymourPowell award) for…

MW: WINNER! (SeymourPowell award) for…

… best concept in the competition called “Future City Mobility”. This was a group effort by Il Choi, David Seesing, Miika Hekkinen and me. All friends of mine at the RCA. A great project from the start to the end. The brief was basicly to look at the traffic situation in London for the year 2030. Our concept was to create a car-free-zone in the central of London, called London Garden. Inside this zone we developed a system created around bicycles. Allowing a special designed bicycle/scooter to be well integrated with the infrastructure aswell as becoming a part of the interior of the busses and taxis. Inside London Garden, the users have more awerness of the individual energy consumption. In fact, the energy that you create while biking is used as a currency while docking the bicycle into the bus or taxi.

Once upon a time, China was a bike nation

Google Image Result for http://voyage.typepad.com/lfc_images/Peoples_Republic_Of_Cycle.jpg

three stages

Unicycles

Just a drawing

image018.png (PNG Image, 876×690 pixels)

another suitcase bike

Drawing and bicycles

Cicli su Carta – Drawing and bicycles

I’ve always liked drawing. And I like riding bicycles. Drawing bicycles was the simplest way to put these two passions together.

I like lightweight racing bicycles. I prefer traditional lugged steel frames, masterpieces built with an exquisite craftmanship increasingly difficult to find.

The bicycles that I like most are the beautifully simple and elegant track bikes, where each part is essential.

I like to explore the details that embody the style of the bicycle: frame details, lugs, bars, stems, graphics and components.

I generally prefer to use the pencil. A simple tool to reproduce the elegant simplicity of these objects. Thus they become ‘bicyles on paper’. In other words, cicli su carta.

folding drawing

umm

More bike drawings

From http://maddopedrawings.com/bikes.html

Bike Drawing

Bike drawings from Velospace.

One Wheel Wonder

One Wheel Wonder: ExtraWheel’s Voyager Bike Trailer : TreeHugger

It’s not often that TreeHugger visits Poland, so we are pleased to present ExtraWheel, who hail from Nowy Targ in the south of the country. They produce an incredibly simple, single wheel bike trailer, that doubles as an emergency spare wheel.

ExtraWheel claim their trailers are the lightest available. That they can negotiate most obstacles and enter the narrowest of spaces. Designed for touring and expeditionary use, the new Voyager is said to easily lug up to 35kg (77 lb), and besides acting as spare wheel, the the trailers also apparently detach themselves “in the event of major collisions.” Not that these are the only benefits attributed to an ExtraWheel.

Currently available in standard three wheel sizes of 26, 27 and 28 inch, ExtraWheel also appear to have a 29” in the works to suit the super fat Pugsley style of bike. The original model debuted in 2006 and employed mesh hammocks to carry cargo. Now that ‘Classic’ version has a big brother, the Voyager, which goes favours the use of panniers.

Bike Friendly Office

Employers, Here’s How You Can Create a Bike-Friendly Office : TreeHugger

“How to Keep Cyclists Happy at the Office”
Baltimore Spokes has an interesting piece about things that employers can do to help their employees successfully bike to work. It’s a very important thing. Even if you have nice bike paths and know all the tips about how to ride, you’ll probably be more tempted to give up if your work place is very bike-unfriendly. From an employer’s perspective, having bike-commuters in the office is a positive thing; they tend to be healthier, less stressed, and more productive (this sounds a bit too close to fitter, happier, more productive…). Read on to see tips for employers who want to encourage bike commuting.

Baltimore Spokes writes:

Be Accessible: Most folks aren’t going to want to hop on I-66 to wheel their way in. So, companies in neighborhoods near multi-use jogging and cycling trials — like Bethesda, which is close to the Capital Crescent — are more likely to lure two-wheelers. Second best are offices near roads with bike lanes (or little traffic).

Keep it Clean: [One company] chose its location specifically for its shower facilities. In buildings without them, it’s smart to negotiate a group discount at a nearby fitness center. Otherwise, the only real option for riders is a rubdown with wet wipes.

Provide Safe Parking: Outdoor bike racks are fine for cheaper wheels you won’t worry about getting damaged or stolen. But riders generally feel safer with more secure storage.

Build a Community: “If people feel like they’re alone out there doing this, it’s not worth doing,” says Angela Atwood-Moore, a research associate at the National Institutes of Health. As the president of the NIH Bicycle Commuter Club, she’s been instrumental in keeping the Bethesda campus’ 600 bike commuters informed through a Web site and an e-mail list (to which 300 riders subscribe).

Show Us the Money: It also can’t hurt to offer financial incentives for ditching driving. Employers can institute the recently adopted monthly $20 tax rebate for cyclists, or go further.

20 more bikes from Treehugger

20 Freaky Bikes As Selected by Matador Life : TreeHugger

Matador Life is about people in their hometowns, how they represent where they’re from, and what we can learn from each of the unique places we inhabit. Amongst the portraits of people’s hometowns and profiles of individuals strongly rooted in their communities, you’ll find bike-related content, such as The World’s 15 Most Bike Friendly Cities, 6 Reasons to Go By Bike, How to Be Good (Better) Drivers and Cyclists, and How to Choose a Touring Bicycle.

But right now they have up “20 of the Freakiest Custom Bikes on the Road.” The title might be a tad grandiose, but the images are quite fun. Above we’ve plucked No. 10 Alan Sikiric’s Mutandem. And after the fold, No. 20, a pedal powered tank (by Sailor Neale of the East Vancouver PedalPlay metal studio.)

High Heel Safety?

High Heel Safety? Take a Bike : TreeHugger

If you visit these pages often, you know that high heels are cycle chic, not an excuse to totter to your fossil-fuel powered footsaver and motor to your destination. Get ready to add another plus under the “bike with stilettos” column in your daily mobility decision: driving in heels is dangerous. So dangerous, that UK-based women’s insurer Sheilas’ Wheels developed the convertible heels pictured here. Below the fold, you can see that the heel on these striking leg-lengtheners tucks away to make a sensible flat shoe for walking. Hmmm, another alternative to doing the city-circle search for a parking place or adding to the asphalt explosion.

Walking Bike

A Different Kind of Hybrid Bicycle : TreeHugger

If the walking bike wasn’t your speed, check out the Jump Bike a custom job that’s a different kind of hybrid bicycle. Instead of pedals, you power the bike by saddling up and walking (or running) along with it. When the desired speed is reached, the feet come up and you let ‘er roll.

Looks effective, but sure is weird (and we just couldn’t resist). Hit the jump for another pic and video of the bike in the action. ::Jump Bike via ::designboom

World’s Tallest Bike

Recumbent News: World’s Tallest Bike Meets Low Racer