Interview with a Designer

If you look a few posts down you'll see that I dropped the District 96 for all of you to check out. While it's a full-on concept bike, it's also a product that I knew would draw interest and inspire discussion. You've proven that you're interested and so I thought I would shed a little more light on the project with a sit-down with the designer responsible for the bike.

Hootie: What drove you to create the District 96?
Michael Leighton: The ID [Industrial Design] team was looking to do a fashion bike after we learned from our research that there are a ton of riders out there who place a value on their look and uniqueness. The desire was for a fast ride for fast people in a fast environment.

H: It's a little over the top.
ML: As it should be! It's strictly a fashion bike for the city. I don't have any illusions of people riding this in their local charity ride or anything like that. We wanted an over the top bike with a pursuit-style geometry. We threw on some some deep dish wheels and hardcase tires to give the bike a little robustness. Japanese track pedals are another detail. It's all about the details. It's somebody's 3rd bike. Something for Saturday night.

H: What's up with the paint?
ML: The design is elegant and agressive and we wanted the paint to communicate that. Keeping it simple and strong was the way to go but the chrome was hard to do. It's all about the flash factor. When he handed the finished frame to me the painter said "I will never paint another bike like this again." That's a direct quote.

H: Is this a bike that you would ride?
ML: The fun part of this project, is that I've wanted to ride something like this for a while. It's the essence of fast. I love the word "fast".

H: Where does the inspiration come from?
ML: The Trek 69'er has been such a well received concept and product and I really wanted to create it's evil twin in an urban bike. Instead of big wheel up front, throw it in the back.

H: The initial feedback has been up and down. What do you make of that?
ML: It's not a bike for everybody. It's polarizing, I realize that. It also addresses those who have strong opinions. As far as the position goes, it's a lot more comfortable than first impressions. You have to ride it to understand it. Haters'll hate but it's a slick ride.

H: Is this a bike you think will ever make it to production?
ML: It's the original concept for what is now the production District. With the District we wanted to add belt drive and some other things that didn't fit the 96'er. In bike design, it's all about delivering a functional tool that fits the brand. The District 96 isn't the answer to that but it's something unique and innovative that allowed us to push the envelope a little.

H: Anything you want to add?
ML: It's for kicking ass and taking initials.

H: Initials?
ML: Ain't got time for names.

H: Comedy. Anything else?
ML: I think that's it for now, what's this for anyway?
H: The Trek Lifestyle Blog
ML: You have a Lifestyle blog?

H: Yep.

Backstage at Backstage

If you will recall my mentioning, before this year's Trekworld commenced at the Monona Terrace, we threw a little hullabaloo for the nation's bike shop employees here at the saltmine. Aside from the live music, dave mirra tricks, tattoos was the typical "shenaniganry" of a summer evening in the parking lot of the nation's best bicycle company. The Pure Trike is a product that we carry that has been used in the past as a beer delivery vehicle but what with everybody being outside all day, we turned it into our own ice cream truck. Well, after the party-goers were over the ice-cream, one of them decided to see if they could take the Pure Trike where no Pure Trike has ever gone before. Airborne. The result was about 8 inches of air off the quarter pipe onto a table-top, an enthusiastic cheer from the attendees, and Astropops everywhere.

Blog Note: Life in the Bike Lane does not support smoking. Unless you are smoking some chumps  on the trail/road. We're all about that.

Trekworld 2009

   

Like some kind of crazy mid-summer midwestern hurricane, Trekworld has blown in and out of town leaving in its wake a path of clipped zip ties and a lingering tiredness of cole slaw. 

At its core, Trekworld is our annual dealer show where we unveil next year's line of product and educate on all the new tech and services that we've created over the past year. I wish I could tell you that was all it was. But that would be a lie. Trekworld is like Christmas. There is a centralized reason why everybody celebrates it but it means something different to every single person who does. All you can hope is that people will hold the spirit of Trekworld in their hearts the whole year long. God bless our bikes, every one.

This year I have to say we outdid ourselves. We launched more product than Nasa and came correct by inviting some of the country's best bike salespeople to partake in our festivities. The parking lot has never been so fly as when we set up a full stage, let the Supersuckers turn the Loo into Woodstock 08, threw up a ramp and quarter pipe for Dave Mirra and his boys to rip, and rolled out the best bikes in the world for invitees to demo. On top of all that, we brought out a straight razor shave for some man-pampering and told anybody that wanted to get tattoo'ed, we'd foot the bill. One condition, your tat must be a Trek logo or the logo of a family brand (Gary Fisher, 1 World 2 Wheels, Bontrager).

Think nobody would want to sport a Trek logo on their body for the rest of their natural life? Think again, Doubty-McHater. We couldn't ink the peeps fast enough. There's nothing worse than telling somebody that they can't get a tat of your company's logo because there just isn't enough time. Left to me, we'd still be applying ink to epidermis in the parking lot but hey, you gotta draw the line somewhere. Give people a reason to come back.

The dealers blew into town for their shin-dig and we kicked it old-school by taking everybody down to the University of Wisconsin Memorial Union. Being my alma mater I felt right at home knocking back a few at the scene of so many of my undergraduate crimes. Nothing illegal, just the goings-on of an 18-22 year old. I won't go into details. We rode a fleet of Trek Limes down to the party and I couldn't help but smile and remember Project M for all of its glory and fury. 700 dealers, 700 Limes. That's one hell of a margarita.

Highlights from the show, The Trek District. Belt Drive and orange rims married perfectly into one slick city speedster. As somebody who has battled a lysp most of my life that last sentence was totally painful for me to write.

Trek Allant. A bike that's ready to get you to work and back the second that you are.

The Fisher El Ranchero. Another innovation project that the ID guys came up with. Looks like a tandem but it's actually a porter bike as it can carry people, products, and just about anything else you can strap to a bike.

I took some video that is just can't-miss youtube quality. I'll throw it up on the site as soon as I have a chance. Gotta get the imovie program to lay down some beats over the show tour so I can bring the joy of the show to all. Merry Trekworld and a happy Eurobike.

Peep This: The District 96

Trekworld's in town. More on that later. For now, Check out this.

Car companies do concept cars, we do concept bikes. Got questions? ask.

I'll have an interview with the designer after the dust settles from our annual circus.