e
Removable Handlebars for Easier Bike Storage, Yea or Nay?
Billibars can be removed in seconds, and also serve as a wall rack in your apartment
If it weren't for those pesky pedals and handlebars--you know, the means by which you actually drive and steer--a bicycle, narrow as it is, might be a relatively easy thing to store. This thought has occurred to industrial designer Trevor Heder, who then tackled the wider of the two problems, the handlebars:
Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)I like that they've designed the wall rack to incorporate the handlebars, though I can't say if I'd actually use it as intended. Another potential UX hang-up might be what to do with the handlebars when shackling the bike up outdoors; would you be willing to carry them around with you, or risk theft?
At press time the Kickstarter campaign for Billibars was at $6,849 in pledges on a $15,000 goal, with 23 days left to pledge.
I support the effort and spirit of Billibars, but as a Citibike user, am probably not the target market. For those of you who own your own bicycles, what say you?
-
o1Favorite This
-
Q4Comment
Directory Company Profiles
Core77
Industrial Design
Resources
Industrial Design
Resources
-
Core77 Directory
Find the Best Industrial Design CompaniesGo -
Curve ID
Curve ID is a New York City based studio, offering a complete industrial design consultancy service....
-
Cardboard Helicopter Product Design
We are a boutique product development studio in Cleveland, Ohio, and we make ideas fly. Drop us a l...
-
HS Design
HSD believes the future is based on teamwork across many disciplines and collaboration with multiple...
-
WhipsawWhipsaw, under the leadership of design visionary Dan Harden, is a highly acclaimed strategy, indust...
-
Bluemap Design
BlueMap design is a multi-disciplinary product development firm. Founded by Simon Yan in 2001, the f...
-
Olivialand Studio
Olivialand Studio, founded by Olivia Blechschmidt, is a boutique industrial design consultancy that ...
-
RKS Design
RKS is an award-winning global product design firm and innovation consultancy specializing in indust...
K
{Welcome
Create a Core77 Account
Already have an account? Sign In
By creating a Core77 account you confirm that you accept the Terms of Use
K
Reset Password
Please enter your email and we will send an email to reset your password.
Comments
As a biker of 40+ years I wouldn't rely on the twist/lock mechanism to keep the bars secure. Sudden movements are not uncommon on a bike and suddenly twisting the bars shouldn't have any dangerous consequences. A simple clevis pin and cotter pin addition would be one solution. Also, if your shifters and brakes are attached to the removable sections, managing the storage of dangling bars and cables could be cumbersome. Great concept to make storage easier but may need refinement.
I don't have this problem, so not the target, but I think their message gets a little muddled: What's their value prop? That you can store your bike in tighter spaces? Or is it that you can swap your handlebars to match your personality? Or is it that you can remove the bike from a bike rack easier? Are you supposed to carry an old suitcase to store them? I don't know, the spot is just trying too hard to be funny, where it should be addressing more like, how wide does a regular 10 speed become when you remove the ends? Or, spending more time on assuring people that the mechanism won't fail.
I like how they use drop bars to double as a storage system, but I really hated the brake lever position on the drop bars. The brake lever is fine for flat bars, even bullhorns, but not drop bars.
I also use a similar system as Citibike (here its called BiciMAD), so my only comment is that I laughed more than expected.. maybe a downside to the ones searching more technical/useful data? Just like Steve and Juan states..