Exhibition site

The bicycle is a popular means of travel and one of the most durable and widely used means of transportation in the world. Recently, the Munich Design Museum held an exhibition titled "Bicycles: Objects of Worship, Objects of Design". Through the display of more than 70 classic bicycles from different stages of history, the exhibition presented the technical, functional and aesthetic development of the bicycle as a means of transportation. On the other hand, the exhibition explores how the bicycle as a means of transportation has become a highly sought-after solution to the problems of environmental pollution and traffic congestion in cities, and how it has influenced our lifestyles today.

The Bicycle Revolution

The world's first bicycle was invented in 1817 by Karl Dreis, a German bicycle made of wood, weighing 22 kg, with only the front wheel adjustable, and riding forward by pedaling. The bicycle has been a part of human history since then.

Horizontal bicycle J-Wheel,Paul Jaray, 1919

More than 200 years after its invention, the bicycle has left behind many classic designs in the history of design. For example, the Penny-Farthing, a high wheel bicycle born in 1869, was designed by Eugene Meye, a Parisian bicycle manufacturer. It was a bicycle with a large front wheel and a small rear wheel, named after the size of the penny and farthing (equal to a quarter of a penny) put together in a pound coin. This bicycle is characterized by a very large front wheel, which can reach high speeds without a chain drive, but it is difficult to control both start-up and deceleration. The Penny-Farthing was popular in the Victorian era as a status symbol for the aristocracy, and helped to make cycling a competitive sport. Today, the Penny-Farthing is still held annually in Europe in Belgium.

Disc road racer, Togashi Engineering, 1989

Over the next two decades, the high-wheeled bicycle was gradually replaced by the safe chain-driven, low-wheeled bicycle with pneumatic tires. The most iconic of these was the Hirondelle, manufactured in 1890 by the French Manufrance (Manufacture d'Armeset Cycles), whose crescent-shaped frame and handlebars were the highlights of its design. It was followed by the horizontal bicycle invented by Austrian engineer Paul Jaray in 1919, which was also a hit. The "J-Wheel" model was the first mass-produced horizontal bicycle and differed from previous bicycles in that it used a cable for lever drive instead of the traditional pedal drive. In 1946, after World War II, Reye Bardet of Bordeaux, France, designed and built the "Flugzeug-Rad" from aluminum aircraft parts, an unusual looking bicycle with an unusual frame, a leather seat and retro handlebars. In 1982, German Mercedes designer Odo Klose designed the Sprick Active Comfort bike, with its curved plastic frame, car steering wheel-like handlebars and rigid rims with thick spokes as distinctive features. In 1989, Japan's Togashi Engineering designed a red road racer with disc-shaped tires to give a visual sense of speed. As materials and technology evolved, in 1998 German industrial designer Richard Sapper designed a folding bicycle called the Zoombike. The bike can be folded and unfolded quickly in any environment, providing the user with optimal convenience in urban traffic. In 2014, French eco-designer Paul Guerin and wood craftsman Till Breitfuss designed the Arvak bicycle, which is made of ash wood and combines lightness and efficiency. Made of ash wood, it is both lightweight and strong, with a lightweight frame that is completely hollow and made of 24 layers of laminated vacuum composite material bonded with bio-resin, reflecting sustainable and environmentally friendly design concepts.

Hirondelle, Manufrance, 1890

As seen in these historical classic designs, the design and development of the bicycle explored wood, iron, steel, aluminum, plastic, carbon fiber, etc. in terms of materials. At the same time, along with the development of technology, aerodynamics and aircraft technology have been applied to the design of bicycles, making them significantly improved and developed from materials to craftsmanship, from form to function, and becoming faster and lighter became the trend of development. Culturally, the bicycle has also transformed from an aristocratic status symbol to a democratized form of mass transportation and sporting competition, and has also become part of the transformation and development of urban transportation.

The Future of Bicycle Design

With urban congestion and global climate change, as well as the 2019 New Coronavirus pandemic, the bicycle craze is making a further comeback.

Arvak, Paul Guerin and Till Breitfuss, 2014

As a pioneer in the future of bicycle design, French designer Philippe Starck and the bicycle company Moustache have created a series of four different e-bikes - MASS, for mud, asphalt, sand and snow - which, as the name suggests, can handle The four bikes can handle different road conditions. "The Mud, with its dual-suspension frame, optimized gearing and Shimano XTR brakes, is perfect for wilderness adventures; the Asphalt, with its two versions at 25 km/h and 45 km/h, is perfect for blasting down city roads. version for speeding on city roads; the Sand has oversized tires for good grip on coastal tracks and a rain cover that includes a storage bag for wilderness conditions; the Snow is designed with tires that offer a boost in snow. The MASS series is designed to embody the synergy between man and machine, with the two dovetailing naturally, allowing the user to enjoy both the comfort of a motorized two-wheeler and the agility of a bicycle. As Philippe Starck's original design intention : "The bicycle is expected to traverse all kinds of terrain, especially the infinite and poetic realm." In addition, to address the problem of expensive bicycles and the lack of individuality in mass production, Belgian designers Tobias Knockaert and Karel Vincke designed the bicycle Erembald with a laser-cut stainless steel frame, which was then put together like a jigsaw puzzle, giving it a honeycomb structure inspired by transparent cutouts. Each Erembald is geared with Shimano XTR brakes, perfect for wilderness adventures; the Asphalt comes in two versions, 25 km/h and 45 km/h, for speeding down city roads; the Sand is a great bike for the city. "Sand has oversized tires for good grip on coastal tracks and a rain cover that includes a storage bag for wilderness conditions; Snow is designed with tires that provide lift and traction in the snow, as well as a front arm monoflex for The MASS series is designed to embody the synergy between man and machine, with a natural interface between the two, allowing users to enjoy both the comfort of a motorized two-wheeler and the agility of a bicycle. As Philippe Starck's original design intention : "The bicycle is expected to traverse all kinds of terrain, especially the infinite and poetic realm."

In addition, to address the problem of expensive bicycles and the lack of individuality in mass production, Belgian designers Tobias Knockaert and Karel Vincke designed the bicycle Erembald with a laser-cut stainless steel frame, which was then put together like a jigsaw puzzle, giving it a honeycomb structure inspired by transparent cutouts. Each Erembald is personalized and can be laser-etched with the customizer's name and a unique pattern for a clean look, and the use of laser cutting technology also makes production more efficient than traditional processing methods.

Riding a bicycle is not only a transportation trip, but also a sport and attitude of life. The change of bicycle not only reflects the development of history, society and culture, but also reflects the mutual influence between people and nature, work, life and urban landscape. The future of bicycle design will continue to embrace sustainable design and low carbon design, and will continue to upgrade it.

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