Southern California - Coolest Thing Ever!!! Ever

I have been reading this forum for months, mostly for tech tips, and finally registered to become an official member to tell others about what I saw!

I was in Huntington Beach yesterday and I saw someone riding a plastic bicycle. I was on my Fuji and I caught up with him to ask a few questions.

He was an industrial designer named Matt Clark and he actually let me ride the bike!
It was stunning! I expected it to be flimsy and break apart...I'm not exactly a lightweight (hence my biking ;-) It wasn't flimsy AT ALL. In fact it was very rigid!!!

It's all polypropylene plastic and recyclable. It uses reinforced polypropylene as well (inner chainstays). I actually thought it was a plastic case on a bike until I saw the sunlight through it.

He said that he presented it at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena to staff of Caltech,etc.
Has anyone here been to Art Center lately??? Seen the presentations???

I just emailed him this morning and he sent me a few photos. I'm not gonna post all of them...I don't want to bog down the blog. I'll post a couple--if anyone wants me to post more I will.
He doesn't have a website--I asked--but his email is on the photos.
He seems pretty approachable and answered the questions i had.


I just wanted to share the news

:D

Great idea... ugly bike.

He needs to get one of those designers from Art Center to redesign the plastic so it looks less chunky.

Thanks for sharing this. Always cool to see different stuff. That said, it is the 2nd ugliest bike I've ever seen.

Thanks for sharing this. Always cool to see different stuff. That said, it is the 2nd ugliest bike I've ever seen.

What was the first?

Isn't carbon fiber just an expensive term for plastic?

Plastics. Reminds me of the one liner in the movie "The Graduate".

Interesting. I'm still working on the answer to the question "why?".

How is this in any way superior to standard bike construction?

I also wonder how the seatpost, bottom bracket, and headset are held in place.

In the future, if you're going to call something the "coolest thing ever", it had better be.

That, my friend, is not.

This is actually really cool. It may be ugly, but it's easy to see the potential in it.

Remember this?
http://www.midwesttimetrial.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/indurainbike.jpg

Refine the design a bit, have it accept front and rear DR's, and it could be awesome.

...and it's WHITE!!!!

:)

My wife went to art center, and I've seen some of the trans design displays. Almost every car on the market today was designed by a graduate of Art Center. One of the fun things about living in Pasadena is many of the prototypes that never hit the market run around town all the time (mostly interesting looking motorcycles).

I think my wife showed me this bike in a magazine in the last month or two, and I thought the same thing as people are saying above. Great idea for recycled materials, but how much does it weigh and can they make it less ugly?

What was the first?

Yours :)

good idea.. ugly bike...

Ever is a rather long time.

Actually, this (http://youtube.com/watch?v=oVwbUljGs3g) the Coolest Thing Ever.

i think it would be great is the performance is similer, how was the feel of the bike, meaning smoothness of the material?? I would think plastis is way cheaper than carbonfiber, if the material performs jsut as well why not use that plastic, you could mold it very easily too, you can litarally do that make molds put some of that melted plastic in cool sand down the excess and bam a frame. its ugly but hopefully this thing gives us another option for frame material, that would be kewl.

No. This is the coolest thing ever.

No. This is the coolest thing ever.
My coolest thing ever would crush your coolest thing ever.

I could build a frame out of 2x4's and would look way cooler that than, if you don't mind the weight.

Just as concrete without rebar is not nearly as strong, plastic without a fiber to hold it together is not as strong.

My coolest thing ever would crush your coolest thing ever.

Joy destroyer. "I am Chimvee's robot... must stomp on the Bike-O-Bar and squash the keg!!" Partypooper.

Joy destroyer. "I am Chimvee's robot... must stomp on the Bike-O-Bar and squash the keg!!" Partypooper.
Coolest partypooper ever.

Smells like Spam...

Join Date: 07-10-08

Posts Total Posts: 1 (0.96 posts per day) Last Post:
Coolest Thing Ever!!! Ever (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=7037935#post7037935)
07-10-08 03:47 PM Find all posts by Brian2015AD (http://www.bikeforums.net/search.php?do=finduser&u=131471) Find all threads started by Brian2015AD (http://www.bikeforums.net/search.php?do=finduser&u=131471&starteronly=1)

You're right! It is on the chunky side. I said that too...but it seems to be an exercise in form following function. It looks much better in person. It's especially cool in sunlight. It practically glows!

He mentioned that the design was intended to incite a paradigm shift in terms of manufacturing and design by reducing material costs and the labor associated with frame building. I knew a guy who built metal frames...it's pretty intense. Notching, bending,welding,aligning,etc before you even paint it
i just ride

The prototype is basic and minimalist, but could be designed with automotive surfacing like no bike has before.

He sent me lots of photos in addition to design concepts that are possible using this method as a basis.

I thought it was a good idea too...every concept has to have a starting point I suppose:)

I don't want to put words into his mouth...
I told him about the site. Maybe he'll join or at least tell more about it...no promises though

Regardless, I'm glad to share- it's good to hear from people...I was hoping someone else saw him yesterday

I also think that's just a steel framed bike with plastic covering it. You can see the metal seat stays and head tube, and the seat post is in a funny place.

Probably a "concept" piece.

Did he send any close ups of the head tube, seat stays/chain stays junction, or seat post area?

Seems like it would be just as easy to make it with fiber reinforced plastic. Thinner walls, higher strength, etc.
If they can make wheels with it...
http://www.americancycle.com/merchant/1384/images/site/wheels_skyway_graphite2.jpg
They can make bikes, too.

Sure it would be heavy at first, but what isn't? Gotta start somewhere.

To CritEastwood:

Awww, man I've been trying to forget the smell of Spam for decades

I just registered. I go to dozens of forums and simply read entries and have for years. I've never been inclined to post--as I never really have anything other than opinion to contribute. This is the ONE out of only TWO forums that I'm actually registered---and the other isn't even bike related. I'd post more if I had the time AND if the server would actually let me [it wouldn't let me all day yesterday (Thurs) after i made the post]. Besides, I don't think that this is some new product fresh to Toys "R" Us or Bike shop "XYZ" and may not even make it that far.

Would it seem "less like" spam if I posted anything about ANY product that you could actually BUY (IE: my new Haro frame or Sram fill in the blank________ part).

But believe what you will...
"You can buy the 'Plastic-Bike' at all participating Wal-Marts and Target stores for ONLY xxx Dollars while supplies last!!!"

Best wishes, but really...c'mon.

If you really think it's spam and people aren't interested. Notify the proper authorities and it will probably be taken down. no sweat offa my back.

I'm not interested in starting any conflicts...especially ones that could leave me perpetually mute due to server "issues".

To answer the above question. i have many pics (anyone could probably get the same ones if they're on any other site or via his email)...and rest assured...it's plastic---not a metal bike wrapped in plastic. Those inner chainstays, as I mentioned, were reinforced polypropylene but were not molded simultaneously into the regular grade/unreinforced polypro. frame.

ONe pic shows the bike (the customized side for demo purposes) in the sun where you can clearly see the metal(fork) and reinforced plastic parts (inner chainstays) and the other has some woman riding it at the art school

-I don't know how the seat post was held in...I think it had a molded "pocket" for it. I also noticed it had a dowel that went through the post itself (prob to keep it straight). It was a prototype after all.

-The bottom bracket--no clue. email him. It didn't slip around when I rode it so it was pretty firmly set--however it was secured. It probably had it's own molded provision. I could think of a few ways to keep it in place.


I was the MOST skeptical (and had the most questions) when I saw it and would continue--not posting--if it were just a casing.

I'm not offended or anything...I've read forums...i know how things are
:-)

All my best,

Brian

pics

Well, sure looks interesting. Just reminds me too much of all the Little Tykes kids toys we've had to suffer through.

http://www.little-toys.com/images/prod-images/little-tykes-4163.jpg

;)


Ultimately, any kind of bike development is a good thing, IMO.

:cheers:

There's another site with this bike on it.

Link:http://www.bikecommuters.com/