Solid : An Urban Bike with Handles That Give Directions

Encouraging fuel-free transport is a favorite topic of environmentalists and activists. The problem is that we lack the technology that can be used to make fuel free transport feasible in urban areas. Urban biking is totally different from paddling in the suburbs. Urban transport needs more advanced set of tools for more feasibility.

Keeping this problem in mind, a design studio called Industry and Ti cycles from Portland, Oregon has partnered to design a new bike for urban environments. They came up with a Sci-fi like, Bluetooth-connected bike called Solid.

Solid is a gorgeous looking bike with a minimalist design. All the wires and cable are contained in a 3D-printed Titanium frame. But the main goal wasn’t to create a high-design mode of transportation; in fact, the designers wanted to make the bike as novice-friendly as possible. “We wanted to be challenged by, how do we get an everyday person on to cycle?” says Oved Valadez, a co-founder of Industry, “How do we get people to immerse in a city in a different way?”

The makers of the bike believe that major reason people don’t like riding bikes in urban spaces is because of the intimidation factor. Upkeep can be stressful, knowing what each lever does is a headache, and then attempting to navigate city streets! It can be a living nightmare. The makers wanted to simplify all of those issues.

The bike is wired with a bluetooth module and connects to an app on your phone called My Bike (the electronics are powered by peddling). Think of My Bike as a visual guide to your ride. It alerts you to when a light needs to be replaced or when something goes wrong with your brakes. Another app, My City, is like a digital tour guide.

The bike’s handlebars have integrated haptic feedback, so instead of looking down at your phone for directions, you’ll simply feel which way you need to turn through a buzz. As you get closer to the turn, the handle bars begin to buzz more frequently. If you go too far, then both will buzz.  You can also change your gears by pressing an electronic button, your lights turn on and off via sensors. The bike rack has a modular design that allows you to add on.