I heard about a great piece of design a couple of weeks ago. It’s a new bike that has just been launched in the US. In fact, it’s an anti-bike. The Trek Lime has 3 basic gears, and the braking is via that old chestnut – pedal backwards. Over the past 5 years, bikes have become totally driven by technology and apparently, only aimed at slim, lean, ultra fit athletes. Lance Armstrong has a lot to answer for. Whatever happened to the onion seller’s bike in France, or the postman’s bike in rural England? Well Ideo, of all places, has helped design a bike that is actually designed for people who don’t ride them, i.e. practically everyone. I’ve ridden a bike for years but have stopped lately because it has become hardcore, intimidating and technically beyond my reach. 30-speed titanium bikes with bicycle seats that slipped into places they had no right to go were not for me. Now we’ve got a bike that looks like a bike. For a start, it has automatic shifting technology which triggers in when you hit 7 miles per hour and at 11 miles per hour alongside the back pedaling coasting brakes. There is even a chain guard to keep oil and grease off your pants and legs. And listen to this, the bike shop staff were sent to Sephora to see how customers were treated and how to build empathy. To cap it off, prices were halved to around $500. I’ve ordered a $580 Trek Lime for delivery over the next 3 months, and guess what? The well rounded seat is like a briefcase; plenty of room for your keys and your [iPod]. What’s not to like.
And speaking of liking, as you know, a favorite journo of mine is Linda Tischler who works for Fast Company. She just interviewed Philippe Starck on his formula for creativity. “Every morning take Royal Jelly and Omega 3 oil, eat oysters and have a good sex life. Don’t care about anything, and never listen to anybody. Be free.” You heard it here first.
