Bicycle of the future

Before reading "Bicycles of the future", read through this. It’s about the IPO of facebook. Would be really interesting to see what happens to these technology tycoons.

Facebook files $5 billion IPO, values the company at nearly $100 billion

By Dante Cesa 

The rumor, speculation and awkward Winklevii jokes can end (at least for now) as Facebook has officially filed for its public offering. Underwritten by Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs amongst others, the internet's most popular site seeks to trade under the stock symbol "FB" when it goes public later this year. The company is seeking to raise $5 billion, according to this early filing, amounting to a lofty (and still tentative) valuation of almost $100 billion. If that turns out to be accurate, though, Zuck will be one (especially) rich man: with a nearly thirty percent share in the company, his net worth would balloon to almost $30 billion.

The process of going public also provides a rare glimpse into internal stats previously kept private, with documents revealing the service has 845 million active users each month -- nearly half of which log in and actuate 2.7 billion likes and comments each day. The filing also sheds light on the company's balance sheet, with revenues of $777 million, $1.97 billion and $3.71 billion in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. All told, it logged profits of $229 million and $606 million in those years -- earnings that were bested by the $1 billion it netted in 2011. The majority of its revenue comes from advertising, yet a sizable chunk (12 percent) of last year's figure comes courtesy of Zynga. All in all, that's enabled the company to stash away nearly $4 billion in cash -- a sizable nest egg for a company only eight years old. As for Zuck, his 2011 salary of $500,000 will be cut to $1 as of January 2013, but he'll be more than comfortable, thanks to that 28.4 percent stake in the company.

Now, back to the main subject…

'Intelligent' bicycle of the future unveiled

 

A bike, with computer-like intelligence, which can never be stolen and has puncture-proof tyres could be in everyday use by 2029, says British Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman.

Chris Boardman hopes companies will have the courage to invest in something different. 

By Sasjkia Otto

Mr Boardman, 40, a former racing cyclist who won an individual pursuit gold medal at the 1992 Olympics, has unveiled a design that makes bikes as “intelligent” as computers.

Its system incorporates an “unbreakable” locking device that allows only the owner to open it via fingerprint recognition.

Other features include puncture-proof self-inflating tyres, a mini computer that counts calories as the pedals turn, a spokeless, lightweight carbon fibre frame and solar-rechargeable lights.

A battery-assisted motor, run by solar panels, takes over the pedalling after a long day and music accompanies the ride.

The bike could be created were a company willing to produce it, insists Mr Boardman, as "everything in it already exists".

This concept lets you control your bicycle by your brainwaves.

You’re looking at the bike of the future, where you’ll control gear shifts with your mind. This design concept is now in the prototype stage, and from the looks of the video above, it’s well on its way to a high-end bike shop near you.

Cyclists will adore the bike’s multiple aerodynamic design features and carbon fiber construction, but the most astonishing thing about the bike is its ability to change gears using its rider’s brain waves.

Before riding while using its mind-reading capabilities, a cyclist needs to train the bike to read his mind. Its “thought sensitive” helmet picks up brain waves, which are transmitted to the bicycle’s brain-controlled electronic “neurotransmission. “

The cyclist acquaints brain with bike by practicing with an experimental iPhone app, moving a cube on its screen until the neural technology associates that thought with the neurotransmission. Once the link is made, all the cyclist has to do is think in that way and the bike’s gears will shift accordingly.

This is some serious magic. But it’s altogether possible – in fact, we’ve tested tech such as the XWave that lets you control objects on a screen with your brainwaves, and it actually works well.

The Prius X Parlee is sponsored by bikemaker Parlee and Toyota as part of its Prius Projects program.

It’s an outstanding idea, but can these designers and innovators mass-produce the bicycle at an affordable price? Update: Alas, the designers say, “The bike is intended only as a design exploration and will not be for sale.”

This video is related. Gives a different insight from a more design perspective rather than technology.

And finally, here is a few designs from a different concept. Enjoy...

Custom Bicycle Concepts | Throughout its lifetime of over a thousand years, the bicycle formula hasn’t changed much– a pair of wheels, a seat, a frame and pedals. While you shouldn’t always fix something that isn’t broken, progress is progress– and these 10 custom bicycle concepts show just how far progress can go.  Some are strange, others are sexy, but all of them represent where the future of cycling could go, or reasons why it should stay the same.  That much is up to you.

Artikar by Ben Wilson

Part bike, part car, part… halo?  Ben Wilson’s Artikar is a four-wheeled recumbent bicycle enclosed within a fluorescent light halo.  The light may be all for show, but bikes tend to be as much about style as they are about transportation nowadays.  Recumbent bikes can register some pretty high speeds, and this flashy light becomes a safety measure when Ben weaves through the busy traffic in downtown London.  Nice work, Mr. Wilson.

Artikar Gallery

  

Cube Urban Street Bike Concept

This fierce, folding fixie-style bicycle concept adds an entirely new frame philosophy to high speed bike design.  The Cube Urban Street Bike Concept ditches the seat tube and top stoy sections of the traditional bike frame for this three-piece system that leaves the back wheel floating.  Technically, this design could remove a significant amount of weight from the modern bicycle, but this design appears a bit bulky.  Bulky or not, sexy it is.  Can you imagine the heads you’ll turn carving up the pavement with this thing?  We hope Cube has addressed stiffness issues, as working without those rear tubes can be problematic.

Forkless Cruiser Bike Concept by Olli Erkkila

While the Cube bike above ditched a few back bars for performance, the Forkless Cruiser Bike Concept by Olli Erkkila ditched the front fork altogether.  Turn the handlebars and a long, curbed tube moves the front wheel side to side, effectively steering the bike.  To see Olli ride it will appear confusing, as the missing front fork looks like some sort of magic trick.  While this bike may not represent advancements in future biking, it is still an achievement which we haven’t seen done in the past.  That’s enough to warrant inclusion in this list, from our perspective.

Forkless Cruiser Bike Concept Gallery

  

Furious Sports Bike Concept

The Furious Sports Bike Concept by Nenad Kostadinov is another experiment with the traditional bike frame, this time removing the down tube and top stoy.  Unlike other concepts, however, this one appears to provide the support and stiffness needed for an efficient, comfortable and stable ride.  Yet the change in frame structure isn’t what makes this bike special, it’s the on-board computer which displays various information about your ride.  Speed, location, calorie consumption and other information is shown to the rider front and center throughout their session, be it for pleasure or a daily commute.

Furious Sports Bike Concept Gallery

  

Chris Boardman’s Intelligent Bike Concept

Pro cyclist Chris Boardman has pontificated on what the future of cycling may hold with his Intelligent Bike Concept.  The Intelligent Bike Concept features a solar-powered backup motor, an onboard computer, a fingerprint security scanner and a spoke-free wheel design.  We’re having a tough time spotting the photovoltaic panels, but since this is just a rendering we imagine they’ll be added later.  Boardman’s bike concept is designed to add all the future-level functionality to a bike today, giving a rider a rounded cycling experience that may not be seen on the road for decades.  Oh, and did we mention that it looks awesome?

Wire Bike Concept by Ionut Predescu

The Wire Bike Concept by Ionut Predescu is designed to be as light as a feather and as stiff as a board, achieving significant weight loss by using a suspension frame system instead of the standard bike frame.  Think of it like a suspension bridge, where the weight of the payload helps sustain the structure’s form.  Losing the top tube and the down tube of a traditional frame easily drops some weight from this bike, making for a lighter, more efficient ride.  The solid pieces of this frame will be carbon fiber, while the cables themselves will be light kevlar.

Wire Bike Concept Gallery

  

Ruiter Simplicity Bike Concept

Designer Joey Ruiter developed a bike concept based on a philosophy of simplicity.  All his bike needed was a pair of wheels, handle bars, a seat and pedals, in this case connected directly to the rear wheel.  The Ruiter Simplicity Bike Concept ditches the crank, the chain and most of the frame of a typical bike, yielding a basic commuter bike to help its rider get from point A to point B.  For us, the jury is out on this bike until we could get a chance to ride it.  No gear system means low speeds (which removes the need for that front brake), the two-bar frame means it may not be stiff enough to remain stable and efficient, and that seat looks less-than-comfortable.  What we do know about this bike is that it looks entirely lovely, and should reflect a philosophy of simplicity that other bike manufacturers can learn from.

Ruiter Simplicity Bike Concept Gallery

  

Eco 07 Bike Concept by Victor Aleman

Victor Aleman’s Eco 07 Bike Concept is designed not to fold down to size, but to be completely disassembled and fit into a box not much larger than a brief case.  When you transport this bike, its space saving functionality is nearly unparalleled– for a full size bike.  The Eco 07 Bike Concept isn’t designed to be deconstructed every day, just when it won’t be used for a while.  Otherwise, this lovely orange, gray and silver bike looks like a fierce little fixey we’d love to pilot on the hard concrete.

Eco 07 Bike Concept Gallery

  

Peugeot B1k Concept Bicycle

Peugeot has established a long tradition of producing not only fine automobiles, but progressively designed bicycles as well.  The Peugeot B1k Concept Bicycle is the latest and clearly the greatest in this tradition, a serious speedster with a range of next gen performance components.  Its seat is raise higher than its joystick-style handlebars, its solid pedal-and-crank turns a chain-free rear wheel, and a carbonized construction means this bike weighs little more than a standard road bike.  As far as this list goes, the Peugeot B1K Concept Bicycle is our clear favorite, easily the sexiest bike we have ever seen.

Peugeot B1k Concept Bicycle Gallery

  

Plus Bike Concept by Bortolani and Righi

The Plus Bike Concept by Bortolani and Righi is a gem in bicycle design, a form that throws aerodynamics out the window for an almost Victorian-inspired upright setting.  Its futuristic frame shows the plus sign for which it is named, with a seat post separated from the central frame and lighting in both the back and front of the main tube.  Like many others on this list, the Plus Bike may never see production, let alone a prototype, but we admire the ingenuity of Bortolani and Righi and salute them for this design.

Plus Bike Concept Gallery

  

So, what is your favorite bike from this list?  It’s hard to beat that Peugeot B1k, but there are others that’ll give it a good ride for its money.  Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and share with us any futuristic bike concepts you’ve seen that you think deserve a spot here.