What if the Auto Industry Designed Bicycles?

[ecofreak]

Only mountain bikes with full suspension would be regarded as adequate, and people would overcompensate and drive huge Bike-syoo-vees.

[Angelus359]

Whats sad about bikes, is that less is more.

Once you achieved durability (not that significant), the "performance crowd" likes the same things the "efficiency crowd" like...

The motor is human. It takes big and scary out of the equation.

[Angmaar]

At first the bikes would be light and efficient. But as the manufacturers get "smarter" more add-ons would come stock and the bikes would soon weight 100LBS+.

[Frank Lee]

Less isn't always more. I have a road bike that's much lighter than my suspended mtn bike. I also have single-speed bikes, geared-hub bikes, and derailleur bikes. I've found that I prefer to ride the bike with the most- the suspended, heavy, derailleur equipped one. It's the most comfortable, and the weight penalty practically doesn't matter at all since I don't have hills and lots of complete stops/starts. Sometimes more is more.

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by Angmaar

At first the bikes would be light and efficient. But as the manufacturers get "smarter" more add-ons would come stock and the bikes would soon weight 100LBS+.

Additionally, special interests like nurses and doctor's groups, mothers against drunk bicyclists, and etc. would relentlessly lobby the govt to impose ever more safety equipment on bicycles until they look like this:

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by Angmaar

At first the bikes would be light and efficient. But as the manufacturers get "smarter" more add-ons would come stock and the bikes would soon weight 100LBS+.

All bikes weigh fifty pounds. A thirty-pound bicycle needs a twenty-pound lock. A forty-pound bicycle needs a ten-pound lock. A fifty-pound bicycle doesn't need a lock.

[cyclist916]

It might look something like this:
Fiberglass Bicycle (Open Letter)
With crash test:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2VL7wow_tk

[Bicycle Bob]

This is funny, but it a slander on even GM. The author admits it couldn't be commercialized even briefly.

Road & Track once printed a test of the Maserati bicycle. It was a standard italian road racer. They were most amazed at the number of places they found the name "Campagnolo" on it.

[robchalmers]

Bentley is heavily involved in this pedal-powered piece of kit torpedalo

Not a bike I know but its for charity and deserves a plug!

[Grant-53]

Weight and cost are always at odds in designing a bicycle. I like the concept of a crash worthy fairing attached to the frame. I threw together a Huffy ladies' steel frame, a 20 in. front wheel, a three speed coaster brake rear, and a small fiberglass motorcycle nose piece. Geared 40/19T it is a treat to ride in traffic. To go faster I would want disc brakes and an inertial reel lap belt.