Since the 19th century, the bicycle has undergone thousands of different design iterations for different riding styles and rider sizes. While you could say frame designs have varied based on road or offroad usage, the core design of the bicycle itself hasn’t gone through many revolutionary design changes. This is where German manufacturer Urwahn Bikes comes in. In their effort to make a more urbanized bike, they came up with their newest (and hardest to pronounce) creation: the Stadtfuchs. The curves on the frame allow the Stadtfuchs to be more ergonomic and balanced, making the ride through city streets a lot smoother (it also helps that the bike has an…

Get that stretch out of your system with this week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist. It’s fashioned up, ready to make you pull your shoulder blades back and knock out another week of meaningful work while you bob your head to the beat. Whether you’re in the shop milling aluminum, sketching the latest product prototypes or modeling up a 3D storm, consider these tracks as a tool for your process. This week on SolidSmack Radio we’re getting things rolling with “The Whole of the Moon” from Kirin J Callinan before rolling into a tasty set with tracks from Toro y Moi, LCD Soundsystem, Yeasayer, and others before wrapping up with “Sadboy” from…

Despite giant leaps in smartwatch technologies, the mechanical watch still manages to be a staple accessory that people continue to use every day. Currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, Rotate takes things one step further by having users assemble their own mechanical watch from scratch. Completely devoid of batteries (because that’s what a modular watch is), the kit teaches you the ins and outs of watchmaking with simple guides, tools, and on-hand online support staff in case you lose your way: Since all parts are included with step-by-step instructions, assembling the watch is essentially a LEGO assembly or IKEA table on steroids—including spare parts in case you break a few along…

While exploded views can be traced all the way back to the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, it wasn’t until the manufacturing boom of the mid-twentieth century where the term “Exploded View Drawing” became an industry standard for engineering and manufacturing professionals. Today, fascination with exploded views has crossed over into the mainstream as these informative drawings—intended to convey the relationship or order of assembly of various parts—have made their way to instruction manuals, marketing materials, and other distribution channels outside of the factory. More recently, Photographer Richard Parry created a mesmerizing collection devoted to the exploded view—using the actual hardware parts strategically laid across sheets of clear plastic to…

We love seeing how everyday objects are manufactured, but it can be equally as interesting to see those same objects disassembled; bringing to light just how parts and subassemblies are required to make an object function. Netherlands-based prototype designer Daniel de Bruin also has a profound sense of appreciation for the manufactured object. Professionally, he spends most of his time creating outlines and frameworks for new products. While he loves working on pet projects such as his homemade neurotransmitter which links to his biometric data and a human scanning machine which puts riders in the shoes of airport luggage, Daniel also spends a lot of time disassembling objects—this vintage Bencini…

As purveyors of prime Grade A web content, the SolidSmack crew has done some of the heavy-lifting to make sure you get your Mondays started on the right track. Welcome to The Monday List. Every Monday, we link you up with some of the most insightful, informative, and socially-relevant stories to keep tabbed, bookmarked, reading listed, pocketed, or what have you to get your week started on the right foot. Be sure to check in each week for a new crop of freshly sprouted words curated straight from the source of your favorite homegrown ‘Smack. What We’re Reading This Week: Calling Danger at the Grandview Speedway The life and times of…