Biomega Biolove Bamboo bike (a B fest)!
by TreeHugger on 01.21.05
Get a little edgy around ‘design-as-art’, so forgive any trepidation we exhibit here, as all bicycles are good. You might recall a ceramic razor we referenced? Well, it was conceived by internationally renowned Welsh industrial designer, Ross Lovegrove. His hand was also at work here. Australian designer, Marc Newson, fashioned the original bikes, for which Biomega became famous, so we guess they were looking for another well known name. Probably no-one would have raised an eyebrow, if they had just attributed the work to Brazilian designer Flavio Deslandes, who was the bamboo expert for the project. (See his earlier bamboo design work here).
But if it takes big names to get more bikes out there and more sensitive materials into the hands of industrial designers we're behind it -- 100%. Obviously it's a bamboo frame, but what you can’t quite make out is the low-maintenance, internally geared rear hub and accompanying ‘shaft drive’. The latter dispenses with that greasy old chain, yet Biomega reckon it has “less transmission loss than the average chain.” Thanks to Rik A for the reminder. ::Biomega [by WM]
