The 5 Bikes you'll be Riding in the Future

The Oregon Manifest is a non-profitable organisation that champions innovation. Earlier this year, they launched the Bike Design Project – a challenge to devise and create an urban bike for the future.

Five top bicycle manufacturers from five cycling centric cities were approached, and informed that their final designs would be put forward to the public vote. The winning design would then move from concept to production, and ride into shops sometime in 2015.

Below are the five concepts they've now put forward -

1. Chicago - ‘The Blackline’ by MNML & Method

The ‘Blackline’ takes its name from Chicago’s train service that runs along the top of the city, non-stop. It is this sense of perpetual freedom that inspires the design, with its über futuristic ‘smart handlebar,’ featuring built-in LED lights and a turn-by-turn navigation system. And despite its extremely handsome, ‘take me home,’ good looks, thieves will be deterred by the bike’s anti-theft tracking device that connects directly to a Smartphone app.

2. New York – ‘Merge’ by Pensa & Horse Cycles

New York is famously known as the city that never sleeps, with non-stop traffic jams and crowds of people whatever the time day. In view of this, the ‘Merge’ is designed to remain as compact and streamline as possible, to ensure its rider can meander around the numerous obstacles New York poses. Much like a Swiss army knife, it conceals a retractable rear rack snap, integrated lighting and an incredibly handy USB charging port.

3. Portland – ‘Solid’ by Industry & TI Cycles

‘Solid’ is a bicycle which embodies the dual nature of its home city, Portland, by delivering a ride that is as comfortable through urban terrain as it is through woodland. Its titanium frame is both light and durable, while the fact that it is created through 3D printing positively smacks of futuristic ambition. Throw in a ‘discover my city’ app, which uses your positioning in order to suggest places to ride to and visit and you’ll soon be feeling like Marty McFly himself!

4. San Francisco – ‘Evo’ by Huge Design & 4130 Cycle Works

The ‘Evo’ has been inspired by San Francisco’s famous towers and bridges, with its modular rack accessory system, which allows users to attach a range of cargo functions to both the rear and front of the bike. The front forks also have a lock out system to stabilise the bike against a wall for convenient loading and unloading.

5. Seattle – ‘Denny’ by Teague & Sizemore Bicyle

Taking into account the unpredictable nature of Seattle, the ‘Denny’ bike is all about restoring that ‘get up and go’ spirit of the cyclist. By proving a complete cycling solution, in the form of smart reactive lighting, electric power assistance, automatic gear shifting, and an integrated locking system, Denny is prepared to tackle any cycling encounter. However, considering Seattle’s infamous rainfall, the team perhaps haven’t completely solved every single problem of the cycling commuter.

Let us know which bike you’d want to be riding in the future. We’re pretty spoilt for choice ourselves, but we do know what we’ll be wearing – a vest and legging ensemble from the new Be An Athlete Pastel Collection, of course!

LADIES CROPPED LEGGINGS - BLACK/BLUE

LADIES CROPPED LEGGINGS - BLACK/CORAL

LADIES CROPPED LEGGINGS - BLACK/PINK

*As with all exercise/fitness/health regimes always consult your physician first