Best Urban Commuter Bike for Simplicity and Sustainability
As a want to be a minimalist I have not been driving very much. Well, I have not been driving at all lately. The Urban Bike may be a new way to go for me. I don’t think I will ever get rid of my car but I get much less use nowadays.
I have been enjoying public transportation as I get reacquainted with my environment and cultural surroundings as I live like a tourist.
SEA: TEAGUE X SIZEMORE BICYCLE’S DENNY from Oregon manifest on Vimeo.
Why Ride a Bike?
You have to openly laugh when you hear people say live green and “save the planet”. How arrogant can human beings be? Save the planet? Do humans actually believe they can save the planet?
Riding a bike will help the planet and all of her creatures in the short term but in the long term, the planet will take care of herself.
Trust me. The planet will be fine no matter what humans do. She was fine before human beings and she will be fine when human beings are long gone. What should be said is “save humanity?
You should also ride a bike for health reasons. It is proven that an active lifestyle will benefit you in numerous ways. Why ride a stationary bike at the gym when you could actually ride to places you really need to be?
Why Are We Not Riding Bikes More?
We need bikes designed for the Urban Commute to entice people to ride them instead of driving the car all of the time. The bikes designed today are more designed for the spandex-wearing road warrior.
I must admit when I shop for a bike I look for the Extreme Mountain Bike. Others may look for road bikes. Even the so-called commuter bikes offered seem to be a bad mix of Road and Mountain bikes.
To get people to ride more for their urban commute you need a bike designed for that. You need a bike that is comfortable, has storage, and some type of power assist just to name a few possibilities.
The bike above called just won the 2014 Bike Design Project contest where local designers and bike builders from five cities compete to build the best Urban Commuter bike. Above is the video of the winner.
The bike is called the Denny and a version of it will be produced by Fuji Bicycles next year. Below are videos of the other city’s offerings.
The Minimalist Urban Biker
With the idea of walkable cities becoming more popular. I see biking as an Urban Commute as a no-brainer. I witness Urban commuters biking every day in the New York City Citi Bike Program.
From what I can see this program has been a huge success as I see residents and tourists alike whizzing around the city on these Citi Bikes.
As a minimalist, I usually travel with most of my Earthly belongings in my backpack. I have edited down almost to only the needed essentials. I would love an Urban Commuter Bike that could accommodate cargo more easily. The designs of these bikes have addressed that, ease of use, and security for now.
The five bikes that were entered in this competition have opened the door for this and even more conversations. The offerings are very creative and are just the beginning of what is to come. I can’t wait to see and experience the future of the Urban Commuter Bike.
NYC: PENSA x HORSE CYCLES’ MERGE from Oregon manifest on Vimeo.
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CHI: MNML x METHOD BICYCLE’S BLACKLINE from Oregon manifest on Vimeo.
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SF: HUGE DESIGN x 4130 CYCLE WORKS’ EVO from Oregon manifests on Vimeo.
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PDX: INDUSTRY x TI CYCLES’ SOLID from Oregon manifest on Vimeo.
