Designing a Bike by Committee for the People of Bordeaux

 

What a concept: Democracy in transportation design for urban settings.

Last November, the City of Bordeaux in France asked citizens to make suggestions on what they would like to see included in the design of a new town bike. More than 300 citizens shared their ideas, which designer Philippe Starck has now used as the inspiration for what has been provisionally called the City PIBAL Streamer—an interesting concept where riders can either sit and pedal like on a traditional bike, or stand on the platform and use it like a scooter.

The number of cyclists in the city tripled in Bordeaux over the last 15 years, thanks in part to a comprehensive tram network and numerous city-center traffic restrictions. Drop hire bike points have been placed throughout the area, and this is where the new town bike/scooter will be added.

According to Paul Ridden of gizmag, The City PIBAL Streamer design concept was recently unveiled at the Cyclab 2 event by Starck and the Mayor of Bordeaux, Alain Juppé. The result is said to be both durable and functional, with lots of room for onboard storage. The ride features a lightweight aluminum frame with a standing platform at the bottom. The bike also features colored wheels, hub braking, and automatic, integrated LED lighting.

Manufacture of the new design will be the responsibility of Peugeot. The company’s engineers are to assemble a run of 3,000 bikes for the City of Bordeaux for end of year availability. It’s during this period that any technical issues relating to the concept will be tackled—such as frame stress points and core strength.

Photos: gizmag