A new bicycle prototype from the design firm of jruiter + studio redefines what an urban bike looks like, using simplicity as the guiding principle behind their Inner City Bike.
“It is about simplicity in design. The Inner City Bike is the ultimate stripped away piece. So stripped even the chain is gone. Its a statement on bare essential transportation and new ways of thinking about materials, scale, manufacturing processes and function.” – Joey Ruiter
City dwellers who travel short distances on their bikes, and who also tend have a minimal amount of space to store the bike, have different needs than someone who commutes long distance or racks up miles on a road bike or wants to tackle some singletrack. And although the Inner City Bike design may appeal to many of those other cyclists, those in the city are the ones who might most appreciate this bike designed with the urban riding environment in mind.
“The inner city bike rethinks what a “frame” is, getting rid of basic key components, and creating a new type of urban bicycling.”
With the Inner City Bike’s huge 36″ tires, chainless drive system, and compact frame, the design looks great for sharp, quick turns and applying loads of power directly to the rear wheel – you know, when you need to hop up curbs or sprint past that sparkly purple cruiser bike on the way to the neighborhood café for your morning espresso. The rear hub is freewheeling, with a 1:1 gear ratio to get you moving in a hurry, and the minimalist frame is an eye catcher.
The Inner City Bike is not yet in the production stage, and details such as price and availability are still to come, but potential buyers can join a waiting list to find out more about when this stylish bike will hit the streets. In the meantime, here’s a little preview of the bike, in its element:
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