Fixies are the fashion but wait 'til they see de stijl
June 12, 2009 7:53 AM   Subscribe

BauBike
posted by ardgedee (62 comments total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
Hmm, the wheels aren't nearly square enough.
posted by ijsbrand at 7:59 AM on June 12, 2009 [3 favorites]


Needs fewer and less rounded gears.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:02 AM on June 12, 2009


Shop: Hey boss, we figured out a way to save even more on these bikes!
Office: Yeah?
Shop: Yeah, we just make 'em out of square tubing.
Office: Won't that be kinda heavy and uncomfortable?
Shop: Lemme run the numbers past you.
Office: Holy crap, we have to do this! But how can we get people to fall for it?
Marketing: Gentlemen, I have your answer: "The BauBike is inspired by Bauhaus design."
Office & Shop: *fall back with mouths agape*
Marketing: *ascends into heaven*
posted by DU at 8:14 AM on June 12, 2009 [21 favorites]


angular, dude.
posted by philip-random at 8:14 AM on June 12, 2009


Bit monochromatic. How about a MondBike?
posted by maudlin at 8:14 AM on June 12, 2009


I give it a month, two tops, before the frame supporting the back wheel is bent. There's a reason the frame is usually made out of triangular sections. Any engineer can tell you that. Hell, I can tell you that, and I'm a biologist.
posted by caution live frogs at 8:16 AM on June 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


Needs more attractiveness and less testicle-crushing frame-iness.
posted by adamms222 at 8:16 AM on June 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


seconding questions about frame geometry, and also: square handlebars? that sounds like a design choice made by someone who has never ridden a bike for more than a mile or two. Seems like it would be INSANELY uncomfortable.
posted by dubold at 8:19 AM on June 12, 2009


My butt hurts just looking at it.
posted by jbickers at 8:22 AM on June 12, 2009


Look ma'! No brakes!
posted by artaxerxes at 8:22 AM on June 12, 2009


You should see the one Koolhaas made--it's two rhomboidal, intersecting sheets of perspex that you have to carry around with the tires slung over your shoulders. Bespoke fitting, though.
posted by everichon at 8:23 AM on June 12, 2009 [4 favorites]


I think the weld on the second horizontal bar below the seat (connected to the steering post) will pop off if you just by look at it hard.
posted by bonobothegreat at 8:23 AM on June 12, 2009


Wonderful!
It is structurally inefficient when compared to the typical diamond frame shape, but it looks cool.

An interesting design/bicycle/chair snippet, is that Breuer's cantilevered chair was inspired by bicycle handlebars (ref)
posted by a womble is an active kind of sloth at 8:25 AM on June 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


dubold: "Seems like it would be INSANELY uncomfortable."

Check the tags, people. It's art.

Art doesn't care about the comfort of your buttocks. In fact, the best art is antithetical to it.
posted by Joe Beese at 8:25 AM on June 12, 2009 [4 favorites]


The whole ethos of the Bauhaus was "form follows function". This is "form follows hipster market", and that by their own (inane and wordy) admission:

"By limiting the form with a fixed set of design rules and stepping away from the traditional function-oriented approach to the design process, this project transcends the border between design and art, raising fundamental questions about the nature of the bike as design and as a lifestyle accessory and introducing a much needed playfulness on the bicycle scene."

Mies van der Rohe must be cyclo-spinning in his grave...
posted by Skeptic at 8:25 AM on June 12, 2009 [6 favorites]


I don't see why it would be more, or less, comfortable when compared to another bicycle with the same saddle/bottom bracket/handlebar position.

I would say it's equivalent.
posted by a womble is an active kind of sloth at 8:27 AM on June 12, 2009


I like it. Thanks for the link.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 8:29 AM on June 12, 2009


I give it a month, two tops, before the frame supporting the back wheel is bent.

I don't think it makes it that far. Without a real down tube, the force on the joint between the lower top tube and the "seat" tube is huge. The fork will want to move forward and up, with the lower top tube acting as a lever. The pivot is that joint, and the maximum torque on a lever arm is at the pivot.

If, somehow, that joint survives, then yeah, that rear square frame will fail first -- but I don't see how you get any real miles on this thing without the handlebar hitting you in the face.

This is clearly an art bike, because the only correct thing to do with it to take the nice Brooks leather saddle off, hang it on the wall, and put the Brooks onto a real bike and ride it.
posted by eriko at 8:33 AM on June 12, 2009


a real baubike would be a paste of omni directional nano carbon gyros applied to your feet at intervals of 12000 miles, this is just silly
posted by doobiedoo at 8:35 AM on June 12, 2009


Bela Lugosi's bike?
posted by katillathehun at 8:38 AM on June 12, 2009 [3 favorites]


ijsbrand, that YouTube link pointed me to videos all sorts of other unique and innovative contraptions. Thanks!
posted by adamms222 at 8:38 AM on June 12, 2009


> square handlebars? that sounds like a design choice made by someone who has never ridden a bike...

One of my bikes' drop handlebars had a run of cable housing under the cork tape. The gap between the cable and the handlebar made a nice flat surface for me to rest my palms on, and worked great.

If those square handlebars are at just the right angle, they're going to be the most comfortable handlebars in the world. Otherwise, the opposite.
posted by ardgedee at 8:41 AM on June 12, 2009


Also, what material is it made of? Surely not stainless steel or aluminium? Both are expensive and difficult to weld, and, as they are comparatively soft and that square rear frame is just crying for some diagonal stiffening, will ensure that it bends out of shape at the first deep pothole.

If it is just regular construction steel (as it looks), the first spring rain will provide an even artier red-brown finish...
posted by Skeptic at 8:42 AM on June 12, 2009


Look ma'! No brakes!
posted by artaxerxes at 11:22 AM


Looks like there's a coaster brake.
posted by orme at 8:43 AM on June 12, 2009


Geile! Ich habe es zehr schoen.
posted by Flashman at 8:46 AM on June 12, 2009


Wait’ll you see my Dadaist toilet pogo stick.
posted by applemeat at 8:47 AM on June 12, 2009


To be fair, your buttocks may be the only part of your body in comfort when riding this thing (until it breaks and the sharp edges pierce your body as your face scrapes along the tarmac) as the saddle(s) are Brooks. The bad news is that Brooks saddles take about 80 hours riding time to mould into your individual curves, which may be longer than the lifespan of the bicycle.
posted by asok at 8:49 AM on June 12, 2009


It is structurally inefficient when compared to the typical diamond frame shape, but it looks cool.

Well, you're half right.
posted by DU at 8:55 AM on June 12, 2009


MetaFilter: The Best Art Is Antithetical to the Comfort of Your Buttocks.
posted by Mister_A at 8:57 AM on June 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


Today's structural mechanics lesson: triangles are your friends.
posted by Skeptic at 8:58 AM on June 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


Since the "buy" link takes you to an email form that doesn't even work, I doubt we have to worry about these things breaking and dumping their riders all over the place anytime soon.
posted by orme at 8:59 AM on June 12, 2009


The bad news is that Brooks saddles take about 80 hours riding time to mould into your individual curves, which may be longer than the lifespan of the bicycle.

Art brooks no comfort.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:03 AM on June 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


I don't think it makes it that far. Without a real down tube, the force on the joint between the lower top tube and the "seat" tube is huge. The fork will want to move forward and up, with the lower top tube acting as a lever. The pivot is that joint, and the maximum torque on a lever arm is at the pivot.

If, somehow, that joint survives, then yeah, that rear square frame will fail first -- but I don't see how you get any real miles on this thing without the handlebar hitting you in the face.


Granted, it is an art project. But I do not think it would fail as easily as people think. On a bicycle a rear-triangle is better than a rear-'square' as it is not a deformable shape, but you can build something like this if the moment connection at the joints is sufficiently strong. This is common in building construction - for example moment connections in a steel frame versus a steel truss. It's not always a good design strategy, particularly when you want something lightweight, as it requires more material but it can still work.

Looking at the shape of the frame and being able to estimate the failure mode without knowing any of the material properties, or joint strengths is a bit unlikely. It probably would not be a very stiff frame (due to torquing from pedaling) but again this does not mean it would fall apart.
posted by a womble is an active kind of sloth at 9:07 AM on June 12, 2009 [1 favorite]




Aaaand now we present: the Dada Bike.

or doodoo bike, haha? boo, sorry...had to go there.
posted by wowbobwow at 9:13 AM on June 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


If Apple started selling them they'd be the most popular bike on the planet in 6 months.
posted by blue_beetle at 9:28 AM on June 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


What irritates me is that it's clearly an "art bike". Yeah, I get it, square. And yeah, it's pretty clearly not economical and not elegant from an engineering standpoint. It's an "art bike". Cool. I dig art. Like this thing, clearly an "art" piece.

But they still put the front forks at an angle. And the connections on the forks, front and rear, are at 45 degree angles.

And as ijsbrand pointed out, the wheels aren't square either. And since we went there, the sprockets could be square as well.

Dammit, when you commit to a concept, execute the concept. Especially when it's arbitrary.
posted by Xoebe at 9:30 AM on June 12, 2009


I've already got one of those, barrett caulk.
posted by Mister_A at 9:30 AM on June 12, 2009


> I do not think it would fail as easily as people think.

That was my thought. A suboptimal structure is not the same thing as a flawed structure. The tubing looks to me the same as what's used in large-scale trade show displays, which are routinely used for rigging tons of lights, backdrops and other things. If so, it's going to be a very heavy bike but probably not a flimsy one.
posted by ardgedee at 9:33 AM on June 12, 2009


Dad, I've lost my title of 'Biggest Douche-bag in the School" to Johnny. Do you have any ideas how I can get the top spot back?
posted by digsrus at 9:34 AM on June 12, 2009


Nevermind that it will snap in half if you take it off a kerb; the big problem is the lack of spring in the frame. On a traditional unsuspended bike, the front fork is castered and curved to absorb a lot of shock, and the rear triangle construction converts some of the up-down motion at the axel into a front-back moment at the seat post. This thing will be the most ungodly painful bike in the world. Ugh, I can't stand it, wrists and shoulders scream just looking at it.

Just look at this fucking hipster penguin.
posted by seanmpuckett at 9:46 AM on June 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


Yang.
posted by MarshallPoe at 9:51 AM on June 12, 2009


Art doesn't care about the comfort of your buttocks. In fact, the best art is antithetical to it.

That's why this exhibition totally rocked the Louvre.
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:53 AM on June 12, 2009


of course it's a fixie.
posted by shmegegge at 10:08 AM on June 12, 2009


"introducing a much needed playfulness on the bicycle scene."


You know what? If you think an unusual, possibly punishing, design coupled with some grand statements about Art are the way to introduce playfulness to the bicycle seen, then you are a moron that has no idea what the hell bicycles are.
posted by oddman at 10:14 AM on June 12, 2009 [5 favorites]


Today it's rectangles. Tomorrow it'll be parallelograms.

Why is everyone assuming it's made from tubing? Since it is clearly not intended to be ridden, they could have made it from bar stock.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 10:35 AM on June 12, 2009


"It is constructed around the geometric shape of the square and the equilateral triangle."

Wonderful. When I've re-tooled my evolutionary adaptability so that my butt is too, call me back.
posted by Mike D at 10:45 AM on June 12, 2009


Anyone know the price? If it were a cheap bike (unlikely), I might think it'd be good if you tend to ride short distances on paved roads, or just want a neat looking functional sculpture. But if it's over $500, which is more than likely, I'd say it's best enjoyed as a pretty product page, and nothing more.

I'd like to see a nicer design for folding bikes, but form and function seems to be at odds there.
posted by mccarty.tim at 10:52 AM on June 12, 2009


Bela Lugosi's bike?

unbike unbike unbike unbike
posted by padraigin at 10:54 AM on June 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


BrotherCaine: "Art doesn't care about the comfort of your buttocks. In fact, the best art is antithetical to it.

That's why this exhibition totally rocked the Louvre.
"

Personally, I think this proves that games ARE art.
posted by mccarty.tim at 11:04 AM on June 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


НΞψ, ΝΞΛΓ!!!
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 11:50 AM on June 12, 2009


shmegegge wrote what I thought the second I glanced at this thing. Of course it's a fixie.
posted by maxwelton at 11:53 AM on June 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


Pure junk.
posted by wcfields at 12:42 PM on June 12, 2009


Joe Beese: Art doesn't care about the comfort of your buttocks. In fact, the best art is antithetical to it.

"Now THIS is Art - I can FEEL in my buttocks!"
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:42 PM on June 12, 2009


maxwelton wrote what shmegegge wrote what I thought the second I glanced at this thing. Of course it's a fixie.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 12:54 PM on June 12, 2009



Why is everyone assuming it's made from tubing? Since it is clearly not intended to be ridden, they could have made it from bar stock.


In photo #6, you can see the open end of the tube. an open end that is pointed up. Perfect for collecting water!
posted by vespabelle at 1:05 PM on June 12, 2009


Beautiful piece. Thanks for the link.
posted by desuetude at 1:25 PM on June 12, 2009


I have opinions about bicycles, and also I have opinions about art.
posted by everichon at 1:35 PM on June 12, 2009


I think I just saw a gaggle of hipsters in Brooklyn riding these bikes, they were all texting on their iPhones and listening to the Decemberists.....

i would hang this on a wall.... in the garage...
posted by SJLaw at 1:54 PM on June 12, 2009


Am I the lone dissenting voice suggesting that it is not a fixie? This is based on the coaster-brake evidence that was pointed out up-thread that you can see in the details section. The rear-hub diameter would also suggest that it is a coaster brake.

(probably over-thinking this a little)
posted by a womble is an active kind of sloth at 2:22 PM on June 12, 2009


Yeah, that looks like a reaction arm tucked against the stay in pics 12 and 13, and as womble said, the hub's pretty big.

So, I vote not a fixie.
posted by Opposite George at 3:21 PM on June 12, 2009


Apparently they weren't gutsy enough to take the orthogonal angle motiff to the extreme of having a completely vertical head tube and zero trail in the fork.

Now that would be a fearsomely quick steering bike...
posted by de void at 10:47 AM on June 15, 2009 [1 favorite]


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