Feats Per Minute spins... records

Such a fun concept by group of Dutch designers -- who rigged up a record player onto a bicycle's rear wheel! Video below. As they point out, you need a steady cadence to have it properly play... oooh, they could partner up with BBOX Radio and broadcast a show with guests 'spinning' their favorite records!!!

More about the project via their website:

What if you would be able to generate music by the simple act of riding your bike? This project started with that question. We have build the first prototype and thanks to Jeffry Sol and Vincent Beijersbergen we were able to do so in a month. And yes it was pretty difficult, but loads of fun…. the idea is pretty simple; basically, a wheel and dynamo work the same way as a record player. But it was not as easy as it looks. First, we had to come up with a solution for the wheels; how can we change the records? The fork was blocking the wheel. That’s why we changed a 30 year old bike into a lefty bike; and build a construction that would still support the weight and would be strong enough for people to ride on it. The biggest challenge of all was to make sure that the needles would stick to the record and follow the grooves, without skipping too much. Therefor we bought two vertical record players and took them apart, to see how they worked. Also; we wanted our bike to be as low tech as possible; that’s why the only “extra” energy we used was a 9 volt battery to support the amplifier. In order for the records to run smoothly, we also had to change the crank of the bike and the chain. After that, we build our own horn, to have some extra volume, and we sprayed the whole bike black. We had some sponsors like bike stores, handy people and DJ’s and that’s how our dream in progress turned out to be real… Here’s to the crazy ones; thank you guys, you rock. - Merel, Pieter and Liat

video via Adverblog / image source of record player
THANKS, Michiyo!

assemblage via Rotterdam

Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco's Four Bicycles (There is Always One Direction) which he made in 1994 while in Rotterdam. MoMA has a new multimedia section of their website and includes this discussion:

thanks, Scully - via ignant

and another wheel turning in a beautiful William Kentridge animation:

simply enchanting

Dublin, Ireland

Helsinki, Finland

Amsterdam, Holland

Zürich, Switzerland

The photography of i.Anton (Irene) possess a most magical and nostalgic quality. Thrilling to see she has an affinity for bicycles!

joyriding

'Traffic Park'

While indirectly related to the bicycle, wanted to share some charming transportation concepts... The Dutch collective Platform 21 had designers, who don't typically work with cars, transform a radio controlled car into the car of their dreams.

resembling Maya Lin's Wavefield...

Traffic Park by graphic designers Strange Attractors, Catelijne van Middelkoop and Ryan Pescatore Frisk

By creating nature on wheels, we take advantage of daily traffic jams and turn packed highways into endless green belts. Climb a tree, fly a kite, flip a burger, make friends – all while your tailgating vehicle manoeuvres itself through its concrete surroundings.

and koala bear style car pooling...

'Kleefrijder'

Kleefrijder by jewellery designer Dinie Besems

This car illustrates the new driving: kleefrijden, or sticky driving. Someday in the future big kleefrijders will drive around on the highways; you’ll be able to attach yourself and hitch a ride for free.

paying attention

Transport For London's campaign addressing drivers while demonstrating change blindness...

In visual perception, change blindness is the phenomenon that occurs when a person viewing a visual scene apparently fails to detect large changes in the scene. For change blindness to occur, the change in the scene typically has to coincide with some visual disruption such as a saccade (eye movement) or a brief obscuration of the observed scene or image. - via Wiki

Another tangentially related theory is Hans Monderman's Shared Space concept - that by removing street signs and mechanical traffic devices people are forced to pay attention to their surrounds...

Bohmte, Germany via Worldchanging

Drachten before and after via Streetsblog

Shared Space relies on environmental context--in this case, a landscape unlittered by signs--to influence human behavior. "Our behavior in a theatre or a church differs from a pub or in a football stadium as we understand the signs and signals through years of cultural immersion," Monderman told an interviewer in 2006. "Likewise if we see children playing in the street, we are more likely to slow down than if we saw a sign saying 'Danger, Children!'" - via Worldchanging

DESIGNER BIKES: Roos Stallinga

Last month I had the good fortune of being introduced to Dutch artist + photographer Roos Stallinga! Roos is the creator and author of the recently published Ride With Me NYC – a New York City bike guide. The book takes you on cycling adventures though the city... combining a fun mixture of photographs, art, maps + interviews with NY bikers who share tips and experiences.

pages from Ride with Me NYC

From Amsterdam, Roos shared her first time riding in NYC, Dutch bicycles, and dream commuter bike with for the LOVE of bikes. Enjoy + details are below on picking up a copy of the book!

Your first NYC bicycle ride…

I was already an experienced city cyclist, being from Amsterdam, but I remember for the first time following a friend through the traffic on First Avenue in the East Village as a first it does feel a bit like being deflowered! I remember feeling scared and thrilled at the same time, and when we arrived at the destination, I was hooked. I really feel that biking is such a great way to get around New York, I love it so much, that is why I wanted to make a book about it, to share this joy.

What would encourage more women in NYC to bike…

It will happen, and is already happening I think. But, maybe more nice comfy bikes & happy female role models around. It's just a matter of time, probably, and people like you and me doing it and talking/writing/drawing about it.

Living in Amsterdam, what kinds of cyclists do you see…

You really see everything on a bike. Women dressed up, dressed down, men in suits, with more than 2 children in a cargo bike with dogs and groceries, totally pimped graffiti-ed bikes, pink ones, and with a sound system build in:-) You do see some more cruisers lately, and the cargo bike has been a trend for a while now, especially for yuppies.

What would your dream commuter bike be like…

click to enlarge

Like most Dutch people a bike is just a bike, a vehicle to get from A to B, and one you don't want to get stolen so better not be TOO fancy. In Amsterdam I have two bikes: an old Dutch "oma" (granny) and my New York Panasonic ten speed. I am starting to dream about buying myself a strong and beautiful bike especially made for me:-) I would love to draw on it too, somewhere, make a little artwork on it. I am in love with bikes from an old bike maker Het Nieuwe Werck (meaning the new work) in my neighborhood, Grimminck, in Amsterdam. Their website is not so fancy but the bikes are classic. I would like one with a big basket or box on the front where I can put all my groceries and flowers and at some point also a nice childs seat.

You can take a sneak peak at Ride With ME NYC [here] and in NYC, copies are for sale at St. Marks Books, A Bicycle Shop, and very soon... online!

rainlegs

Rainlegs protect the upper legs against rain, wind and the cold. The product has been manufactured from wind and water resistant parachute material. The leg protectors are open on the back of the legs, so that no condensation can take place and clothes will stay dry.

Who would have guessed rain rear could be sexy?

Designed & distributed in the Netherlands but for those of us in the USofA they are available [here]

city promo

As more and more cities around the world are realizing the major benefits (and trendiness) of having people commute by bike, here is a look at how some are promoting two wheels in print...

Amsterdam

New York City

Copenhagen

London

touch of dutch

a beautiful warm sunny day spent on Governors Island during the New Amsterdam festivities

boxcap

By the lovely people at Bikecap... these waterproof covers come in almost as many options as their seat covers. Looks they would fit on any old milk crate but they sell the box if not (though that would be lame if it's not the standard size).

seatcap

The weather forecast is not looking dry for tomorrow. (Though as my father always say's weather forecasting is the only profession you can be wrong all the time, yet keep your job.)

I usually just toss a plastic grocery bag on my seat - but these beauties by Bikecap are pretty irresistible.

stay dry

Hands-free by DryBike from the Netherlands.

via NotCot

400 years / 400 wheels

Dutch love is in the air...

it's NY400 week!

Four hundred years ago, Henry Hudson and the Dutch ship the Halve Maen ('Half Moon') arrived at what is now New York Harbor. To celebrate our city's Dutch roots, the New Amsterdam Village (in Bowling Green Park) has a packed schedule of events this weekend including traditional Dutch canal houses, windmill, traditional crafts (wooden shoes making, glass blowing and a floral workshop), cheeses, herring, poffertjes, stroopwafels, flower bulbs, green roofs, AND you can borrow a bright orange Dutch bike (it's free)...

400 wheels, 200 orange Batavus bicycles, left the Netherlands and landed in New York as a special gift celebrating 400 years of friendship. Later this year, most of the bikes will be donated to Recycle-A-Bicycle. The rest will be auctioned to the public, supporting a charitable cause.

To top it off, a festival of Dutch design, fashion and architecture on Governors Island to celebrate NY400 takes place this weekend (and next).

Pioneers of Change was conceived and curated by Renny Ramakers, co-founder and director of Droog, to showcase a modern interpretation on Dutch art and design. The exhibit will take place in former officers’ houses in Nolan Park on Governors Island + there will be a pop-up store of affordable Dutch designware (all under $100).

Photos via NY400

summer 08: Amsterdam

Last summer I had the great pleasure of spending time in the two most fabulous bike friendly cities: Copenhagen & Amsterdam

Amsterdam in all it's cycle glory...

some other store - no leaning allowed

embellishment - reminded me of Montreal

an attached air pump - as brilliant as that choice of orange

a commuter's friend - panniers...

in case of getting lost
(yes, a city map printed on the pannier covers)