In "conceptual art", the idea behind the work takes precedence over traditional aesthetic, technical or material concerns. Marcel Duchamp's Fountain is often considered the first "conceptual" work.
A "concept bike", similarly, seems more concerned with some idea--or simply a crazy vision--than with rideability or practicality, at least for 99 percent of cyclists.
What would it be like to ride, instead of a bicycle, the idea of one?
Starbuck's or Dunkin' Donuts?
The difference in cost between the two isn't as great as one might think. At least, it isn't between the Starbuck's' and Dunkin' Donuts' places in my part of the world.
Of course, Starbuck's has variations on coffee that DD--and possibly anyone else--never dreamed of. I mean, in how many other coffee bars can one get a "Venti Soy Quadruple Shot Latte With No Foam"? Or an "Extra Hot, Wet Cappucino"? (Does one need to be accompanied by an adult to order it?)
Nobody goes to Starbuck's and asks for "coffee, light and sweet", or even "black". Customers who want the latter usually order espresso.
But the real differences between Starbuck's and Dunkin Donuts come down to who goes to them. I saw my first Dunkin' Donuts when my family moved to New Jersey; back then, pretty much everybody, across class and other lines, patronized it. But with the rise of Starbuck's--as well as any number of other "boutique" coffee shops that aren't part of a chain (e.g., the kind found on every other corner of neighborhoods like Soho and Williamsburg)--DD came to be seen as declasse. In other words, it became the sort of place where people of a certain age who never married, or who are widowed, converged late at night. Also, it became a place for geeks and loners of other kinds. The young and hip--or those who were trying to seem so--went to Starbuck's and their imitators.
What that means is that you'll usually see a younger crowd at Starbuck's than at Dunkin' Donuts. The young--whether or not they're hipsters, or wannabes--tend to use electronic devices more than people who are around my age. (In a conversation with my brother, I remarked that most of what I know about computers, I learned from my students.) The folks who run Starbuck's are no doubt aware of this. Thus, you are more likely to find a portal where you can plug in your I-phone or laptop in the home of extra scalding frozen white chocolate mocha chai than in self-proclaimed home of "the best coffee in America".
But what do you do if you're out on a ride and you absolutely must plug in your device--and there's no Starbuck's anywhere in sight?
(Disclaimer: I have never felt any such need while on a ride. But I have felt another kind of need, and I have stopped in Starbuck's for that!)
Well, if you really, really must recharge that Android when you're on the road or trail, you might think about investing in this:
Hey, don't laugh: It's green. Yes, this bicycle--it has two wheels and pedals!--contains a docking station powered by the rotation of the rider's two feet. And a screen built into the handlebars gives the rider access to the internet via his or her laptop. I mean, you can't miss those special deals on e-Bay and Amazon while you're riding, can you?
Yuji Fujimura designed this machine--presumably, with a unique concept of aerodynamics. After all, its shape will slice through a headwind or slip into the stream of a tail wind. But the slightest breeze to the side could send the rider tumbling into a field of fair-trade organic soy frappucinos!
I have owned two folding bikes in my life. The first, a Chiorda from the 1970's, I didn't have for very long. But I rode the second, a Dahon Vitesse, to work for a year and a half.
As I've said in my post about the Dahon, I am not against folding bikes per se. In fact, I see a real need for collapsible bikes that give a satisfying ride. I just think such bikes are few and far between, although that could change one day.
That last statement is not just something I said to appease those of you who love your collapsible bikes or to prevent a flame war. My optimism about the future of collapsible bikes is based on the fact that a number of designers and engineers are creating new and interesting ones. Perhaps one really will be the folding bike of the future.
For some, getting a folder--or any bike--might be part of "going green".
It seems that Josef Cadek took that notion literally in designing his "Locust" folding bike. It seems that whenever someone is creating a "modern" design, he or she seems to think it must be done in shades of white, gray or beige. Not that I dislike those colors: I just like variety. (It drives me crazy that every other bike made is black, or so it seems.)
I have no idea of how the Locust rides. One thing I will say for it, though, is that it's hard to fault for its shape or size when folded. The same could be said about Thomas Owen's "One" which looks, well, more modern, at least in its tonal palette:
Since we live in a world in which we have to do so much in so little time, we have to "multitask." So must our devices and gadgets. So, since many cyclists ride with backpacks (I rarely do), Chang Ting Jen perhaps thought it was natural to come up with this:
Yes, a backpack bicycle! Supposedly, it weighs only 12 pounds. Of course, most people wouldn't want to carry much else if they have such a bike, as light as it is, on their backs.
You can read more about these, and some other interesting concept bikes on the Incredible Things webpage.
