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DUTCH KIDS PEDAL THEIR OWN BUS TO SCHOOL

Dutch kindergarden students pedaling their bus to school (Click Image To Enlarge)

In the Netherlands, bikes abound. And now, they even take kids to school. Behold, the bicycle school bus.

The Dutch are bicycle fanatics. Almost half of daily travel in the Netherlands is by bicycle, while the country’s bike fleet comfortably outnumers its 16 million people.  Devotees of the national obsession have taken the next logical step by launching what is likely the first bicycle school bus.

Built by Tolkamp Metaalspecials, and sold by the De Cafe Racer company, the bicycle school bus (BCO in Dutch) is powered entirely by children and the one adult driver (although there is an electric motor for tough hills). Its simple design has eight sets of pedals for the kids (ages 4 to 12), a driver seat for the adult, and three bench seats for freeloaders. The top speed is about 10 miles per hour, and features a sound system and canvas awning to ward off rainy days.

This pedal-powered school bus was made by De Cafe Racer and can be rented out for fun outings in the Netherlands (Click Image To Enlarge)

Co.Exist spoke with Thomas Tolkamp who built the BCO about its origins and how the idea is catching on around the world for the sets of 11 lucky kids who get to arrive in school pedaling their own school bus.

Co.Exist: What was the inspiration for the bus?

Tolkamp: I had already made other big bikes (like the Beerbikes) and a few years ago someone mailed me with the question if I could develop a bike especially for transporting kids. So for that other company (a child care) I made the first bicycle. Some other companies were also interested, so I began to produce more bicycles and have improved the bike.

How many of these have been sold? How many are in use?

We’ve sold around 25 bikes. They are still all in use, except for the very first one, which was a prototype.
 
Does it only come in yellow?

No, we’ve sold bicycles in green, blue, purple, grey, red, yellow, but all [standard] colors are available.
 
How much does it cost?

Around $15,000, so less than a taxi or normal bus.
 
Can the kids alone make it go?

It’s possible to ride the bike without the motor when most seats are in use, but it wouldn’t be safe to ride without an adult.
   
Do you have plans to export it?

We have already exported some bikes to Belgium and Germany, but not this kind of bike. We have gotten frequent requests for information about the bike from all around the world (North America, South America, Europe) but we’ve never sold a bike outside of Europe.
 
Do you think it will work well in other countries, or is it something special about the Dutch culture?

I don’t know really, but what I do know is that people from all around the world like the idea. We have gotten interest from the press all over the world and all people are positive.

I hope I can sell the bike in the near future to a foreign country and see how people at other countries react on the bike. I think it will work well in other countries, because as more and more people [are] becoming fat and "green living" becomes more important, ideas like this get more popular.

COMMENTARY:   The Netherlands is the bicycle capital of the world, with 40% of all traffic movements by bicycle. They have created a bicycle friendly country that promotes a healthier, more active lifestyle for its residents.

In 2009, over 1.3 million bicycles were sold in the Netherlands according to preliminary figures. The Revenue is expected to be around 950 million euros, an increase of 4 percent from 2008. According to the RAI Association FietsVAK, the exhibition for the bicycle industry.

When people buy a bike, they’d rather buy a good bike”, said a spokesman for RAI. The average amount that was spent on a bicycle last year increased 3.5 percent to an average of 713 euros. In 2008 that figure was 683 euros.

The rise of the electric bike set last year continued. An increase of 30 percent is expected for 2009 with more than 150,000 e-bikes. The electric bike has a market share of 10 percent, with an average selling price of around 1900 good for 25% of the total bicycle sales.

The market share for e-bikes will increase further.

Dealers are still gaining ground as a sales channel for bicycles. Last year 85 percent of the bikes were bought in a real bicycle shop and the previous year it was still 82 percent.

Since 2009, the Dutch bike fleet grew to a total of 18 million bicycles, and probably more by now.

It's difficult to tell whether these pedal-powered school buses would be allowed on American streets because of a lack of bike lanes on many streets, city ordinances, speeders and most children commute to school using public transportation, school buses or their parents drive and pick them up from school.  You would definitely need an adult to supervise the children.  

These pedal-powered school buses really need older children.  In the above picture, the bike bus is pedaled by kintergarderners.  I think these kids are just too young to pedal a bike this big and bulk. I think you would need older children to pedal it. 

The price of the BCO at $15,000 is a bit too pricey for most public schools to bear, then you have potential liability issues.  For those two reasons, I have a feeling U.S. public and private schools would not buy them, so adoption will become an issue.

Courtesy of an article dated February 11, 2012 appearing in Fast Company Design and an article dated January 26, 2010 appearing in the Dutch Daily News

 

THE ULTIMATE WHEELCHAIR THAT CAN BE RIDDEN ALMOST ANYWHERE A MOUNTAIN BIKE CAN BE RIDDEN

Why should wheelchairs stay boring when the people using them have so much personality? That is exactly what Bill Lasher when he created his first sporty wheelchair.

In the six years since that first garage tinkering, Lasher has built Lasher Sport, crafting custom wheelchairs and handcycles that can roll on sandy beaches, ski on snowy mountaintops and careen terrifyingly fast down the slopes of the Swiss Alps. The chairs are also one of only a handful of products fully manufactured in Alaska, though Lasher does contract to Lower 48 firms for some processes. They are sold to clients all over the world – from Guam to Germany.

 

The Lasher Sport ATH- All Terrain Handcycle, another addition to the Lasher Cycles line. On road, off road, where ever you want to go.

The chairs aren’t cheap – from around $5,000 to upwards of $10,000 for a custom chair.

Anything but medical-supply beige, they’re inspired by Orange County Choppers and mountain bikes, often tricked-out with chrome details that wouldn’t look out of place at a car show. They range from basic but sleek with vibrant oxidized colored aluminum – like a fresh custom car paint job – to fanciful, like one with a dragon motif that features gold and red details, fire-breathing dragon cutouts and a foot rest that looks like two gold coins.

COMMENTARY:  Much more than an off-the-shelf handcycle with fat tires, the all new Lasher Sport ATH -All Terrain Handcycle- was specifically designed for use off the pavement, yet is still very adept on the pavement.  A generous 6” of ground clearance helps you get over rough trails and gnarly terrain.  That’s enough clearance to pop up or drop down a standard height curb when biking in the concrete jungle.

The frame is built from custom extruded ovalized magnesium for maximum strength and durability.  The forks and backrest are built from 6061-T6 aluminum.  The seat back connects to the axle with dual adjustable supports for additional triangulated rigidity.

The ATH comes with more wheel options than any other handcycle.  The standard 26” mountain bike wheels can be outfitted with any 26” mountain bike tire sold in your local bike shop, so servicing the wheels is easy.  The standard wheel set includes quick release 26” (559) rear wheels with Schwalbe mountain bike tires, the same wheel size as a 25” (559) wheelchair wheel, so you can use the same wheels on your wheelchair as you do on your handcycle.  You may opt for the bolt on rear wheel option which can be outfitted with or without hydraulic disc brakes.  You can also get an extra set of 650c road wheels and easily convert your ATH to a road bike. This will also lower the cycle an extra inch to the ground.  You may choose a Spinergy 29er wheel set which adds an extra inch and a half of ground clearance… a whopping 7.5” of ground clearance!  Or, if you’re into winter biking (or beach biking), you may choose to go with a 4” wide tire on an 80mm rim.  This provides for 7” of ground clearance.  

Wheel Sizes Options:

• 25" (559) wheelchair wheel
• 26" (559) mountain bike wheel
• 29er (622) mountain bike wheel
• 26" (559) 80mm wide winter wheel
• 650c (571) road wheel
• 700c (622) road wheel

Since the ATH is front wheel drive, the riding position is familiar and comfortable.  With the seating designed to be more upright and forward, there is plenty of weight on the front drive wheel to get up relatively steep slopes without drive wheel slip.  This bike wasn’t designed for extremely steep hills or crazy slopes, but it will perform exceptionally well when you want to go trail riding with your mountain bike friends.

The base ATH comes with Shimano SLX components (which are a pretty exceptional component set) and Avid hydraulic disc brakes, some of the best you can put on a bike.  From there, you may opt for the Shimano XT or XTR component set.  Or, mix and match each component individually.  It’s your bike, so you can choose what goes on it.

If accessories are important to you, the ATH has got them. Your ATH can be outfitted with LED headlights and tail lights for night time riding, custom made frame mounted bag for cross country or over night trips, front and rear fenders, click strap seatbelt, integrated hydration system, cycle computer system from Garmin, even a headmount or frame mount ContourHD camera system to make your own YouTube adventure videos. The ATH was designed to accomodate all these accessories... and more are being worked on.

Finally, you want your bike to look good when you’re riding it.  The ATH comes in 19 standard powder coat color choices, and 48 optional powder coat color choices for a total of over 60 colors!Then we put on our color matched reflective decals so your bike is more visible when riding at night.

If you’re looking for a handcycle that can take you beyond the pavement, this bike is for you! 

The ATH All-Terrain wheelchair is one hell of a bike and gives individuals with disabilities and have lost the use of their legs hope and enjoyment in activities they thought were impossible.  The folks at lasher sport have done a great job of designing an incredible wheelchair, or should I say wheelbike.

Courtesy of an article dated October 16, 2011 appearing in Business Opportunities Weblog Network

HOW BIKES CAN SOLVE OUR BIGGEST TRANSPORTATION, ENVIRONMENTAL, ENERGY AND HEALTH PROBLEMS, AND BIKE RIDING IS FUN

There's tantalizing data suggesting that biking could go a long way to solving America's obesity crisis. And much more.

Americans are getting fatter every year, and weight-related diseases kill us at a rate second only to tobacco. There's been lots of proposed solutions to that problem--rejiggering the food pyramid, advertising campaigns, soda taxes. But the simplest of all might just be bikes. Yes, bikes.

If you live in the suburbs where any bike trip would be riding along a highway, that probably sounds totally insane. But this infographic produced by Healthcare Management Degree actually provides several data points that suggest that bikes might not be so ridiculous after all.

A few stats immediately leap out at you: For one, 70% of America's car trips are shorter than 2 miles, which translates to about an easy 10-minute bike ride:

The stats really get eye-popping in the second half of the panel above: 13 pounds in a year, just from riding to work?! The second panel then looks at the obesity rates in various European countries and compares them to the percentage of trips taken by bike:

Obviously, correlation isn't causation, but given how much weight you lose by riding to work, the data is pretty compelling. Then again, could Americans really commit to the cultural shift that biking all the time entails? After all, it's not like our gas prices are going up to $8 a gallon, as they are in Europe, where gas taxes are huge. If you're trying to fight cars as an American politician, you'll be out of work fast. Especially since, as of this moment, only a tiny .6% of all errands and trips in this country are made via bikes.

But the last panel does actually suggest that change isn't totally impossible. Portland, which is covered with relatively new bike lanes, has 6% of its population commuting by bike; ridership across the country is growing.

There are suggestions that the government takes this trend serious: Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has been making noises about making biking easier and safer across the country. But nonetheless, the degree to which motorists seem to despise those on bikes is pretty amazing--in New York's own fights over bike lanes, the backlash has been vicious. How do you make cyclists safer without making drivers feel like they're under attack? The answer to that question could hold the key to our biking future.

COMMENTARY:  I lived in Portland, Oregon for a year and a half, and it's definitely one of the most pro-bike cities in the country.   I don't miss the rain much, but Portlad is a nice town, with lots of parks and plenty to do, especially if you love to bike.  I can still remember riding all the way to Sauvie Island:

If there are any Portlanders, post a comment and let me know what's happening.

Courtesy of an article dated December 14, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design

FIVE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA ENGINEERING STUDENTS CREATE THE ALPHA BIKE, THE ULTIMATE ROAD BIKE

Their "Alpha" bicycle was rapid-prototyped entirely on campus and will make any cycling fan weak in the knees.

Geek cyclists, eat your heart out: engineering students at UPenn have reached inside your collective consciousness and pulled out the stuff of dreams to create Alpha, a concept bike so sleek and tech'd out you'll gladly cut off a pinky just to take one ride on it.

Alpha: Possibly the Most High-Tech Bike Ever from Core77 on Vimeo.

The student team has created a showcase website for Alpha with so much detail you could probably build one yourself, but the basic idea was "to create a bicycle that would push the boundaries of integrated systems": a fully enclosed drivetrain, an electronic clutch to flip between freewheeling and fixed-gear configurations on the fly, and an onboard computer for tracking cycling stats, all encasedwithin a custom-machined carbon fiber and aluminum frame. Practically nothing on the bike is exposed to the elements except the pedals.

First, the frame. Carbon fiber ensured minimum weight (in fact, Alpha weighs less than a standard steel frame bike, even with all the specialty gear they packed into it) and the students fabricated the frame and handlebars on campus using CNC machining, laser sintering, and 3-D printing.

Next, the electronics suite. Alpha's onboard computer, handlebar-mounted LCD screen and LED lighting all need juice, which is provided courtesy of a drum brake and dynamo on the front wheel hub, as well as two capacitors charged by the spinning wheel. The LCD screen displays real-time data on cadence, distance, speed, and gear status. If you're into personal datavis, you can pop out an SD card from under the Alpha's handlebars and download the info onto your PC.

Finally, the SWIFT drivetrain (which stands for Switchable Integrated Free-Fixed Transmission). This is the magic between the pedals that lets the Alpha be all things to all riders: a take-any-grade-in-stride freewheeling geared bike, or a quadricep-punishingfixie. (Or both during the same ride, as your mood or company changes.) I'm not enough of an engineer to understand exactly howthis little knot of bronze, steel, and titanium actually pulls off such a feat, but the fact that these students designed it into a package that doesn't look like a hairball coughed up by Optimus Prime is impressive enough.

The UPenn team had nearly 30 corporate sponsers and manufacturing partners backing them up, so I'd be surprised if we didn't see ideas from Alpha gracing bike shops in a few years.

[Read more (way more) at the Alpha website]

COMMENTARY:   As a former bike rider, mountain and road, I have seen some fantastic bikes in my riding days, but nothing like the Alpha Bike.  I appreciate the Alpha bike's unique fully-integrated design, carbon fiber composite frame tubing, fully integrated and encased drivetrain, shifter and brake wires concealed within the frame tubing and its ultra-sleek high-tech look. Sort of reminds me of my old trusty Treak carbon fibre road bike. That was one sweet bike.  I can easily see Lance Armstrong riding this bike to victory in the Tour de France.  The Alpha Bike is just a prototype, but how much does it weigh, how fast can it go and how much does the darn thing cost. It has to be one ridiculously expensive bike.

Courtesy of an article dated May 3, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design

 

 

 

SILVERBACK TECHNOLOGIE'S NEW SLEEK STARKE SUB ZERO BIKE CHARGES ITS OWN HEADLIGHTS AND YOUR IPHONE OR IPOD

The math on your bike doesn't seem to add up. The sweat from all those thigh-burning, hill-climbing miles evaporates into thin air, as you change batteries in your bike light and drag your GPS inside to charge it. Now a German bike company says it can transfer all those pedal revolutions into energy you can actually use.

Starke by Silverback is a new series of innovative bikes that hope to offer equally innovative solutions for their riders. While the Starke bikes definitely look sharp--think sleek adonized metal with colors like "exotic spice"--it's one particular feature that's getting the most attention: a front hub that converts forward movement into power for your iPod.

Click Images To Enlarge

Deon Retief, the founder of Silverback Technologies tells Co Design.  

"Our goal was to offer something new, something different and totally awe-inspiring."

In looking how to best serve the contemporary city rider, Retief and his team noted a proclivity for using tech-savvy devices while on the streets. They fitted the bike with a tiny hub dynamo--basically an electric generator built into the wheel--which can produce enough power to light two bike lights (one in the front, one in the back), plus the USB port situated on the handlebars. Retief says that a speed of 7 to 9 miles per hour is enough to charge iPhones, iPods, or a GPS, and the lights will stay illuminated for up to 5 minutes after you stop pedaling.

Click Image To Enlarge

While some bikers add their own dynamos to their wheels that can power their devices, and a few bikes are equipped with dynamo-powered lighting, this might be the first bike we've seen to offer both lights and USB as a standard feature. The benefits of the lights are obvious as they solve a huge issue for bikers when it comes to safety. How many times have you ended up somewhere after dark, only to find the last bit of juice flickering from your light, or worse, find that you left your light at home? Making leg-powered lights standard and automatic on bikes could drastically increase the visibility of bikers by compensating for our own stupidity and forgetfulness.

While a USB port packs plenty of gee-whiz convenience, it doesn't quite guarantee the same level of increased safety, although a constantly charged navigation system or phone might mean you're less likely to get lost and can call for help if you need it. But it does open up some pretty awesome possibilities for more cool peripherals we can attach to our bikes. It's aspirational, of course, but that's exactly where Silverback wants to be, says Retief.

"We want to be the Apple of the industry."

COMMENTARY:    What a cool idea, whose time has come.  If we can use DC port to charge our phones and other mobile devices while in our car, it makes sense to be able to charge them while on a bike.  For those interested, below are the Starke Sub Zero specifications.  Sorry, don't have prices. Please post a comment if you know.

Silverback bicycles are available in Europe, Australasia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Southern Islands and Eastern Europe.  Not presently available in the U.S.

Courtesy of an article dated September 16, 2011 appearing in Fast Company

 

 

ART STUDENT SETH ASTLE DESIGNS THE CADENCE CONCEPT PROSTHETIC LIMB AND BIKE PEDAL FOR AMPUTEE CYCLISTS, WINS U.S. JAMES DYSON AWARD

A concept by Art Center student Seth Astle wins the U.S. portion of the James Dyson Award.

A prosthetic limb and bike pedal that allows amputee cyclists to experience a full range of motion has been named as the U.S. winner of the James Dyson Award. Interestingly, for the second year in a row, the winning design is bike-related--last year's finalist was the Copenhagen Wheel.

 

Cadence is a concept by Art Center College of Design student Seth Astle, who wanted to focus on helping below-the-knee amputees. Since about 47% of amputees are below-the-knee amputees, he knew his solution would be able to help the largest potential audience possible. As he began his research, he learned that although many below-the-knee amputees are able to use custom limbs designed for particular sports, there were many shortcomings when it came to prosthetics for cycling.

Most protheses are extremely rigid around the ankle and foot, which is great for walking or when you want to stand up straight, but difficult when trying to bike. Biking requires a fluidity of movement, that push and pull of muscle strength, which helps you gain momentum while pedaling. To mimick that muscle power, Cadence uses an elastomeric band which can collect energy while riding. As the foot rotates around the pedal, the stored kinetic energy helps bring the foot and leg back up to the top. (See more visualizations of Astle's process here.)  

The Cadence concept also allows the rider to clip into the pedal, allowing for a more efficient ride. A split toe in the prothesis helps them see where to connect the foot to the clip. And the locking mechanism is made just for amputees, with a clip that's freed with a backwards motion rather than a pivot of the leg, which is dangerous for amputees. But perhaps most attractive to cyclists is that the prosthetic's form looks more like the high-tech equipment that they're using. The sleek shapes and bright colors are more akin to a shiny racing bike or an aerodynamic helmet.

Astle has already won a Gold IDEA award for his concept, which will also be featured in a display at the London 2012 Olympics. You can see the nine other U.S. finalists at the James Dyson Award site. The global winner will be announced on November 8, 2011.

COMMENTARY:  The Cadence concept prosthetic limb and bike pedal is beautifully designed and engineered specifically for the below-the-knee amputees.  I am happy for Seth Astle and winning the U.S. James Dyson Award.  He moves on to the global finals and I have a feeling he has a great shot.

Courtesy of an article dated September 14, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design  

 

THE 'AJIRO' -- A PREFABRICATED BAMBOO BIKE, MADE FROM BAMBOO GROWN AND SHAPED LIKE A BIKE

The Ajiro--a concept from Australia--would come from the Earth fully formed. Is this the first step for a sustainable manufacturing economy?

Another bamboo bicycle? Yes--but the vehicle devised by Alexander Vittouris departs from the funky, tiki-bar-friendly lines made from this sustainable, globally ubiquitous grass. A design student at Australia's Monash University, Vittouris envisions a bicycle that isn't built, but grown--the bamboo stalks of the frame being trained into shape while the plant is growing. Inspired by arborsculpture, in which tree branches are fixed in expressive shapes that they take as the plant grows, Vittouris wants to develop a reusable framework that would shape bamboo into nearly finished bicycles.

While arboculture is a craft practice rather than a mass-production technique, its application to bamboo--which may be cultivated inexpensively, and grows with astonishing speed--offers at least a coy gleam of scalability. Manufacturing traditional bicycles expends energy and injects waste into the world, whether the frame is some space-age alloy or bamboo. Vittouris by contrast proposes

"engaging the environment in (the) production phase through photosynthesis and carbon storage till ultimate destruction."

Vittouris' bicycle, which he calls the Ajiro, remains a concept; the project is a finalist for the James Dyson Award, a prize for student work offered by Good Design Australia. But even as conjecture, it's an inspiring glimpse of a different kind of production. The Ajiro goads the blog State of Green to imagine "farmlands full of bamboo manipulated over various structures" in place of bland and wasteful manufactories. Will we ever see green fields of bicycles--or chairs, or bedsteads--growing in the sun? Perhaps not. But even as design fiction, Vittouris' Ajiro may help us ask questions about the things we make. Perhaps by switching our metaphors from manufacturing to cultivation, we'll find the seeds of sustainability.

COMMENTARY:  I love the original design and use of natural bamboo throughout the Ajiro bike. It's quite a unique design concept, and the use of natural bamboo, a 100% green material could appeal to cyclists concerned about the environment.

As a former cyclist, I am not very crazy over horizontal or recumbent bicycles, but they do appeal to older cyclists.  Most recumbent ikes also have an aerodynamic advantage; the reclined, legs-forward position of the rider’s body presents a smaller frontal profile. A recumbent holds the world speed record for a bicycle, and they were banned from international racing in 1934.

I wished that there was a video showing the Ajiro in action.  If you know where I can find one, that I can embed on my blog, please let me know.

Courtesy of an article dated August 4, 2011 appearing in Fast Company

 

BIKE FIXTATION: THE BIKE REPAIR VENDING MACHINE THAT SELLS PARTS, TOOLS AND SNACKS

Say goodbye to bike shops. Minneapolis's Bike Fixtation will sell you the parts you need to get your bike back on the road, and give you the tools to make your repairs right there.

It's happened to every biker. A flat tire in an inconvenient place on your commute, and the nearest bike shop is a long walk away. Most casual bikers don't carry extra tubes or tools with them; and so any repair work on the road can mean an end to a bike ride, and potentially leaving your bike locked up somewhere slowly rusting as you forget about it in your frustration. That's why the idea of the Bike Fixtation is so brilliant: a place for you to buy new parts and then install them yourself.

The Fixtation is really just a vending machine, but with bike parts instead of snacks (though there are some snacks in case you're getting hungry on your ride). What makes it most convenient is the bike mount and tools--attached with aircraft cables to prevent theft--alongside the vending machine. You can replace that flat or adjust your brakes yourself without dealing with the characters who usually are employed at bike shops. Of course, you may not know how to replace a popped tube yourself; now is certainly the time to learn, so you can take full advantage of the Fixtation when it moves into your city.

Sadly, right now, only one Fixtation exists in the world, and it's in the bike-friendly Minneapolis (though a second one is also in the works in the city, and Times Up! operates one in--where else--Brooklyn). You can contact Fixtation to buy a unit, but until the company expands more broadly, bikers everywhere else will have to wait jealously for the company to take off enough to expand and give them their own Fixtations.

COMMENTARY:    I used to cycle a lot, but knee issues have made biking very painful for me. I can't tell you how many times I had bike repair problems, most of them flats, but it would've been nice to just replace the inner tube instead of trying to find the hole and patch it, out in the middle of nowhere or in 90 degree heat.  Having a Bike Fixtation vending machine closeby is a great convenience, but it will have to be strategically located on or close to bike trails  or where there are a lot of bike riders.  Lakes, state and national parks, major bike trails and so forth.   I can definitely see a Bike Fixtation in Portland, Oregon, one of the bike riding Mecca's of America.  San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, New York's Central Park, all the great parks where there are lots of bike riders. Or how about mass transit terminals. Lots of riders take their bikes on board trains like BART.  If you live up there or ever cycled there, you know what I mean. 

Kory Northrop, a grad student at the University of Oregon, produced this map that shows the Top 10 Major US Cities for bicycle communiting.  Minneapolis, MN and Portland are both on the map.

There is also a Top 50 US Biking Cities.  All of them would be great opportunities for Bike Fixtation.

2010 was a recovery year for the U.S. bicycle industry, with direct effect sales growing nearly 15% from 2009.

The U.S. bicycle industry generated $6 billion in sales in 2010, including retail sales of bicycles, related parts and accessories, through all channels of distribution.

The size of the industry has remained remarkably stable since 2003, with sales between $5.8 billion and $6.1 billion each year (the exception being 2009). For comparison purposes, we project the industry at $5.3 billion in 2002, $5.4 billion in 2003, $5.8 billion in 2004, $6.1 billion in 2005 (an all-time high), $5.8 billion in 2006, $6.0 billion in 2007, $6.0 billion in 2008, $5.6 billion in 2009, and $6 billion in 2010.

The approximately 4,200 specialty bicycle retailers commanded approximately 14% of the bicycle market in terms of unit sales in 2010, but 44% of the dollars, a dominant dollar share. Dealer price points generally start at around $200, with the average at $524, though prices can range into the thousands. While the number of specialty bicycle stores has declined in recent years due to consolidation, they are responsible for approximately the same amount of business through these fewer (but larger) stores today. This is the only distribution channel that maintained or increased average retail bicycle selling price in recent years. This channel's overall share was slightly down in 2010 compared to 2009 in new bicycle sales. It should be noted that new bicycle sales represent about 40% of the revenue for the average specialty bicycle retailer, with parts, accessories, service/repair, rentals and fitness equipment sales comprising the rest. Specialty bicycle retailers as a group feature quality merchandise, and add value through services such as bike fitting, assembly, repair, and community involvement.

Bicycle unit sales (for all bicycles, and for those with 20-in. wheels and above) for the U.S., including both the dealer and mass merchant channels are as follows. Please note that these figures reflect market consumption based on import statistics and estimates of domestic production. They do not account for inventory at the retail and wholesale levels.

I just visited the Bike Fixtation website, and they now have two locations in Minneapolis, MN.  This has the potential to become a great franchise idea.  Here's their contact information.

Mailing address:

Bike Fixtation LLC

5413 Nicollet Ave. S. #124

Minneapolis, MN 55419

Phone: 612-568-3498 (or 612-568-FIXT)

E-mail: info@bikefixtation.com

Returns and Refunds

If you buy a bicycle component from us and it does not work, please contact us within 30 days of purchase for a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number. After you get an RMA number, you can mail the item to us and we will either replace it with the same or a similar item of the same value, or refund the cost to you.

Courtesy of an article dated July 22, 2011 appearing in Fast Company

HOW MICHELIN'S UNIQUE PROTEK MAX BICYCLE INNER TUBES DESIGN SEALS PUNCTURES AND ELIMINATE FLATS

ProTek Max inner tubes use air pressure to compress holes closed, outperforming Michelin's other self-sealing tires.

Bicycle tire tubes need to stay firmly inflated against the inner surface of the tires themselves to ensure safe, rugged riding. But in the unlucky event of a puncture, that same pressure will only stretch the hole wider -- even when it's closed with sealant. Michelin's new line of ProTek Max inner tubes employ a radical design to avoid this problem: The air pressure inside actually compresses a puncture closed, instead of blowing it further open.

The reason for this design problem is easy to visualize for anyone who's ever had a hole in their sock. The simple fact of shoving your foot into the frayed heel and stretching the fabric will only make the hole bigger. Air pressure and friction in a punctured bike tube cause the same problem. But the funny-looking compression dimples on the ProTek Max's surface change the distribution of pressure across the tube's surface, cause the inner air pressure to squeeze a hole shut.

 

That's ingenious enough, but the ProTek Max also addresses the plain fact that changing an inner tube at all, for any reason (even to install a ProTek!) is a giant pain in the butt. Traditional tubes with circular cross sections easily get twisted up when you're trying to place them correctly inside the empty rim. But ProTek Max tubes have a square cross section -- so properly mounting them into a rim is as simple as lining up the edges.

Between the easy installation and James Bond-like self-healing abilities, I think I might go Michelin when I finally break my Jamis hybrid out of winter storage this week

COMMENTARY:    The square shape of the Michelin ProTek inner tube is said to help the tube seat better inside the tire and eliminate some of the twisting that can occur when installing a new tube. These new tubes are heavier, but they aren’t intended for you racer types and gram counting weight weenies. But for all the commuters out there… this just might be the ticket. 

The Protek Max tubes will be offered with either Presta or Schrader valves in two sizes: 700x35-47c (200g) and 26x1.4-2.125in (260g). Suggested retail price is a surprisingly reasonable $8.99

Courtesy of an article dated April 14, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design

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YOUNG GERMAN DESIGNERS BUILD 'EXCENTRICITY', A ROAD WARRIOR BIKE POWERED BY PORTABLE ELECTRIC SCREWDRIVERS

It's like something straight out of the mind of Tim "The Toolman" Taylor... but German. And cooler.

This is hands-down the craziest road vehicle we've seen in a long, long time. Dreamed up by four German design students and built like a cross between a Tron Light Cycle and our childhood tricycle, it accelerates to 18.6 miles per hour, powered by nothing but a pair of Bosch 18-volt screwdrivers.

Granted that's about as fast as, well, our childhood tricycle lumbering down a hill. But it's not nothing, especially when you consider that this thing a.) doesn't have a traditional engine b.) can be made (mostly) out of crap you find in your dad's toolbox and c.) has you staring straight at the frickin' road. We reckon any speed is more than enough speed.

The students -- Nils Ferber, Sebastian Auray, Ruben Faber, and Ludolf von Oldershausen, of HFBK University of Fine Arts Hamburg -- built Excentricity or "EX" for a screwdriver race competition held by another design school in Germany. (Those wacky Germans and their machines!) As Ferber tells Co. in an email, most other entries just rigged existing bicycles, whereas he and his classmates built their ride from scratch. They even designed their own parts in CAD, then had them CNC milled.

How Excentricity works: Battery-operated screwdrivers "screw" into the frame near the rear wheel, powering the bike chain, which then transmits juice to the gearing. The screwdrivers run in the same direction for max power, and overruning clutch gearwheels are used to transmit torque.

 

To accelerate and brake, the driver squeezes the handles. To steer, he wiggles his body, effectively tilting and bending the back wheel. "This is very different from holding a steering wheel or handle bar but makes the driving very intense," Ferber says. "The headlong position and being very close to the ground make you easily forget that you are still not exactly the fastest thing on the road."

COMMENTARY:   If you don't mind being hurt or even killed, then the Excentricy road warrior bike is for you.  Using two 18-volt portable Bosch (German, of course) screwdrivers for power is ingenius.  This could start a new trend in wacky screwdriver-powered riding machines.  According to Nills, the EX bike can go 30 km/h.  The EX bike turns by applying body lean to an ingenius joint which is part of the rear wheel.  This leaves me wondering how long the power will last before you need to recharge the portable screwdrivers batteries, but who cares when you are having so much reckless fun.  Definitely wear a crash helmet and off-road padded outfit if you want to live to ride another day.  Great job Nils Ferber, Sebastian Auray, Ruben Faber, and Ludolf von Oldershausen.    

Courtesy of an article dated March 23, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design

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