Hasta La Ideas

The best timbered adornments for your ride

With summer in full swing, your bike has likely become a constant companion. Giving your wheels some natural lo-fi charm, handcrafted wooden accessories also provide a supreme level of easy functionality. We scoured Etsy to find the best of the bunch, from baskets and grips to storage units, fenders and lights.

The Bike Valet by Reclamation Art Furniture
is a handsome and practical addition to any cyclist’s home—the wall-mounted storage unit features compartments for keys and a wallet as well a place to hang your bike. Made from urban harvest walnut and hand-rubbed with natural VOC oil finish, each Bike Valet is made to order, individually numbered and signed by craftsman Steven Tiller. Available for $185 on Etsy.

The wooden bicycle light from Sean Said Play is fashioned out of reclaimed walnut and attaches via a Velcro strap, relying on a common 3v coin battery to produce a bright flash. The designers utilize as much reused material as possible, aiming to make well-designed lights that compete with their mass-produced counterparts in price, quality and functionality. Available in both a red and white light, the wood can be customized on Etsy for $35.

Broken Board handcrafts these wood grips on a lathe in either Brazilian Walnut Hardwood or Cherry. They’re finished with a spar polyurethane commonly used for marine applications, enabling the grips to withstand the elements while enhancing the natural grain of the wood. Available for $50 from Etsy.

Combing a rustic feel with modern lines, REdesign Studio‘s RE-cycle wooden bike fenders offer a twist in the aesthetic of your ride. Handmade from reclaimed wood, the fenders are crafted in downtown Seattle by alums of the University of Washington’s architecture department. Available for $100 from Etsy.

For rear bike racks, the Wooden Bike Basket from Off Cut Studio is a handsome alternative to the traditional wire or nylon basket. Made from solid walnut and finished with four coats of marine oil, the Wooden Bike Basket’s mortise and tenon joints mean it’s built to endure the elements. Off Cut Studio also welcomes requests for custom sizes. The walnut Wooden Bike Basket
is available for $105 from Etsy.

For those who prefer a basket mounted to the front of their bike, the Classic Porter Crate by Bates Crates boasts the bonus of a cup holder. The crates are handmade from maple before being stained and polycoated to handle the environment. Available for $125 on Etsy.

The Japanese bike-maker’s new Shoreditch shop

One of our favorite cult bike brands, tokyobike, just threw a housewarming party and customized-bike exhibit to inaugurate its new outpost in London’s Shoreditch neighborhood. Londoners can now buy these lightweight, 22lb bikes directly from the Japanese bike-maker in a variety of frame colors and models. The simple, all-white 1,700-square-foot interior of the shop, designed by Glass Hill, also stocks hard-to-find accessories and lifestyle pieces such as Japanese bags and housewares, and houses a bike workshop space in the basement. We asked the team at the London location to give us more insight into the new shop, which is the latest in a string of recent openings that includes Berlin, Sydney and Singapore, with Paris and New York coming soon.

The design of the store incorporates elevated platforms for the bikes. Can you explain the concept behind these?

Joe Nunn, Glass Hill: The elevated platforms are more a shared approach that sees that different functions should take place in different spaces. Separating the circulation area from the product display area seems appropriate in the same way as a genkan is right for outdoor shoes and not indoor slippers. We are showing the bicycles as new and pristine, and the slight separation in height and material not only says that visually but also practically.

What is the significance of the hanging cedar ball and how does it fit into the space?

Yuki Sugahara, store manager of tokyobike Melbourne: The cedar ball, made by Japanese craftsman, is traditionally used at the sake breweries as a sign to tell the locals that the fresh sake is ready. We wanted to have a symbolic piece that makes our customers feel something about Japan, where tokyobike originally came from. It is a beautiful and happy element that stands out in a simple white space and will hopefully start a conversation.

What elements did you bring to this store to give it a London personality?

Neil Davis, tokyobike: tokyobike comes from a traditional suburb of Tokyo with a lot of craftspeople and designer/makers still working. The Yanaka store displays and sells a lot of this work, and the London store will be similar in that respect, showcasing local products and designs alongside books and maps and a carefully curated range of bicycle accessories. Gropes is a good example.

What are your plans for the store and brand in the UK?

Davis: The store is a beautiful, clean space designed to show off the bikes and their many colors, but this makes it ideal for events and exhibitions. We have just collaborated with six artists to produce six pieces of bike art which will be displayed at the store before being auctioned. In the future look out for more exhibitions and product launches.

What is the fixie bike culture like in London?

Yu Fujiwara, store manager of tokyobike London: Compared with Tokyo, London’s bike culture is more centered around DIY and vintage. People fix up their old bikes or ride 1950s and ’60s bicycles; the growing popularity of the Tweed Run typifies this culture. Tokyo’s fixie culture is more rooted in pop/youth culture, which mixes colorful components with fashion.

What did you learn about the UK market after you did the pop-up shop last year that you took into account for this permanent location?

Davis: Pop-ups are fun but we always intended to have a permanent store. Not least because we want to look after our customers’ bikes. Location was important too—staying in Shoreditch, close to our existing customer base and in an area where there is still a lot of creativity. Space was also important. We wanted to give people coming to the store an experience as well as have enough room to show the entire range and house a workshop to build/service the bikes.

If you’re in London during Clerkenwell Design Week from 22-25 May 2012, tokyobike will be offering its famous bike tours. Send an email to cdw@tokyobike.co.uk to reserve a spot.

Photos by Andrea DiCenzo

A comprehensive look at the best BMX bikes of all time seen through the eyes of design

As motocross became an increasingly popular sport in 1960s Southern California, boys wanted to emulate their favorite riders, and began hacking together bicycle frames. Realizing this potential gap in the market, Schwinn created a bike that would answer their racing-specific needs. The Schwinn Sting Ray launched in 1963, giving life to BMX—bicycle motocross—and taking it from California dirt tracks to the Olympic game it is today. The new book “Rad Rides” chronicles this evolution through a comprehensively diverse range of bikes submitted by BMX enthusiasts from around the world.

Written by London-based design studio Intercity, design pundit Gavin Lucas and longtime BMX competitor Stuart Robinson, “Rad Rides” looks at the history of the sport through bike design. According to Lucas, the “basic geometry of the BMX hasn’t really changed much over the years,” but like any sport the relentless quest for greater strength and durability “has led to much experimentation—in welding techniques, in alloy composition and bike construction.”

“The real joy of putting this book together is that no one way of doing things, with regard to building a bike, is the ‘right’ way for every single rider and their particular style of riding,” Lucas explains. The sport itself is separated into two approaches, racing—where it’s all about speed—and freestyle, which is broken down into vert, park, trails and flatland disciplines. The variety of ways in which people handle the bike has led to an industry where customization is king. From freestylist Woody Itson’s legendary ’85 gold Hutch Trick Star to Jim Bauer’s colorful hand-painted tiles on his 2006 Metal Rebel Contender, the aesthetics are as important as the mechanics.

“Rad Rides” is also a useful reference for anyone thinking about piecing together their own BMX bike. Each example features a complete set of specs spanning grips, pedals, cranks, seat and more. For his handsome green 1985 Skyway Street Beat, Lucas sourced the parts on eBay, including matching Skyway Tuff II wheels and Odyssey limited edition Jim Cielencki pedals that glow green in the dark.

“Rad Rides” declares at the beginning that anyone who says they don’t love a BMX bike is lying, going on to validate this sentiment throughout the book. Since many fell for the miniature frame when it landed a crucial role in “E.T.” in 1982, it endures as a beloved fixture of pop culture. A visually compelling and insightful history of BMX, seen through the eyes of design, “Rad Rides” is out May 2012 and is available for pre-order from Laurence King and Amazon.

Our interview with Paul Budnitz on the release of his third model

Just eight months after the debut of his eponymous bicycle line, Paul Budnitz has once again put his legendary design abilities to good use with the release of Budnitz Bicycles‘ third model. Sporting massive 29-inch wheels, a silent Gates carbon belt drivetrain and the trademarked cantilever frame engineered to absorb road shock and improve handling, No. 3 is your dream city cruiser.

Sharing the same stunning silhouette and clean lines as its titanium predecessors, No. 3 takes a welcomed step towards accessibility with a lower price tag and a more badass vibe (though No. 1 and No. 2 still command waiting-list status at prices climbing over $5,000). We recently caught up with the former Kidrobot founder to talk about his latest designs, the transition from titanium to stainless and to learn just what it is about Budnitz Bicycles that keeps them in such high demand.

After launching your first two bikes, what’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned and how did you apply it to the new No.3?

When I set out to design the new model No.3 as the ultimate urban bicycle, I had to think differently from what I’d already done with the earlier models. I asked myself, what will the new bikes have that the others don’t? What would make me want to own all of my bikes?

If you look at our bicycle models as a whole, you’ll see there’s very little overlap. The idea is that there’s a reason to own each of our bikes, and we have several customers that have one of each, in the same way I have an iPhone, iPad, Powerbook, they each serve specific functions. Steve Jobs continues to be a role model for me.

When we last spoke you mentioned the first two bikes were inspired by Aston Martins and Maseratis, how would you describe No. 3?

When I was drawing up the jet-black model No. 3 I had a picture of a vintage Rudge motorcycle on my wall. The Rudge is a pre-war British big-engine motorcycle that only came in one color—gloss black—with few logos and precise detailing. There’s a whole Rudge culture. Riders were encouraged to take a lot of breaks, to stop every hour or so and look at the landscape and have a smoke. I just love that.

You see the visual influence in No. 3’s jet-black frame and titanium badges. The “ride slow on a fast bike” concept is built into our company philosophy, too.

We’ve also got a new bicycle coming soon, the more minimal No. 4 was actually inspired by an oversized BMX bike that I saw my friend and collaborator Chad Phillips riding around a few years ago. It had smaller (but not too small) wheels and was just the perfect size for city living. You can ride No. 4 right into an elevator, or put it into a trunk of a cab or store it easily in a small apartment. But it’s not a tiny awkward folding bicycle, it has fat tires and a full-sized cockpit. It flies. Someone saw me riding the prototype around Brooklyn a few months ago and called No. 4 a Stingray on steroids.

Why transition from titanium to stainless steel?

Models No.1 and No. 2 are still only offered in titanium, they were designed around it. Titanium is the ultimate bicycle material, ultra-lightweight and compliant. It’s hard to beat. But only a few fabricators can work with it well, and it’s costly.

Stainless is just a wonderful material, light and strong and gorgeous. It never rusts and has a fantastic ride. Using stainless also allowed us to bring down the pricing a bit on No. 3 without sacrificing quality, which as I mentioned was one of my goals. I want more people on my bikes.

What aspect of the new design are you most excited about?

Well, No. 3 is just the ultimate all-around bicycle. You can’t beat big 29-inch wheels and two-inch tires for a fast, smooth ride, and it’ll roll over just about anything. And it looks elegant as hell.

It’s just so much fun to ride, you feel like a little kid—weaving in and out of traffic.

Which of the four frames do you ride the most?

I designed all these bicycles for a specific purpose, so I use them all. I take my original model No.1 for longer rides, because it’s so crazy light and beautiful. No. 2 is what I use when I go riding for fun with my daughter. No. 3 is my go-to bike nowadays, because the big wheels are just so much fun—and also because it’s new, and I’m still having fun playing with it. I keep a No. 4 prototype at my place in New York City, and I use that one for travel, too.

Do you think the pared-down design is what sets Budnitz Bicycles apart?

Yes, our design philosophy is “Nothing Added”. The idea is create something perfect, something just right. This goes all the way down to the way the bicycles are engineered. If you don’t add functions and things people don’t need, you really can make a bicycle that will function immaculately, a frame that will last forever, and keep people excited about riding it. That’s the goal anyway.

The No.3 is now available directly from Budnitz Bicycles starting at $2,800.

Two budding designers turn a classic motorcycle into a modern work of art

For their final year project while studying transport design at Northumbria University in Newcastle, budding English designers Roy Norton and Tom Kasher wanted to create a bike that would borrow from the past while looking to the future. The result—an exceptionally sleek take on the classic Triumph Speed Twin, kitted out with girder forks and signature quilted Barbour fabric on the seat.

The duo met with Triumph Product Manager Simon Warburton, who not only gave them the utmost support in creating the concept, but sees the project as an inspiring foundation. “Some elements may have an influence on some of our future projects,” he says. Triumph gave Norton and Kasher the frame of a production Bonneville to build from, which they reconstructed for a more contemporary aesthetic before adding Firestone tires, inverted levers, Thruxton brakes and a redesigned filler cap.

Warburton says Norton and Kasher’s take on the Speed Twin is like “the bike the Bonneville might have evolved into in an alternative universe.” Now graduated and fully employed by bike manufacturer Xenophya, the two are likely to be shaping the future of numerous machines to come.

via BikeExif