Hasta La Ideas

Now in its 17th year, 2013 marks the first time that the International Bicycle Design Competition has partnered with iF Design Talents. Although the judging took place in October, following the submission period, the winners were announced just a couple of weeks ago at the Taipei International Cycle Show. Given the sheer backlash to two of the more recently-seen bicycle concepts here, we’ll offer no more than a measured critique of the winners of the 2013 International Bicycle Design Competition. Far be it for me to take issue with the judges’ selections of 22 prize winners from a field of 590 entries, who earned an invitation to a three-day workshop in Taiwan (the top ten won a cash prize as well)… though I couldn’t help but notice some of the usual suspects, from hubless wheels to stylized e-bikes and, of course, lights galore.

Judges Michael Tseng (Merida Bikes) & Martin Kessler (Process Group)

In any case, here are the 12 ‘Third Place’ winners, who earned the invitation to a three-day workshop in Taiwan, with a few discursive comments where applicable.

ALIGHT
Brian Franson – NC State University, Raleigh, United States

ALIGHT is a retractable lighting device that attaches to the rear seat of a bicycle, [incorporating] stretchable electronics and a retractor mechanism, which allows it to be coiled up or extended out. By extending the light to the rear wheel axle, it creates more surface area and a larger visual impact [which can be seen from all angles]. ALIGHT emits a bright green light, which will turn red when braking and flash yellow when turning left or right.

– Definitely a novel approach to bicycle lighting, but I wonder how other road-users will interpret the lines of light, which don’t explicitly indicate a bicycle (or any vehicle, for that matter). Drivers and other cyclists alike might find it confusing.

Anti-Theft Pedal
Yao Ying-Liang & Hsu Ting-Yun – SHU-TE University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

Using the profile of the pedal, the two sides of the pedal are extended to form a fork-shape, it is then fixed at the support of the rear wheel, locking the pedal. Thus, the pedal cannot move forwards, offering an elegant anti-theft function.

– I find that pedals protrude rather awkwardly when locking up; this concept turns them into an ad hoc locking mechanism. I’d be curious to see if this could be extrapolated into some kind of integrated U-lock, but I imagine the additional bulk/weight would be a limiting factor.

DORA Helmet Concept
Balázs Filczer – MOME, Budapest, Hungary

DORA has been designed for cyclists who travel through the city very often, especially at night… its lights can be seen from every direction. The other problem is the non-equivalent signals between the cyclist and the drivers, mostly during direction changes. DORA helps you change direction easily and safely. The front light on the helmet gives you light directed toward the road; moreover you can leave your bike (and its light) behind, because the light is exactly where you look.

– I’ve seen some similar concepts, so it’s not entirely original, but it benefits from strong presentation, and the handlebar-mounted Bluetooth remote is a nice touch. Still, I think it would make more sense to somehow integrate the buttons into the brake levers (though this means that each one would either have to have its own battery, or be wired to a single battery).

Gran Turismo
Justin Chan, Paul Czarnietzki, Mina Lee & Andrew Lesniak – University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

Known for their ergonomics, recumbent tricycles allow people with injuries that prevent them from riding a normal bike to still enjoy riding. However, recumbent tricycle designs have remained unchanged and stagnant. The Gran-Turismo is an update to improve on the areas of aesthetics, safety, materials and technology. Inspired by the essence of a modern super car it aims to match their road bike counterparts in building materials and to stand out in style and performance. Using an existing recumbent tricycle, we overhauled the frame while keeping the same dimensions and geometry to maintain its ergonomics.

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