JUSTICE MITCHELL

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All Day I Dream About Design: Industrial Design: Bikes

Justice Mitchell

My love affair with bicycles officially started about two years ago. Many of my friends are into cycling, and I owned several bikes in the past. But then the romance got hot and heavy, and I could no longer deny the attraction.

Since then I played a key role in launching and deploying a brand called Evolve Bikes here in Orlando. From branding, merchandising and in-store displays, to the shop’s website and social presence – I consulted and designed with them every step of the way. Especially since that time, I've been knee-deep in bikes! Not my own, sadly. But I’ve been drinking in every aspect of the design, smell, lines and color of bikes.

As a designer, you should be able to look past the simple color and layout of things, and into the soul of design. That's where I feel my inner passion for industrial design, because I look at all things in terms of their form, function, design, usability and impact.

Take for instance the iPhone or the iPad. In my opinion, these products are in the 100th percentile across the criteria I mentioned above. They are beautifully crafted, and superior to all competitors in every way.

So how does that translate to the bike world?

Selecting a bike is as unique to the individual rider’s needs as buying apps is for an iPhone user. And don’t even get me started on the conversation about bicycles in terms of actual transportation, and what it could mean to the world if more people ride them!

For me it's about:

The lines in the bike. The frame, the color, the stance and, of course, the componentry. For those not intimately familiar with the bike world, the componentry includes items such as derailleur, cassette, pedals, cranks, saddle, brakes, wheels, headset, fork and literally hundreds of other little pieces and parts that can turn a $500 bike into a $10,000 masterpiece! This goes beyond simply the material of which the frame is constructed, which can be aluminum, carbon fiber … or even bamboo. Yes, I said it.

Let's get to the good shit, shall we? I'm going to show you some bikes that, in my opinion, are just plain sexy. Drop-dead, high-design, sex on wheels. I'd love to say that I've sat atop each one. And maybe, should anyone in these companies be reading, my dreams will come true and I’ll get the opportunity. 

But for today we shall talk about design. Don't look at the following bikes with your pocketbook; don't look at them with your own riding style in mind. Simply look at these bikes as art, and wondrous pieces of industrial engineering and hard work.

It's also important to note that I selected currently manufactured bikes. There are countless other mind-blowing bikes out there in conceptual stages that you must see to believe.  

Additional resources & articles:

My client, friend and awesome resource on all things eBike (electric bike):

There's a millon bikes out there. Please send me something new, weird and or fun! I'd love to see what you think is cool. Please share this with your bike fans and followers.