What will bicycles look like in 10, 20, or 30 years?
Here are some major trends that will help define the bicycle of tomorrow...
The bike that disappears
Athletes always want to go faster on their bikes. That goes without saying. The challenge here is to offer a bike that combines lightness and aerodynamics. It is undoubtedly with this in mind that a range of "bikes of the future" is in the process of making the bike disappear piece by piece.
This is at least the case for the chainless, spoke-less, and seatpost-less prototype presented by cycling champion Chris Boardman.
The same goes for the model designed by American John Villareal, which has the same characteristics (Photo at the beginning of the article).
The bike that does it all
In the city, it's a different story. Convenience is sought long before speed. The average urban cyclist would like their bike to do everything at once: deter thieves, carry their computer, coffee, children, while protecting them from the rain and giving them directions.
This is somewhat what the designers of the Denny prototype, winner of the Bike Design Project , had in mind.
You may have guessed it, but the handlebars can be removed to become a lock.
Curious? Watch the video!
A motorized bicycle: Is it still a bicycle?
A strong trend in recent years has been to integrate some form of electric assistance into the bike's structure. The question then arises: is it still a bike? The effort is certainly not the same. But the possibilities are exciting.
A team from the Czech Republic is currently working on a prototype of a "flying bicycle" with electric assistance. With that, the Jetsons can go home!
On solid ground, there's Frenchman François Gissy who had the idea of integrating a rocket engine into his bicycle. This resulted in a bike that reaches 333 km/h. You read that right. Will we one day see this type of transport speeding along ultra-fast highways designed for this purpose?
The bicycle as a source of renewable energy
Let's imagine a slightly crazier, post-apocalyptic future, say. After the ice melts, in an era when the winter fat bike will have lost all its relevance.
Could the bicycle then have an unexpected use? In an America without oil or electricity, the bicycle could well be our last resort to generate a few watts of electricity.
Pedaling to recharge your computer battery, that's one way among others to combat a sedentary lifestyle!
Some have already taken the lead in this direction:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Writer and screenwriter, a graduate of INIS, Philippe Jean Poirier has written four novels, including Jos (Marchand de feuilles, 2010), a historical novel inspired by the life of the strongman Jos Montferrand. Himself endowed with a colossal physique, he nevertheless remains a sensitive author whose texts are effortlessly readable...