Campus Dakota
Group Memberships => UND Cycling => Topic started by: Sal Atticum on April 09, 2009, 08:36:40 AM
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The bicycle below was included as part of a piece on design and economic depressions (http://arieff.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/designing-through-a-depression/) as an example of what designers can design that are utilitarian rather than new and fancy; "More cool bicycles like the Strida folding one that could help make giving up the car that much easier."
I submit that this is a horrible design for the following reasons:
1. The top tube is too short. In fact, it looks like the proportions between the top tube and the saddle/pedal distance are all whacked out.
2. The rack is too small for a "utilitarian" bicycle. You can't put groceries on it, you can't put laundry on it, you could probably carry a half gallon of milk and that's about it. If people are going to use bicycles for utility, they need to do more than just fold up.
3. What's up with the gear ratio? Just eyeballing it, I don't think any of the rear cogs would give you something akin to a "comfortable" gear, and if they wanted to market this as a car alternative or car accessory, it needs to be actually rideable by the average person.
4. (Maybe not important to cyclists, but definitely to Tito the Builder) It looks funny. Getting people on bicycles is hard enough even when they don't look funny, but you expect someone to eschew both their car and their dignity? I think not.
Comments?
http://www.strida.us/home-page.asp
EDIT: Looking at the comments, I'm not the only one who thinks the bicycle is silly.
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Gear ratios... you need huge guads to turn that. Especially with those cool bricks for pedals.
The rake on the fork is insane and the CG is very high, I suspect this bike would be VERY unstable in a turn.
Not being able to change the stem for proper fit.
The effective TT as you said looks very odd. I feel like it would fit like you're crunched up instead of like a hybrid.
F+ for this bike.
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I agree that this bike should receive an F+.
Having said that, I think you guys might be overlooking a couple of things with the gear ratio.
1) this thing looks like it has 16'' tires, with a tire that small, you need a larger ratio to get the same actual speed than you would with a 700c wheel.
2) It may use an internal gearing system in which case all bets are off.
3) What kind of idiot designer would put this out when the Molton, a proven design, has been around for about 100 years.
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4) This is what I would choose to ride instead.
(http://C:\Documents and Settings\paco vanquelin\Desktop\Velorution - Fish bike.jpg)
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Yost, why do you have -105 Karma, this fish bike is totally 'upscale' compared to the Strada=bicycle-1triangle+1utilityrack
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upscale
lolz
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I think this one works better:
(http://austinbikeblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/opa.jpg)
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beek, that's like the new ones that scheels is carrying for the commuters, it has the little spring under the bottom tube that helps you keep the fork straight; so that when Yost is drinking his coffee when he's goin' down town his bike will steer itself straight!!! :sign10: :yost:
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This one is deff utilitarian!!
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Here's some more weird bikes......
This one uses the stair stepper approach to 'pedaling' I want to try it actually
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This one's not a bad idea!
http://www.core77.com/blog/featured_items/one_hour_design_challenge_winner_theftproof_bike_seat_lock_9371.asp