What happens when you ask bike designers from San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, and New York to make the “ultimate urban utility bike”? You see the hallmarks of Left Coast creativity and realize that our urban is different from their urban. Observe.
Chicago
Why it’s so Chicago: “A nearly indestructible belt drive able to withstand…the harshest winters.”
New York
Why it’s so New York: “We’re not trying to redefine what a bike is. Through this whole design process we wanted to maintain the hundred, two-hundred years of history behind what people have developed the bike into.”
Unlike Chicago and New York, Left Coast cities collide with wild spaces. Since our urban is different from their urban, so is our idea of an urban utility bike.
San Francisco
Why it’s so San Francisco: Riders are referred to in software lingo as “users” and the frame is a “modular accessory platform” that scales to fit your individual needs. It has 3D printed steel lugs and distressed wood accents.
Portland
Why it’s so Portland: Respect the craft! Made from 3D printed titanium, this bike comes with a location-aware connected app, giving you the kind of turn-by-turn navigation you’ve come to expect from a car. “Inspired by the raw beauty and innovative spirit of this place.” Also: “Biologic Dynamo self-charging electronic front hub.”
Seattle
Why it’s so Seattle: A unique fender prevents rain-soaked streets from spraying your backside. Like the city itself, the whole design is technologically advanced, but still human—a bike that’s for everyone.
Who Won?
Seattle. The design team at Teague + Sizemore struck the sweet spot between can and should. In their own words:
The Denny bike is about returning the rider (and ourselves) to those early days of carefree riding, when cycling was just about ‘get up and go’ freedom—the reason we all fell in love with bikes in the first place.
It’s inspiration? The diverse community and unpredictability of our home, Seattle. From the auto-shifting electric assist, smart reactive lighting, integrated locking and the redefining of the fender, we’ve created the purist biking experience possible for Seattle riders. Now you don’t have to worry about the hills, rain or an impromptu farmer’s market trip.
Ultimately, the Denny bike was born from a simple premise, ‘an everyday bike that removes the barriers to becoming an everyday rider’.
All in – Just Ride
Wait a minute—we have a late entry!
Oakland
Why it’s so Oakland: Put a Joker in the spokes and you gotta rhythm that’ll move some folks. Note: Neither the bike nor the people are disposable.
On a related note, check out Cycles of Change, an organization that works “to improve the health and sustainability of our neighborhoods by increasing the use of bicycles as transportation, connecting youth with the extraordinary living systems of our local area, and building a diverse community of visionary young leaders.” They’re truly bringing us “the ultimate urban utility bike.”