Hasta La Ideas

Like many people in Copenhagen, Danish designer Jens Martin Skibsted is a bicycle enthusiast. In fact, “enthusiast” is quite an understatement, as in addition to his day job as VP Foresight & Mobility at the strategy, design and technology consulting firm Manyone, he is also the founder and designer at Biomega, a Danish design brand focused on making bicycles capable of replacing cars in urban environments.

His latest project is the BER, a new electric bicycle that includes many features designed specifically for the US urban/commuter market. The frame is made from lightweight aluminum tubing, with front and rear safety lights integrated in the handlebar and seat post respectively. The head tube charging port is easy to access and use, and the design features a smooth, quiet and durable carbon fiber belt drive, which helps reduce maintenance costs.

The elegant design uses the same size tubing for the top and down tubes, avoiding the heavy look in most e-bikes with oversized down tubes. The state-of-the-art UL certified motor and batteries, along with the minimal Scandinavian design result in a bike, with batteries, weighing less than 16KG. This light weight helps give the bike an impressive 70 mile range, which is more than double the range capacity from Biomega’s earlier bikes.

The bike will retail for $2,500 when it is available in 2025, and the first 500 purchasers through the Prelaunch campaign can order it for only $2,000. In addition, anyone making an early order will be entered to win a week-long, all expense paid trip for two to Copenhagen during the summer of 2025, to experience Danish bike culture first-hand. More info, specs and the pre-order form can be found on their launch page.

In many parts of the world bikes are used as viable commuting vehicles. With the BER Skibsted hopes to bring that mindset to commuters in the US.

Editor’s note: Jens Martin Skibsted was the Transportation Category Jury Captain for the 2021 Core77 Design Awards. (https://designawards.core77.com/2021/Transportation)