
One day we'll all be riding bikes and the news will stop beating the "Bush" over gas prices, traffic, economy, the environment... Sigh. To get there faster we want to thank Freeman bike and concept designers in Missoula, Montana for these handcrafted speedsters. "We are hand-building bikes here in Missoula, Montana. All steel with S and S couplings. Right now we are only making fixed gears. No brakes, No cables, No mess. Bikes come with a bag for travel. The frames break in half to fit into the bag, and can be checked on airplanes with no extra charge. One simple tool to put them back together..." and they said it themselves, "Ride to and from the airport." Now finally, ya' don't have to look like a dweeb on one of those foldable bikes. More Pics after the jump.
Thanks STUDIO NEMO!



MILAN DESIGN WEEK 2009
PICTOPIA FESTIVAL 2009
HOME AND HOUSEWARES SHOW 2009
TRANSVERSALE 2009
NEW YORK CITY TOY FAIR 2009
IMM COLOGNE INTERNATIONAL FURNISHING SHOW
NORTH AMERICAN INT'L AUTO SHOW '09
TOKYO DESIGN WEEK 2008
LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2008
NeoCon 2009
MD&M East and ATX 2009
Nidecker Snowboard Design Competition
Tools of Engagement
Comments
Waterford, Moots, IndyFab, Co-Motion, and many many others have been using S&S Couplers. Hell, Surly even makes a travel bike now call the Travelers Check. They even have couplers for brake and derailleur cables so you don't have to readjust them.
makes sense for city travelers!
I'd love one of these - they're beautiful bikes and the couplers are sturdy as all getout.
But have you tried biking to the airport before? Not a trivial thing where I've lived (Boston & Seattle), which is too bad.
HEy Nurb,
You are right, these things aren't "new," but it's a single tool to get a bike back together, and apart, and it comes with the bag (that's designed to fit.) Try putting one of those other break-down-able bikes into a duffel bag, or gym bag, or suitcase. Odd fit all the time. Considering this is key.
Like any bike enthusiast, one bike isn't enough. So there is always reason to learn about more that exist.
This design mostly makes me think of my dad. A couple months ago, as an example (boss of about 10,000 people) he started riding his bike to work. (25 miles each way, thats 50 miles a day folks, sometimes he takes the train for part of it, on bad weather days) AS you can tell, I'm proud of him!
But the other day when he was riding the train. some dude got mad at him about having his bike in the walkway. If this bag fit on the side as a saddle bag that would be amazing! Dudes, like my dad, could ride they're bikes to work with they're fancy work clothes in a bag that they're bike fits in as well, just in case they want to take a cab home or that crazy train with the bad train conductor that my dad rides.
I love the suitcase philosophy... I sure would love to be able to check my bike on a plane... but advertising no brakes as a good thing never ceases to amaze me. STUPID!!
anyone notice the dude's facial hair? thats some dope shit going on there! ^_^
check out Dahon for affordable folding (non-nerdy) bike!
Put an ergonomic seat on it and the design community will really be frothing at the mouth.
S&S Couplers and the Ritchey Break-Away system are both generally provided with bag & case options that are the same size as this one. Every builder worth his/her salt offers breakaway or S&S as options. And any fixed gear can be broken down and rebuilt with a simple multitool. For that matter, so can any road or mountain bike. Still a cool lookin' rig, but c'mon, they didn't re-invent the wheel, so to speak.
Small wheeled folding bikes are some of the quickest, nimblest, most fun and sexiest bikes out there.
I'm gonna keep cruising my bright blue Bike Friday Pocket Rocket around the streets of San Francisco.
how do you carry that massive bag with you on your bike (that has no rack mounts)?
PD, that was my thought as well. Yeah, I can ride to the airport and pack the bike, but what about getting the bag to the airport itself? I guess you could fold it up and put it in your backpack or whatever, but I doubt it folds up very small. Last year I went to Cuba with only a small sized Chrome messenger bag as luggage. Would love to have brought my bike but there's no way this bag would have folded up that small.