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I might be the wrong person to ask for opinions on concept bikes, since I prefer bicycles that ride well first and look futuristic second. But from time to time, a flashy one will catch me so far off guard I wind up liking it before I can help myself. The Viks GT Commuter is a new absurdly stripped down frame design from Velonia Bikes. It was created by Indrek Narusk and inspired by the aggressive lines of Lamborghini supercars.
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Narusk, an Estonia based designer, has been working with the Viks design since 2012. The riding position is pointedly not ergonomic, but given the uncomfortable tradition of cafe racers, that's nothing new. The frame buys into some other classic minimalist frame cliches—look ma, no seat tube!!—but makes up for it by doubling the tubing used, literally.
Enter a caption (optional)While double top tubes or down tubes are not uncommon to stiffen up cargo bikes, they're the opposite of weight saving, which usually scares off run of the mill, minimalism-minded track bike designers.
This mac 'n cheesy update features 40% lighter aluminum tubing, elegant internal cable routing, upgraded disc brakes, slick brakes, and belt drive.
The Viks GT frames are made in Tallinn, Estonia. The forthcoming line will be produced in a range of Lamborghinish colors, available via Velonia resellers. More info can be found at the Viks site.
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Irritated machine-lover and international Portland correspondent.
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A Hyper Minimal Track Bike Inspired By Lamborghini
Not a track bike. Track bikes don't have brakes.
That's a good catch. There has to be a break in the frame someplace.
Subtle, but you can see the split in the drive side seat stay near the hub in this image.
that's a nice shop
I respectfully disagree, even if mine may only be a semantic argument. There's nothing minimal about this bike - double tubes all over the place when 100+ years of bicycle engineering show single tubes are more than strong enough and curves that do nothing but compromise the structural integrity of a traditional "double diamond" bike frame (which is just a truss and hard to improve on). I agree it's visually striking (which I'll concede serves some purpose), but minimal it ain't. The bike is such an interesting design pallette. It's fundamentally unchanged since forever, which makes designers think there must be opportunity for improvement, but it's such a simple machine that messing with it almost always detracts from its inherent efficiency. If you want a truly minimal bike, take your pick from any of the thousands of fixed gear bikes ridden by professional bike messengers - traditional frame, no brakes, and often a simple and utilitarian rack.