Gone are the days where a simple bag attached to a pre-existing road or single-speed bike is the norm for urban bicycling. These days, the niche market for urban bicycles has never been stronger nor demanded as much attention. With projects like the Oregon Manifest gaining more attention (and a sponsorship from the Levis Commuter Collection), it comes with little surprise that independent designers are also using this as an opportunity to throw their own designs out there. One of the latest designs to come out of the urban bicycle movement comes from former Nike Design Director Eric Duvauchelle and his brother Antoine in the form of CYLO, which aims to bridge the gap between performance and function for today’s demanding urban bicyclist.
Starting with a 6061 aluminum frame, the foremost goal for the CYLO One was to create a seamless bridge between performance and functionality. The frame itself features an integrated light system that the brothers think “should be integral to urban bicycles, not add-ons that you forget to charge, get stolen or leave behind.”
Additionally, the bike features a rear light that is powered by an accelerometer that automatically brightens as a rider slows down. The bikes are also designed to be easy to carry…something that a lot of manufacturers tend to overlook in the urban bicycle market. And if you rely on you bike to get to work each day and are worried about keeping your pant cuffs clean? The carbon belt drive helps solve that problem too:
“Today people want to live closer to their work, friends and shops. For example, 24% of 16-34 year olds bike more now than they did just a few years ago…We believe that cycling can help solve some bigger issues in urban mobility, health improvements, and better community living. CYLO will be a part of the solution.”
The brothers will be manufacturing, assembling, and shipping the bikes from their hometown in Portland, Oregon and have stressed the importance of overseeing their production locally. Currently they are finalizing their final prototype and will be launching a crowdfunding campaign soon and plan on selling the CYLO One for $2199 USD. If interested in finding out more, head over to their mailing list for updates.
(Images via CYLO)
